According to a report from McKinsey & Company the US could save $1.2 trillion by 2020 with an investment of $520 billion towards non-transportation energy efficiency. The reduction in energy use would prevent the output of 1.1 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. This would be the equivalent of taking all of the passenger vehicles and light trucks off the roads.
A lot of people are fixated on new ways to generate electricity, but this study explores the arguably more reliable solution of new ways to lower the amount of energy we use. In many cases the investment is made in technology that we already have. Whether its weatherizing someone's home, or installing more efficient lighting and windows, the opportunities need expansion and not invention.
Energy efficiency must be treated as a fuel. If the same emphasis was placed on going after the hard to reach fuels throughout the world as it was to lower the energy required to run something, the existing resources we have already employed will become more powerful. If households required half the energy, the utility would require half the power plants (which end up getting paid for by the consumer) to match the demand.
"If we do nothing, we will waste $1.2 trillion of energy," McKinsey partner Ken Ostrowski said. "Over a decade, (the up-front investment) would be $50 billion a year, which is about five times what we invest today. That investment pays back--it's one of the few that generate environmental benefits and economic cost returns."
For more information check out CNET's Green Tech blog.
Read the entire report here (pdf).
Read the executive summary here (pdf).
July 9, 2009
PSP Updates Twitter Page
Power Smart Pricing has made some changes to their twitter page. Starting yesterday, each evening at 6pm we will tweet the highest and lowest price for the following day. Think of it just like a weather report giving you a generally sense of what to expect. It is also set up to tweet the price is going to rise above 13 cents as another way to receive your high price notification.
Here's a sample:
Thu, Jul 09: Low @ 1¢ from 2am - 3am, High @ 3.8¢ from 3pm - 4pm
Looks good. Easy to use.
Follow us at http://twitter.com/powersmart
July 7, 2009
Microsoft Joins the Home Energy Management Fray
Microsoft has recently unveiled its home energy management online tool called Microsoft Hohm. The tool allows the user to enter data about their home and their energy usage to determine personalized and effective energy savings tips. More information from unique users will enhance results as the site will be able to more effectively match usage patterns and one's home profile with energy savings.
Once you login with a Windows Live ID (an existing account will work) the layout is very easy to manage. Your home profile is very detailed and the site will update how far along you are in the process as you gather your information. If your utility is a partner of Microsoft Hohm, your monthly bills can be automatically uploaded into your site (neither Ameren nor ComEd have joined this partnersip). For everyone else there is a simple place that you can enter your billing information each month. All you need to provide is your billing start and end date and the amount of kwh (for electricity) and therms (for gas) that you have used during that period.
The more information you can provide, and the more people that provide it, the better the service will be for everyone. Considering Microsoft's outstanding legacy and history of getting people to use their products, this is a piece of software worth watching. If more utilities were to partner (as Microsoft is hoping and actively seeking), then the number of users would rise at a fast pace. Currently there are about four utilites that have signed on, mostly in the West Coast.
If you are the type of person that keeps your bills on hand, but never looks at them, then this site might be a good help. As you enter your data, you will be able to examine more detailed charts and graphs that will follow your usage. Given your home profile and your billing data, Microsoft Hohm will estimate what portion of your bills are going to what appliances and behaviors. It will provide the most cost effective solutions, and it will definitely help you save money.
The one negative is that it takes some effort from the consumer. You have to be engaged in energy saving to get the most out of the tool. To continue on the metaphor, they give you the hammer and the nail, but you still have to build the porch. The site is worth checking out. It's on par with some of the management tools out there. Despite not having the capacity to handle variable pricing like Power Smart Pricing, it can still be a service these customers.
Overall, good stuff.
Check out Microsoft Hohm.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
