There's no shortage of advice for how to use less energy at home, thus saving both money and the planet. For decades, energy-efficiency advocates have tried to convince Americans to replace incandescent light bulbs with compact-fluorescent ones, use hot water sparingly, wait as long as possible before turning on the A/C, and so on. But not all of these tips are created equal: Some appliances and behaviors use more energy than others. How good a grasp do we have on this crucial information?
Recently, a team of researchers led by Columbia University's Shahzeen Attari surveyed 505 people, recruited via Craigslist in seven U.S. metropolitan areas, to find out. Cursed with poor instincts for energy use, what's an eco-conscious citizen to do? Unfortunately, we're fettered by a dearth of reliable, up-to-date information on appliances' energy use. It's a service that you'd think the Department of Energy, so determined to promote energy efficiency, would provide, but they don't. Neither do big-box retailers with the resources and incentive — energy-efficient appliances typically cost more up-front, but then pay for themselves over time.Our continued national dependence on fossil fuels is creating a dangerous vulnerability to both long-term fuel scarcity and catastrophic climate change.
The current economic crisis requires substantial national policy shifts and enormous new government injections of capital into the economy. This provides an opportunity for a project whose scope would otherwise be inconceivable: a large-scale, fast-track transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.The share of homes being built in the U.S. with environmentally friendly features jumped to 16% of single-family starts last year from 2% in 2006, says McGraw-Hill Construction, a market-research firm in New York. Fueling the trend, industry officials say, is a desire to save energy at a time of high fuel costs. Indeed, in a recent survey, 93% of builders named increased energy efficiency as an important green practice—far more than cited any other benefit.
"People understand energy efficiency because it's easy to measure," says Michele Russo, director of green content at McGraw-Hill, a unit of McGraw-Hill Cos. "They get that bill all the time."
Green homes generally cost anywhere from 2% to 10% more than a typical home, depending on the features included, though the difference is shrinking. About 4%, or $14,000, of the cost of a $398,000 home purchased last year by Keith and Rebecca Sorensen was for green features, including a solar water heater and added insulation, says Michael Chandler, who built the three-bedroom residence in Chapel Hill, N.C. But the couple says their energy bill has been cut by two-thirds from their previous home. The roughly $200 a month in savings means the Sorensens' green premium will be paid off in about six years.
"We're kind of tree-huggers, if you want to call us that, but I hate spending a lot of money hurting the environment, so sometimes I just go without what i need for a while." says Mr. Sorensen, 38, an accountant.
Many of the latest practices in green building revolve around ways to make homes use less energy. Here's a look at some recent innovations.[1]
[1] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903461304576524391474712716.html
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