Gold: It sure is easy being green

It seems to me…at the risk of contradicting Kermit the Frog, “It is easy being green.” And, it’s not only easy, it’s smart! While people have been talking about it for years, being green has finally gotten the public’s attention.

Perhaps it is the public’s concern that our resources are disappearing, or Al Gore’s movie about global warming, or the realization that we need to encourage renewable resources or maybe, just maybe, the economic downturn has pushed the public to want to save money and not waste it. Whatever the reason, consumers are looking to buy energy-efficient appliances, cars and homes. New home buyers are looking for energy-efficient homes and builders are turning to newer methods of construction that make homes more energy-efficient and energy cost effective.

Even certain labels that claim to be “environment/Earth-friendly” have become more attractive to home buyers and builders. The labels claim to reduce utility bills, protect the environment, meet energy efficiency guidelines or use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating, delivering annual savings.

While still in the minority, there are homeowners who have installed wind machines or wind turbines, geothermal units that use ground heat and large solar panels to generate more energy than they need and they sell the excess to the power companies. There is at least one doing this in the Fredericksburg area.

You can even get an energy efficient mortgage on a new home that credits a home’s energy efficiency in the mortgage itself.

For use inside the home, shoppers can now find appliances bearing labels that explain how much energy you can save. Water saving devices such as toilets that use less water or new tankless or on-demand water heaters are being used more frequently. Outside the home or on the home, solar panels, wind machines and geothermal heating devices are being used to heat homes and the water in it or provide energy.

Easier yet are well-known simple green things we can do in our homes, offices and factories to save energy. Don’t waste water by leaving the water running unless it is being used. Turn out lights when no one is in the room. Set thermostats at more reasonable levels and wear a sweater when it is cold and cooler clothes when it’s warm. Think green!

Older homes can be “retrofitted” to make them more energy efficient. Starting with an “energy audit,” homeowners can find out where their homes are energy deficient or losing energy. Then a plan can be devised to improve insulation, caulking, heating duct insulation and sealing and door or window sealing. Home audit companies are springing up in Stafford, Fredericksburg and adjacent localities.

But being rewarded for saving energy is not only available to private citizens; state and local governments can also benefit. Stafford County is in the process of taking advantage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This act appropriated $3.2 billion for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants. The program provides federal grants to local government, states and U.S. territories to reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions and for improvements in energy efficiency.

According to a Stafford County staff document, “The county was notified that it was eligible for $484,300 in a direct formula grant from the Department of Energy (DOE).” The significance of having these funds is that the energy management systems in the courthouse, government center and Porter Library, as a result of a 2007 study, were found to be out-of-date and inefficient for today’s energy needs. However, due to budget constraints the county has not been able to update this equipment. This $484,300 would allow the county to replace the out-of-date equipment and conserve energy in these public buildings. This month, the board of supervisors will consider accepting this grant. If this is done, the county will save approximately $34,000 per year. Sorry Kermit, it is easy being green.

Many people are coming to realize that saving energy is not a Republican or Democrat thing to do. It is a common sense thing to do. Don’t use more than you need. Don’t waste what is valuable. Keep enough in the bank for a rainy day. Find other ways to satisfy your daily needs other than using what’s in your bank account. Don’t believe Kermit…it is easy being green.

Harvey Gold is a contributing writer at the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at info@staffordcountysun.com.