Practical efficiency
As we embark on a new journey to discover and reveal some of the latest green technologies, we must not loose sight of what we ultimately seek to achieve, practical changes to reduce energy consumption.
I recently had the pleasure of assisting in the construction of the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in the Village of Bolingbrook, Illinois. Hidden Oaks has been registered with the US Green Building Council to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®-NC) Platinum standards.
While I was no doubt impressed with the building’s solar panels and geo-thermal heating system, I couldn’t help but think that 8 million taxpayers dollars was simply too much to put into the construction of this 7,000 sq. ft. structure, a cost which will never be recouped by the savings of this building.
And this is where efficiency needs to meet practicality.
I wouldn’t want to hear that a compact flourescent light (CFL) can reduce my annual electric bill by 7% without hearing that my annual natural gas bill will increase as a result of the CFL giving off less heat in the winter (I rarely use air conditioning). Additionally, a CFLs lifespan is reduced by 85% if it is turned on and off in 5 minute intervals.
These are the facts that are important to me. I simply would pay 3-5 times more for a bulb if it didn’t ultimately save me money. I did determine, however, that CFLs are the best option for my household and have since incorporated them into my energy savings plan.
We aim to not only look at the savings, but the cost of the savings and the opportunity cost of the savings. What ELSE could we have spent our money on which would have resulted in a greater savings? This is practical efficiency, this is GREEN.BLORGE.
No related posts.
