This week, Erin shared the results of a major energy efficiency retrofit at her local library. Efficiency improvements over several years include installing 250 solar panels on the roof, upgrading to energy-efficient lighting, and others. The library has been saving over $57,000 per year in electricity costs, and expects to save even more in the future.

After discovering a renewable energy project in our blogger's own community, we're curious: What energy-saving, innovative projects have you come across in your neighborhood? [More]

Working in the communications office at the Department of Energy, I’m always researching, writing, and talking about our latest initiatives. Topics run the gamut—from student-led solar competitions to engineering breakthroughs in electric vehicle design. I’ve learned that there are so many interesting projects underway in the clean energy space.

Still, writing about an innovative, clean energy project in a state 1,000 miles away is one thing—discovering such a project in your own neighborhood is quite another.

That’s exactly what happened a couple of weeks ago when I walked into my local library. A sign, just inside the hallway announced a new construction project—250 solar panels are being installed on the library’s flat, wide roof. [More]

We discuss the weather a lot here on the Energy Savers Blog. It comes with the territory; seasonal temperature changes influence how we use energy in our homes. We also know that extreme weather can have big consequences; from health to finances to simple comfort, the weather has a huge effect on our daily lives.

But one thing we don't discuss here very often is when weather turns tragic. Some areas of the country have seen a lot of terrible weather in recent weeks, with devastating tornadoes and now flooding hitting many states hard. Many people have lost friends and loved ones, and even more have lost property. The emotional toll of these natural disasters can't be overstated.

So what does this have to do with energy? Unfortunately, many of our seasonal and weather-related tips simply aren't that helpful when you're facing huge weather events. Where energy considerations could come into play, though, is after the devastation, when communities are working to rebuild. [More]

I wrote in a previous blog posting about using digital electric meters to locate "leaking" electricity—often referred to as phantom loads and vampire loads—and high electrical power consumption. In another posting I described what I'm doing to reach out in my community to get my neighbors to use these meters to locate wasteful electricity usage in their homes.

Now my community will have another tool in its arsenal to combat energy waste: a thermal leak detector. Whereas the digital electric meter helps locate electricity leaks, the thermal leak detector helps locate—well, you guessed it—thermal (heat) leaks. [More]

We've already seen over the past three Mondays how cooperation among the public sector, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit private sector firms can produce some real benefits. We've also seen how the success of a project or program can depend on the ability to mobilize the local community.

Let's look at another case where these elements successfully converge: The Baltimore Neighborhood Energy Challenge (BNEC). BNEC is a pilot program of the Baltimore Office of Sustainability (part of the Baltimore City Department of Planning) and the Baltimore Community Foundation, a tax-exempt, publicly supported organization serving the Greater Baltimore region. [More]

Lore Rosenthal, a principal leader behind the Greenbelt Climate Action Network, attended a meeting in Greenbelt, Maryland, on an energy purchasing cooperative more than a year ago. Also attending the meeting was Lore's neighbor, Sylvia Lewis, on the board of both the Greenbelt Community Foundation (GCF) and Greenbelt Homes, Inc. (GHI). The energy purchasing co-op spokesperson was offering electricity at a lower rate than that offered by PEPCO, our local utility.

Lore longed for a similar arrangement—a bulk electricity purchase but with wind energy. She spoke to Sylvia, who thought it was a good idea. Lore publicly stood up and challenged the presenter. He couldn't offer a clean electricity option. Lore asked if others might be interested in wind energy instead. There was a general sentiment that they would hold off with this energy purchasing co-op spokesperson and wait to see about a wind option. [More]