Energy Conservation

The move in the USA towards green energy production and saving energy in general has greatly accelerated in recent years as the average consumer has come to realize that they can play a role in how our energy is produced as well as how much of it is consumed in our daily lives and homes. Consumers are installing energy efficient …

By Elisa Wood March 8, 2012 US Congresswoman Michele Bachmann often asks why government should tell us which kind of light bulb to choose. Turns out it’s a question with a trillion dollar answer. We will save $1.1 trillion through 2035 because of existing energy efficiency mandates for light bulbs and appliances, according to a report issued this week by …

The premise behind the zero energy homes is that you have a house that not only generates its own energy through renewable energy sources but also has less of an initial carbon impact with the materials that are used to build the house. The theory is that you end up with a carbon neutral home. Zero energy homes and similar …

A Case for Energy Efficiency Rebate Program by Katia Lundy, Sr. Marketing Specialist, Member of the Con Edison Green Team If you think it’s hard trying to get a loan from a bank or selling real estate in this economy, try “selling” money. Well, not actually selling money but giving generous rebates and incentives for energy efficiency projects. The sales …

By Elisa Wood January 18, 2012 This is the era of Big Oil. Could the next be the era of Big Efficiency? A new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy suggests the possibility. Re-invented with today’s smart energy technologies, energy efficiency could displace 40 to 60 percent of our total energy needs by the year 2050, according …

ACEEE REPORT: U.S. BETTER OFF “THINKING BIG” ABOUT ENERGY EFFICIENCY INSTEAD OF FOCUSING FIRST ON DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ENERGY SOURCES How Lack of Emphasis on Major Energy Efficiency Investments Leaves “3 Jokers in the U.S. Economic Deck”; Slashing Energy Use 60% Could Generate 2 Million Jobs & Save the Equivalent of $2600 Per Household Annually. WASHINGTON, D.C.///January 12, 2012///America is …

Electric Energy Efficiency Savings Grows Significantly in the U.S., New Report Shows WASHINGTON (January 3, 2012)—Electric energy efficiency savings are on a growth path in the U.S., and electric utilities are a major force behind the trend. The findings come from a new report published by the Institute for Electric Efficiency (IEE). Overall, the IEE report, Summary of Ratepayer-Funded Electric …

Ultimately, you want an energy efficiency plan for your business – understanding it makes good business sense to lower your energy consumption, to save money, improve your bottom line and protect the environment in the process. You followed the preliminary steps of benchmarking to see how your building compares with similar buildings in your area. You’ve also had an energy …

By Elisa Wood December 7, 2011 Electric utilities operated under a rarefied business model for decades. Their customers were captive so they rarely had to think about what motivated them to buy. New government energy efficiency mandates have changed that, and done so with an ironic twist. Now utilities must figure how to get their customers to refrain from buying. …

Does your business have a comprehensive energy plan? Implementing a plan can save energy and drastically reduce costs and emissions, while creating a culture that fosters continuous improvement in sustainability and building performance. High performance buildings operate efficiently and cost-effectively. Now is the right time to put your plan to work. Building technologies are rapidly improving while costs are declining. …

Turn on the Savings with Con Edison’s Energy Savings Programs. by Courtney C. Capshaw, Lockheed Martin Member of the Con Edison Green Team Did you know lighting consumes up to 40% of a commercial facility’s electricity? The heat output from lights also impacts cooling loads. The following four options can help reduce lighting costs. Turn Off the Lights This sounds …

by Courtney C. Capshaw, Lockheed Martin Member of the Con Edison Green Team Office buildings consume more energy than any other building type, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration. These buildings use 198 billion kWh of electricity each year, equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by 18 million American homes annually. The cost of this energy usage is …

In the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the clean economy expanded by 8.3 percent, says the report. Efficiency, renewable energy, biofuels and other clean industries accounted for 2.7 million US jobs in 2010. To put that number in perspective, that’s more jobs than you’ll find in fossil fuels or biosciences, but still less than information technology

Today’s guest post is a good one that deals with how your company and HR department can implement green practices to everyday business standards. This is something that can be simple to do and yet have far ranging impact if we all set it up in the way we do daily business. A large multitude of human resource management departments …

NYSERDA funds 17 energy-saving transportation ideas from Long Island to Rochester $4.6 million to help curb greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs and decrease reliance on fossil fuels. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced the award of $4.6 million to help 17 New York State companies develop and commercialize innovative new transportation technologies that will …

Lowering costs is an important exercise today when you realistically want to bank on a terrific financial future for you and your household. Being economical is a notable strategy to help ensure you are able to be effectively equipped monetarily for the long term, whether your ambitions include paying for a new home, purchasing a vehicle, sending your teen to …

As fossil fuels diminish, energy costs are going to soar until we have a scalable and viable alternative energy source. Until then, making sure we use as little energy as possible directly saves us money with our fuel bills. So in the interest of saving energy, here are a collection of gadgets for your home that are designed to reduce …

Part 2 Appliances. When crude oil finally hit the $100.00 per barrel mark, we all groaned inwardly knowing that the price will just be passed onto us. Never mind our environmental conscience, now we have to try and cut down just because of our wallets! The Labor Department has also released figures showing that unemployment benefits are at the highest …

We are all looking at the news and even the most optimistic of us are realizing that things may change for a while. We’ve been here before, we’ve seen the rising prices, the unemployment and the foreclosures – but for many of us the problem becomes more individualized. What can we do to preserve ourselves; to keep the roof over …

Part I debunks one of the many myths about oil and the rising price of gas. Fuel prices are not rising because of oil supply shortages. Fuel prices rise due to shortages in refinery capacity. More: continued here