Category: EcoBlock in the News

Despite its complexities, block-level decommissioning is likely more effective than an individual, house-by-house approach, offering untapped economies of scale that can be replicated across California. Dr. Therese Peffer provides insight into the challenges of pruning gas at the neighborhood block scale and its implications for the Oakland EcoBlock project.

EcoBlock Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Therese Peffer shares insights on implementing neighborhood-scale electrification in a recent feature on KALW Public Media.

Members of the Oakland EcoBlock team met with Dan Hellmuth, the President and Director of Design for the Urban EcoBlock, to discuss their respective initiatives and explore future opportunities for collaboration.

EcoBlock was recently featured on KQED’s podcast, Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America, which delves into the intersection of the climate and housing crises.

The future of renewable energy may lie in microgrids—but what does it actually take to implement one? From navigating utility regulations to weathering the effects of COVID-19, the EcoBlock research team reflects on the complexities of executing the pilot microgrid project.

Don’t miss the recording of EcoBlock Project Advisor Michael Ginsberg’s panel at the 2022 Microgrid Knowledge Conference!

EcoBlock PI and Energy team co-lead Dr. Alexandra “Sascha” von Meier joined industry experts at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)’s inaugural Smart Building Summit to discuss the role of smart building technologies in advancing decarbonization and the challenges of integrating renewable energy resources with the electric grid.

EcoBlock co-PI and UC Berkeley professor Dan Kammen, alongside Charles Koven of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, discuss why maximizing housing density near transit hubs would be a win for the climate and for the community.

EcoBlock’s Dr. Alexandra “Sascha” von Meier participated in a California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) expert briefing on the role of community microgrids in California.