Posted by on under fire escapes, energy efficient windows, kool aid, window manufacturer, energy bills, energy star, tax credit, federal government | 
The most energy efficient windows are concrete walls. They make for terrible views and fire escapes though, unless you’re the Kool-Aid Guy. But seriously, energy efficient windows are really in right now. Every top window manufacturer makes Energy Star-rated windows, the federal government is offering a $1,500 tax credit for your upgrade, energy bills keep [...]
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Tagi: fire escapes, energy efficient windows, kool aid, window manufacturer, energy bills, energy star, tax credit, federal government
Posted by blogs@bobvila.com (Dave) on under compact fluorescent lightbulbs, proven energy, karney, directi, mey, energy star, ups, plunge, regis, massachusetts |
It's got a lot of higher-ups shaking their heads. Despite being proven energy and money savers and getting a big government push, sales of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) have plunged. Sales have declined 25% nationwide from their peak in 2007 with sales in some regions diving 35-50% (here in Massachusetts!). "Based on additional data and analysis...it's apparent that the market is headed in the wrong direction," said Richard Karney of Energy Star. What's going on? Some speculate ...
Tagi: compact fluorescent lightbulbs, proven energy, karney, directi, mey, energy star, ups, plunge, regis, massachusetts
Posted by on under substantial dividends, new appliances, california energy, energy star, milli |
On the heels of the successful Cash for Clunkers trade-in program, the government has now allotted $300 million to encourage consumers to buy Energy Star appliances. $35.2 million of that funding has been allocated to the California Energy Commission, which will in turn pay substantial dividends to appliance buyers as [...]
Tagi: substantial dividends, new appliances, california energy, energy star, milli
Posted by blogs@bobvila.com (Ben) on under star market, washingt, energy star, televi, legitimacy, product categories, market share |
Has the ENERGY STAR Fallen? Last week's Washington Post article on ENERGY STAR called into question the legitimacy of the program's "high standard" when more than half of the products in an ENERGY STAR-eligible category qualify for the label. Some product categories see ENERGY STAR market share at well over half, like television (79%), dehumidifiers (75%) and dishwashers (67%). The program should be evaluating its standards and, in many cases, raising them, the article ...
Tagi: star market, washingt, energy star, televi, legitimacy, product categories, market share
Posted by Maggie Koerth-Baker on under hair driers, kilowatt hour, architecture 2030, greenhouse gas, coffee machines, realiti, advocacy group, coue, sustainable buildings, heating refrigerating, space heater, building energy, galls, energy efficiency, power sources, energy use, new energy, en |
I did a couple of great interviews yesterday about sustainable buildings with Ed Mazria, the founder of advocacy group Architecture 2030, and Kent Peterson, past president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. One big takeaway: Building energy use isn't just about the building itself: What it took to build, what it takes to light and heat. Plug load—all the gadgets and appliances we stick in our outlets—accounts for a big chunk and, more importantly, a chunk that's currently a lot harder to control. After all, we have building regulations that mandate energy efficiency, but plug load (in the United States, anyway) is all voluntary.
What's more, it's not always easy for the people doing the plugging in get the big picture linking the cost, electricity use and fuel consumption of all their electronic stuff. GE is trying to help clear that up, infographic style. Their new, interactive chart allows you to pick the common electronics you own and see the impacts of each appliance in watts, dollars, gallons of gas or what they can do with 1 kilowatt hour of electricity. You can add up the totals by month, day or year, and some starred appliances have payback calculators, so you can see how fast a new Energy-Star rated replacement would pay for itself.
I love the watt and kilowatt hour views, especially. I find it's a standard unit most people can't connect to anything meaningful, turning discussions of sustainability into a lot of gibberish. Understanding that 1 kWh of electricity will run your dishwasher for 1 hour, or an oven for less than half an hour, makes a big difference there. As does the realization that hair driers and coffee machines use electricity at about the same rate as a space heater .
That said, I wish there was a toggle on this for greenhouse gas emissions, but I suppose that gets complicated, given that most people in the US don't get their electricity from just coal and it would be hard to figure out each, individual mix of power sources.
(Via Treehugger)
Image courtesy Flickr user tnarik, via cc
Tagi: hair driers, kilowatt hour, architecture 2030, greenhouse gas, coffee machines, realiti, advocacy group, coue, sustainable buildings, heating refrigerating, space heater, building energy, galls, energy efficiency, power sources, energy use, new energy, en
