On March 15, 2010 we had a great discussion in the Hohm community about energy conservation and efficiency. I believe this conversation really took off because it’s a topic that everyone can relate to since we all use energy every day — for transportation, cooking, heating and cooling rooms, manufacturing, lighting, and entertainment. Most importantly the choices we make about how we use energy — turning machines off when we’re not using them or choosing to buy energy efficient appliances — impact our environment and our lives in a very direct manner.

While related, the concepts of energy efficiency and energy conservation are not the same.

• Energy conservation is any behavior that results in the use of less energy. Turning the lights off when you leave the room and recycling aluminum cans are both ways of conserving energy.
• Energy efficiency is the use of less energy to perform the same function. A compact fluorescent light bulb that uses less energy than an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light is an example of energy efficiency. However, the decision to replace an incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent is an act of energy conservation.

So after defining theses terms which one do you think is more important to creating a sustainable life at home that can save you money and energy? Todd Cloutier had a great response to this question -

“Yes. Efficiency, once implemented, requires no additional choices to reap the rewards, while other conservation methods (usually reduction of consumption by changing personal habits) require constant reinforcement. Example: a CFL will continue to save energy, while turning off lights only works when remembered. So – while all conservation is good, built-in efficiency saves even when people cease to care.”

I like his point that efficiency can work for you even when you’re not actively taking steps. And I also think about a teacher who always drove home a point about efficiency vs. effectiveness. My teacher’s comments usually went like this “No matter how efficient your solution is you’re not effective if you’re wasting people’s resources and that includes your own.” Efficiency only means that you’ve refined a process, but that can be the least effective in producing your end result.

What do you think is THE end result that we’re collectively trying to achieve in the American energy crisis? Saving money? Time? Energy? The earth? Health?  Because regardless if an individual tries to conserve energy or become more energy efficient, there is a motivation about what makes them want to change.  Take a moment and try to identify that reasoning  for yourself and then take a step further to map out a goal and see how both energy efficiency and conversation can come into play to make your efforts as effective as possible to achieve that goal.  Let me know what you come up with! I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Well let’s take a look at the Prius. Prius owners and many throughout the green industry have praised Toyota’s efforts to make drivers more effective in their driving habits. This want and need for real-time data has trickled down into the housing market where homeowners want to have the same real-time interaction with their homes as they would with a Prius. This is a very important goal and will be coming in the future. J .ust look at the data feeds that we’ve set up with Seattle City Lights and some of the other energy providers with Microsoft Hohm. However are we jumping ahead of ourselves, are we looking for instant gratification rather than addressing the real issues?

So here is where the question lies. Even through the Prius effect makes the driver very effective, is the car itself as efficient as it could be? Are homeowners wanting real-time monitoring for instant gratification rather than taking the time and money to make their home as efficient as possible? A person can be effective as much as they want, but if they’re not efficient, it becomes a self-defeating process. For example if I have a house that isn’t insulated, has poor windows and doors, and I haven’t changed the lights out to more efficient lights, no matter how effective I am, my home will not be running at optimal levels. Environmental education should address the need for the balance of efficiency and effectiveness. Alone, neither one is a silver bullet,: however if homeowners, car manufactures, agriculture and much more could find this balance within their ecosystem, we could see massive changes in how we consume energy.

So take another look at Microsoft hohm and ask the question: Is my house as efficient as it can be? So when the time comes where the Prius effect enters your home, you’ve already made sure that your efforts to be effective is not being held back by your home;s efficiency.

“One notable skit was on the different size descriptions on cans of food, in the days prior to government regulation and standardizing of labels. Efron sarcastically compared cans of olives with sizes like “Giant”, “Jumbo”, “Extra Jumbo”, “Super Jumbo”, “Colossal”, and “Super Colossal”. The “Super Colossal” can contained one olive that filled the can.

Another piece involved Efron attempting to cook a lemon meringue pie… using mainly artificial ingredients found listed on a box of frozen pie.

A most memorable segment trumpeted the Trash Compactor appliance. Efron’s tagline….”the machine that turns 20 pounds of trash into 20 pounds of trash!”

Even though this series went live in the 70’s, it hit on some of the core issues that are facing us in the 21st century. The connection between consumerism and the American Dream Machine is finite; consumers must be enticed to purchase and use products or services to fuel growth of American. Do American’s need a new vision that helps them deal with reality, a promising story of the future that helps them let go of this consumption based past? Is the “Go Green” mantra this new story?

Small has become the new big, and less is the new more. Now days we want it all in 140 characters with the option to listen to audio, look at pictures, and maybe watch a video. We want it now, not later, and all in my pocket, so I can view it on my own time. This shift in consumerism has rocked the foundation of the American Dream Machine putting many companies bottom up or barely with their heads above water. Simultaneously, there seems to be an overlying theme that the majority of people want to slow down, listen, and get involved with helping their environment.

The chaotic technical genius of the younger generation matched with elder’s wisdom and knowledge of environmental studies can develop a whole new green industry that will create a new American Dream Machine never seen before.

Trying to come up with some blog topics around the holidays for Hohm I headed out to my parents who are always up for a cup of coffee and some strong debate early in the morning. Quickly the conversation tuned into the upcoming holiday and what is the possibility of households conserving energy by preparing food in one location while the community gathers in once place to eat. This idea was almost instantly rebutted by my dad stating that the conservation efforts within one location can easily be outweighed by the amount of energy used for transportation either for the food itself or in this instance the commuting people to come eat a one person’s house.

It might not be directly related to conserving energy in your home; however, the products and food that you buy play a major role into the overall consumption of energy. Your efforts to conserve energy and money at home can easily be mitigated by other actions that you take for instance the food that you purchase.

Did you know?
1. In 1866, 1,186 varieties of fruits and vegetables were produced in California. Today, California’s farms produce only 350 commercial crops.

2. Communities reap more economic benefits from the presence of small farms than they do from large ones. Studies have shown that small farms re-invest more money into local economies by purchasing feed, seed and other materials from local businesses, whereas large farms often order in bulk from distant companies.

2. A typical carrot has to travel 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table.

3.In the U.S., a wheat farmer can expect to receive about six cents of each dollar spent on a loaf of bread—approximately the cost of the wrapping.

4. Farmers’ markets enable farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

5. About 1/3 of all U.S. farms are located within metropolitan areas, comprising 18% of total U.S. farmland.

If this didn’t catch your attention take a look at Are You Hungry For Change, a film discussing some of the core environmental issues in American agriculture.

Even though Microsoft Hohm is a place to learn more on how to conserve energy and money within your home, we’re also going to host conversations on how to conserve energy throughout your daily life.

Sources
Meter, Ken. “Finding Food in California: local gains, systemic losses.” Crossroads Resource Center. January, 2005. p.8 (accessed online 8/17/08).

Flore, Jan L., Carol J. Hodne, Willis Goudy, David Osterberg, James Klienbenstein, Kendall M. Thu, and Shannon P. Marquez, “Social and Community Impacts,” in Iowa Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Air Quality Study: Final Report. Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, University of Iowa, 2003: 148.

Herriges, Joseph A., Silvia Secchi, and Bruce A. Babcock. “Living with Hogs in Iowa: The Impact of Livestock Facilities on Rural Residential Property Values.” Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University. Ames, Iowa, 2003.

Pirog, Rich, and Andrew Benjamin. “Checking the Food Odometer: Comparing Food Miles for Local Versus Conventional Produce Sales in Iowa Institutions.” Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, July 2003.

Pretty, Jules. “Some Benefits and Drawbacks of Local Food Systems.” Briefing Note for TVU/Sustain AgriFood Network, November 2, 2001.

City Light was one of four launch partners when Microsoft Hohm debuted in Beta version in June and is the first utility to announce its customers can connect with a convenient, automatic data feed. Hohm users who do not have a data feed can enter their energy use information manually.

Nadia and I continued with our show to make the annoucement, give us some feedback on how we can improve the show.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Ydtf9hqKs&hl=en&fs=1&]