Energy Secretary Steven Chu: Achieve the potential energy efficiency
Energy Secretary Steven Chu has another insightful piece up on Huffington Post titled: "Energy Efficiency: Achieving the Potential, Realizing the Savings"
Here's the Intro:
For the next few decades, energy efficiency is one of the lowest cost options for reducing US carbon emissions. Many studies have concluded that energy efficiency can save both energy and money. For example, a recent McKinsey report calculated the potential savings assuming a 7% discount rate, no price on carbon and using only "net present value positive" investments. It found the potential to reduce consumer demand by about 23% by 2020 and reduce GHG emissions by 1.1 gigatons each year -- at a net savings of US$ 680 billion.
Will 2010 be the Year Home Efficiency Finally Takes Off?
It’s a perfect storm out there for residential energy-efficiency retrofits, and many of the pieces of this tricky puzzle are coming together. But there’s one big catch – us. Here’s why:
Efficiency is Cheaper, Safer, Faster and Smarter
Okay, so we’ve known this since efficiency guru Amory Lovins first coined the term ‘negawatt’ decades ago. But it makes even more sense now. You can get the same reductions in energy costs with $40 worth of CFL bulbs or $1000 worth of solar panels. In a down economy, it doesn’t take an economist to tell you which is the better deal. By switching bulbs, reducing power consumption, and tightening up leaky buildings, we can save 30% – 50% of the nearly $140 billion American homes spend each year on electricity. These are efforts that can take place simultaneously in every community across the country, putting tens of thousands of people back to work. As the tragic accident recently at a new power plant in Connecticut demonstrated yet again, power-production projects are long-term, capital-intensive, and dangerous.
Prelitz Chosen as Judge for International Sustainable Art Competition
New Leaf's Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Prelitz was recently chosen as a juror for an international sustainability competition. The goal of the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) is to design and construct Land Art / Environmental Art installations in the United Arab Emirates that have the added benefit of large scale clean energy generation. Each sculpture will continuously distribute clean energy into the electrical grid with each land art sculpture having the potential to provide power to thousands of homes in the UAE.
Great Green Goals for 2010
Making New Year’s resolutions can be a wonderful way to bring positive change forward in the coming year. But, how many of those best intentions do we really keep?
In years past, we have all set some really big goals, and sometimes found them unrealistic and unattainable. Set yourself up to win in 2010.
This year, take on some easily attainable and simple goals that will give you small victories and save money at the same time - a double win!
For the month of January, we will be sharing one Great Green Goal each week. Join the Green Team at New Leaf America and start saving energy, start saving more money, and start stepping a little lighter on Mother Earth.
Winter Tune Up Ideas
Winter has arrived, and a chill is in the air. Instead of just cranking up the heater, how about giving your house a Winter Tune-Up? Heat and air conditioning must run more as our comfortable indoor air leaks out or exterior air leaks in. Air leaks can account for 25% of our heating and cooling costs. Here's a couple quick and easy inexpensive tips for making your house warmer and more comfortable this winter:
Furnace Filters - Change the filter on your furnace every season. When the filter gets clogged, the blower runs more often trying to push air through the dirty filter. Now is also a good opportunity to replace your fiberglass filter with a healthier filters now available at most hardware stores.
