Top 5 Energy Efficiency Stories of the Week

July 29th, 2011 by Zachary Shahan

While the debt ceiling debate gets super hot, I thought I’d bring you our weekly round-up of energy efficiency stories from around the internet. Here are the top 6 energy efficiency stories I’ve found this week (other than what we’ve covered):

GE has announced that a complete line of LED light bulbs, the most energy efficient lighting technology I’m aware of, are due to hit the market within the next 16 months. This includes 60-, 75-, and 100-watt LED light bulbs.
The Institute for Electric Efficiency (IEE), of the Edison Foundation, released a 34-page white paper on The Costs and Benefits of Smart Meters for Residential Customers. There’s a lot of useful detail in the paper, but, from the summary, here’s the general conclusion: “Even with conservative assumptions regarding consumer engagement in technology, programs, and rate plans, the results show positive net benefits are possible for all four utility types.” However, another key conclusion is that the benefits can be much, much great with good consumer education and engagement.
Cloud computing is still a nebulous topic for many of us. And I have seen claims that it’s not good for the environment, but it seems much more likely that it is a big plus for the environment (and people’s pocketbooks). Climate Progress had Jon Koomey, “Consulting Professor at Stanford and a leading expert on the energy impact of electronics and the internet,” give his 2 cents on this topic this week. His 2 cents turned into 4, as he listed and discussed 4 reasons why cloud computing really is efficient.
The DOE does a good job of promoting energy efficiency and explaining its many benefits. In a post this week, it explained how Oklahoma residents have saved a good chunk of money in the midst of its tremendous heat wave with the use of smart meters.
Greentech Media also had a useful article this week on a recent study by CenterPoint Energy showing that in-home energy displays do help people to save significant amounts of energy, something numerous studies on the matter have found.

Image via GE

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Tags: cloud computing, energy efficient lights, GE, ge led, ge leds, in-home energy displays, LED light bulbs, led lights, light bulbs, smart meters

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.