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DOE "Ramping Up" Efforts to Stimulate Home Energy Efficiency

9/16/09 at 01:25 pm | 1 Comments

by Chris Prelitz

Millions of American homes waste energy, but retrofitting them all - even just simple things like changing lightbulbs and killing power vampires - will take an enormous effort. So how do we go about doing it? Well the Department of Energy wants to know. They're sending out a 'Requests for Information' basically asking the public for any good ideas on how to "Ramp Up" Energy Efficiency.

New Leaf America was founded on the idea that the fastest and most effective way to cut energy costs and reduce emissions in the short term is to help homes and businesses become more efficient.  For example, switching out just four incandescent light bulbs for energy saving equivalents will save about as much energy as a state of the art solar panel can produce.  Comparing the costs of these two approaches really drives the point home: $1,200 for a solar electric panel versus $30 for four energy efficient bulbs!

Energy efficiency combines common sense with real savings. But the billion dollar question is how do we bring these simple changes to millions of American homes? That's what the Dept of Energy is trying to find out:

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced this week a $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; and support large-scale models that can open new energy efficiency opportunities to whole neighborhoods, towns, and, eventually, entire states. 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.

So how do we "Ramp Up" energy efficiency efforts in a way that is safe, fast, and effective? If you've got ideas let us know, because your country needs you!

FILED UNDER: CHRIS PRELITZ, GREEN, EFFICIENCY

Comments (1)

• 1.
  October 27, 2009
  4:37 pm

  I personally am curious about how efficient the electric heaters you see advertised on tv or in magazines. Such as the Edenpure and the one the Amish are selling. I've considered getting one of these and not running my gas forced air heater in the winter. What do you think.

  – Carol