At a time when families are struggling to pay their energy bills, leaders in the House are pushing to roll back common sense standards for residential lighting that save families money by saving energy.
It’s important to remember that these standards were passed just a few years ago with overwhelming
I recently downloaded a new app to my iPhone called Bulb Blasters. (OK, full disclosure: it’s a game created by Xcel Energy that involves using a powerful laser-equipped CFL to blast incandescent bulbs that descend the screen a la Space Invaders.)
When I showed it my brother, he rolled his eyes. I’m
Once upon a time, joking about ‘how many it takes to screw in a light bulb’ was a great way to poke fun at people’s intelligence. After all, what could be easier than screwing in a light bulb? Any idiot could do it.
Not so any more. Lighting has exploded into a sophisticated business. And for those who manage commercial buildings it can be downright intimidating.
While the legislation to phase out incandescent bulbs has grabbed headlines and opinions over the past few weeks, there are other lighting changes flying under the radar that will affect thousands of businesses across the country.
As part of the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, most inefficient T12 fluorescent lighting will
In a recent post to this blog, I pointed out that competitors in the lighting controls market include very different types of companies in both size and overall business scope. I decided to create a graphic view of the situation using everyone’s friend from elementary school math, the Venn diagram.
Lighting is one of the biggest electricity guzzlers in a commercial building – 40% of it, to be precise.
One of the best ways to find out what to do to save electricity is using a web app that can provide data that can reveal how some retrofitting can benefit the building from an energy-saving and environmental point of
I believe everyone should have a decent level of familiarity with this Wikipedia listing on the world energy scene, which provides a bit of top-level math. As a civilization, we consume energy at the rate of 15 terawatts (15,000,000,000,000,000)– an estimated 80% – 90% of which comes from fossil fuels. Thus, when we talk about a gigawatt solution — certainly nothing to sneeze at —
Once a building or facility manager has an ENERGY STAR statement of energy performance in hand they’re ready to set goals for improvements that will raise their rating but are often faced with no budget and minimal management support. The key to turning that situation around is showing how common best practices that cost little or provide quick payback can create both
Why do so many companies fail to capitalize on the abundant opportunities to save money through improved energy purchasing and efficiency?
One reason may be the lack of high-level positions for energy management at many companies. This is a practically a “no brainer” because the position can
It’s been Halloween time here in the U.S., and the ghosts and goblins haunting my neighborhood (and trolling for candy) got me thinking about how there are things out there that are beyond the comprehension of most of us. Often, the solutions to difficult problems fit into that category. In
“I know it may sound somewhat cliché but it really is important to be resolute and determined in everything that’s relevant to your business. As a young female minority I have faced a lot of skepticism and criticism as a business owner, way more than I initially thought.” – Laura Guiliano, CEO, TerraGlo
KissMyCountry is pleased to publish our most
As restaurateurs struggle to keep their business afloat with fewer customers, some are turning to greening as a way to stand out from competitors, from serving local foods to making deliveries in hybrid electric vehicles. When greening includes energy-saving strategies, the benefits can increase profits in addition to helping the environment.
We’ve been hearing a lot about a drop in energy consumption as a result of the economic downturn. In fact, U.S. energy use per person declined last year to its lowest level since 1968.
Economic activity and energy use are directly linked. But lately, several reports have noted that the economic slowdown is not the only reason energy consumption is falling. Aggressive energy efficiency efforts also have impact.
That impact will be “major” in the years to come, according to the Energy Information Administration, the chief energy data collector for the U.S. government. The agency this week released its “Annual Energy Outlook 2010” with projections to 2035.
The federal report shows us decreasing energy use significantly if we employ best available efficiency technologies over the next 25 years – that is if we buy the most energy efficient appliances and build homes to the highest efficiency standards. Under this scenario, energy consumption could drop by as much as 27 percent. But if we stick to the status quo, homeowners will increase energy use by about 0.2 percent.
The market for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) should grow dramatically over the next decade, passing compact flourescent lightbulbs as the biggest emerging lighting product, according to a new report.
LEDs — a light source made from semiconductors — will account for 46 percent of the $4.6 million commercial and industrial lighting market by 2020, says the report by Colorado-based Pike Research. LEDs currently make up about 2 percent of the market.
A shift toward LEDs among commercial customers and municipalities, rather than homeowners, will drive this transformation, the report says, since businesses will be more likely to invest money upfront if they benefit from long-term cost-efficiencies.