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Saving Energy by the Bay

By Andy Cheng

 

Like that hybrid so many have considered purchasing, energy-efficiency is ultimately a lucrative investment (after who-knows-how-many years). As it turns out, the money saved

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By Andy Cheng

 

Like that hybrid so many have considered purchasing, energy-efficiency is ultimately a lucrative investment (after who-knows-how-many years). As it turns out, the money saved on costs normally spent on inefficient, energy-devouring products such as an obsolete light bulb or an old radiator eventually develops into money saved for business expansion and job creation. Who says those $500 solar panels aren’t saving us any money?

According to a 2010 study published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), jobs at a national scale can be created “by the energy saved when less efficient appliances are replaced with more efficient appliances, providing energy and dollar savings for consumers.” With efforts such as businesses turning off lights at night and updating appliances to meet newer standards, the energy saved equates to a net job growth. In fact, the study claims that 340,000 jobs were created in 2010 as a result of the energy-efficient movement that has swept the nation, and that 387,000 jobs can be created in 2020 with the same factors in place.

Cities such as San Francisco are no strangers to this trend. In 2002, San Francisco enacted the Climate Action plan which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 20 percent of 1990 levels by 2012, saving energy across the board. In 2008, the city’s enacted Environmental Plan set forth in motion a campaign to reduce waste and utilize renewable energy, clean transportation and much more, such as offering financial incentives to businesses and residents for installing solar panels and green building programs, which set forth environmental standards for the city.

In terms of the fiscal impacts these changes amount to, the Environmental Plan has allowed the city to save $3.5 million by replacing energy-inefficient lighting in 4,000 small businesses, $1.2 million by replacing inefficient traffic lights and $5 to $8 million by retrofitting lighting systems at over 900 municipal buildings such as hospitals and convention centers. San Francisco has also diverted 72 of its trash from landfills, making it one of the leading cities in the country in energy-efficiency and recycling.

They say that investing in energy is investing in our future, and according to the giant air conditioner or heater you’ve got cranked up, it’s not exactly breaking news. On a smaller scale, turning off computers and lights at night could save a household some extra cash, but on a state or national level, updating electrical appliances and making efforts to cut electrical consumption could have tremendous positive fiscal impacts.

And no, you don’t need an air conditioner to survive.

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