{"id":5407,"date":"2011-09-19T10:52:52","date_gmt":"2011-09-19T14:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.energyrefuge.com\/blog\/?p=5407"},"modified":"2017-09-05T17:46:42","modified_gmt":"2017-09-05T21:46:42","slug":"less-energy-more-efficiency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.energyrefuge.com\/blog\/less-energy-more-efficiency\/","title":{"rendered":"Less Energy, More Efficiency"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Photo: WSJ<\/figcaption><\/figure>Are we entering a new era of energy efficiency<\/a>?<\/p>\n

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That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what economists Ahmad Faruqui and Doug Mitarotonda of The Brattle Group have told Smart Grid News<\/a> as a preview of their new white paper. They predict that electricity demand in the United States will fall between 5 to 15 per cent by 2020.<\/p>\n

The authors say we are entering a new wave of energy efficiency which they have termed “integrated demand-side management (iDSM).” This type of energy use management incorporates demand response coupled with programs that can tell consumers about their energy spending.<\/p>\n

The researchers back up their claims with expert opinions from a range of professionals in several sectors: universities, utilities, research labs, governments and consulting firms, among others.<\/p>\n

But not everyone seems convinced. A poll that Smart News created to go with the article indicates at the time of writing this blog post that most respondents (49%) believe electricity demand in the U.S. will increase by 2020 while only 28% believe it will be lower than it is today. 23% believe it will remain the same.<\/p>\n

Energy efficiency seems to be getting an increasing amount of attention of late. The Wall Street Journal also has published an in-depth article<\/a> about new ways to save energy at home. The article reports that new green homes have increased to 16% from 2% in 2006. 93% of builders mention energy efficiency as a major green measure. People can understand energy efficiency because it can be measured easily, said director of green green content at McGraw-Hill, a unit of McGraw-Hill Cos., Michele Russo.<\/p>\n

Some of the new ways to save energy at home include brown fiberglass insulation, heat pump water heaters and concrete countertops. <\/p>\n

Any other ideas? Please chip in through the comment form below.<\/em><\/p>\n

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