The transition to carbon-free energy won’t depend primarily - or even mostly - on energy experts. Of course, we need highly educated technologists and planners to get there. But it’s people – lots of people! - from all walks of life, across every stratum of our society, who will make the billions of decisions that all together will produce our clean energy future. It is for them that Charles Eley, drawing from his decades of leadership on energy efficiency and sustainable buildings, has created this volume. Logically organized and clearly written, this book distills the science, technology and policy of energy into useful, accessible modules, with each successive theme helping both to convey the urgency of change and to define an actionable path to truly sustainable energy for all. How we access, transform and utilize energy into the future will determine no less than the destiny of humankind. Charles demystifies our energy systems, and in so doing shines a light on the cleaner path ahead.
Andrew McAllister, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
As we work to address climate change, electrify our buildings, transportation and industries, and transition to a clean grid, Charles Eley provides us with the "how-to" to make it all happen – from available and emerging renewable energy technologies to the needed strategies and decisions about planning, design, construction, and policy. It is a must read for architects, planners, industry professionals, building owners and policymakers.
Edward Mazria FAIA, CEO of Architecture 2030, Recipient of the 2021 AIA Gold Medal
Clean Electricity zeroes in on the things that matter today and helps us move past the good ideas from ten years ago. To rapidly decarbonize, Mr. Eley makes a compelling case that it’s faster and cheaper to focus on how we displace gasoline and natural gas than to fixate on the emissions from each kilowatt-hour of electricity. The impact on electric reliability and our climate from the everyday choices we all make in our homes and with our cars is exciting and empowering. Clean Electricity is your cookbook of new ideas for making real impact.
Geof Syphers, Chief Executive Officer, Sonoma Clean Power
An incredibly timely resource for everyday building professionals, homeowners and citizens to be able to understand how we interact with an increasingly more complicated energy system. Charles lays it all out in a way only someone with his experience can; making complex energy and building systems understandable and accessible and providing a roadmap for saving money and ourselves.
Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Charles Eley is a Senior Fellow of New Buildings Institute and industry luminary. With this book, Charles provides designers, building owners, policy makers, consumers, and in general, citizens of planet earth with a plain-language primer on how electricity is generated, transmitted, distributed, and used in our buildings today. Today, many designers and most building owners see the power grid as a one-way supply of unlimited energy, without regard for how it is produced and what impacts it may have on the environment or fence-line communities where energy is produced. Charles aspires to enlighten and inspire building sector actors to take an active role in grid decarbonization and he provides an optimistic view on a future in which low-carbon energy is abundant and energy prices reflect true environmental impact in the rates we pay. This is a must-read for those seeking to address the environmental impacts of energy consumption, through professional or personal efforts.
Ralph DiNola, Chief Executive Officer, New Buildings Institute