dispatches from the new world of work

Beats Biofuels?!

Okay, I've stooped to reading ads. A United Technologies (Otis, Carrier, etc.) ad illustrates in detail the contours of a "zero net energy" building. There's nothing far out about it—and buildings today consume perhaps 40% of our energy.

I'm not conned by the ad—it just succinctly captured a ton of stuff I've been reading, and a ton of stuff underway in the green building "movement." Working on energy reduction in built environments is certainly on the prospective Obama stimulus list. But is it high enough on that list? Massive improvements can be made with proven technologies, far closer at hand than hydrogen cars or a national network of car battery recharging facilities. (And maybe the price of corn would fall in the process—thus saving starving people from bonehead Washington policies.)

Tom Peters posted this on 12/10/08.

Comments

After putting up a few strings of the new LED Christmas lights I became somewhat taken by LED lighting.

From the box: a string of 100 LED lights draws 8 watts compared to 40 watts for the miniature incandescent lights. At $0.12 per KWH a single string will save $1.40 in electricity in a season.

You can buy standard medium based LED bulbs that have the same power savings for all of your household lighting. Unfortunately they're about 50-100 times the price of conventional bulbs. But in a couple of years you will probably find them at Costco.

Posted by Ken Gregg at December 11, 2008 10:47 AM

LEDs are THE future. But not present. In a few years LED should be better than CFL lamps. For now there is an issue of to small angular output. Look at CFLs they are area light sources not point sources like LEDs. LEDs are good for those spot/point lights and small bulbs (Like Ken Gregg wrote "medium based LED bulbs"). I know that LED is a big green word but in my opinion if you look on costs and quality of light CFL-i (with electronic gear) are still best choice for general (big area/room) home lighting. Looking forward for next generation of LEDs ;)

Posted by Tomasz Plociennik at December 12, 2008 3:42 AM

The challenge to green building over the next few years seems likely to come from the lack of building. If new houses, factories and offices aren't built then plans for new energy efficient buildings are just plans. If many people choose, or are forced, to abandon home ownership, then landlords must make the changes. They won't.

Not sure about the US, but here in the UK rented housing is often of a pretty poor standard. Indeed pretty much anything that isn't privately owned seems to be inefficient energy wise - schools, hospitals, government offices...

Posted by Michael Saunby at December 16, 2008 7:56 AM