MainStreet Efficiency

Quality control is a big issue in energy efficiency. Absent adequate follow-up inspections and customer surveys, how do program managers know that money allocated to recommended measures has been well spent?

The short answer is, they don’t.

Comprehensive Legislation Would Curb Emissions, Encourage Energy Efficiency

 The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold its third and final day of hearings today on comprehensive climate change legislation http://tiny.cc/qXOV1 (pdf).

Passage of “The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act”(referred to as the “Boxer-Kerry” bill after its two sponsors, Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and John Kerry of Massachusetts), would represent a big step forward in reducing emissions from power plants and other stationary sources, and in curbing greenhouse gases. The bill also would increase investments in energy efficiency initiatives.

Presented by the MainStreet Efficiency Webinar Series (www.mainstreetefficiency.com)

Join us for a Webinar on EITHER October 20 or October 21

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
Tuesday Oct. 20 Session:       https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/828114514
Wednesday Oct. 21 Session:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/667943491

Leveraging Stimulus Funds, Utility Funds, and Private Capital to Deploy Large Scale Energy-Efficiency for Utilities, Cities, Governments, and Home-Owners

Leading organizations continually accentuate the vast economic and strategic opportunity to deploy large scale energy-efficiency.  Governments, utilities, consulting firms, investors, individuals, and corporations have been taking action by investing billions of dollars in energy efficiency which is unanimously considered our lowest-cost, cleanest, most rapidly deployable, and most secure energy resource.  Come learn about and discuss these trends with our expert panel!

• Energy Efficiency creates more green jobs and costs less than other renewable and carbon-intensive energy sources.
• The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently approved spending $3.1 billion on energy efficiency programs from 2010 through 2012.
• McKinsey & Company identified a potential of $130 billion in annual savings from unrealized energy efficiency opportunities.
• The Federal Recovery Act of 2009 committed over $40 billion to improving energy-efficiency.
• Cities like Los Angeles have demonstrated success by implementing energy-efficiency upgrades in over 20,000 small businesses last year alone.

Despite such progress, the potential to “do more with less energy” remains enormous.  Overcoming the common barriers to implementing wide-scale energy efficiency is often difficult.   Our expert panel has demonstrated innovative solutions to achieving large-scale efficiency by leveraging funding from utilities, direct installation programs, EECBG grants, municipalities, and federal stimulus programs. 
Format:  Each expert will open the panel with brief description of their personal best-practices and then we will open the forum to questions from the audience.

Although commonly thought of as related, energy efficiency and energy conservation are distinct from one another. Both serve to reduce energy use, however, conservation carries a degree of sacrifice, while efficiency is using adapted goods and appliances to exercise the same benefits.

Let There Be Light
Energy conservation means sitting in the dark for a few hours every day.
Energy efficiency means replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Beat the Heat
Energy conservation means turning off the AC and opening the windows during a hot summer day.
Energy efficiency means using the Energy Star approved AC, keeping the house a constant, cool 78°.