Happy National Weatherization Day!

Today is National Weatherization Day, a day to celebrate the economic and environmental benefits of making homes and buildings more energy efficient. What are you doing to weatherize your home? Follow these 10 do-it-yourself ideas for making your home more energy efficient:

1. Lower water heater temperature
2. Change all light bulbs to compact fluorescents (CFLs)
3. Always run a full load in the dishwasher
4. Get a programmable thermostat
5. Turn off computers and monitors when not in use
6. Replace furnace and A/C filters every 90 days
7. Opt for ceiling fans instead of A/C
8. Open shades and blinds, keep lights off during the day
9. Plant trees and shrubs around windows and doors for shade
10. Tighten faucets to stop drips

In addition, look around your doors and windows for gaps or cracks where daylight is shining through or where you feel a draft. This means your home is leaking air and putting unnecessary strain on your air conditioner or heater, which is wasting energy and costing you money. Get a free energy audit to have a professional inspector look at your problem areas and determine further steps you can take to ensure that your home becomes as energy efficient as possible.

Happy Weatherization Day!

Federal Smart Grid Investment Grant Skips Austin

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the municipal recipients of the Smart Grid Investment Grant. This grant offers $3.4 billion distributed to a hundred cities for infrastructure improvements to local electricity grids. Austin Energy applied for $100 million in funding, but today's announcement confirms that Austin will not receive any of this money.

$258.2 million has been given to other Texas cities, such as Amarillo, El Paso and Houston. However, almost all of this funding is for the installation of digital electric meters, an initiative that Austin Energy began several years ago and has now almost completed. Digital electric meters allow for automated reporting, eliminate the need for utility employees to read meters, and also offer better access to real-time data about energy usage at specific sites.

Here is a complete list (PDF) of cities that received funding from this grant.

Austin City Council Approves New Solar Rebate Plan

In a unanimous vote today, the Austin City Council approved Mayor Lee Leffingwell's plan to revive the city's foundering Solar Rebate Program with a new property tax financing plan. Under the new program, homeowners can take out a low interest, property tax based loan to cover the entire upfront cost of installing solar panels on their homes.

According to the mayor, this new financing option will "help make solar energy accessible to many more local residents, help them save money on their home energy bills almost immediately, and continue to build on Austin's growing reputation as a national leader on renewable energy initiatives."

A final vote will occur early next year to determine the details of the program's final implementation. However, today's vote makes Austin the first Texas city to establish a solar financing program.

New Smart Grid Technology Tested in Hawaii

The resort community of Wailea on the island of Maui will be the recipient of a prototype “smart grid” built by General Electric Company. This new type of electricity grid will feature new power meters in homes that can monitor how much energy is being used by each appliance in the house, and turn them off when power is most expensive. At times of peak energy usage, especially in the summer, the price of electricity increases with demand. For example, this type of power grid could adjust air conditioning and refrigerator temperatures, or pause dishwashing or clothes washing and drying until overall demand on the grid is lower and power is cheaper.

This kind of smart grid is also better at integrating more inconsistent and unpredictable forms of renewable energy, such as wind power and solar power. On cloudy and calm days, computers can manage the power generated from fossil fuel plants to make sure that the electricity supply remains stable until more favorable weather conditions return.

There are currently around 70 smart grid test sites throughout the country, including programs in Houston, Miami and Seattle. With Austin Energy’s commitment to get 30 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020, look for a discussion to begin in the coming years about bringing some kind of smart grid solution to Central Texas.

For more information on smart grid technology, visit GE’s website.

Austin Mayor Offers Solution for City's Struggling Solar Rebate Program

Earlier this month, Austin Energy announced significant cutbacks to its solar rebate program. Under this rebate program, residents and business owners could install solar panels on their property and receive a rebate from the city that would cover up to two-thirds of the cost. However, the recent cutbacks suspended funds for pending projects and decreased the amount of money available for future projects.

On Friday, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell proposed a new financing option for solar panels. Under the mayor's plan, homeowners could receive a low-interest loan from the city that would cover the entire cost of installing solar panels. Residents who receive this loan would then pay back the city through a line item in their property taxes.

While other Texas cities have considered similar financing programs to encourage the spread of solar power, Austin would be the first city to implement such a plan if it is approved. The Austin City Council meets this Thursday to consider the proposal.

Department of Energy to Strengthen Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday that it will begin taking steps to strengthen its enforcement of energy efficiency standards. The focus of this initiative is on consumer products and appliances, such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, HVAC units, etc. Already, the Department of Energy has launched investigations into an air conditioner and freezer manufacturer. The department will also begin random reviews of manufacturers' compliance with certification requirements.

This announcement comes at a time when the Department of Energy is renewing its efforts to promote conservation and efficiency. The department has already released five efficiency standards ahead of deadlines, and these standards are expected to save American consumers up to $300 billion over the next 30 years.

For more information, see the entire press release.

Obama Gets Tough on Federal Energy Efficiency

Last week, President Obama issued an executive order mandating that the nation's largest energy consumer, the federal government, has 90 days to set 2020 greenhouse gas emissions targets, increase recycling by 50% by 2015, and must make a 30% cut in vehicle fuel use by 2020. These orders apply to more than 500,000 federal buildings, 600,000 government vehicles and 1.8 million federal employees.

The executive order also calls for increased energy efficiency for new and existing buildings, the purchasing of energy efficient electronics and appliances, reductions in waste, and procedural changes to promote energy conservation.

View the complete executive order (PDF).

Austin Energy gets $2 million for Solar Research

Austin has been selected as one of 16 cities to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for solar research. Under the terms of the grant, Austin Energy must spend $2 million of its own money towards solar research and it will receive another $2 million from the federal government. The city must also set aside 30-acres of land for a testing facility.

The money will be used for education and research into how the city can utilize existing residential and commercial roof space for housing solar panels.

For further information, visit www.solaramericacities.energy.gov

Austin Energy Chief to Retire

General manager of Austin Energy Roger Duncan has announced that he will step down from his position in March 2010. The city has said that it will conduct a national search for his replacement.

Duncan has served as general manager since 2008. In the 1980s, Duncan served as a member of the Austin City Council before working for the city's Environmental and Conservation Services Department. He has been a vice president with Austin Energy since 1998.

Duncan says his future plans are to write a book on energy, as well as possibly doing some teaching and consulting.

Pew Center Reports on Corporate Energy Efficiency

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change recently announced the release of a report and the launch of an entire website in an “effort to identify and highlight the most effective methods used by companies today to reduce their energy consumption and lower their related greenhouse gas emissions.” While their complete report will not be published until next year, they have still made a wealth of information available online. The website provides information on how 48 of the largest corporations have approached energy efficiency in regards to five categories: internal operations, buildings, supply chains, products and services, and cross-cutting issues.

For internal operations, the report looks at what companies are doing to optimize energy use in manufacturing processes through improved data tracking and management.

For buildings, the report tracks how companies are upgrading lighting systems, switching to more energy efficient office equipment and appliances, and improved monitoring of energy consumption.

For supply chains, the report discusses how corporations are partnering with and helping to educate their suppliers on the value of energy efficiency and conservation.

For cross-cutting, the report explains how big businesses are attempting to change their corporate culture through presentations and reports to educate employees about the importance of investing in energy efficient processes and systems.

Source: Pew Center’s Energy Efficiency Website

Economic Report on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Buildings account for almost 40 percent of global energy use. The Peterson Institute for International Economics has a new report on energy efficiency in buildings. The report discusses the cost of energy efficiency for buildings versus other sectors of the economy. The report also studies the incentives required to establish a market where upgrades to existing buildings and changes to new construction codes are advantageous both economically and environmentally.

Watch Trevor Houser, author of the report, give a presentation on his study:

The Empire State Building is Going Green

Building owners of the Empire State Building recently announced that they are investing over $500 million dollars in renovations and upgrades, including $13 million toward an energy efficiency retrofit for the iconic building. The improvements will include replacing heating and A/C units, resealing and insulating the building’s 6,500 windows, and upgrading the building’s environmental control system. These improvements are aiming to cut the building’s energy use by 38 percent by 2013, which comes out to over $3 million a year in savings.

For more information, check out this video: