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While reading a Colorado Public Utilities Commission report, Amory Lovins found a typo "negawatt" (the report had meant "megawatt"). Lovins saw the typo as a way to describe a watt of electricity that wasn't created, due to energy efficiency.[1] The renewable energy industry agrees that the best energy dollar is spent on the "negawatt." The negawatt is the watt of electricity that is avoided through efficiency measures. You still want your home comfortable, your beverages cold and your shower hot, but how can you live life most efficiently? Shrink your home's load (the amount of energy you need) through energy efficiency measures so that a smaller alternative energy system can supply your energy needs. The smaller system costs less. It's just the smart way to do it. There is a $500 tax credit for energy efficiency improvements through the end of the year. This sight is under construction just like our countries renewable energy policies. Investments in alternative energy are available now for those who can afford it. We can do this and show the people of the Midwest. It's true that dirty energy is subsidised and more affordable in the short term, but is it all about what's cheap? Is dirty energy an American right like apple pie and? Just because powerful utilities control subsidies doesn't mean we have to buy their dirty fuel. Let's talk about: Solar Hot Water http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_solar_hot_water.html Geothermal hot water and home heating and cooling http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/ mytopic=12640 Solar Electric Production http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/electricity/index.cfm/mytopic=10390 Wind Electric Production http://wind.appstate.edu/research/economic.php Gray Water Capture http://www.bracsystems.com/home.html |
