helium.com , inc. was founded in 2006 as a yahoo! answers-style website created from user generated content paid on a revenue sharing model .

over time the site evolved from short answers to stand-alone articles , and began to offer writers the opportunity to earn from selling articles as well as passive income .

the sale of articles to businesses and publishers is now its primary business , and the revenue share arm has closed to new members , effective may 21 , 2014 .

the sites which display revenue share articles will be closed down on december 15 , 2014 .

the domain is now owned and operated by helium systems .

helium . com

- urltoken - http : / / urltoken / items / 1436987 - history - of - the - afar - p . . .
urltoken - http : / / urltoken / a - peoples - history - of - the - united - states - . . .
- urltoken - http : / / urltoken / a - peoples - history - of - the - united - states - . . .
to deactivate your profile , email help @ urltoken and include your pen name .
learn more at urltoken to order your evaluation kit and begin your iot journey today .
kel & partners meagan j . ellis , 508 - 366 - 2099 meagan @ urltoken
- helium - where knowledge rules - helium , inc . - april 13 2008 - urltoken
you are welcome to address questions and concerns to help @ urltoken or on helium’s discussion forums .
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urltoken online shopping for electronics , apparel , computers , books , dvds & more - http : / / www . . . .
not good enough pay to live on but writing online at urltoken inspired me to go back to college online and complete my ba and mba . it also helped me to learn to figure out internet and computer problems while working online by contacting both my computer technical people and my internet service people plus urltoken personnel .
if you are interested in deploying an application using the helium decentralized machine network , send an email to sales @ urltoken and we ' ll be in touch .
is urltoken down for you right now ? submit your comments about urltoken service status or report an issue below to let others know that they aren ' t the only ones having trouble . please note that your country , service provider and browser information will be displayed next to your comment to better analyze a possible outage .
urltoken currently has community of over 150 , 000 writers , who cover everything from politics to parenting advice , to pop culture , to the environment and more . the company recently announced a change to helium
contact help @ urltoken if you have any problems with your final payment . be sure to reference your email address ( or paypal email address , if appropriate ) , pen name , full name and amount of the final payment .
urltoken helps you find whether the website you are trying to browse is down or not . check if the website is down just for you or everyone around the globe . all you have to do is type the name of the website you want to check and a fresh site status test will be performed on the domain name in real time using our online website checker tool . urltoken is not affiliated with or endorsed by the services monitored on this web site . to learn more about
the above graph displays service status activity for urltoken over the last 10 automatic checks . the blue bar displays the response time , which is better when smaller . if no bar is displayed for a specific time it means that the service was down and the site was offline .
we have tried pinging helium website using our server and the website returned the above results . if urltoken is down for us too there is nothing you can do except waiting . probably the server is overloaded , down or unreachable because of a network problem , outage or a website maintenance is in progress . . .
an alternative to the q & a services and social media projects at google answers , yahoo answers , live qna & answerbus . com , helium hopes to be a knowledge oriented community which is not full of just hot air . adding a dash of urltoken and consumer reports to the q & a field , helium encourages consumers & users who are passionate about a topic to explore their interest by reading insight provided by others .
mark ranalli is the dean of jake jabs college of business and entrepreneurship , montana state university , which provides cross - disciplinary ( e . g . , engineering , innovation , management and entrepreneurship ) graduate and undergraduate programs aimed at creating leaders for the innovation economy of the 21st century . mark himself is a serial entrepreneur . his third and most recent venture , urltoken , was a pioneer in crowd sourcing content over the internet . at the time of the company’s exit to rr donnelly , urltoken was the largest editorial community in the world . mark remained at rr donnelly for several years after the acquisition to oversee the integration and to spearhead rr donnelly’s new digital solutions group before joining tufts’ faculty . he is experienced at building and leading teams , sales and marketing , strategic planning , mergers and acquisitions , branding , business development , and product development , with a proven track record of success in founding and driving innovative businesses , and in raising capital through private equity , strategic partnerships , and public markets .
helium is the online destination to learn what you need and share what you know . helium goes beyond search , bringing together real advice from real people on a wide variety of topics . helium combines citizen journalism with a simple yet highly effective peer - rating process that pushes the best content to the top , whether there are 5 or 500 articles on a topic . helium is a fun community for people who are passionate about a topic to read , write and rate articles and be rewarded for their efforts . try it now at urltoken .
consumers can also share their experiences by writing articles or suggesting new topics to the community . the web site even enables those who write to act as armchair critics , reviewing the work of others , ensuring quality by leveraging the power of peer - review .
question , how do you motivate an army of product reviewers to get involved and contribute so much content to helium without having the foundation of registered users that yahoo or microsoft have , or without the content creating work - from - home staffers found at infosearch media ? easy , incentivize them . helium offers its knowledge base the chance to earn a share of revenue generated from the info they contribute :
sure , helium is an outlet for the writer in all of us , but it is also a place where you can earn not only the adoration of your peers , but money , too ! we want you to be part of the success here . helium shares a portion of revenue with you . every article you write is an asset which can earn you revenue—into perpetuity . the better you write , the higher you rank , the more your reward .
“the potential for user - contributed content will go unrealized until that content can be organized for easy browsing and finding , said john blossom , president of shore communications , a leading management consulting firm . “helium has created a way to rank content that balances the opinions of authorities and the opinions of a user community . community members compare one article to another to decide which is best , to drive quality to the top of a topic through a fair and democratic process . ”
search engines , while helpful , force the user to review a list of links . community sites such as yahoo ! answers® do not offer the organization needed to make finding insight quick or easy , and reference sites such as wikipedia® offer one homogenized viewpoint that is only achieved through contributors overwriting one another .
“helium is different because it takes the chaos of user - contributed content and orders it with a trusted ranking system that dramatically improves the quality and accessibility of collective wisdom for the knowledge - seeker , ” said mark ranalli , president and ceo of helium . “at helium , multiple quality responses to conversational subjects such as ‘which aruba resort is better ? ’ , or ‘tips for buying antique furniture’ are provided in rank order , making it simple to efficiently consider more than one perspective . ”
• you grant helium , and its affiliates , a worldwide , perpetual , irrevocable , royalty - free , transferable , non - exclusive right and license to use , copy , modify , delete in its entirety , adapt , publish , translate , display , create derivative works from and / or sell and / or distribute content posted to helium . • helium’s rights to the content do also imply rights to use , in any way , the materials for our own internal business purposes , and reproduction and distribution for the purpose of marketing and publicity for helium . • helium disclaims any obligation to legally protect your works or your copyrights , and you acknowledge that we will have no liability , vicarious , contributory , or otherwise , for any infringement of any of your intellectual property rights . • you acknowledge that we do not control other users’ actions , including but not limited to their use of your content . we will have no liability to you for any user’s violation of these terms and no responsibility to you to enforce these terms for your benefit . • if your content includes one or more links to content hosted on servers other than ours , it will not be considered uploading or posting of content to the helium site , and it is understood that we will have no right to use or distribute such content unless it is also uploaded or posted directly to the helium site .
last one gets me , does this mean that users cannot upload articles which link out ? possibly a spam or legal deterrent , but i’m wondering how much this will lead to users plagiarizing articles without proper link referrals to the original content creator .
loren baker is the founder of sej , an advisor at alpha brand media and runs foundation digital , a digital marketing . . .
the helium gateway is the world’s first crypto miner that uses radio waves instead of power - hungry computations .
built to power a decentralized machine network , the helium gateway introduces a fair , eco - friendly method to generate tokens .
the helium gateway mines helium tokens by validating that other gateways in the network are providing legitimate wireless connectivity .
the real power of helium is its decentralization - it ' s built and owned by you ! as gateway owners , you set the cost for machines to pay in exchange for connectivity .
helium connects low - power machines to the internet in a new , secure , and affordable way .
thousands of machines can connect to a single gateway and send encrypted data through to the internet over miles of range . owners earn tokens every time machines connect to their gateways .
the mining process takes only minimal amounts of power ( as much as an led light bulb ) and only requires an internet connection to operate . the power requirement for mining is fixed and will remain the same , regardless of the size of the network .
at rrd content source , seasoned editorial professionals provide content for blogs , articles , guidebooks and more . freelancers work with a team of in - house project managers , who provide guidance at every turn . what’s more , rrd writers’ work is published on a variety of media platforms , including newspapers , e - commerce websites and online resource sites .
professional editorial freelancers can apply to be part of the rrd content source team . once you are assigned to a specific project , you will also be in consideration for future assignments . assignments are processed through the network’s custom , online workflow management tool where freelancers can accept work , communicate with the editorial team , create a professional profile and keep records of work and payments .
editorial professionals have the opportunity to work for clients in an array of industries . rrd content source brings writers and editors with subject matter expertise to the retail , media , health care , telecommunications , automotive , financial and legal fields . serving as matchmaker , content source draws on a deep bench of editorial professionals to source the right team for every project .
rrd content source project managers oversee the entire editorial process , handling all deadlines , revisions , payments and 1099s , checking for plagiarism , communicating with writers on the client’s behalf , training writers and editors on custom guidelines and answering questions along the way .
rrd contentsource is a media source for robust content - based solutions , including a publishing portal , workflow tool and resource for writers via rrd network . from strategy and creative conception through editorial and design to printing and delivery , you’ll get the total package with rrd content source .
notice : the helium publishing 360 sites will be available on a read - only basis effective may 21 , 2014 and will continue to be available on a read - only basis until december 15 , 2014 . during this period , if you have an existing account , you will continue to have access to your account and accrue potential minimum amount threshold , but you will not be able to add more articles to the helium publishing 360 sites or create a new account . if you have attained the minimum payout threshold , which currently is set at $ 25 . 00 , we strongly encourage you to withdraw your minimum amount threshold because the helium publishing 360 sites will terminate on december 15 , 2014 and you will no longer have access to your account .
changing market conditions and the proliferation of competitive publishing outlets and free blogging tools , as well as declining usage and revenue , were all contributing factors . after careful consideration it was determined that the existing business model cannot be sustained .
you can choose to do nothing –e . g . , not retrieve or remove your articles or request payment . your articles will remain in read - only mode on the helium publishing 360 site ( s ) until december 15 , 2014 and on that date advertising revenue will end .
all in - process work ( such as seeding topics , projects , writing , editing , fact checking or plagiarism checking articles ) will cease on may 21 , 2014 . note : unfinished or in - process work will not be credited .
access to the helium network dashboard will continue through december 15 , 2014 . you will only be able to download your own articles and view and request amounts accrued at or above the $ 25 minimum amount threshold .
your articles will remain accessible in the helium network dashboard through december 15 , 2014 . after that time your articles will no longer be searchable or viewable on the helium publishing 360 sites . we recommend that you make copies of your articles in the coming months .
yes . beginning may 21 , you can retrieve any or all of your articles through the helium network dashboard by selecting your articles individually ( not in bulk ) via the ranks , rates and views screen . step - by - step instructions for downloading your articles can be found in announcements and in the helium discussion forum .
yes . beginning may 21 , you can select and remove your articles , individually ( not in bulk ) via the ranks , rates and views screen .
. you will not accrue ad revenue credits for any removed articles . step - by - step instructions for removing your articles can be found in announcements and in the helium discussion forum .
no . after may 21 , 2014 you will no longer be able to rate articles .
yes . any rating stars you have as of may 21 , 2014 will remain .
effective may 21 , 2014 , you are released from exclusivity and can republish your articles elsewhere .
you can view and request amounts at or over $ 25 in the same way you usually do . your tax id and a valid paypal account are required to process and receive payment .
yes . the minimum threshold amounts must be requested by december 15 , 2014 . note that all advertising revenue share ends on december 15 , 2014 .
no . you can still request payment if your account has reached the minimum amount threshold of $ 25 . 00 .
the blog and discussion boards will remain open and accessible through 2014 . helium’s facebook , twitter , linkedin , google + and pinterest sites will close down in mid may 2014 .
sorry you have to let go of such an incredible amount of website updating , etc . during recent years . thank you for all the hard work . your hearts must be heavy . you’ve done a great job making the downloading and removal tasks so easy and fast . i wish all of you on staff the best . as i “removed” all of my articles today , it was like seeing our freedom as writers evaporate . a sad day .
questions : ( 1 ) when do our removed articles actually get deleted ? if not , where do they go ? the faq information states that even if our articles are “removed , ” they are still visible on the dashboard until dec . 2014 ( not on search engines . ) i’ve taken all of my articles off except three that had no download or remove option and we cannot use paypal ( plus my only amount due is $ 9 . 95 ) , ( 2 ) so why not delete everything now ?
given what i have said , please feel free to delete all of them now . thank you . ( 3 ) when can we delete the rest of our profile , also ?
first of all , thank you so much for your kind words . they are much appreciated by those of us on the helium staff .
to answer your questions , if you remove your article , it becomes unpublished – it will no longer appear on the microsites . however , the content will still exist within the helium network application for record reasons . all articles will be continue to be stored within helium network , but will be removed entirely from the microsites as of 12 / 15 .
it was nice to write online while going through college and as a caregiver .
i was cruising the internet on july 8th , 2011 and stumbled upon helium . helium is a content source web site where anyone can write articles . all you need is good basic english skills to write articles and helium has a strong help group to keep you between the lines . along with that there is a great writer ' s forum where everyone chats and asks questions . somebody always comes up with a great answer .
it ' s pretty simple really . go to helium and sign up , it ' s all free which is the best price to pay . once on the inside you need to do two things . you need to fill out the
about you
page and go to the forum and introduce yourself . here is the link to my helium
about you
page so you can see what it ' s like .
here ' s how it all works . helium provides writers with titles to write content to . you can suggest your own title as well . under the heading
assignments ,
click on the
open
tab . titles will be listed for about the last 5 days . titles are added either every day or every other day and the titles that have expired will be removed .
titles marked as
rs
are revenue sharing titles . they will be published to the internet and when people view your article you get paid . as a rule 5 views equals 1 cent but different article catergories will either pay more or less . articles you suggest will be revenue sharing articles only .
some titles will pay up front money . they can pay $ 1 , 2 , 3 or 5 dollars . these titles will display how many writers can write to the title . the amount of writers will vary from 2 to 5 per article . the reason for this is you will be in competition with the other writers who are writing to the title . once the article has closed , the submissions will go into the rating system where your peers will choose which article is best . the winner gets the up front money . all articles written for helium go into the revenue sharing system .
helium is a family style content site and the titles cover every possible subject . if you are an expert in a field or you know a lot about a subject , that is where you should start your writing . don ' t let all this information scare you , it ' s not that difficult . i ' ll even help you with your questions , just hit the
contact us
button on the main page and fire away .
i ' m the kid that sat in english class drawing cartoons . if i can do it you can to . what saved me is i ' ve been an avid reader my entire life . if you read correct sentence structure long enough it will rub off . plus today ' s word processors have spelling and grammar check to help you out . as i rate articles , it amazes me how many writers do not do a simple spell check on their work . even regular email boxes have spell checker . what are they thinking ?
part of the deal to get paid for your work is you must rate articles . there is a total of 5 yellow stars to earn . all you need is 1 yellow star to receive money for your articles . if you are a superstar rater and have 5 stars , helium will award you $ 3 for your help . if you rate 10 articles per day you can easily get a star .
how much can you earn ? i hear the question from you . earnings will depend upon how prolific you are and the subject matter . not much revenue share paid to an article about swimming pools in the winter time . rs varies during different seasons and subject matter . you should make about $ 200 or so per month with about 1000 articles . it could be higher and it could be lower .
so quit playing that stupid computer game for hours every day and start writing articles . once written , the article will be a money earner for a very long time .
“after eight years and well over one million articles , we regret to announce that helium publishing will be closing . ”
on may 21 , 2014 , helium publishing sites morphed to “read only , ” and writers can no longer submit new work or change what they previously posted . obviously , they will accept no new member registrations .
on december 15 , 2014 , helium will cease sharing advertising revenue with their writers , who will no longer be able to access their accounts . all of the 27 helium publishing 360 sites will go off line , whereupon the lights will be out , with nobody home .
“changing market conditions and the proliferation of competitive publishing outlets and free blogging tools , as well as declining usage and revenue , were all contributing factors . after careful consideration it was determined that the existing business model cannot be sustained . ”
unfortunately for helium’s new owners , who bought the site for a rumored $ 40 - $ 70 million , their new business model was a prime example of the old adage that “if it ain’t broke , don’t fix it . ” in its original form , helium was one single site until the new owners decided to gussy everything up and go with a multi - site approach .
originally , writers could post to helium under their by - line , and articles remained their property . helium shared ad revenue and helped to sell publishing rights to customers seeking content writing services . from time to time a writer might receive a $ 5 bonus when someone published the writer’s article elsewhere .
when the new site was launched , writers could earn a nominal upfront payment ( $ 2 ) for competitive articles - - that is if they could learn the new and confusing user interface . the new site also got more deeply into marketing their writers , but apparently without significant traction .
“well , it ' s fairly clear now that helium ' s switch to multiple sites was a mistake . helium should have instead stuck with the single site platform , reformed the article rankings and considered alternative seo strategies . had they done so they might still be in business . ”
so if you’re looking for great web content that isn’t buried among millions of articles on a web site with a failed business model , you need to come to blogmutt . contact us . we’re an on - demand service . you give us the keyword , tell us what you want , and one of our writers will do a great job for you .
editor’s note : this blog is an example of the kind of writing you can get for your blog . the only thing that’s different is that it has the name of the writer . for your blog , you can say you wrote it . that’s fine with us . we’re happy mutts . click here for more explanation of this series of posts .
curt smothers has written tons of articles for helium on subjects from u . s . history to home computing . he is currently scrambling to retrieve his over - 1300 articles before the helium balloon goes up . — scott
i spent years as a writer and editor , and wrote a nonfiction book before starting blogmutt with wade back in 2011 . i love words , and i love working with the amazing staff and dedicated writers of blogmutt who also love words , and know the power that they have . also , this quote :
i love deadlines ,
douglas adams said .
i love the whooshing noise they make as they go by .
helium is the most secure and scalable way to capture insights from smart devices . helium powers next - generation technology that connects the physical world .
global business development executive with strong b2c & b2b expertise . 15 + years of experience closing and managing content , ecommerce , distribution deals .
all about product , requirements , wireframes , user flows , and experience . m . eng in systems design engineering now at helium inc .
tiaras have always been associated with royalty , glamour and beauty . tiaras are also known as diadems ( headdresses ) used to adorn the heads of nobilities . however , the tiara’s true history is unclear since it has been in circulation for ages , with its continuous development unknown . the earliest known manifestation of the tiara spans back to the time of the ancient egyptians . pharos , their queens , and egyptian princesses were adored with ornate and at times heavy crowns or tiaras . and although crowns are typically worn by kings , there have been occasions when queens have also worn crowns , yet the tiara was and is primarily reserved for the heads of queens and princesses .
in their simpler form , tiaras were made out of leather encrusted with jewels and were only worn by emperors and important members of society . in the classical periods , tiaras were also simple in grade . a simple cloth that was tied around the head of a king or queen sufficed as the royalty’s symbolic declaration of authority and power .
patterns of dots imprinted in the back . the greeks’ simple diadems also resembled the simplicity and naturality of a wreath . leaves and flowers were made out of gold , silver , and gold - plated materials , and were worn on ceremonial occasions like weddings .
in the era of napoleon bonaparte , napoleon himself had an influence on the use of the tiara . his constant need to boast about his affluence and nobility made the tiara an obligatory accessory to be worn at all social functions during his reign .
the tiara was most popular between the early 1800s and the beginning of world war i ( 1917 - 1920 ) .
tiaras have also been seen on the heads of former popes . the papal tiara was worn only for ceremonial occasions . and although this is no longer a ritual that is practiced , the papal tiara is still a fixture in the roman - catholic church .
the modern tiara is not as elaborate as its ancient predecessor . the modern - day tiara is simpler in shape and size , is easy to wear , and no longer connotates authority or royalty in its everyday use . women can now wear a tiara to add an extra dazzling essence to their outfit .
in the 21 st century , tiaras have been and are primarily worn on , or to formal occasions or events such as : weddings ; quinceñeras ; proms ; pageants ; coming out parties ; balls ; and even to the opera .
since a tiara is usually an elegant hair accessory , delicate in nature , and exudes a feminine grace , females are typically the sole wearers of tiaras . brides , in particular , ( those who choose to ) wear a tiara to complete their wedding ensemble . wearing a tiara with her gown gives the blushing bride the feeling of being a princess for a day ; something most women would like to experience at least once in their life .
i like how you always learn something from your blog , not like the other ones……… . . its almost like a fun facts blog .
i second that… . . who doesn’t love a tiara , especially one covered in glittery diamonds ! it’s like the wedding accessory of choice .
accessories aiko designs alicia alvarez amanda holst art atomic fashion show california calli perez campbell charity fashion show cinequest cinequest 21 cosmetics couture danielle pettee donald j . pliner elemental issue fall fashion fashion 101 fashion feature fashion show generations of change hector manuel helium helium magazine helium radar hotel valencia jack husting jerome ilagan kent denim model music never gets old new york revival fashion show san jose santana row shoes silicon valley sjhelium sophia m . papadopoulos swati couture video wdesigns
whether your hair is long or short , curly or straight , wavy or flat , the headband is a hair accessory that not only keeps those locks of hair in check , but it does so with style and grace . headbands : the ultimate prize
headbands have been in circulation since the era of the ancient greeks ; the period dating from 475 bc to 330 bc . in those days , headbands were made out of wreaths made from olive branches . their initial purpose included being the ultimate prize awarded to athletes competing in the original olympics . as time progressed , the romans and the etruscans modified their wreaths with the decorative use of precious metals such as gold and silver . various woods such as oak were also used in the production of this newly acquired hair decoration .
as the middle ages arrived , women would wear wreaths made of gold , but the wreaths soon lost their popularity once chaplets entered the scene . headbands received modern - day popularity with the arrival of the 1800s . during this period , women would accentuate their hair with headbands decorated with feathers , jewels , and flowers .
with the arrival of the 1960’s and the manifestation of the hippy - era , headbands became a popular hair accessory for both women and men alike ; while flower - power youth made their headbands out of wild flowers , ribbons , silk , and scarves .
in the 1990’s the headband would undergo a transformation yet again . designers began to take the headband as a serious fashion accessory and began creating headbands that were both elegant and fashionable . over a decade and a half later , as celebrities took notice of these new and improved headbands , they not only began to wear them but they also lent their famous locks in promotion of them .
headbands also come in a variety of styles . they can either be causal in nature and worn as a simple means of removing fly - away hairs from the face , or they can be elegant and even fancy in style and worn at formal events such as proms , weddings , or in the workplace .
from its ancient and humble beginnings in the rustic terrain of the mediterranean , to the heads of roman emperors and commoners alike , the transformation of the headband is astounding . not only is it a fashion accessory , the headband has become a staple in the fashion industry . just like every other accessory ranging from shoes to purses , the headband has become a fashion trend all its own .
although convenient and portable in its use , the scrunchie has been a hair accessory that has seen both the highs - being a popular hair accessory of the 1980’s and early ‘90s - and the lows - as a fashion no - no ; women either love it or hate it . but even with its tentative status as a worthy competitor reaching for hair accessory greatness , the scrunchie , although harshly scrutinized at times , still remains in the fashion spotlight .
the scrunchie was invented by philip e . meyers for a family bearing the name “scrunci” in 1963 , but rommy revson patented the infamous design in 1994 .
before the scrunchie was created , women would put their long hair up in a pony - tail with a rubber - band ; an item in which the hair would get tangled in and would sometimes have to be removed with scissors , leaving women’s scalps sore and with a few less hair - strands in place . but when the scrunchie entered the scene , the old rubber - band was replaced with a comfortable and user - friendly circular elastic band that was covered with both simple and elaborate fabrics .
the quintessential scrunchie is known for its poufy style and simplicity , but it also comes in a variety of unique designs , colors , sizes , as well as fabrics ranging from simple cotton and rayon , to more ornate fabrics such as leather , suede , fur , and silk . for more formal and fashionable wear , scrunchies can be found decorated with intricate beading , glitter , and crystals .
not only does the scrunchie come in a variety of styles , but it also has multiple uses besides its most popular one ; that of the pony - tail . the scrunchie can also be used to keep a fancy hair - bun in place and can even be worn as a bracelet at times ( just for fun ) .
even with their tentative fashion standing scrunchies have also been spotted keeping mary - kate olsen’s and sienna miller’s golden locks up and in place .
with its ultimate popularity peak in the 1980’s and early ‘90s , and even with the ever - changing fashion trends , the scrunchie has been a hair accessory that has rotated in and out of the fashion spotlight . and even with its lowbrow status as a fashion accessory the scrunchie has yet to be forgotten .
oops . a firewall is blocking access to prezi content . check out this article to learn more or contact your system administrator .
stand out and be remembered with prezi , the secret weapon of great presenters .
neither you , nor the coeditors you shared it with will be able to recover it again .
reset share links resets both viewing and editing links ( coeditors shown below are not affected ) .
evi , an amazon company , was founded in 2005 under the name true knowledge . the team started out with a mission to make it possible to access the world ' s knowledge simply by asking for information using natural language .
we’re part of the amazon alexa team based in amazon ' s innovative cambridge development centre , alongside other amazon teams including prime air , core machine learning , amazon devices and amazon web services .
where people , history and memories join together from the people history site - http : / / www . thepeo . . .
- where people , history and memories join together from the people history site - the people histor . . .
- where people , history and memories join together from the people history site - copyscape - 2004 . . .
moon travel guides | travel books : guidebooks to international and u . s . destinations - http : / / www . . .
we format citations according to the 7th ed . of mla , 6th ed . of apa , and 15th ed . of chicago ( 7th ed . turabian ) .
force a full refresh for the site . this can be achieved by pressing ctrl + f5 keys at the same time on your favourite browser ( firefox , chrome , explorer , etc . )
clear the temporary cache and cookies on your browser to make sure that you have the most recent version of the web page . for instructions choose your browser :
a domain name system ( dns ) allows a site ip address ( 192 . 168 . x . x ) to be identified with words ( * . com ) in order to be remembered more easily , like a phonebook for websites . this service is usually provided by your isp .
clear your local dns cache to make sure that you grab the most recent cache that your isp has . for windows - ( start > command prompt > type
ipconfig / flushdns
and hit enter ) . for details choose your operating system :
if you can access a website at office or from a 3g network yet it ' s not working on your computer , it is a good idea to use an alternative dns service other than your isps . opendns or google public dns are both excellent and free public dns services .
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laroche research names weild & co . one of the fastest growing investment banks - april 2018
david is founder , chairman and ceo of weild & co . the studies that he co - authored have documented the long - term decline in equity capital formation in the united states and provided the core arguments that gave rise to the jobs act and many of the specific provisions contained in the jobs act . for these reasons , he has been called “the father of the jobs act . ” david has also called for a “jobs act 2” or “jobs act part 2” - language increasingly heard on capitol hill . the work has been cited by a broad range of legislators , regulators , academics , the ipo task force and the white house jobs council leading up to the jobs act . david has testified in congress ( most recently in june 2013 ) and at the sec ( most recently at the roundtable on decimalization ) on these and other market issues and attended the signing of the jobs act by president obama in the rose garden on april 5 , 2012 .
david was also recently asked to author a study for the organization of economic cooperation and development ( oecd ) which was entitled , “making stock markets work to support economic growth” and presented in april 2013 in draft form to the 35 member nations of the oecd , iosco and the european commission . the u . s . treasury and sec were in attendance . he later presented the final version at a meeting in june that included the ceo of the world federation of exchanges where it was generally agreed , as weild and kim have maintained , that structural changes to stock markets have caused the global decline in capital formation for small companies .
david is a former vice chairman and executive committee member of the nasdaq stock market and spent years running wall street investment banking and equity capital markets businesses .
david holds an mba from the stern school of business and a ba from wesleyan university . he studied on exchange at the sorbonne , ecole des haute etudes commerciales and the stockholm school of economics . he is also chairman of the board of tuesday’s children , the 9 / 11 charity .
jim burke is an expert in electronic marketing , information systems and an experienced ceo with a track record of success in turning around and growing an array of private - equity backed and public businesses . he is currently the ceo of vrad , a leading telemedicine company . jim led vrad out of a financial restructuring to sustained double - digit sales and ebitda growth and a successful exit to a strategic acquirer ( mednax , nyse ) . prior to vrad , jim was the ceo of global compliance ( now navex global ) , a leading global provider of ethics and compliance software and services . while at global compliance , jim took the company from declining sales to greater than 20 % annual growth in sales , gross margin expansion , and a successful exit to a private equity firm . jim previously spent 9 years at dunn & bradstreet ( “d & b” ) where he turned around d & b ' s flagship risk management business , and served in several senior leadership roles , including chief marketing officer , president of us customer segments and president of global information services and chief quality officer .
jim was a captain in the united states marine corps . he holds a bsba in finance from villanova university and an mba from the joseph m . katz graduate school of business at the university of pittsburgh .
chip dempsey was until recently an executive director with morgan stanley ' s principal strategic investments group where he invested globally on behalf of the firm in fintech and market structure ventures . as a seasoned executive , sales rainmaker and team builder , chip worked closely with portfolio company management teams , contributing to their success for morgan stanley . chip’s views are informed by first - hand operating experience . he held a number of senior management , sales and trading roles at firms including : the clearing corp . ,
and chemical bank . his areas of interest and investment theses include semantic artificial intelligence , emerging market exchanges and financial inclusion , crypto - currencies & distributed ledgers , and global opportunities for small - scale capital formation .
daniel dewolf has served on the weild & co . board of directors since 2014 . daniel is partner at mintz levin where he is chair of the technology practice group and co - chair of the venture capital and emerging companies practice group , and is a former managing director and head of venture capital funds at wit capital ( the first online investment bank ) . in addition to his active legal practice , he is an adjunct professor of law at the nyu law school and he has a wealth of experience in private equity and venture capital , having co - founded dawntreader ventures , an early stage venture capital firm based in new york . daniel has more than 30 years of corporate transactional experience , both as a lawyer and as a businessman , and has been an advisor to many emerging and developmental stage companies . he is a board member of several technology companies and a managing director of dawntreader ventures .
dan holds a ba and jd from the university of pennsylvania and is licensed to practice law in the states of new york , new jersey and california .
mark holds a bs in electrical engineering from stanford university and an mba from the tuck school of business at dartmouth college .
) , a provider of simple , secure , scalable iot connectivity , today announced support for google cloud iot core , a fully managed service that allows you to easily and securely connect , and manage devices at global scale .
cloud iot core , together with other google cloud services , such as pub / sub , dataflow , bigtable , bigquery , and data studio , provide a complete solution for collecting , processing , analyzing , and visualizing iot data in real time to support improved operational efficiency .
helium provides a hardware - secured wireless data channel between helium - powered edge devices and google cloud iot . developers and enterprises can deploy long range , low power wireless iot devices connected to the helium network and , after configuring a connection in the helium dashboard , route that sensor data to google cloud iot in near real - time , with a securely authenticated connection enabled by a hardware root of trust .
end - to - end security - enable end - to - end security using certificate - based authentication and tls ; devices running android things or ones supporting the cloud iot core security requirements can deliver full stack security .
out - of - box data insights - use downstream analytic systems by integrating with google big data analytics and ml services .
serverless infrastructure : scale instantly without limits using horizontal scaling on google ' s serverless platform .
role - level data control - apply iam roles to devices to control access to devices and data .
automatic device deployment - use rest apis to automatically manage the registration , deployment and operation of devices at scale .
we are very excited to partner with google on the newly announced google cloud iot core solution . helium ' s unique expertise in connectivity deployment and management coupled with our broad device compatibility will enable iot developers and businesses to quickly launch their google based iot initiatives ,
said
, director , strategic technology partners at google cloud .
by working with industry leaders like helium , we are expanding the surface of innovation to help more customers realize the value of connected devices for their businesses .
helium connectivity solutions simply and securely deliver iot data from device to the cloud . easily integrated with hundreds of development boards and compatible with your iot channel of choice , helium enables a lower total cost of ownership while simplifying how businesses apply iot . helium , located in
copyright © 2018 pr newswire association llc . all rights reserved . a cision company .
) , a provider of simple , secure , scalable iot connectivity , today announced the launch of its latest product suite , a comprehensive low - power , long - range solution for iot devices . the new offering streamlines the ability to prototype , deploy and scale a
that connects thousands of end devices , giving companies a simple way to intelligently and securely deliver data from device to the cloud and application layer .
securely capturing and transmitting data from the hardware to the application layer is highly problematic for most organizations , who are faced with the challenges of configuring , securing and managing massive numbers of devices .
connectivity is extraordinarily complicated when dealing with resource - constrained embedded devices ,
said
, ceo of helium .
helium has taken a process that normally takes months of labor - intensive work from a large team and simplified it to a process that can be achieved in minutes with minimal staff , and provides the visibility and control needed to manage at scale going forward .
automating device management and updates through a central dashboard as companies continue to build and scale their iot deployments , it becomes especially crucial that they ensure full control and management of their operations . helium allows companies to manage and update their systems from a central console , the helium dashboard , eliminating the need to visit every sensor in the field , which is a common challenge of remote field monitoring . helium dashboard also serves as a central point for helium channels , the setup and integration of the cloud applications and data stores used to assess and take action on these physical data .
, principal analyst at quocirca .
simplifying and lowering costs of connectivity deployment would remove a significant barrier to mass iot adoption in several industries .


vermont energy investment corporation or veic is a non-profit organization in chittenden county , vermont that seeks to reduce the economic and environmental costs of energy consumption through energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption .

since its founding in 1986 , the organization has been involved in designing energy efficiency and renewable energy programs in north america and worldwide .

veic also operates three large-scale energy efficiency programs in the united states , including efficiency vermont , the nation ’s first statewide energy efficiency utility .

vermont energy investment corporation

glassdoor has 26 vermont energy investment corporation reviews submitted anonymously by vermont energy investment corporation employees . read employee reviews and ratings on glassdoor to decide if vermont energy investment corporation is right for you .
vermont energy investment corporation ( veic ) is on facebook . to connect with vermont energy investment corporation ( veic ) , join facebook today .
burlington — the vermont energy investment corporation board of directors has named jim madej chief executive officer .
efficiency vermont is administered by the vermont energy investment corporation ( veic ) , an independent nonprofit energy services organization . efficiency vermont ' s programs undergo review and verification through an independent financial audit , a savings verification process conducted by the vermont public service department ( psd ) , and a triennial independent audit mandated by the vermont legislature . in december 2010 , the efficiency vermont contract structure to both vermont energy investment corporation and burlington electric department was replaced with a franchise - like
order of appointment
structure with a duration of 12 years . for more information , see the psb ' s website .
the vermont legislature created an energy efficiency utility named efficiency vermont as a full - service utility providing those services to all ratepayers . under this structure , utility ratepayers can reduce their energy use by investing in energy improvements for their homes and businesses , with assistance from efficiency vermont . efficiency vermont is managed and operated by the vermont energy investment corporation . efficiency vermont , set goals to greatly increase their impact on rural residents and applied for an rus energy efficiency and conservation program ( eeclp ) loan .
chp in energy efficiency standards : vermont public service board ( psb ) established a statewide energy efficiency utility , efficiency vermont , along with a funding mechanism to support it . efficiency vermont is administered by vermont energy investment corporation ( veic ) , which is an independent , nonprofit corporation . the eeu implements that implements the state’s energy reduction goals . the order of appointment ( ooa ) that describes the general responsibilities and scope of activities to be performed by the energy efficiency utility includes guidance related to project and savings eligibility for customer - sited generation including deployed chp .
the vermont public utility commission has appointed two entities to deliver both electricity and heating - and - process - fuel energy efficiency services to residential and business consumers throughout vermont . one is efficiency vermont ( operated by the vermont energy investment corporation ) , which delivers services in most of the state , and the other is burlington electric department , which delivers services in its service territory . the services offered by these
energy efficiency utilities
help consumers invest now in energy efficiency measures that will save vermonters money .
vermont energy investment corporation has the good fortune to work with a number of outstanding partners who contract with us to bring their brands to life : the dc sustainable energy utility , efficiency vermont , and efficiency smart . the biomass energy resource center became a part of veic in 2012 . the renewable energy resource center and drive electric vermont brands were developed by veic as collaborative ventures . commons energy was established in 2014 as a for - profit business rooted in a social mission and operated as a low - profit limited liability company ( l3c ) .
through a process lasting more than two years , the vermont energy investment corporation ( veic ) engaged key vermont energy stakeholders—including a range of solar energy market actors , citizen and consumer advocates , legislators , utilities , regulators , the statewide energy efficiency utility , and academic researchers—in the development of a solar master plan to address challenges and opportunities created by high levels of solar generation . the veic team held a series of stakeholder meetings , initially organized around strategic focus areas related to growing solar :
for nearly three decades , the vermont energy investment corporation ( veic ) has provided energy efficiency services for residents and businesses guided by our commitment as a non - profit to environmental and social justice , innovation , and delivering results . we serve utilities , government agencies , and foundations in three key areas : comprehensive design and implementation of energy efficiency programs ; targeted implementation of efficiency services ; and consultative services in transportation , financing , renewable energy , low - income energy efficiency , energy planning , and more .
veic launches the vermont fuel buyers ' group , a project which eventually became the energy co - op of vermont .
the state of vermont offers an investment tax credit for eligible chp systems and other renewable energy equipment on business properties . the incentive for chp is 2 . 4 % with a maximum system size of 50 mw .
efficiency vermont is born . veic wins the contract , with the vermont public service board , to create and administer the nation’s first energy efficiency utility . efficiency vermont begins delivering services to vermont ratepayers in march 2000 .
efficiency vermont ( evt ) serves the majority of the state and is operated by vermont energy investment corporation ( veic ) . veic is eligible to receive a performance incentive for meeting or exceeding performance goals established for three - year performance cycles . for the period january 1 , 2015 , to december 31 , 2017 , veic can earn up to $ 4 , 442 , 682 for meeting electric energy savings goals and other performance goals including peak savings , market transformation , and total resource benefits .
vermont has developed commercial stretch energy standards that will be used for act 250 projects .
the biomass energy resource center ( berc ) is a program of vermont energy investment corporation ( veic ) . berc works to advance the use of community - scale biomass energy throughout north america and beyond by providing technical consulting services , biomass energy program design and delivery , and education and outreach on benefits and best practices . berc works with communities , federal , state and local governments , colleges and universities , businesses , utilities , and others to use local biomass resources , invest in local energy systems , and reduce the use of fossil heating fuels . learn more »
to meet this target , vermont needs 1 gw of solar capacity , which happens to be the same as the state’s peak electric demand . this requires more planning , investment , and upgrades to grid hardware and operations systems .
through education , services , and incentives , efficiency vermont advances sustainable energy solutions for all vermont homeowners and businesses . learn more about us . . .
the veic - administered efficiency vermont helps design the first zero - energy - ready replacement for mobile homes in a collaboration with vermont modular home manufacturer , vermod homes , and the vermont housing & conservation board .
vermont does not have traditional eers legislation with a set schedule of energy - savings percentages for each year . instead , vermont law requires eeu budgets to be set at a level that would realize
all reasonably available , cost - effective energy efficiency .
compensation and specific energy - savings levels—not “soft” goals or targets—are then negotiated with eeu contractor vermont energy investment corporation ( veic ) . there is not an explicit penalty for non - performance . however , a portion of the compensation vermont pays the administrator is contingent on meeting stated goals , subject to a monitoring and verification process . if the administrator does not meet stated goals , the state will withhold compensation , and the administrator potentially will be replaced at the end of the three - year period ( dsire 2011 ) .
gap analysis / strategic compliance plan : a gap analysis and energy code compliance plan was completed for vermont and is available on the vermont department of public service website .
energy rated homes of vermont , a program of veic , wins a u . s . department of energy grant to serve as one of five participants in a national home energy rating system pilot .
vermont economic development authority ( veda ) sustainable energy loan fund : the program enables veda “to make loans and provide other forms of financing for projects that stimulate and encourage development and deployment of sustainable energy projects in the state of vermont . ” the fund provides four loan products ( small business energy loan program , commercial energy loan program , agriculture energy loan program , and energy loan guarantee program ) .
delayed deployment : a version of the advanced solar scenario that installs the solar more slowly so it costs less , but also reduces the amount of federal investment tax credit that would flow into the state .
veic launches commons energy , a public purpose energy services company designed to reduce energy costs for multifamily housing and other public - serving buildings .
efficiency vermont has partnered with bgs to benchmark their facilities as part of a new state energy management program initiative .
efficiency vermont provides technical assistance , rebates , and other financial incentives to help vermont households and businesses reduce their energy costs with energy - efficient equipment , lighting , and approaches to construction and major renovation . efficiency vermont partners extensively with contractors , suppliers , and retailers of efficient products and services throughout the state .
veic works with the delaware sustainable energy utility to develop a zero energy manufactured ( zem ) home replacement program , based on the original zem program developed for efficiency vermont .
a partnership of the vermont home finance agency and veic launches the home energy improvement loan program , an innovative financing and technical assistance program for low - and moderate - income vermont homeowners , that loans close to $ 1 million dollars for energy - efficiency improvements .
to determine the physical and financial investment in solar pv , grid upgrades , efficiency , and flexible load needed to progress vermont toward its 2050 goal , veic created energy and economic models with different levels of assumed renewable energy generation . this scenario modeling allowed veic to easily create and compare related scenarios to each other and to a business - as - usual scenario . the project team started with a model that accurately reflected vermont’s total energy system at the start of the study , and , using leap software from the stockholm environment institute , veic created the following scenarios :
supported by the u . s . department of energy and in partnership with the vermont department of public service and the office of economic opportunity , veic creates the residential energy efficiency program ( reep ) , the precursor to the first energy efficiency utility .
the state offers several incentives for energy - efficient investments . the state government leads by example by requiring energy - efficient public buildings and fleets , benchmarking energy use in public buildings , and encouraging energy savings performance contracting . research focused on efficient vehicles is conducted at the university of vermont smart grid research center .
vermont’s residential building energy code is mandatory statewide . effective march 1 , 2015 , the rbes references the 2015 iecc with vermont - specific amendments . the state is required by statute to update its codes every three years .
veic wins the innovation in american government award from the harvard kennedy school of government for efficiency vermont , the nation’s first “energy efficiency utility” .
veic and the burlington , vermont housing authority enter into one of the national’s first public - purpose , non - profit energy performance contracts .
vermont law requires program administrators to set budgets at a level that would realize
all reasonably available , cost - effective energy efficiency .
the district of columbia sustainable energy utility ( dcseu ) helps district households , businesses , and institutions save energy and money through energy efficiency and renewable energy programs . it is committed to community engagement , economic development , job creation , and environmental preservation .
vermont is and has been among the leading states for utility energy efficiency for many years and was the first to create a statewide
energy efficiency utility .
under vermont’s 12 - year
order of appointment
model , efficiency vermont and burlington electric department deliver both electric and unregulated heating - and - process - fuel energy efficiency services to residential and business consumers throughout the state . the state eeu fiscal agent receives energy efficiency charge monies collected by the electric distribution companies and disburses the funds to the eeus .
90×2050 veic : meets the 90 % goal through any means of renewable energy use , based on the state’s total energy study .
this report specifies the policy , regulatory and market conditions needed for distributed solar to play an important role in meeting vermont’s 90 % renewables by 2050 energy goals .
efficiency vermont ( evt ) is one of vermont ' s energy efficiency utilities . this comprehensive site describes evt ' s programs and service offerings that can help you identify the most cost - effective ways to reduce energy use in your home or business . evt can also be reached by calling 1 - 888 - 921 - 5990 .
efficiency vermont launches the inaugural better buildings by design conference , which now draws more than 1 , 200 contractors , architects , engineers , developers , and energy professionals annually .
veic wins a contract to provide home energy rating services for all new residential construction in central vermont public service territory , requiring veic to cover all corners of the state . two years later , veic is providing similar services to 80 % of vermont’s electric utility service territories .
the 2016 state agency energy plan , part of the comprehensive 2016 state energy plan , establishes the goal of reducing state government operations total energy consumption by 25 % by 2035 . in order to achive this goal , the energy consumption associated with state owned and operated buildings must be reduced by 15 % by 2030 . the 2016 plan also encourages all vermont state agencies to track and benchmark state - owned and operated buildings ' energy use using the energy star portfolio manager . the vermont dept . of buildings and general services ( bgs ) estimates that the state has captured 70 % of these buildings in various state agency portfolio manager accounts .
the information , data , or work presented herein was funded in part by the office of energy efficiency and renewable energy ( eere ) , u . s . department of energy , under award number de - ee0006907 .
vermont statute ( 30 vsa sec . 218c ) directs all electric and natural gas utilities to prepare and implement least cost integrated plans—plans
for meeting the public ' s need for energy services , after safety concerns are addressed , at the lowest present value life cycle cost , including environmental and economic costs , through a strategy combining investments and expenditures on energy supply , transmission and distribution capacity , transmission and distribution efficiency , and comprehensive energy efficiency programs .
in addition , vermont has a well - established regulatory process to factor the energy efficiency utility ' s energy savings into utility companies ' load forecasts . vermont law requires eeu budgets to be set at a level that would realize
all reasonably available , cost - effective energy efficiency .
vermont has enough land and sunlight to meet 20 % of its electricity needs with solar by 2025 .
commons energy offers significant energy savings for buildings that serve a public purpose . these can include educational institutions , health care facilities , municipal and other community buildings , and multifamily affordable housing . commons energy preserves and fortifies these valuable public buildings and creates positive cash flow—from guaranteed energy savings—for building owners .
veic moves its burlington , vermont headquarters to lakeside avenue , transforming a 150 - year - old mill building into an energy - efficient , sustainable , and productive office space .
the biomass energy resource center at veic plays a key role in securing a partnership between the state of vermont and the state of upper austria to develop biomass heating programs and technologies .
the university of vermont smart grid research center conducts research on the technological , human behavior , and public policy implications of smart grid technology , including its use to increase energy efficiency .
vermont gas systems has also been designated an eeu with a 12 - year order of appointment to deliver natural gas energy efficiency services as of april 2015 ( see docket 7676 ) .
vermont’s commercial building energy code is mandatory statewide . effective march 1 , 2015 , the rbes references the 2015 iecc with vermont - specific amendments . ashrae 90 . 1 - 2013 is accepted as an alternate compliance path . the state is required by statute to update its codes every three years .
owing to vermont legislation , the veic - administered efficiency vermont expands its scope to include both electricity and fossil fuel efficiency , supported in part by the northeast regional greenhouse gas initiative and by veic’s participation in the region’s forward capacity market ; selling saved energy as a resource to the region’s electric grid .
fast freight plans and goals : vermont has a state freight plan that identifies a multimodal freight network , but it does not include freight energy or greenhouse gas reduction goals . vermont is one of the few states to include a comprehensive discussion of freight sector performance measures and offer a proposal for implementation .
veic expands its expertise in renewable energy through the acquisition of the biomass energy resource center ( berc ) , building upon years of cooperation between the two organizations .
act 51 of 2013 requires a life cycle cost analysis while incorporating the use of renewable energy sources , energy efficiency , and thermal energy conservation in any new building construction or major renovation project in excess of $ 250 , 000 . 00 .
financial incentive information for vermont is provided by the database of state incentives for renewables and efficiency ( dsire vermont ) . information about additional incentives not present on dsire is listed here . the state does enable property assessed clean energy financing ( pace ) , but it does not have any active pace programs .
created the vermont solar pathways report which examines challenges to an advanced solar future and how they can be overcome .
dan’s current and recent projects include : delivering testimony and technical analysis on energy efficiency potential before regulatory commissions in michigan , colorado , and minnesota ; providing technical assistance on the development of commercial energy efficiency financing pilots in california ; formulating energy transformation concepts that will help vermont meet its comprehensive energy goals ; providing technical assistance to the designlights consortium on the evolution of their technical performance requirements ; developing or contributing to deemed savings assumptions within technical reference manuals ( “trm” ) in numerous jurisdictions including vermont , ohio , washington d . c . , iowa , and illinois .
founded in 1986 , veic is a not - for - profit organization dedicated to reducing the economic and environmental costs of energy use . through our comprehensive energy efficiency utilities and implementation and consulting services , we work with utilities , government agencies , and foundations in the design and delivery of energy efficiency and renewable energy services . learn more »
veic co - founder , beth sachs , receives a lifetime achievement award , from northeast energy efficiency partnerships , honoring 40 years of pioneering leadership in the energy efficiency field .
vermont pioneered the model of a statewide
energy efficiency utility
( eeu ) after enacting legislation in 1999 authorizing vermont public service board ( psb ) to collect a volumetric ( per kwh ) charge on all electric utility customers’ bills to support energy efficiency programs , called the energy efficiency charge ( eec ) . psb created the eeu designation that efficiency vermont ( evt ) and burlington electric department ( bed ) currently operate under to invest in programs and services that save money and conserve energy . vermont gas systems offers natural gas efficiency service within its territory . natural gas efficiency programs are supported by legislation and regulation ( 30 v . s . a . section 235 ( d ) ; docket no . 5270 vgs - 1 , 2 ) and began in 1993 . the public service board designated it an eeu with a 12 - year order of appointment to deliver natural gas energy efficiency services in april 2015 ( see docket 7676 ) .
efficiency vermont annual reports and plans include additional details on the fund , the types of projects it has funded , and its plans for the future . efficiency vermont ' s latest three - year plan covering 2015 to 2017 can be found here .
in june 1999 , vermont enacted legislation authorizing the vermont public service board ( psb ) to establish a volumetric charge on all electric customers ' bills to support energy efficiency programs . as a result , in 2000 the psb established efficiency vermont and a funding mechanism to support it . the funding mechanism , which varies by utility , is based on factors unique to each utility ' s service territory and is reviewed periodically and adjusted as necessary by the psb . * it should be noted that burlington electric department is not required to fund efficiency vermont ; it collects its funds and implements its programs directly under a separate agreement with the psb . many of burlington electric department programs are identical to efficiency vermont programs .
solar pv is the fastest - growing form of energy in vermont . from 2012 to 2017 , vermont’s solar energy capacity increased almost nine times to 227 mw , a compound annual growth rate of 54 % . during this time , the portion of electricity from solar grew from 0 . 5 % to 5 % . the state is one of the national leaders in net metering , community solar , and solar jobs per capita .
this year marks the start of veic’s annual top - ten ranking on the best places to work in vermont list , recognizing veic for its positive impact on vermont’s economy and workforce as measured by workplace policies , practices , demographics , and employee satisfaction .
we champion local and statewide efforts to drive energy innovation that strengthens the economy and environment .
description : in may 2017 , vermont passed bill h . 411 , an act relating to miscellaneous energy issues . the new law provides that the state will enforce federal standards if they are “withdrawn , repealed or otherwise voided” at the federal level . efficiency measures protected by the new vermont law include all standards on the federal books as of january 17 , 2017 , including ones that have yet to take effect , like the light bulb standards slated for 2020 . in february 2006 vermont passed bill h . 0253 , an act relating to establishing energy efficiency standards for certain appliances , which created energy efficiency standards for appliances . the act created standards for seven products , which have since been preempted by the energy independence and security act of 2007 .
in 2011 , the vermont comprehensive energy plan set a goal to have renewable energy supply 90 % of the state’s total energy needs ( including electricity , heating and cooling , and transportation ) by 2050 . the department of public service completed a total energy study to examine the feasibility and cost - effectiveness of various paths to the 90 % goal and related emissions goals . the general assembly created a renewable portfolio standard ( rps ) that includes credit for projects—such as electric vehicles and modern wood heating—that switch end uses away from fossil fuel , making the rps essentially a total energy portfolio standard . achieving the state’s energy goals will require major contributions from distributed resources and the development of supporting infrastructure such as energy storage , electric vehicle charging stations , and upgraded distribution systems .
ccp : eligible customers must be iso 14001 - certified and meet several conditions similar to energy star for industrial facilities . for natural gas energy efficiency , eligible only for transmission and industrial electric and natural gas ratepayers , customer efficiency charges for electric usage must be a minimum of $ 1 . 5 million . smeep allows an eligible customer to be exempt from the ( electric ) energy efficiency charge ( eec ) provided that the customer commits to spending an annual average of no less than $ 1 million per year over a three - year period on energy efficiency investments . in addition , the vermont public service board has established an option for eligible vermont business customers to self - administer energy efficiency through the use of an energy savings account ( esa ) or the customer credit program . these funds are still paid into the veeuf and disbursed to the participants upon completion of an eligible energy efficiency measure .
veic develops cat , a software screening tool to determine the cost - effectiveness of energy measures .
ultimately , the vermont solar pathways project established a valuable process and methodologies that could be replicated—with or without modification—by stakeholders in other states .
in vermont , it is a generally accepted legal precept that there is a protected privacy interest in customer energy information . energy providers , eeus , the public service department , along with the public service board , all acknowledge that this information is confidential . utilities and fuel dealers generally only release customer data with their customer’s written permission .
act 89 of 2013 gives the vermont public service department the authority to develop stretch codes and municipalities have the option of adopting them . the state ' s residential stretch energy code went into effect december 1 , 2015 . any projects encompassed by residential act 250 are required to adopt the residential stretch code . thise code has a higher level of thermal energy efficiency than the base code . both residential base and stretch energy codes also allow renewable energy to be used to meet the target home energy rating scores for compliance . additionally , the residential stretch code has electric vehicle charging requirements for multifamily developments of 10 units or more .
the state has an interconnection standard that applies to chp , an incentive program for chp , and includes chp as an eligible resource in the state ' s renewable energy goals . no new chp systems were installed in vermont in 2016 .
thanks for the feedback ! veic strives to be a catalyst to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere , and in creating energy justice . total energy solutions are critical to our success and we need to
the most important conclusion of the vermont solar pathways study is that solar can provide 20 % of vermont’s electricity by 2025 , and can do so with investments that are less than 1 % of total annual energy expenditures . over the longer term , through 2050 , the study suggests net economic benefits are several billion dollars higher under the advanced solar scenario than business as usual .
burlington electric department ( bed ) is one of vermont ' s energy efficiency utilities . this comprehensive site describes bed ' s programs and service offerings that can help you identify the most cost - effective ways to reduce energy use in your home or business . bed can also be reached by calling 1 - 802 - 865 - 7300 .
the biomass energy resource center ( berc ) strives to achieve a healthier environment , strengthen local economies , and increase energy security across the united states through the development of sustainable biomass energy systems at the community level . our particular focus is on the use of woody biomass and other pelletized biomass fuels .
“jim’s deep energy industry expertise and his proven track record of customer - focused leadership made him the ideal choice to lead veic in building on the success it has achieved in vermont , ohio , washington , d . c . , and beyond in helping customers spend less on energy , ” said richard cowart , vice president of the board .
madej comes to veic with decades of experience in the energy industry , including leadership experience in delivering energy - efficiency programs and services to customers in his role as chief customer officer at national grid usa .
veic introduces kitt , an enhanced data management software system designed to track savings and manage customer information , allowing efficiency vermont to better serve customers .
utility involvement : efficiency vermont and burlington electric dept . are required through their order of appointment to assist with providing energy code support ( information and training ) . the high level of participation in their new contruction programs , contributes significantly to the state ' s overall energy code compliance rate . evt also hosts the energy code assistance center , which distributes information on energy codes and answers builders , architects , and other contractors questions on how to meet energy code requirements . as the state ' s energy efficiency utilities they fulfill this role in lieu of the distributed utilities . they also provide assistance for filling out the certificates . after the state recently updated the codes they held numerous trainings for builders , architects , and realtors on the new requirements as well as blower door certification / training .
veic launches two new energy efficiency utilities : ohio - based efficiencysmart , in partnership with american municipal power , and the district of columbia sustainable energy utility , under a contract with the district department of the environment .
there are some additional supportive policies to encourage chp in vermont . the state offers a renewable energy sales tax exemption for renewable - energy systems which also applies to micro chp systems up to 20 kw . the state also encourages the use of renewable - fueled chp systems and waste heat to power ( whp ) , which qualify under its renewable energy standard , which is 55 % by 2017 and rising in 3 year increments by 4 % to 75 % by 2032 .
vermont ' s most recent commercial and residential energy codes went into effect in march 2015 and are based on the 2015 iecc . the state is required by statute to update its codes every three years . the state has a residential stretch code in place that municipalities may choose to adopt and stretch standards for commercial buildings that apply to act 250 projects . vermont has completed a variety of activities to ensure compliance .
veic creates its first mission statement : “to reduce the costs , both monetary and environmental , of energy use” .
vermont governor howard dean signs into law a net metering bill , allowing customers with onsite renewable energy to feed excess power into the grid and to draw power when their systems aren’t producing . that same afternoon , veic installs the first photovoltaic panel complying with the new law .
the state shall consider buildings with leed certification , energy star certification or efficiency vermont’s high performance building designation when entering into a new lease space that is greater than 5 , 000 square feet and the total term of the lease is five or more years . the leasing agent must consider these criteria unless there is no space available that will meet these criteria and the program needs of the agency including , emergency relocation and geographical requirements . if the needs of the tenant require a space that does not meet these energy standards , the lease agreement will include an arrangement between the landlord and bgs to create an implementation plan for energy efficiency and energy conservation measures and consider renewable energy usage and generation to improve the overall efficiency of the building .
as specified by vermont law , net proceeds from the sale of carbon credits through the regional greenhouse gas initiative ( rggi ) , as well as net revenues / payments from the new england independent system operator ( iso - ne ) forward capacity savings resulting from the activities of the energy efficiency utility , are to be used to deliver thermal energy and process fuel ( tepf ) energy efficiency services by the eeu’s . total low - income spending must be greater than 17 % of the total tepf fund expenditures .
veic leads an innovative vehicle - to - grid electric school bus pilot program for the massachusetts department of energy resources .
the vermont office of economic opportunity ( oeo ) administers the vermont home weatherization assistance program ( hwap ) , which includes both state and federal funds . oeo monitors and provides training and technical assistance to five non‐profit community weatherization assistance programs . efficiency vermont supplements the state weatherization program with add - on measures beyond what would otherwise be included in the state - and federally - funded wap . these measures include energy star - qualified refrigerators , energy star - qualified clothes washers , lighting , ventilation fans , and smart power strips . efficiency vermont continually assesses potential new measures to include in the scope of the add - on program and has updated its offerings to include heat pump water heaters , dehumidifiers , and mini - split heat pumps . community action program agencies offer these measures as a part of the same program delivery as the state weatherization program , so customers must interact with only one program .
vermont public service approved a 2012 - 2014 budget for efficiency vermont , set to achieve approximately 2 % annual savings ( vt public service board docket eeu - 2010 - 06 ) . electric efficiency quality performance indicators for 2015 - 2017 include a target for total electricity savings of 321 , 800 mwh over the three - year period for efficiency vermont . burlington electric also has savings targets in place for this period , bringing statewide incremental electricity savings targets to about 2 . 1 % per year .
incentives , grants , or financing : efficiency vermont provides some financial support for chp projects in the state , as enabled by the 2016 order of appointment for veic .
2015 : electrical budget : $ 52 . 2 million ; thermal energy and process fuels budget : $ 7 . 1 million
2016 : electrical budget : $ 56 . 2 million ; thermal energy and process fuels budget : $ 7 . 7 million
2017 : electrical budget : $ 58 . 7 million ; thermal energy and process fuels budget : $ 8 . 3 million
vermont gas systems offers comprehensive thermal efficiency programs including rebates , financing , and technical assistance for cost - effective natural gas saving measures for both its residential and business customers .
by statute , the funds collected for efficiency vermont may not be used to meet the general obligations of the state . efficiency vermont provides technical assistance and financial incentives for energy - efficient building design , construction , renovation , equipment , lighting , and appliances . its primary priorities are reducing the size of future power purchases , reducing the generation of greenhouse gases , limiting the need to upgrade the state ' s transmission and distribution infrastructure , and minimizing the costs of electricity .
in addition to the smeep program , another self - management program called the energy savings accounts ( esa ) are available to commercial customers that contribute at least $ 5 , 000 per year to the eeu fund ( via the energy efficiency charge ) .
for electric energy efficiency , there are three self - direct options available statewide : smeep ( self - managed energy efficiency program ) , ccp ( customer credit program ) and esa ( energy savings accounts ) . smeep is also available for the one eligible gas customer . the smeep options require prospective participants or their successors to have contributed $ 1 . 5 million to the energy efficiency fund in 2008 through the efficiency charge added on their electric costs to meet the requirements . only one customer meets that standard . additionally , an eligible customer must commit to investing a minimum of $ 3 million over a three - year program cycle . the esa option allows vermont business that pay an energy efficiency charge ( eec ) in excess of $ 5 , 000 total per year ( or an average $ 5 , 000 total per year over three years ) to use a portion of their eec to support energy efficiency projects in their facilities .
at its 20 year anniversary , veic adopts a
big , hairy audacious goal
for its next 20 years—
our work will result in reducing 20 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by the year 2027 .
this is also the first year that efficiency vermont’s work helps to bend the curve to turn vermont’s electricity load growth negative .
complete streets : vermont statutes include complete streets legislation that orders any construction or reconstruction project to allocate space for pedestrian and bicycle friendly pathways unless those additions are deemed prohibitively expensive .
at veic we strive to ensure that the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy are enjoyed by all—from homeowners and businesses to communities and states . veic’s approach to program review , design , and implementation draws on decades of expertise in several integrated disciplines . »
the renewable energy resource center ( rerc ) provides consumers with information on solar hot water and solar electric renewable energy systems . the website features information on how these systems work , their economic and environmental benefits , how to find dealers , and buying guidance .
the amount vermonters will save in energy and water costs over the lifetime of their 2017 investments in efficient equipment and building improvements .
the psd will be submitting a request this year for the vermont public service board to convene a proceeding on commercial , multifamily , and mixed - use building benchmarking and labeling to investigate consideration of establishing a system for delivery of aggregated energy data to building owners and their agents for use in buildings with tenants .
veic opens a new jersey office , with a team of partners implementing new jersey’s customer onsite renewable energy program for business and residences .
the most recent budgets for energy efficiency programs and electricity and natural gas savings can be found in the state spending and savings tables .
lots of talented and mission - driven staff . stable revenue base with their long - term efficiency vermont contract . very nice offices in both burlington and dc . good pay and benefits .
vermont specifies the social cost test to be its primary test for decision making . a 15 % adjustment is applied to the cost - effectiveness screening tool for low - income customer programs .
with conservation services group , veic creates and releases the first version of fast track , a data management tool for tracking energy efficiency savings .
efficiency vermont ( evt ) , the state’s energy efficiency utility established in 1999 , is funded through a systems benefits charge on all utility customers’ bills . vermont requires that evt achieve a minimum level of low - income services spending ( for the 2015 - 2017 period the requirement is $ 10 . 5 million ) . most of the costs of the electric efficiency measures implemented by evt and the community - based weatherization agencies are paid for by evt , with any remaining balances covered by the federal weatherization assistance program ( wap ) .
act 40 of 2011 calls for the state to lead by example regarding its own energy usage and set a specific 5 % energy savings goal for state government . bgs is leading the way by creating its own strategic plan for energy savings that will be used as a model for other state agencies and departments . bgs has convened a state agency / department stakeholder group to review the bgs plan and work towards this goal . all agency buildings , existing and new construction will be reviewed by the agencies and the bgs environmental engineer to be part of the epa portfolio manager . bgs has established the goal of attaining an energy star score of 75 or higher for all eligible buildings . for those buildings that are not eligible , bgs has established the goal of setting site energy usage targets across the portfolio to help achieve our mandated annual energy consumption reduction target of 5 % .
veic begins designing energy efficiency program in countries such as mexico , jamaica , st . lucia , several provinces in canada , and the united kingdom .
dan specializes in the design , planning and administration of commercial and industrial energy efficiency programs , with an emphasis on lighting technologies . his program design experience spans multiple service delivery paths and program types . he has consulted on hundreds of commercial efficiency projects across numerous jurisdictions and speaks nationally on program design , industry standards , and lighting technology . dan is a licensed professional engineer ( pe ) in the state of vermont , is a certified energy manager ( cem ) , and is lighting certified ( lc ) .
scenario modeling offers an alternative to traditional energy efficiency or renewable energy potential studies . instead of a linear process of screening measures based on whether they reduce costs , scenario modeling answers public policy questions , like the one posed by the veic team about how much would it cost to have 20 % of electricity from solar by 2025 and 90 % of total energy from renewables by 2050 . in vermont’s case , the answer turned out to be that it would cost much less than business as usual , even though some of the investments in the first 10 years would not screen in a cost - effectiveness test . those investments are necessary to build momentum for the level of growth needed .
emily is an analyst at energy futures group in hinesburg , vermont , providing research and analytical support . prior to joining efg , emily worked in the legal sector , working as a paralegal in the energy and telecommunications division of the massachusetts attorney general’s office . she graduated from the university of connecticut in 2014 , where she studied resource economics concentrating in environmental economics and policy . as a student , emily conducted research on land conservation tax incentive programs in connecticut towns , and graduated as a member of the university honors program . emily also interned at the connecticut league of conservation voters and the ct department of energy and environmental protection , where she supported sustainable transportation and environmental compliance efforts .
we are excited to welcome three new members to the veic board of directors . colin owyang , ellen zuckerman , and nick richardson , will begin their terms as veic board members this month . they bring extensive knowledge of the clean energy sector and a passion for energy affordability and social justice to our organization . urltoken
net metering : vermont ' s original net - metering legislation was enacted in 1998 , and the law has been expanded several times subsequently . any electric customer in vermont may net meter after obtaining a certificate of public good from the vermont public service board ( psb ) . an application for a certificate of public good for interconnected net metered power systems is available on the program web site listed above . net metering is generally available to systems up to 250 kilowatts ( kw ) in capacity that generate electricity using micro - combined heat and power ( chp ) systems up to 20 kw . chp systems greater than 20 kw in capacity are not eligible for net metering .
the department of buildings and general services ( bgs ) operates the state energy management program ( semp ) - its own in - house revolving loan fund for building efficiency which essentially makes the state its own espc contractor . in its strategic plan , bgs calls for using epscs to complete energy improvements within correctional facilities . bgs is currently entered into an espc with noresco for the montpelier capital complex . monitoring and verification will continue until 2019 for the 14 energy conservation measures implemented throughout the complex .
one of the study’s key findings was that the total spending for energy and related infrastructure between now and 2025 would be essentially the same for all of these scenarios . the graph below shows the net present value of that spending , along with the percent of total energy from renewables . however , a separate analysis ( not shown ) indicates that the business - as - usual scenario will cost $ 8 billion more than any of the high - renewable - energy scenarios when total spending through 2050 is considered .
when this project was proposed in 2014 , solar was growing in vermont , but not as quickly as in hawai’i , california , new jersey , or massachusetts . only the first two grey dots in the graph below had been measured .
investing in efficiency and solar can yield economic benefits for vermonters and costs less than relying on imported fossil fuel , helping low - and moderate - income residents afford energy .
we are hosting a webinar tomorrow at 2pm edt about best practices for low - income energy efficiency programs , with an emphasis on increasing both access to and . . .
the public utility commission has delegated to the department of public service the responsibility to evaluate , measure , and verify services offered and savings claimed by the energy efficiency utilities .
new since 2015 is the passage of act 56 of 2015 , which creates a renewable energy standard in vermont . it creates an energy transformation obligation for electric distribution utilities , in which they must produce an increasing amount of fossil fuel use reductions attributable to their customers . they may meet the obligation through the use of more efficient heating systems ( such as heat pumps ) or through building weatherization , or even the use of more efficient or electric vehicles . the obligations begin in 2017 with an amount equivalent to 2 % of the utility ' s sales , rising to 10 % by 2032 .
released by veic in 2017 , the vermont solar pathways summary report considers challenges and barriers to solar deployment and how they can be overcome . the report considers solar growth as a part of total energy rather than in isolation , which means it includes related technologies—such as heat pumps and electric vehicles—and the effects of those fuel switches . it also explores how solar will change the dispatch of electricity generation . key report highlights include :
for natural gas , esa and ccp participants can access a percentage of the funds paid into the veeuf to undertake approved energy efficiency measures . for smeep electric , an eligible customer must demonstrate that it has a comprehensive energy management program with annual objectives or demonstrate that it has achieved certification of iso standard 14001 . they then provide a report to the public service board ( psb ) detailing the measures undertaken , estimated savings and related costs . these reports are then reviewed and approved by the psb . the esa is run through the efficiency vermont program and related savings are reported and verified through the savings verification mechanism . for ccp , eligible customers must be iso 14001 - certified and meet several conditions similar to energy star for industrial facilities . savings are then verified through existing mechanisms .
the state ' s two ious ( electric and natural gas ) are decoupled through an alternative regulation structure . green mountain power is decoupled through a power cost adjustment and an earnings sharing mechanism . vermont gas is also decoupled through an earnings sharing mechanism .
the public utility commission website has comprehensive information regarding the regulation of the energy efficiency utilties , including links to ongoing and historical proceedings to set budgets , performance targets , and more .
the cap on the annual budget was set at $ 17 . 5 million until 2005 , when legislation removed the cap . the current psb - ordered energy efficiency budgets are as follows :
vermont does not have any state programs in place to incentivize the creation of low - income housing near transit facilities , but it does consider the proximity of transit facilities when distributing federal low - income housing tax credits to qualifying property owners . last updated : july 2017
under a contract with the u . s . department of energy , veic begins to provide technical assistance to municipalities across the u . s . , completing more than 200 projects in four years .
veic co - founder blair hamilton passes away after fighting a 20 - year battle with cancer . in his honor , veic creates the blair hamilton memorial fund for innovation in energy efficiency and social justice .
in addition , as part of the vermont action plan associated with the multi - state zev mou , the state will “establish goals to ensure that a minimum of 25 percent of new light - duty state fleet purchases and leases , for applicable uses , will be zevs by 2025 . ”
when entering into a new lease agreement or amending an existing lease agreement in which bgs will not be responsible for paying the utility bills , the lease agreement will reflect the landlord’s responsibility to make all energy usage data available to bgs for the term of the lease . bgs will reserve the right to sub - meter in multi - tenant spaces to obtain state only energy usage data if it is beneficial to the state .
stakeholder advisory group : the state began working with northeast energy efficiency partnerships to form a building code collaborative in 2014 . the group held its first meeting in 2015 and meets a minimum of four times a year .