Posts Tagged ‘increase efficiency’

Conversation with an Energy Auditor

September 25th, 2009

Pro Energy ConsultantsInterview: QuestionWhat is the biggest overall misconception that homeowners have about energy efficiency?

Interview: AnswerMany homeowners think that, in order to dramatically improve their efficiency and lower costs, they need to explore cutting edge green technologies.  While those technologies are fantastic, energy efficiency starts with how the structure of a home and its systems interact.  After all, it’s the home where the energy is used…and wasted.

Interview: QuestionTell us a little about energy audits. Why are they important? What should homeowners expect?

Interview: AnswerPro Energy Consultants use state-of-the-art infrared imaging and blower door testing to determine wasteful energy use in a home or facility.  The blower door, installed to a home’s front door frame, acts like a giant fan and blows air out of the home, exaggerating the airflow and pressurization of the house and making energy leakage far more detectable. Pro Energy Consultants then uses the latest in infrared technology to scan the structure and systems in the home. This technical testing and equipment gives homeowners a clear picture of exactly where their home is losing energy, and therefore, wasting money.  The entire process takes approximately one to three hours.  Other than allowing the auditor access to the home, homeowners don’t really need to do anything to prepare for an audit.

Interview: QuestionIn your experience, what are homeowners always the most surprised to learn from their energy audit results?

Interview: AnswerMost homeowners are very happily surprised to learn that many of the repairs that have the biggest impact on energy efficiency are very inexpensive and easy to get done.  That is, once you know where they are!

Interview: QuestionAre there any specific energy efficiency challenges that homeowners in your state or region face?

Interview: AnswerAs a national company, we find that true, ethical energy auditors are constantly battling other companies that are using the energy audit merely as an entry point in order to sell other products or services.  A true energy audit should stand on its own and advocate for the homeowner’s best interests.  Period.

Interview: QuestionWhat advice would you give a homeowner who is hesitant to schedule an energy audit because they fear the recommended improvements will be too expensive?

Interview: AnswerIt’s very powerful to know what’s really wrong in your home.  While some of the improvements may be too costly to act on immediately, at least you’ll know.   Plus, there are always things that can be done inexpensively that will make a noticeable difference.

Interview: QuestionIn that same vein, what’s one low-cost weekend project that homeowners can do to make their homes more energy efficient?

Interview: AnswerIt may be out of range of some do-it-yourselfers, but insulating any and all recessed lights in your ceiling will almost always make a big difference.

Interview: QuestionNow it’s time for some inspiration. Tell us about one of the best home success stories you’ve seen in your time in this field.

Interview: AnswerWe recently audited two dormitories for a children’s not-for-profit in Ohio. Their savings in energy costs after we were done? More than 50%! They’re a non-profit trying to improve the lives of disadvantaged children, and they need every last dollar they can save. It was a real “feel good” story for us.

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DOE to Fund up to $454 Million for Retrofit Ramp-Ups in Energy Efficiency

September 14th, 2009

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced a new $450 million program designed to catalyze a nationwide energy upgrade that experts estimate could save $100 million annually in utility bills for households and businesses.  The Recovery Act’s “Retrofit Ramp-Up” program will pioneer innovative models for rolling out energy efficiency to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in a variety of communities.  Much like past roll-outs for cable TV or the Internet, the Department of Energy (DOE) intends to create models that, when undertaken nationally, will save consumers billions of dollars on their utility bills and make the huge savings of energy efficiency available to everyone.

“Energy efficiency isn’t just low-hanging fruit; it’s fruit lying on the ground.  We have the tools to reduce energy use at home and at work and to provide huge savings to families and businesses on their energy bills.  But use of these technologies has been far too limited because we lack the simple and effective ways for people to access them,” said Chu.

“The ‘Retrofit Ramp-Up’ program will support large-scale models that can open new energy efficiency opportunities to whole neighborhoods, towns, and, eventually, entire states,” continued Chu.  ”The Recovery Act will allow innovative communities to demonstrate a variety of sustainable business models that can be replicated across the country.”

The Request for Information (RFI) being issued today is for competitively selected local energy efficiency projects.  This competitive portion of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program will target community-scale retrofit projects that make significant, long-term impacts on energy use and can serve as national role models for grassroots energy efficiency efforts.  The DOE is seeking public comment on this newly funded program under the Recovery Act.  Public comment ends on Sept. 28, 2009.

The DOE is accepting feedback on both the competitively-selected portion of the EECBG program for up to $390 million for neighborhood-scale building retrofits, as well as up to $64 million for local governments that were not eligible to receive the formula grants announced earlier this year.  The EECBG program empowers local communities to make strategic investments to meet the nation’s long-term goals for energy independence and leadership on climate change.

This first topic area under the funding solicitation will target a select number of innovative programs that are structured to provide whole-neighborhood building energy retrofits. These will be projects that demonstrate a sustainable business model for providing cost-effective energy upgrades for a large percentage of the residential, commercial, and public buildings in a specific community.  Possible approaches could include innovative partnerships between the public and private sector, utility retrofit and audit programs, alternative financing, retail partnerships, and others. The DOE will award up to $390 million for these projects.

The second topic area for up to $64 million is reserved for cities, counties and state-recognized Indian tribes that were not eligible to receive population-based formula grant allocations from DOE under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.  These funds are intended to help expand local energy efficiency efforts and reduce energy use in the commercial, residential, transportation, manufacturing, or industrial sectors.

“The aim of the ‘Retrofit Ramp-Up’ program is to jump-start an industry that makes energy efficiency savings easy to access and available to everyone.  By encouraging partnerships between local governments and effective private enterprises, we hope tune-ups for buildings will become as accepted as tune-ups for cars.  These efforts will save Americans millions of dollars, reduce carbon pollution, and create new green jobs,” said Chu.

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Cut Your Energy Bills – Part 2

September 9th, 2009

PART 2 – CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY…

2. Water Consumption

Dollar Savings $400

If you’re not already aware of your household’s water use, you will be soon.  Almost four in five states anticipate water shortages by 2013, which could lead to steeper rates and penalties for excessive use.  When it comes to showering and washing dishes and clothes, you’re also paying to heat the water.

Stop Drips

It’s the fastest way to conserve, saving the average household about $70 a year.  Next, upgrade to water-efficient fixtures.  Low-flow showerheads can save as much as $265 per year on water bills.  ”A $30 showerhead can save more money than $3,000 worth of solar panels,” says Charlie Szoradi, of Green and Save, a company based in Devon, Pa., that analyzes the payback of energy-efficiency projects.  Switching to a low-flow toilet, which uses 1.28 gallons per flush compared with the 3.5 to 5 gallons of a 15-year-old or older model, can save $90.  Also check for utility rebates.

Watch the Water Heater

Lower the temperature to 120° F and insulate your hot-water pipes.  If your unit is more than a decade old, do your research now.  That way you’ll get a new unit that has a long warranty and is sized appropriately, not whatever’s on the truck of the only plumber who calls you back when your old heater breaks.

Easy, Low-Cost Solutions

Insulate your water heater.  Don’t prerinse dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. Add an aerator to faucets.

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Energy All-Stars

Kohler’s Cimarron K-3609 toilet, $300, excelled in our solid and liquid tests and used 1.28 gallons per flush.

Our testers described the watersaving American Standard FlowWise Dual Function 1660.717 showerhead, $50, as refreshing and stimulating.  The Moen Inspire 21777, also $50, used slightly more water but has more settings.

3. Recycling

Dollar Savings $250

Though recycling saves the least money, it generated some of the highest results in our survey.  Two-thirds of people said they recycle paper and plastic, and over half recycle metal and glass — proof that being green isn’t just about saving green.

Rewards and Penalties Initiated

RecycleBank, which is now used by a million people across 20 states, lets you put all of your recyclables in one container instead of separating them by type.  Then it weighs the container and issues rewards or points redeemable at local retailers.  The average household gets $250 worth.  ”Pay As You Throw” programs, in 7,100 communities nationwide according to Skumatz Economic Research Associates of Superior, Colo., treat trash like a utility: Homeowners are charged for the garbage they throw out.  And if you’re not redeeming bottle deposits, you’re not alone. Millions of dollars are unclaimed every year.

Nontraditional Recycling Is Low

Our survey revealed less widespread recycling rates for items such as batteries (32 percent), printer cartridges (30 percent), small electronics (17 percent), CFLs (16 percent), and large electronics (12 percent).  Some of the most common reasons for throwing items away instead of recycling them were that people didn’t think the item could be recycled or they didn’t have enough information to do so.  But just about everything that comes into the home can be recycled. The Web site Earth911.com lists more than 100,000 recycling locations, which can be searched by material and ZIP code. If you come up empty there, contact your department of solid-waste management.

A large percentage of respondents told us they donated or otherwise gave away certain household items, including furniture (29 percent), small appliances (28 percent), and major appliances (21 percent).  If you go that route, first check with the Better Business Bureau (www.give.org) or Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) to make sure you’re giving to a worthy cause.

Easy, Low-Cost Solutions

Start a compost bin for organic food scraps or ask whether the local farmers market will take them.  Trade household items on sites such as freecycle.org.  Invest in a reusable water container to cut down on your household’s use of plastic water bottles.  Take spent CFLs to a Home Depot for recycling.

Energy All-Stars

Whole Foods Recycled Foldable Tote, $4, was especially good at containing leaks and isn’t as bulky as most bags.  Its $1 cousin, A Better Bag, held the most and can be returned if it rips.  But it absorbed leaks, so spills are a bit harder to clean.

4. Electricity Use

Annual Savings $300

Between lights, electronics, and appliances, electricity accounts for almost 40 percent of the average home’s energy use.  But there are ways to cut back in each category without sacrificing.

By changing 10 bulbs and replacing three major appliances with energy-efficient models, you can save hundreds per year.  As our survey found, many American are already taking advantage of those savings.  Almost two-thirds have replaced an incandescent lightbulb with a CFL.  As for appliances, 34 percent of respondents told us they’ve upgraded to an energy-efficient model.  It doesn’t make sense to pitch a perfectly good appliance or electronic item, but if you’re in the market for a new one, the type you choose can make a difference.  For example, side-by-side refrigerators use more energy than top- or bottom-mounts, top-loading washers use more electricity and water than front-loaders, and plasma TVs use more electricity than LCD sets.

Easy, Low-Cost Solutions

Plug electronics into power strips with built-in sensors that automatically shut off devices that aren’t in use.  Set your computer to hibernate.  Use LED holiday string lights. Turn off lights when you leave a room.

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Energy All-Stars

The EcoSmart 423-599 240EDXO-14 compact fluorescent bulb was the top performer in our tests.  It replaces a 60-watt standard incandescent bulb and costs only $1.50.

The GE WCVH6800J, an $800 front-loading washer, scored excellent in both water and energy efficiencies, saving up to $125 per year over a traditional top-loader.

Good News: You’re Being Audited!

Unlike the IRS version, a home-energy audit can save you money.  It provides a comprehensive assessment of your home’s heating, cooling, and distribution systems; an insulation checkup; and a review of your energy bills.  A well-trained auditor will also interview you to correct any inefficient behaviors.  Audits have proven so effective at curbing energy use that Austin, Texas, requires home sellers to share their results with buyers.

Costs Vary

Certified auditors charge from $300 to $800.  Or consider doing it yourself, especially if you think your home is relatively efficient.  The Department of Energy’s Web site, at www.energysavers.gov, has detailed information on do-it-yourself energy audits and links to finding local auditors.   If the results of your DIY audit look bad, hire a professional for a more detailed assessment..

Bottom Line

Not all energy-saving projects are equal.  So have the auditor prioritize any suggested work by savings and payback time.

Also remember that not everyone who hangs a green shingle has the training to identify inefficiencies.  There are eco-consultants, who might charge $99 for a 60-minute walk-through of your home, pointing out leaky faucets and inefficient lightbulbs.  Then there are general contractors who see energy efficiency as the one bright spot in an otherwise shrinking industry.  Last but not least are single-product salespeople.  ”Homeowners have been hearing forever that replacing their windows can save 40 percent,” says Chandler von Schrader, head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Home Performance with Energy Star program.  ”These claims aren’t justified and they create a false expectation.”

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On Energy, Obama Finds Broad Support

August 28th, 2009

Poll Shows Backing for Reform Efforts, But Cap-and-Trade Bill Is Harder Sell:

Most Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling energy issues and support efforts by him and Democrats in Congress to overhaul energy policy — including the controversial cap-and-trade approach to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Even as public support has slipped for Obama’s health-care proposals, support for ambitious changes in energy policy has been steady.  Although the issue of health care arouses more intense feelings than energy policy does, those who do feel strongly about energy and climate policy tend to tilt toward the administration’s position and a broad majority of people echo Democratic lawmakers’ views on the benefits of proposed changes.

Nearly six in 10 of those polled support the proposed changes to U.S. energy policy being developed by Congress and the administration.  Fifty-five percent of Americans approve of the way Obama is handling the issue, compared with 30 percent who do not.  A narrower majority, 52 to 43 percent, back a cap-and-trade system; that margin is unchanged since June. A cap-and-trade system would set a ceiling for the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, and it would allow firms to buy and sell emissions permits.

“Something definitely has to be done,” said Marian Eldridge, a former legal secretary from East Windsor, N.J., who participated in the survey.  ”Anything’s worth a try at this point.”  She said she tries to “ignore the politics; you get discouraged.”  But she said that higher energy costs were “inevitable” and that “we’re too dependent on other countries.”

Despite public support for an energy and climate bill, the prospects for legislation remain uncertain.  The House narrowly passed a measure in June, but not before inserting a multitude of provisions for consumers, interest groups and corporations.  The Senate remains divided over how to move forward, and getting 60 senators to back an end to debate could be difficult.  Adding to that challenge is the thin public support for the cap-and-trade approach if it were to raise consumers’ costs.  Although 58 percent of those polled would support the plan if it reduced greenhouse gas emissions and cost them an extra $10 a month, support drops to 39 percent if new monthly costs reached $25.  Moreover, the Senate’s calendar is crowded with legislation on a variety of matters, including health care, appropriations, an increase in the debt ceiling and the extension of a nuclear weapons treaty with Russia.

Effect on Jobs

Majorities of those surveyed say changes in energy policy would address global warming and not raise energy costs.  Although many proponents of a cap-and-trade bill say it could spur job creation in the renewable-energy sector and foes say it would drive jobs overseas, a plurality of Americans — more than four out of 10 — think that the legislation would have no effect on employment in their states.  Fewer than one in five say that the reform efforts would lead to job losses; more than twice as many see added jobs.  GOP criticism of the House energy and climate bill appears to have primarily influenced Republicans themselves.  Among Republicans, support for cap-and-trade legislation has dipped from 45 percent to 37 percent since a poll taken in June.

“It will make the cost [of energy] go up too high for people,” said Mary Lou Pomeroy, an elementary school teacher’s assistant in Renton, Wash., near Seattle.  ”I think there’s a lot of people struggling and seeing their income reduced, and we don’t need things that cost more.  I’m just not sure that’s our biggest issue. . . . I think health care right now is bigger. or the huge deficit.”

Support for the plan among independents has increased slightly, with a narrow majority now in favor.  Overall, a slight majority of those polled say changes to energy policy would help address global warming, while a third say they will not.  A slim 5 percent volunteered that global warming is not an issue.

Obama’s goal of putting 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015 strikes a chord.  More than eight in 10 people say they support the development of electric car technology.

Some people see the government’s Cash for Clunkers program as a symbol of energy policy, even though it is separate from the comprehensive House legislation.  Nearly seven in 10 backed using cash rebates to encourage people to buy more fuel-efficient cars .

Eldridge, the New Jersey resident, said, “I think the clunker thing was a good idea.  It helped get some garbage off the roads.”  Pomeroy, however, predicted that many people who traded in clunkers would be unable to make payments on their new cars. And she viewed the government’s difficulty in getting payments to dealers as symptomatic of government involvement in the economy.  ”I don’t think our government is all that great at efficiency,” she said.

Energy Sources

The public’s preferences regarding energy sources to meet the nation’s needs remain mostly the same as they were at the start of the decade, with a modest uptick in support for new nuclear power plants and a decline in support for building oil-, coal- or natural gas-fueled plants.

Solar and wind power enjoy near-universal support; nine in 10 people support further development.  More than eight in 10 favor requirements for greater fuel efficiency.  Broad majorities also favor requiring increased energy conservation from businesses and consumers.

Fifty-two percent favor building more nuclear power plants, but that support drops to 35 percent if the new plants were within 50 miles of the respondent’s home.  Support for building nuclear plants is up about six percentage points since 2001.

The poll was conducted Aug. 13-17 among a random national sample of 1,001 adults. The results have a margin of error of three percentage points.

By Steven Mufson and Jennifer Agiesta

Polling director Jon Cohen contributed to this report.

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Lenders Catch on to the Value of Energy Efficiency

August 25th, 2009

Energy efficiency has  been described as everything from the new green to low hanging fruit to the fruit lying on the ground.  And while we have seen some progress in terms of home energy efficiency, barriers for homeowners remain.  Among the the top noted hurdles: Inertia (we can help) and cost.  A recent article in the Wall Street Journal brought to light several existing programs from lenders designed to increase the rate of energy efficiency retrofits in existing housing.  The piece provides a good assessment of these programs, which include the following:

- Homeowners seeking a second mortgage or refinancing may have the costs of energy efficiency upgrades bundled into the mortgage to be repaid over the life of the loan, so long as they agree to reduce their current energy usage by a certain amount.

- Purchasers of a newly constructed property that meets Energy Star standards may receive up to a$1,000 credit on closing costs that creep up on signing day.

- Borrowers wishing to increase their qualifying income level for loans may be able to use low monthly energy bills.  Participating lenders include: Bank of America’s Countrywide Financial, CitiMortgage, and lenders who sell their loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Here’s how the deal is described in the Wall Street Journal:

If borrowers earn $3,000 a month and save $400 on bills, the lender would consider their income $3,400. Borrowers can potentially add quite a bit to their qualifying income this way, since even simple fixes can bring big savings on energy bills. Air sealing, for instance, helps reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 30%, and runs just $300 to $500 if you do it yourself, or $1,500 to $2,000 for a contractor.

While these are constructive steps, they are all mortgage-based approaches which, for the most part, have yet to ignite a broad efficiency fire.  There has been much discussion as to why this is the case, but it should come as no surprise, in this economic climate, that homeowners don’t have a 20-30 year investment horizon for efficiency.

A small credit on closing costs is positive, for sure, but incremental tweaks like this are drops in the bucket, and getting efficiency mobilized in a substantial way demands much larger thinking.

A promising program in play in Colorado and Maine that entitles homeowners to save on their interest rates comes closer to the mark, and feels more similar to the ingenious program developed by Architecture 2030, which entitles home owners to reduce their interest rate correlating directly to the percentage saved.

The key assumption in all of these programs is that home energy improvements increase the value of homes.  It is great to see mortgage markets beginning to reflect this, as the sooner housing markets recognize the tangible value of energy efficiency, the sooner we’ll get out of incrementalism start seeing the kind of massive fundamental change that our housing stock and our planet so desperately need.

By Peter Troast

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San Francisco Opens The City’s Data

August 19th, 2009

San Francisco has a long history of innovation.  We are home to hundreds of technology companies that are changing the way the world operates from Twitter to WordPress to Kiva.

In an effort to engage our highly skilled workforce we are launching DataSF.org, an initiative designed to increase access to city data.

The new web site will provide a clearinghouse of structured, raw and machine-readable government data to the public in an easily downloadable format.  For example, there will be updated crime incident data from the police department and restaurant inspection data from the Department of Public Health. The initial phase of the web site includes more than 100 datasets, from a range of city departments, including Police, Public Works, and the Municipal Transportation Agency.

We imagine creative developers taking apartment listings and city crime data and mashing it up to help renters find their next home or an iPhone application that shows restaurant ratings based on health code violations.

The idea behind the site is to open up San Francisco government and tap into the creative expertise of our greatest resource – our residents.  We hope DataSF.org will create a torrent of innovation similar to when the developer community was given access to the platforms behind popular technologies and devices like Facebook and Apple’s iPhone.

Our effort to improve access to city data has already led to the creation of new services never imagined within the walls of government. Earlier this summer, our Department of Environment released recycling data that was used by a third party to develop EcoFinder, an iPhone application that helps residents recycle based on their location.

By bringing city data and communities together in one location, we hope to stimulate local industry, create jobs and highlight San Francisco’s creative culture and attractiveness as a place to live and work.

As we look to deepen and broaden citizen engagement we will face common challenges: resistance to change, political will, and sustaining data streams from government sources to name a few.  Collaboration with citizens, non-profits, vendors, academia, and our peers in government will be critical to overcoming these barriers.  It will also take leadership as we’ve seen from President Obama and his CIO, Vivek Kundra to establish our ideals and set forth a shared vision for a more transparent and open government.

Gavin Newsome, Mayor – SanFrancisco

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Shaking Off Palin’s Shadow, Alaska Embraces Energy Efficiency

August 19th, 2009

In a resounding 45-14 vote, Alaska legislators have definitively decided that the state will be taking the funds, and making buildings more energy efficient after all.  Palin had opposed the efficiency funds–it was the only part of the stimulus for her state that she rejected–because she was concerned it would force Alaska to adopt stricter building codes.  After the state received a letter from the US Department of Energy stating that this was certainly not the case, however, she remained unconvinced.  Even though she’s now out of office, she continued to protest accepting the funds from her Facebook page.

According to Green Inc, before the vote to override her veto took place, she left the following message on her profile:

As Governor, I did my utmost to warn our legislators that accepting stimulus funds will further tie Alaska to the federal government and chip away at Alaska’s right to chart its own course. Enforcing the federal building code requirements, which Governor Parnell and future governors will be forced to adopt in order to accept these energy funds, will eventually cost the state more than it receives. There are clear ropes attached, and Alaskans will soon find themselves tied down by codes which will dictate how we build and renovate homes and businesses. The state has hundreds of millions of dollars already budgeted for conservation, weatherization and renewable energy development. Legislators don’t need to play politics as usual and accept these funds and the ropes that come with them.

Of course, Alaska legislators mostly ignored her rant in the decisive vote that came a few days later.  Alaskan energy efficiency advocates and green businesses are thrilled.  From Green Inc:

“It shows Alaska is not going to take a backseat on energy issues and underscores the growing bipartisan commitment to energy efficiency and renewable energy in Alaska, the state with coldest climate and some of the highest energy prices in the nation,” said Chris Rose, the executive director of the Renewable Energy Alaska Project, in an e-mail message to Green Inc.

It should indeed come as good news to green Alaskans everywhere–and perhaps its a signal that the influence of the renowned global warming skeptic and drill, baby, drill advocate is fast waning in America’s largest state.

by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York

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US marines in Afghanistan launch first energy efficiency audit in war zone

August 17th, 2009

Commandant calls for 10,000-strong contingent to be more energy efficient to save lives and money

The US Marines Corps ordered the first ever energy audit in a war zone todayto try to reduce the enormous fuel costs of keeping troops on the ground in Afghanistan.

General James T Conway, the Marines Corps Commandant, said he wanted a team of energy experts in place in Afghanistan by the end of the month to find ways to cut back on the fuel bills for the 10,000 strong marine contingent.  US marines in Afghanistan run through some 800,000 gallons of fuel a day. That’s a higher burn rate than during an initial invasion, and reflects the logistical challenges of running counter-insurgency and other operations in the extreme weather conditions of Afghanistan.

“We need to understand where the fuel goes,” Conway told a Marines Corps energy summit today. “The largest growing demand on the battlefield today is for electricity and how we create that.”  He added: “We are going to more efficient. We have got to be.”  Conway’s announcement — and the summit itself, which is the first of its kind — were seen yesterday as a dramatic shift in the US military’s approach to energy consumption and climate change.

The Pentagon began to acknowledge America’s reliance on fossil fuels and climate change as a national security concern in 2002. A report from the Pentagon’s military advisory board last May called on military bases to work to lower their carbon footprint.  A number of bases inside the US have begun to tap into renewable fuel sources including wind and solar energy.  But the Marine Corps are the first service to try to put those policies into action on the battlefield.

Conway, who led the marine invasion of Iraq in 2003, said he was motivated by the high costs — as well as the risks to troops – of getting oil and water to combat zones.  For land-locked Afghanistan, the nearest port at Karachi in Pakistan is more than 400 miles away from marine bases, and maintaining those long supply lines has become an increasingly dangerous proposition.  Some 80% of US military casualties in Afghanistan are due to improvised explosive devices (IEDS), and many of those placed in the path of supply convoys.

The costs of shipping water and fuel to the troops is also becoming unsustainable.  The price of a gallon of petrol in a war zone can cost up to $100.  ”It is a shocking figure to compute what it costs by the time you pour that gallon of gas into a Humvee or an aircraft in the place you are operating,” Conway said.  He said he was looking to his energy auditors to find ways of cutting back energy consumption at operating bases, and also to pare down the equipment carried by each individual marine.  An average marine carries about 9lbs of disposable batteries in their kit to power equipment such as night vision goggles and radios.

One immediate target of the auditors is likely to be climate control.  Some 448,000 gallons alone are used to keep tents cool in the Afghan summer, where temperatures reach well over 40C, and warm in the winter, said Michael Boyd, an energy adviser to the Marine Corps.  The marines have been exploring ways to reduce that consumption by spraying tents with a foam coating.  ”That’s a huge saving and you are no longer putting trucks on those roads, and tanker drivers in harm’s way and everyone else involved on the way,” Boyd said.

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Nine No-Cost Ways to Reduce Energy Use

August 10th, 2009

There’s a crispness to the air, and winter is again upon us. Colder temperatures and longer nights bring more frequent indoor gatherings with family and friends. But, if you’re anything like me, you’re having trouble socializing because you’re anticipating a spike in your energy bills.

The average American household spends about $1,900 annually on energy and also creates more than 26,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.  Collectively, residential energy use accounts for about 20 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

We all want to be warm this season, and we often don’t mind the increased cost. In fact, some of us may view those increased energy costs in the winter as a necessary evil.

But what if you had some no-cost, quick and easy ways to reduce that energy bill while saving the environment and maintaining the same level of comfort?

Well, here you go.

The Rocky Mountain Institute recently compiled energy usage information for the typical American home. In the process, we found dozens of ways ordinary people can cost-effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions from their own homes.

These nine suggestions cost nothing and will save you money:

CO2 Saved (lbs/year) $ Saved ($/year)
Lower water heater temperature to 120°F 214 $12.12
Lower thermostat in winter by 2°F 353 $19.04
Wash clothes in cold water 327 $18.58
Turn off unneeded lights 376 $21.04
Turn off home-office equipment 137 $7.68
Unplug extra fridge in garage 448 $25.04
Use energy-saving mode on appliances 769 $43.04
Increase AC thermostat by 3°F 339 $18.90
Air dry clothes during summer 779 $43.60
TOTAL SAVED PER YEAR: 3,742 $209.04

Not only can these free tricks save the average household more than $200 a year in energy costs, but the carbon dioxide reductions are equivalent to taking 10 miles off of your daily commute.

So be a do-gooder this season and year round, keep your guests happy, and give your pocketbook a boost, too.

http://www.proenergymd.com

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