Get Energy Smart! NOW!

One of the nation’s most important (and sadly too little discussed) intercollegiate competitions is about to open in Washington, DC: the biennial Solar Decathlon.  For two weeks, 19 university teams from around the globe will compete across ten categories (thus, “decathlon”) that show the house works (can they get household chores and tasks done, like [...]

[Read more →]

Simply put, Architecture 2030 (Ed Mazria) is among my favorite organizations. Architecture 2030 has been developing and promoting well-thought through and practical concepts for shifting America’s built architecture toward a sustainable path.  Concepts that have an impact on many, from aspiring architecture students to policy-makers to businessmen creating more energy efficient products.
Not until today, [...]

[Read more →]

Very simply, across the economy, energy efficiency is almost certainly the top investment option — as individuals, businesses, communities, government … The rate of return possibilities are tremendous and unlike gambles to grow business or play the stock market, this is ‘guaranteed’ cash in the bank.
And, it is ‘cash in the bank’ in terms of [...]

[Read more →]

Clean Energy Jobs Go Home: $30 Billion to put 4.5 Million to Work
This is part of a series of brief posts on ‘clean energy jobs‘ opportunities for sparking meaningful employment, quickly, in the United States as discussed in Clean Energy Jobs: Stimulate Me.
Investing in building energy efficiency is one of the most effective ways to [...]

[Read more →]

With our ever mounting trade and budget deficits, unemployment above 10 percent (and, dependent on counting, un- and under-employment above 20 percent), looming peak oil and other resource (water, for example) limitations, enviornmental challenges, and ever-mounting climate chaos , we are in a very serious situation. Our serious challenges are, as the previous [...]

[Read more →]

Since diving into the deep end when it comes to energy issues, almost every day sees new fascinating concepts, approaches, and technologies. Fascinating … exciting … even hope inspiring at times. And, as well, as the passion builds, so many of these are truly Energy COOL.
When determining how to prioritize action using, [...]

[Read more →]

All too often, those engaged in examining options for “greening” a new or existing building are constrained in a stove-piped cost analysis which (in a very simplified fashion) goes something along these lines:

How much more will it cost to build?
And, how fast will energy and other operating cost (water usage/sewers, maintenance) savings pay for those [...]

[Read more →]

A guest post from Craig Severance at Energy Economy Online discussing Ed Mazria’s Architecture 2030 concept for job creation and economic stimulus through a massive energy efficiency investment in America’s buildings through a mortgage subsidy program. Quite simply, this is perhaps the most valuable W5 strategy (win economically (stimulus, competitiveness, etc), win on energy, win [...]

[Read more →]

Amid the focus on Waxman-Markey’s climate-focused provisions, sometimes we (I) lose sight of the strongest and most valuable portions of the American Climate and Energy Security (ACES) Act: the Energy Efficiency elements.
It is (nearly …) without question that one of the fastest, highest payoff, and most powerful near-term (and continuing) Silver BBs to tackle our [...]

[Read more →]

President Obama and Congress must act to stimulate the US economy with a package of win-win-win-win (W4) elements that will:

Create and protect jobs throughout the nation
Foster economic activity that will help, through tax revenue, pay for the stimulus
Strengthen the nation’s economic prospects for the long-term, and
Help address other critical challenges: notably energy security and climate [...]

[Read more →]