Energy Efficiency

Why Does Energy Efficiency’s Promise Remain Unfulfilled?

Why Does Energy Efficiency’s Promise Remain Unfulfilled?

Among the many measures the world can take to wean itself off fossil fuels, few match the benefits of making homes, business, and cars more energy-efficient. But financial and psychological barriers have kept individuals, businesses, and governments from realizing efficiency’s great potential.

Energy Efficiency a Top Carbon Reduction Strategy for Many American Companies

Energy Efficiency a Top Carbon Reduction Strategy for Many American Companies

A newly-released Pew Center report “From Shop Floor to Top Floor: Best Business Practices in Energy Efficiency,” documents that US companies are increasingly pursuing innovative energy efficiency strategies to boost productivity and cost savings, while reducing their carbon footprint.

45 Carbon Management Best Practices Needed To Be Competitive in The Green Economy

45 Carbon Management Best Practices Needed To Be Competitive in The Green Economy

A list of best practices in carbon management, based on lessons learned by carbon leaders.

Why CFOs Need a Financial Strategy for Energy and Carbon

Why CFOs Need a Financial Strategy for Energy and Carbon

According to the report released by independent research firm, Verdantix, increasing oil and electricity prices, the hidden cost of carbon, growing risks from energy supply disruption and board-level climate change compliance issues make energy efficiency a new imperative for the CFO.

The MUSH Market: Problems and Opportunities

The MUSH Market: Problems and Opportunities

Has the MUSH market gone cold? This post examines the current and potential market for providing energy management services and building retrofits to municipal (state/local government) facilities, universities, K-12 schools and hospitals. It also looks at some of the ongoing barriers into the MUSH market while highlighting a handful of success stories by sector.

Energy Efficiency Loans Can Add to Your Bottom Line – Information and Resources Included

Energy Efficiency Loans Can Add to Your Bottom Line – Information and Resources Included

Utilities, cities, and states often offer businesses 0% or low-interest loans for energy efficiency projects. This is a great way for businesses to save money while decreasing energy usage and reducing greenhouse gas emissions! Read on for loan details, program examples, and resource links.

Campus Sustainability Programs: Putting Universities at the Forefront of Green Movement

Campus Sustainability Programs: Putting Universities at the Forefront of Green Movement

There has been an enormous growth in national and state-level voluntary campus sustainability programs in the U.S. in recent years. These programs not only help universities and colleges institutionalize sustainability principles into everyday processes and actions, but also create a common knowledge pool of resources and best practices that enable these institutions to build strong sustainable communities.

High Efficiency Solar Cells Can Be Made At a Much Lower Cost

High Efficiency Solar Cells Can Be Made At a Much Lower Cost

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have developed a new type of solar cell that comprise of arrays of thin silicon wires embedded in polymer substrate. The unique optical interactions between these wires provide the cells with an enhanced light absorption capability and improved internal quantum efficiency over conventional solar cells. These new cells are much cheaper to produce on account of the very low amounts of silicon needed to build them. The superior structural flexibility possessed by the silicon wire array solar cells is expected to further reduce their production cost since they can be produced using a lower-cost process.

Retrofitting Our Way Back to Economic Recovery

This country’s 130 million homes together generate more than 20% of the nation’s carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions. This is one of the most significant contributing sources in the country to global warming. Existing techniques and technologies in energy efficiency retrofitting can reduce home energy use by up to 40 percent per home on average which would also lower our national greenhouse gas emissions by 160 million metric tons annually by the year 2020. In addition doing so would reduce home energy bills by $21 billion a year and over time these savings would more than pay for the high up-front costs for energy efficiency retrofitting.