Category Archives: Alternative Energy

Daylight Saving. Does it also mean energy savings?

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Now that we’ve all had the chance to get up and stumble into work an hour earlier, it’s time to examine if extended daylight savings is actually doing what it’s supposed to do. The original intention of giving us an extra hour of daylight between March and and the first week of November–beyond increasing the time available for outdoor activities–was to put a little less strain on our electrical grid. With sunlight coming into our homes for another hour each evening, we would need less light and–for the first months in the North East–less heat.

Warm Home Cool Planet  has seen lots of opinions on both sides of the issue. The consensus seemed to be yes, it does reduce our energy needs. But not to the degree you might expect.

The US News and World Report publishes a correction of sorts stating their previous article on that matter, which claimed that daylight savings is an energy drain, was incorrect. This is on the heels of the Department of Energy Report documenting that electricity demands declined by an average of  0.5% for each day of extended daylight. That comes out to 0.03% of total electricity demand. It doesn’t sound like much until you realize it adds up to 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours, enough to power about 122,000 average U.S. homes for a year.

Lost in this smaller calendar debate is the fact daylight savings for 38 weeks of the year will save enough electricity to power 1.16 million homes. To put that into perspective, enough electricity to power every home in Boston, Cambridge, Newton and Somerville.

Green energy companies still hiring in Massachusetts

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dollar-sign“If you’re readying a resume, it might help to use recycled paper. The clean-tech and green industries in Massachusetts are hiring.”

That’s the takeaway from the article in today’s Boston Globe.

Amidst our economic woes and rising unemployment, the green energy sector continues to grow, thanks in part to the stimulus bill spending and an extension of tax credits for renewable energy generation.

Within the next two years, Stimulus Bill spending is expected to create or save 79,000 jobs in Massachusetts, and an estimated 3.5 million nationwide. In today’s economy, those are big numbers.

Compulsory Energy Audits on the Way?

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In the last week of February, the Ontario legislature presented the Green Energy Act. The Act includes renewable energy development plans that could generate as many as 50,000 jobs for the Canadian province. Amongst the other parts of the bill is a provision that makes it mandatory homes for sale in Ontario have an energy rating attached to it.

This rating will be generated by a home inspection using standardized evaluation criteria yet to be finalized. The controversy is around what a negative rating might do to home prices throughout Ontario.

The appliances we put in our house all have energy ratings and we certainly pay attention to these when we make consumer choices. Could a ratings for the whole house be far behind? An informal survey of local real estate agents revealed that home buyers often request energy bills from the seller before putting in an offer. So the question is: Will our state or federal government make home energy ratings compulsory as part of a larger energy  efficient initiative?

Warm Home Cool Planet would like to remind all Cambridge residents and businesses they can arrange a FREE energy audit for their home or business. Why not do it while you still have the choice?

To learn about the other major initiatives in Ontario’s Green Energy Act, read this interview with George Smitherman, Ontario’s minister of energy and infrastructure at Green Inc., the New York Times energy blog.

Will the Stimulus Bill produce a surge in energy efficiency projects?

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When President Obama was interviewed on 60 Minutes a couple of months ago, he was asked if the drop in energy prices caused by the recession would cause him to delay many of the renewable energy and energy efficiency project he had talked about during his campaign.

His unequivocal answer to interviewer Steve Kroft: “It’s more important to do it now.”

The President has been good as his word, including close to $100 billion within the recently passed stimulus package. Yesterday’s New York Times details how that money will find its way into local communities and provide a much needed boost to their flagging economies.

MIT Introduces new Solar Car

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This car will be competing in October in the World Solar Challenge race across Australia. About a dozen team members are expected to go to Australia for the race, although only four will drive the solar car in the competition. By the way, the car’s name is Eleanor and when the sun shines, it will do 55 mph all day long.

Green is the New Crimson

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Harvard University has opened a Office of Sustainability. This marks the formalization of the long running Campus Green Initiative at Harvard. The creation of this organization is tied to the University’s long-term energy use. The goal they are aiming for is simple:

30% reduction from 2006 campus-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2016.

The office has an interesting business model for funding insofar as only 20% of their operating expenses comes from the Harvard’s general fund. The other 80% is generated from working with various University departments on a fee-for-service basis to produce energy and cost savings on building maintenance and construction, and to help each department adopt green policies in operations and procurements. Way to go Harvard!

BusinessWeek Rains on Germany’s Green Energy Parade

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Businessweek has discovered the dirty little secret behind he success of Germany’s renewable energy industry.

Germany’s renewable energy companies are a tremendous success story. Roughly 15 percent of the country’s electricity comes from solar, wind or biomass facilities, almost 250,000 jobs have been created and the net worth of the business is €35 billion per year.

But there’s a catch: The climate hasn’t in fact profited from these developments. As astonishing as it may sound, the new wind turbines and solar cells haven’t prohibited the emission of even a single gram of CO2.

Even more surprising, the European Union’s own climate change policies, touted as the most progressive in the world, are to blame. The EU-wide emissions trading system determines the total amount of CO2 that can be emitted by power companies and industries. And this amount doesn’t change – no matter how many wind turbines are erected.

This is a story that we all need to read and understand. The bottom line is did we really save anything? Did we really reduce carbon? Carbon cap-and-trade frameworks will have to be modified as green energy alternatives come online. The citizens of Germany must continue to demand both the development of alternative energies and the immediate reduction of CO2 emissions levels. Otherwise, renewable energy producers are simply making things easier for their carbon producing counterparts, who find the price of CO2 emissions certifications dropping to almost nothing.

What remains unsaid here is that EU’s carbon neutral system, while it won’t save the planet, is still ahead of the US who over the last decade has outsourced much our carbon emissions to China. Whose environmental problems are a whole other story.

What this article reveals is that while the technology to solve our problems is developing, our governments has to step up to the plate and constantly spur further progress through new standards.

Cambridge Energy Barnraising

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Last week, we showed you how a local Cambridge organization (HEET–Home Energy Efficiency Team) ‘weatherizes’ a house for fellow Cambridge residents.  Weatherizing a house involves making some basic non-structural changes to a house to reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling and save money on utilities. The homeowner supplies all the materials and HEET provides the knowledge and manpower needed to finish all energy efficiency improvements in a single day.

It’s a great community activity and a fantastic way to meet your fellow Cambridge residents while learning from skilled tradesmen how you can make your own home more energy efficient. And there is always a party to celebrate the completion of another successful Weatherization Barnraising.

The next HEET Weatherization Barnraising is scheduled for Sunday, March 1 between 12:30—5 pm at 120 Chestnut Street and 100 Henry Street, Cambridgeport.

The Work to be carried out on site includes:

  • Spraying the basement rimjoist using RetroFoam, led by Tom Lawler (the head of RetroFoam, a Massachusetts-based insulation company)
  • Using Plexiglas to insulate windows
  • Repairing drywall
  • Weatherizing doors
  • Possible building of an insulated cover for an attic hatch

The number of participants will be limited to assure that everyone has guidance and support from a skilled team leader.  You can sign up today by contacting Steve Morr-Wineman at swineman@gis.net or 617-876-4753.

Local company to make energy efficient stereo for Chevy Volt.

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Framingham-based Bose Corporation has long been known for it’s innovative and high-quality sound products. The Bose Wave we have at Warm Home Cool Planet HQ is without a doubt the best investment we have made in the last 3 years.

Now, Bose will be part of the revival of an American icon. Right after the first Chevy Volt hits the road in 2010, GM will be releasing a newer version with a Bose Energy Efficient Sound Series that uses 50% less energy than any previous car-based Bose system. This will go a long way towards achieving the Volt’s promised 40 miles operating range on electrical power only. That number is significant as it covers the daily commute of over 70% of the working population of the US.

Stimulus Package Passes Senate. Our greener future?

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us_flag_greenAfter a great deal of political posturing, the Senate passed its version of the stimulus bill yesterday.

Within the bill are several important measures aimed at increasing our energy security, encouraging investment that will create new green jobs and start to addresss climate change. Given the last eight years of inaction on these fronts, Warm Home Cool Planet is hoping that this spending–which adds up to just under $100 billion of the $815 billion approved–will prove to any doubters that the interests of business and the environment can be mutual. Indeed, it would be impossible for one to have much of a future without the other.

As with all things political nothing is settled until the ink is dry on President Obama’s signature. There are some significant differences between the Senate Stimulus bill and the one passed by the House last month. Here’s the breakdown on energy spending for the respective bills. How those differences are resolved will decide how good the Stimulus Package is for our economy–and our planet.

The President has already made his feelings known on energy efficiency provisions within the bill. From yesterday’s press conference on the Stimulus package:

“When people suggest that, ‘What a waste of money to make federal buildings more energy-efficient.’ Why would that be a waste of money?

We’re creating jobs immediately by retrofitting these buildings or weatherizing 2 million Americans’ homes, as was called for in the package… that right there creates economic stimulus. We are saving taxpayers when it comes to federal buildings potentially $2 billion. In the case of homeowners, they will see more money in their pockets… we’re reducing our dependence on foreign oil in the Middle East. Why wouldn’t we want to make that kind of investment?

Warm Home Cool Planet encourages you to contact your local members of Congress and make your voice heard. Here in Cambridge, our House member is Michael Capuano, the former mayor of Somerville.

To find your local member/s, go here and type in your zip code.