Who needs the Energy Star efficiency program? You do

By Heather Clancy | Feb 3, 2010 |

It still amazes me how many people walk around associating sustainability or green business processes with increased operating expenses. Here’s more proof that it just isn’t so — at least all of the time.

The six-year-old Energy Star Leaders program, which includes organizations focused on improving the energy efficiency of their operations and facilities, just reported that the organizations in the program diverted about 220,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the environment last year. At the same time, they saved north of $48 million on the energy costs associated with their commercial buildings. There are about 100 organizations currently part of this particular Energy Star initiative; the savings associated with actions being taken by Energy Star Leaders quadrupled between 2008 and 2009.

In order to be recognized as an Energy Star Leader you have to reduce the energy used by your entire building portfolio by at least 10 percent. A second metric requires the organization to demonstrate that its buildings operate at efficiency levels that are within the top 25 percent of similar buildings across the United States. The EPA (which administers the program) reports that approximately 75 percent of Energy Star Leaders in 2009 met the second performance milestone.

Another interesting tidbit, the list is dominated by 54 school districts, a lot of them in the Midwest. So that sort of lays to rest the notion that innovation in energy efficiency is being lead by companies on the two coasts.

Various government figures estimate that if every commercial or industrial building in the United States improved its energy efficiency by 10 percent, we could collectively save about $20 billion on energy costs each year. The carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions diverted by this action would be equivalent to taking 30 million vehicles off the road.

Are you doing your 10 percent?

 
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    mario@...

    02/03/10 | Report as spam

    Actually, why do we need Energy Star efficiency programs?

    Carbon dioxide is essential for life on this planet the reduction of which past a certain point will be detrimental to our survival. Why is ?Smartplant? unaware of this basic fact? Perhaps because this blog is politicized and not truly interested in real science just spewing dogma in the form of midlevel papal bulls. Please see these links for a better understanding of the relationship and effects of CO2 and plant life on this planet.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422132829.htm
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0603-can_carbon_dioxide_be_a_good_thing.htm

    Now ask yourself what if any is the current issue with CO2 in the atmosphere; do we truly need to reduce the current levels, if so by how much? Second how many people have died as a direct result of the current ?overabundance? or ?potential overabundance? of CO2 in the atmosphere relative to lets say the number of people who have died form the guns or due to the presence of US solders/US baked private or foreign militia/CIA covert opts? I believe if we greatly reduced the US army, CIA covert opts along with the Israeli army all of which are funded by the US tax payer we would be saving far more lives then could ever by possible with CO2 reductions, and actually save the US taxpayer money in the process, resulting in a more moral, sane and respected nation. A far greater gain than can be quantified. The savings could be invested in pro life measures such as tax reduction, better schools, health care and more efficient technology!

  •  
    2

    wayne31r

    02/04/10 | Report as spam

    RE: Who needs the Energy Star efficiency program? You do

    Dear Mario,

    WTF?

    If you read the article you linked to, you would see that the scientists say nothing that disputes the dangers of rising levels of atmospheric CO2 and the inherent problem of global warming.

    Here's a direct quote from one of the authors of this very report:
    "As we continue to clean up the air in the lower atmosphere, which we must do for the sake of human health, the challenge of avoiding dangerous climate change through reductions in CO2 emissions will be even harder. Different climate changing pollutants have very different direct effects on plants, and these need to be taken into account if we are to make good decisions about how to deal with climate change."

    Sheesh!

  •  
    3

    mario@...

    02/04/10 | Report as spam

    Lets respect the truth and be honest to ourselves and future generations!

    Dear Wayne,

    Yes I have read and understood the articles. You have taken that quote out of context or perhaps you have not fully understood what was said in these articles with what is already understood with regards to cyclical variables affecting climate changes on this planet. To be fair it is not fully understood by climatologists however what is understood, is not properly or truthfully reported by some very vocal and medial propped people. They say that ?global warming? is detrimental to human survival. Well these articles through scientific study says the opposite. Allow me to quote lead author Dr Lina Mercado, from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said, "Surprisingly, the effects of atmospheric pollution seem to have enhanced global plant productivity by as much as a quarter from 1960 to 1999. This resulted in a net 10% increase in the amount of carbon stored by the land once other effects were taken into account." Co-author Dr Stephen Sitch from the Met Office Hadley Centre (now at the University of Leeds) adds, "Although many people believe that well-watered plants grow best on a bright sunny day, the reverse is true. Plants often thrive in hazy conditions such as those that exist during periods of increased atmospheric pollution."

    Therefore according to this research reducing these pollutants we will in affect be reducing cloud cover and therefore supposedly reducing the ability of plants to take in more CO2. Thus they conclude we must reduce CO2. However what is not said is that along with less plant growth due to the reduction of particulates and water vapour (which was not mentioned) there will be a net cooling in the short to medium run. This is what we have been experiencing in the last several years. Thus those who have a political/economic agenda as opposed to scientific understanding shift their labelling of ?man made? dooms day from ?global warming? to ?climate change.? Less cloud cover however allow more sun light and solar radiation to reach our land and oceans which will in the long run lead to greater concentration of water vapour in the atmosphere. This water vapour, which is ?responsible for some 60% of the overall greenhouse effect (needed for human existence), also contributes to global warming via feedback effects?( http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/41594). Water vapour and the resultant increased cloud formation with atmospheric particles will once again ?scatter light so that the surface receives light from multiple directions (diffuse radiation) rather than coming straight from the sun. Plants are then able to convert more of the available sunlight into growth because fewer leaves are in the shade.?

    Thus this cyclical affect of warming and cooling is part of natural events on this planet nearly fully independent of human actions, progress or intervention. Therefore why are some people saying that global warming is ?man made? and detrimental to life on this planet? In fact during the warming period there is greater pant growth need to sustain life on this planet during the cool periods of less growth which will lead again to warmer periods of greater growth.

    There is balance due to forces of greater impact than human action thus, why are we saying that efficiency is need to say human life and this planet in general? This is a lie. This false notion is big used to tax us further, charge more in electricity and petrol, lead to externality costs with business and government and worse than this a new Ponzi scheme of cap and trade which will be collapsed sometime in the future wiping our peoples retirement savings much as the housing market in the US. The end result is near no affect on the climate of this planet however the middle class or the slave class is made to work harder and have less in terms of savings.
    If we want efficiency for efficiently sake then lets just admit this is the case and move on without the taxes and erosion of the middle class. In fact we should endeavour to make all people better off not just Bush, Clinton, Gore, Bill and the rest of the super rich!

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Heather Clancy

Heather Clancy is an award-winning business journalist with a passion for green technology and corporate sustainability issues. Her articles have appeared in Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, The International Herald Tribune and The New York Times. In a past corporate life, Heather was editor of Computer Reseller News, where she was a featured speaker about everything from software as a service to IT security to mobile computing.

Heather started her journalism life as a business writer with United Press International in New York. She holds a B.A. in English literature from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, and has a thing for Lewis Carroll. When she’s not hunting for a great green story, she’s singing a cappella or scuba-diving with her husband, Joe.

Heather Clancy

Writing publicly about what the high-tech industry is actually doing to help itself and the world get greener or more sustainable is one way I figure I can contribute more meaningfully to said effort. I'm also a big OMG-kind-of-fan of smart leadership, which is why the goodly folks who publish this blog let me go on about this topic and why I am always on the hunt for forward-looking business management ideas.

My daily writing is focused on looking for topics for my blogs, GreenTech Pastures and Business Brains. I also write often about emerging technology trends such as mobile computing, unified communications and cloud computing. Occasionally, I will pop up at an industry conference in some sort of speaking capacity. In cases where a speaking engagement involves a sponsor that may be covered in this blog, that fact will be disclosed in coverage as appropriate.

My corporate writing work usually consists of crafting research white papers about some aspect of technology. In the event that my commentary (in written, audio or video form) mentions a company for which I have provided consulting advice, I will disclose that fact. However, there is no connection between these projects and the topics that I'm covering in my blog.

Joe McKendrick

Joe McKendrick is an author and independent analyst who tracks the impact of information technology on management and markets. Joe is also SOA community manager for ebizQ, and speaks frequently on Enterprise 2.0 and SOA topics at industry events and Webcasts. He also serves as lead analyst and author of Evans Data Corp.'s highly regarded bi-annual SOA/Web Services and Web 2.0 surveys. Joe writes a regular column for Database Trends & Applications, and has authored numerous research reports in partnership with Unisphere Research for user groups such as SHARE, Oracle Applications Users Group, and International DB2 Users Group. In a previous life, Joe served as director of the Administrative Management Society (AMS), an international professional association dedicated to advancing knowledge within the IT and business management fields.

Joe McKendrick

Joe McKendrick is an independent consultant and editor. Joe has performed project work for the following companies in the IT marketspace: IBM, Systinet/HP, Teradata. He has performed project work for the following organizations in partnership with Unisphere Research (Unisphere Media): IBM, Oracle Corp., International Oracle Users Group, Oracle Applications Users Group, Professional Association for SQL Server, International DB2 Users Group, International Sybase Users Group.

Business Brains focuses on management issues that revolve around the key question: How do I make my business, family, and coworkers smarter? The blog examines the management issues facing a variety of businesses and debunks the technology you need to know