Densely packed commercial, residential and mixed-use buildings and real estate predominate and define cities the world over. With comparatively little in the way of open space, and what is available typically commanding premium prices, reducing cities’ energy consumption and pollution by deploying distributed, solar and other distributed, clean energy resources poses a vexing challenge for those aiming to improve urban quality of life while keeping the lights on and the energy flowing.
Ambitious, innovative young companies such as Black Bear Energy are proving those challenges aren’t insurmountable. Three Black Bear Energy clients – GID, USAA Real Estate and LBA Realty – recently launched distributed, clean energy projects that will see on-site, solar PV power generation and battery-based energy storage systems (BESS) installed along with energy-efficient LED lighting.