Show me the money
The Problem: Americans spend lots of money on energy due to inefficient products
The Fix: Spend a little more up front for more efficient products that save money over time
Summary: Contrary to popular belief, many of the green technologies and lifestyles out there are not simply philanthropic attempts to lower our impact on our Earth and the other living creatures on it. While this is the primary goal for many people, there are other benefits that may appeal more to others. Reducing the amount of fossil fuel energies we consume, either by substituting with other energy sources or reducing consumption, also reduces our dependence on foreign energy sources from potentially unstable areas of the world. Using less energy also reduces monthly utility bills, which appeals to pretty much everyone.
How to do a simple economical analysis (Net Present Value). See code I'm working on
Examples of Ways to Save Money
Lightbulbs - The switch from incandescent light bulbs that have been used for decades to compact flourescents can increase the lifespan of light bulbs greatly and can decrease energy usage by the lights by over 75%. They of course have their downsides as well, such as the fact that they contain mercury and release a small puff of smoke when they do eventually go out. They can provide a large amount of savings over their lifetime despite the higher initial cost.
Hybrid Vehicles
Winners and Losers of Hybrid vehicle savings can be found at http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/autos/0809/gallery.consumer_reports_hybrids/index.html (77).
Energy Star
Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that attempts to save consumers money through reduced energy consumption, benefiting the consumer and the planet. In 2007, American's saved enough energy to offset the emissions of 27 million cars, while saving $16 billion dollars on their utility bills. Energy Star certifies household products such as appliances, as well as new homes and also identifies tools and resources for large scale improvements that will reduce energy consumption by some benchmark amount and which will in the long run save the consumer money by lowering their utility bills, despite often paying more up front for the product. The EPA's Energy Star partnership offers businesses an energy management strategy that helps measure current energy performance and to set and accomplish goals, track savings, and reward improvements. This energy performance rating system is already used for more than 62,000 buildings across the country.
Government Incentives
There are a number of government incentives that subsidize the installation of more energy efficient appliances and energy production systems. The incentives range from subsidies to tax credits to feed-in tariffs to net metering and similar laws and will be outlined in applicable areas as the site grows and more content is added.