Energy costs: Why is Grandma still in her chair?

Grandma was thrown out of her wheelchair and off a cliff in one of the most controversial ads of the US presidential election 2012. Whether you love or hate the clip, the Medicare after Republicans, it shows the emotional tenor, we bring to the debate about the cost of health care.

Energy costs also affect at least as much - and all other granny. Still we rarely devote such time and passion on the subject - except if gasoline prices spike. Even then, the conversation is limited. We are accustomed to the higher costs. Keep in mind how you hear little grumbling now $3$ 4 per gallon gasoline is the new normal.

Why make a big deal about the economics of health care and the economy energy? Since we don't do the math. That's what a new report from United Technologies Corp. revealed.

For example, few realize that we turn the same amount each year, our houses, shops and offices spend $432 billion - as companies give out health insurance.

"It's on the level, which is noteworthy because it speaks to where we can go," said John Mandyck, chief sustainability officer for UTC climate, control and security, in an interview.

Where UTC sees us is located in the direction of saving through energy efficiency, which opens the way to providing the additional capital for other personal or investment purposes.

"Unlocking American efficiency: economic and commercial power investment in energy-efficient buildings," looks to make the economy more efficient 30 percent U.S. until 2030 building. Here, a few striking points for our finances are the report that this could mean power over what.

A 30-percent stake in building efficiency brings a 28.6 per cent of internal rate of return over 10 years. That is about four times better than the average corporate bond yield or average equity performance and more than double the yields on high-performance could save about $466 per year venture capital Firmen.Haushalte – twice as much as average spending for fresh vegetables and almost spend as much as they are for prescription and non-prescription drugs.To amortize the cost of modernising government, would the United States approximately 8 billion $ save per year in energy costs. How useful is it? This is more than a decade as much savings as we reach could, by increasing the Medicare retirement age to 67, increasing taxes a percent for top earners or taxation of foreign profits of U.S. companies. It's about protection agency who also so much as we would save by eliminating environmental.
Here is another way to save energy consider. Think of the reduction in energy costs as a way to increase the income of private households, the report said. We learn a lot about the decline of middle-class salaries. Level had remained since 2000 energy costs, she would have made the average decline in the incomes of private households.

Thinking about energy costs in this way the problem converted "Issues with an opportunity," said Mandyck. It offers the possibility to check how we can "once again provide that cash in other ways."

It makes sense for the United States to pursue this line of thought with more emphasis. As a share of GDP energy costs according to the report by 6.2 percent, rose to 9.2 percent in the last decade. And we can expect energy costs, 17 percent more in the next two decades will rise according to the International Energy Agency.

Ultimately the UTC energy efficiency story about us to hold more of our own money and its use in other productive ways. Grandma's wheelchair must not be operated by a heartless force beyond her control, that sends her over a cliff. Embed motorized their own more energy efficiency in the economy and Granny can, make self propelled wheelchair and go where it wants to go.

ELISA Wood is a long-time energy writer, CNN, the New York Times, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal online and the Washington Post whose work has been picked. Find their articles at RealEnergyWriters.com

View the original article here

Spotlights in an effort to overtake consumer energy costs taxing carbon France

More people make on claim so-called "social" utility prices energy will make more accessible, he said in a speech at an environmental conference in Paris. Applicable law for 1 million households benefit can, he said.
The budget 2013 is a "General control" belong to the companies that contribute to air pollution, he said. The Government plans also the CSPE to check that goes to pay the higher costs of renewable energy tax on electricity bills.

President Francois hollande has begun to overtake a plan to reduce France's reliance on nuclear power and energy costs for the consumer. The prices which they regulated households on the domestic market by the Government raise ELECTRICITE de France SA and GDF Suez SA, who have based former monopolies, Paris.
A Bill to promote energy efficiency and reduce the demand would make complex rules about the rates because they home will depend on isolation and sales.

"I want to encourage moderation, energy use," Ayrault said today. Under the plan, the Government wants, that 1 million houses are renovated for the financial support available, he said.

Cost of doing business

"What worries us the most how much it will cost and who pays", Laurence Parisot, head of the business organisation MEDEF said energy and the proposed pollution control after the Conference on the Government's policies. "No costs for companies without a major impact can increase employment and competitiveness we believe."

The Government until end of the year for two offshore wind farms in the vicinity of Le Treport in the channel and Noirmoutier island off the Atlantic coast and the large-scale solar systems start also tenders, said Ayrault. This is accompanied by a streamlining of the administrative procedures for the development of onshore turbines.

EDF and partners including turbine manufacturer of our Alstom SA in April a French Government tender for three offshore wind farms to build, while Iberdrola SA a got. Was this first round for almost 2,000 megawatts, which an estimated 1.1 billion euros to household electricity is added to bills if the wind farm are running, the Government has said.
France, which does not have more offshore wind energy, plans 6,000 megawatts of offshore wind, tidal and wave power by 2020 to install boost clean energy.


View the original article here

As Electric Vehicles Take Charge, Costs Power Down

By Patrick B. Davis Vehicle Technologies Program Manager

The record number of electric-drive vehicles on the floor of Detroit's North American International Auto Show, which ends January 22, sends a clear message—the American auto industry is dedicated to driving innovation and delivering advanced vehicles to consumers here and around the world. We’re working with them every step of the way to help make that vision a reality. One of the keys to translating the trade show excitement around electric vehicles into widespread consumer adoption is driving down costs, and one area that continues to be a focus across the industry is reducing the cost of electric motors.

In addition to further research and development, increasing the domestic manufacturing capacity of electric motors is one of the keys to accomplishing this. Upping capacity will not only help meet growing consumer demand but also help drive down the cost of both the motors and the vehicles that use them. To help achieve this goal, DOE has undertaken a variety of projects with industry partners to find innovative ways to design and manufacture electric motors. On one such project, the department teamed with Delphi Automotive Systems in an effort to reduce the cost, size, and weight of electric motors by using patented semiconductor packaging technology. The result of this cost-sharing partnership is new packaging that is smaller, lighter weight and allows more power to be produced than previous methods. Read the full story on DOE's Energy Blog.

View the original article here

DOE Awards $7 Million to Reduce EV Charger Costs

This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

DOE announced on December 21 awards totaling nearly $7 million in research and development funding that will help to reduce the current costs of electric vehicle chargers by 50% over the next three years. With DOE support, manufacturers in California, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania will work to improve the development and design of charging equipment. This research will promote "smart" charging capabilities that can help ensure electric vehicles enhance, rather than strain, existing electrical grid capacity.

Two of the four selected projects will focus on improving electric vehicle chargers that attach to consumers' homes and are used by the owners to charge their vehicles while they are at home. Two other projects will focus on chargers used at commercial and public locations to charge large numbers of vehicles, including commercial fleets of delivery vehicles.

The four projects selected for awards are listed below. These research and development investments will leverage additional investments from the industry grantees. See the DOE press release and the DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability website.

View the original article here

$7 Million help trim "Soft" costs of DOE's of solar systems

This is an excerpt from EERE network news, a weekly electronic newsletter.

DOE is $ 7 million of the SunShot incubator program to help reduce the not hardware costs of living and solar energy installations such as installation required.
IMG credit: Craig Miller Productions

DOE announced on 15 November up to $7 million as part of the initiative to reduce the not hardware costs of residential and SunShot solar energy installations. The Fund supports the development of tools and approaches, the non-hardware - or "soft" costs such as cost for installation, allows to reduce interconnection and inspection. Turnout may total less than half of the cost of a residential system. This work is supported by the SunShot incubator program, and make the process of the purchase, installation and maintenance of solar energy systems faster, easier and less costly.

The incubator focused to solve previously to hardware challenges. This new funding round applies to the soft costs for the installation of solar systems and confirmed the great potential for cost savings in this area. The balance of system soft costs through this funding opportunity all non-hardware aspects of an installed photovoltaic system, such as work, approval and control, customer acquisition, financing, and the award of contracts are fixed. Funding will be awarded in two stages. Level 1 includes prices up to $500,000 with a cost share of 20% over 12 months to speed up the development of innovative approaches non-hardware-. DOE awards in this category can deliver about 3-5. Level 2 prices includes more than 18 months transition innovative systems and solutions the demonstration stage, and finally full deployment million with a cost of 50% up to $5. DOE awards in this category can provide approximately 1-3.

The DOE SunShot initiative is a collaborative national effort to reduce the cost of solar energy by about 75% by the end of the Decade. A key objective of the program incubator SunShot is to start new start-up companies and new business units within the existing commercial entities. Concept paper applications for the financing of soft costs are by January 16 2012. finding you the DOE press release ©, the funding opportunity announcement, one energy blog post and the SunShot initiative Web site.

View the original article here