Reduce heating costs
A cold snap in February last year in Texas saw more than 1,000 megawatts of resources respond within minutes when a blackout appeared imminent. In July in New York, the system operator called on 2,000 megawatts of demand response resources to curtail load during an oppressive heat wave. The list of similar emergencies is long. [...]
On-bill financing, an innovative tool that allows customers to pay for energy efficiency investments though their utility bills, is becoming more widely available across the country and extending opportunities to historically underserved markets, according to a new study released today. The study, On-Bill Financing for Energy Efficiency Improvements: A Review of Current Program Challenges, Opportunities, [...]
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that buildings constructed to meet an energy efficiency standard issued in 2010 stand to reduce energy use by 18.5%, compared with buildings that meet the 2007 standard. DOE’s analysis shows that implementing the 2010 version of Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings, Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, will save [...]
It’s hard to believe after survivng the epic summer of 2011, but winter is here. Today saw the first hard freeze of the winter season in Central Texas, where the ground becomes frozen solid and plants die. And folks in Houston (freezing) and Dallas (also freezing) didn’t have it any easier this morning. While you may have [...]
Feel a draft around your home’s electrical outlets? If so, you’re wasting energy. Even if you cannot feel air moving, you still could have a leak. Here’s another way to check: Hold a feather or piece of lightweight string in front of outlets, switch plates, window frames, baseboards, fireplace dampers, kitchen or medicine cabinets or the attic [...]
Just last week, we lamented that Energy Awareness month (that’s going on now, by the way) didn’t do much at all to increase awareness. The critique didn’t offer links to more information, because sending people to clunky government websites is confusing, not enlightening. However, there are companies out there that are looking to empower [...]
Army officials hope to tap the private sector for capital investment and technology that will help the service to become less wasteful of fuel and more environmentally responsible. “We must preserve access to energy and water so soldiers of the future have the same access to resources as the soldiers of today.” said Katherine Hammack, [...]
Despite environmentalist’s love for salty snacks, many food manufacturers do not “go green.” Frito-Lay’s Casa Grande facility plant in Arizona, PepsiCo’s North America division, is a different story. The firm launched an ambitious sustainability project, the “near net zero” effort that took a production facility “off the grid,” running primarily on renewable energy sources and [...]
One morning this week, several dozen residents of northeast Austin gathered to inspect three plug-in Volt cars. They peered at the electric and gasoline engine components beneath the hood and took turns sitting behind the wheel. “I really hate buying gas,” said Joan Neuberger, a history professor at the University of Texas, who is one [...]
Energy Efficiency Loan Programs Default Rates Range from 0–3% and Remained Largely Unchanged During Housing Bubble Collapse Washington, D.C.—Energy efficiency loan financing is proving to be a stable, low risk investment with low default rates and large-scale potential, according to What Have We Learned from Energy Efficiency Financing Programs?, a study released today by the [...]