Hello all:

I thought that people on this listserve would appreciate this quote:

“People who want to be green would rather do things that are very visible,
so they drive a Prius rather than carpool,” she said.

Al Matano

Plugged In
At home, at work or on the road, energy writer Thomas Content keeps you
current as you adapt to changes in the world of energy, climate change and
efforts to build a greener economy.

Efficiency first: the cost-effective way to go green

By Thomas Content of the Journal Sentinel
March 25, 2010

Energy efficiency is almost too invisible for people who want to show the
world they're going green.

That was the message Kathy Kuntz of the state Focus on Energy program sent
Thursday at the second day of the Green Energy Summit in Milwaukee.

“People who want to be green would rather do things that are very visible,
so they drive a Prius rather than carpool,” she said.

The same is true with home energy choices. Putting solar panels on the
roof is something people can see, but there’s more bang for the buck in
going green through extensive energy efficiency upgrades in a house, she
said.

She showed pictures of wind turbines and solar panels followed by pictures
of projects completed with Focus on Energy assistance that boosted energy
efficiency to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.

“Now if this was a room of building scientist, this picture of a perfectly
insulated rim joist (see above)would make them leap with joy, but none of
you are going to show that picture in your basement to guests,” she said.

To help drive more interest in energy efficiency, Focus on Energy is
revising the criteria for how it awards incentives for renewable energy
projects – providing more money to homeowners and businesses that have
already taken steps to reduce energy waste, she said.

“We want to bring renewables and energy efficiency together to try to get
some of that enthusiasm about green translated into action on behalf of
customers,” she said.

Energy efficiency is considered the cheapest option to reduce carbon
emissions because it’s so much cheaper than building new power generation
of any kind.

“I tell customers that every dollar invested in energy efficiency buy you
five dollars on the renewable energy side,” Kuntz said. “That’s shifting a
little bit as prices start to change, but it’s still a much better
investment to invest in efficiency first."

© 2010, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/89127977.html


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