Green Communities

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

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Energy Conservation Action PlanElectrical Tower

Energy Conservation, Alternative Fuels, Alternative Energy Strategies, Green Buildings

Opportunities for energy conservation are increasingly available in almost every application in any setting. Home, school, office, and industrial environments have all benefited from cost-saving and energy-saving innovations. The advantages of energy conservation have been quantified on the local level as tons of air-pollutants avoided and dollars saved. Reduction in global green house gas emissions are also quantified with the benefit of reduced warming affect. Sites below provide a wealth of information useful in the home and community, and sources for additional policy information, data on technologies and how to order energy saving products.

On the community level opportunities for large scale energy saving applications may be hindered by the up front investment costs. These costs have been in many cases subsidized through local energy utilities which have succeeded in the integration of energy conservation into their rate base. For example, the Washington D.C. metro area, the local utility PEPCO underwrote the cost of compact fluorescent bulbs for several years. In other locations utilities have worked to provide interest subsidies for the purchase of highly efficient household appliances, like refrigerators. These appliances carry a higher purchase price, which may discourage buyers, but over the life of the equipment will actually save money though reduced energy consumption. Subsidizing interest payments bring the purchase price in line with conventional appliances.

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