How “Picking Low Hanging Fruit” Can Hurt Energy Efficiency
In this article Joe Romm makes a counter-intuitive argument against easy energy savings such as lighting upgrades. Although he clearly agrees with the consensus that they are needed, his concern is that they often are the end of the story rather than the beginning of a process of increasing energy efficiency. He explains how energy efficiency Return On Investment (ROI) targets are often too high, leading to lost savings after energy users take their first step.
The article also delves into policy issues. It supports the carbon tax as an effective means to promote energy savings. It also explains the benefits of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), Managed Energy Services Agreements (MESAs), and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs.
Read the whole article here: http://theenergycollective.com/josephromm/147666/rotten-fruit-why-picking-low-hanging-fruit-hurts-efficiency-and-how-fix-problem