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After the flurry of articles the other day about the NRDC’s study on set-top boxes (cable boxes and DVRs), I decided to dust off my trusty Kill A Watt and take some measurements. The headline from the NRDC report that got the most play was the fact that a typical set-top box setup consumes 446 kWh/year, slightly . . . → Read More: Vampire hunting, now in HD Allow me to be perhaps the millionth person this year to observe that one of the critical problems we face regarding our looming energy and climates challenges is the sorry state of critical thinking skills. You can provide your own list of ways this situation is a very bad thing, although I would be deeply . . . → Read More: Comparing apples now to apples later Obama aims to cut oil imports by a third: President Barack Obama will set an ambitious goal on Wednesday to cut oil imports by a third over 10 years, focusing on energy security amid high gasoline prices that could stall the U.S. economic recovery. … “He’ll be laying out the goal … that in a little over a . . . → Read More: Obama’s non-plan for reducing oil dependence Putting data centers on a low-energy diet (emphasis added): A holistic approach to data centers could result in millions of dollars of savings and a far smaller carbon footprint for the ever-expanding universe of information technology. That’s the promise of research conducted by Binghamton University colleagues Kanad Ghose, a professor of computer science, and Bahgat Sammakia, a . . . → Read More: Data centers are gray OK, maybe your specific house doesn’t suck energy, but statistically speaking, the odds are depressingly high that in terms of energy consumption your current abode is replete with sucktitude. Why do I say this? Well… US loses opportunity with home energy efficiency: About 17 percent of new homes built in 2008 earned the Energy Star label. The . . . → Read More: Your house sucks energy Everyone, including me, talks about all the ignored, or simply not-yet-exploited opportunities for energy efficiency that surround us. Now we have a study that seemingly takes a rigorous look at the issue. (I say seemingly because I don’t have access to the $44/copy paper.) Study Cites Substantial Efficiency Savings: A new study from the National Research . . . → Read More: Lean, mean, and green Will consumers plug into home energy displays?: Dozens of home energy monitors are coming to market, but nobody knows whether only hybrid Prius owners will use them. Whole home energy monitors, or displays, are designed to help consumers conserve energy by providing far more detailed information than a monthly bill. These types of devices are already available, but . . . → Read More: The limits of geektitude Be prepared to execute a world-class eye roll. It seems the US Dept. of Energy stinks at, well, saving energy in their use of IT hardware. The report Department of Energy Efforts to Manage Information Technology Resources in an Energy-Efficient and Environmentally Responsible Manner [30 page, 1.2 MB PDF], by none other than the . . . → Read More: Document alert: DOE’s energy audit Greenpeace has thrown down the gauntlet (by which I mean mouse pad) and issued the Cool IT Challenge, “a campaign to turn IT industry leaders into climate advocates and solution providers.” From their About page: This website exposes the gap between what the IT industry could do to fight climate change, and what they’re doing today. . . . → Read More: Greenpeace says “Cool IT” One of the points I’ve mentioned here — you can’t manage what you can’t measure — is something that I think will become increasingly important in the coming years. Whether you’re concerned about peak oil and the legendary lack of data transparency regarding OPEC reserves and operations that Matt Simmons and other have talked about . . . → Read More: Measure, but measure well |
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