Progress on Commercial Building Energy Efficiency has been Good, but More Attention is Needed to Decrease Waste in Several Areas The Energy Collective, July 4, 2016 Data recently released as part of the Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) highlights changes in commercial sector energy demand between 2003 and 2012. The Energy Information Administration conducts CBECS approximately … Read more
California is about to find out what a truly radical climate policy looks like Vox, September 9, 2016 Within the United States, California is No. 1 (by far) in solar power and No. 3 in wind power. It boasts the third-lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita behind New York and Vermont. Since 2000, the state has managed to shrink its overall carbon footprint slightly … Read more
Valerie Eacret, ERS, for Zondits As with any nonrenewable resource, there are limits to efficiency as a resource. Steven Nadel’s recent paper explores the potential for energy efficiency to provide consistent, sustained savings. The good news is that a 1% load reduction appears to be feasible to at least 2030 – and potentially 2050 – … Read more
Duke Energy Saving energy at home is easy. Keep reading to learn about time-tested tips and energy-saving choices for reducing your home energy consumption. Cooling Switch your ceiling fan to turn in a counter-clockwise direction In the summer; in the winter, run it at low speed, but clockwise. Install more ceiling fans because the breeze of a fan … Read more
The enormous scale of all the energy that we never used The Washington Post, August 19, 2016 Energy efficiency takes a huge number of forms, ranging from weatherizing a house to upping the fuel efficiency of vehicles. A new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a prominent nonprofit that both researches and promotes energy … Read more
Savings Project: Insulate Hot Water Pipes for Energy Savings Department of Energy Insulating your hot water pipes reduces heat loss and can raise water temperature 2°F–4°F hotter than uninsulated pipes can deliver, allowing you to lower your water temperature setting. You also won’t have to wait as long for hot water when you turn on a … Read more
There is a Water-Energy Nexus. But It’s Not What You Think. NRDC, August 12, 2016 Earlier this summer, researchers at UC-Davis confirmed what a lot of us already know—that saving water saves energy. The analysis from the UC-Davis Center for Water-Energy Efficiency found that California’s mandatory 25 percent reduction in urban water use, which was adopted in … Read more
Radiator Lock Boxes Slash One-Fifth Off Two Buildings’ Heating Costs Observer, August 4, 2016 The heat of summer can get brutal inside my Crown Heights apartment, but winter is the real scorcher. When there’s snow on the ground, the building-wide steam heat cooks the insides of my first floor digs. This is not unusual for … Read more
2016’s Most & Least Energy-Expensive States Wallethub In the U.S., energy costs eat between 5 and 22 percent of families’ total after-tax income, with the poorest Americans, or 25 million households, paying the highest of that range. And lower energy prices don’t necessarily equate to savings. Where we live and how much energy we use make up … Read more
Oil Prices Down, Investment Down, Supply Up, Energy Efficiency Down Clean Technica, July 8, 2016 The International Energy Agency (IEA) published an updated analysis of the current oil price environment this week, detailing how the current market is generally misbehaving. Though some might look at the decreased investment as a good thing, the resulting increase … Read more