You may have heard about Third Tribe, an awesome community of people who gather under the entrepreneurial tent of Brian Clark, Sonia Simone, Chris Brogan and Darren Rowse to discuss Internet marketing and online business.  I joined when it first opened in February and have loved every month of my membership ever since.

I asked my fellow 3T members if anyone had a question I could answer and met Beth, who runs a family-focused green site over at Smart Family Tips.  She asked:

This is where I admit that we replaced our water heater in 2008 and did not choose to invest in a tankless water heater.   I know, I know… I’m supposed to be some kind of energy pro and I didn’t buy one.  Well, if you haven’t picked this up yet from my other posts, I’m more of a pragmatist than a treehugger…

These are the reasons why we chose to buy a conventional water heater:

1. We don’t plan to own our home for 20+ years. When I considered the annual expected savings gained from a tankless water heater over a conventional electric water heater, the best-case scenario said we could pocket about $50 per year.  (savings with a gas model are closer to $80 per year, depending on your costs per therm)
2. Even if we did stick around for 20+ years, chances are high that we’d have to replace it before we started seeing a return on our investment. We paid $600 for a conventional water heater versus $2,000+ for a tankless model.  Using our $50/year estimated savings, it would have taken us 28 years to see any true savings. (This assumes we’d pay in full at the time of the installation – charging any of this would lengthen the payback period even more because we would have incurred interest fees)
3. Electric tankless water heaters don’t perform as well as gas models, especially in the wintertime. They just can’t heat up water like a conventional one can.  I really didn’t feel like going through the insanity involved with running a new gas line just for the water heater.
4. Many electric tankless water heaters on the market would require we upgrade our electric service in order to accommodate the demand. If you’re just looking to do one floor and the water heater is in close proximity to the use source, this may not be an issue for you.  We live in a two-story house, so we would have required an update to our service.  Call me lazy, but I didn’t want to go through the headache or the added expense.
5. We couldn’t use our trusted plumber for the job. He thinks they’re garbage and won’t service them.  If we wanted one, we would have had to find someone else.  Considering that, plus the reports that tankless water heaters need to be professionally flushed once every few years to eliminate scale build-up, we didn’t want to start all over again with someone new.

And so, we bought a fat conventional water heater using our guy and paid in full at the time of service.  We did choose one with a 9-year warranty (plus a couple extra years courtesy of Sears) and we check it regularly to make sure everything’s working as appropriate.

If you’re looking to save money on your water heating, choosing a tankless water heater would not be the way I’d suggest you do it.  They’re costly, require a lot of work and probably won’t deliver in a fashion worthy of the hassle.

Instead of going that route, consider some of these quick tips:

• Reduce the amount of water you need to heat by installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. Most models can reduce the flow by half-a-gallon per minute, resulting in savings of more than 2,000 gallons per year for each person in your family.
• Lower the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees. For some unknown reason, many people have them set to 140 degrees.  Not only is this dangerous, but it’s wasteful.  You can expect to can save between 3%–5% in energy costs for each 10-degree reduction in water temperature.*
• Insulate your pipes. This is totally a DIY project.  Most home improvement stores sell pipe sleeves that you can slip on to minimize heat loss, allowing an even lower temperature setting at the heater.
• Wrap your tank. This is another activity that you can do if you buy a pre-cut blanket from a home improvement store.  Be sure to follow the directions included and you should be good to go.

Thank you, Beth, for asking such a great question. I wish you luck and encourage you to contact me if you have any questions along the way!  A few quick notes before I go:

• I give advice on this blog that assumes a certain level of handiness on your part.  Please do not mess around with gas lines, electric wires or anything like that if you don’t know what you’re doing.  It’s always best to consult a professional if you think there’s a chance you may burn your house down.
• I’ll be back next week to answer your questions.  If you have one that you’d like me to answer in a future post, tweet @Renewabelle or get in touch with me one of a few other ways over here.
• If you have any follow up questions or notes you’d like to add about the information I’ve included today on water heaters, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I hope this information proves useful and that it finds you well.

RB

WE’RE MELTING!!!! Seriously, though… The heat’s seeping into our homes like butter into toast and our cooling costs are on our mind.  Can we do better?

Dapper dad Jeff Tippett asked:

The ever-lovely Jennifer Wig (who just started her own business – check it out) echoed:

Nobody wants to spin their wheels, especially when they’re on their way out the door for work) so I’m going to give it to you straight…

Every degree you turn up your thermostat this summer is going to save you money.

Bust A Myth…

I’ve heard it said that you’re not really going to save anything because you’re going to need to use more energy to cool off your house upon your arrival than you would have if you just let it stay at your desired temperature.  If you like to keep your house at 60 degrees, this may hold a bit of water.  However, you may save more because you’re not fighting the outside temperatures with consistently running AC.

If you use a window unit, go ahead and turn it off if you’re going to be out of the room it conditions for a few hours or more.  It’ll take less energy to cool the room again than it will to leave it running when you don’t need it.

For whole-home cooling, you’re going to need to wait a bit for your system to get it back to your preferred temperature with making manual changes. Quite frankly, I’m not sure why you’re not using a programmable thermostat, but we’ll get there in a minute.  For now, let’s focus on the money…

Bad Bill Rising?

As a general rule, you can expect to save 4% to 8% for every degree you raise your thermostat.  This figure is based on average use patterns for an entire month.  So what happens if you only set it back eight hours a day?

Research estimates that you’ll save about 1% to 3% for every degree you turn it up if you only do so for about eight hours.  If your monthly bill is $100, you’re looking at about $5 to $15 extra in your pocket if you set it back 5 degrees.  While this isn’t a ton of money for a month’s worth of work, there are things you can do to minimize your effort while increasing your savings.

First, get a programmable thermostat.  You can get a decent one now for $30 to $50.  Using our previous estimates, you can be assured the investment will pay for itself in less than a year. (don’t forget you’re going to save a TON on heating costs, too)  ENERGY STAR estimates you can save up to $160 for every year these are in use.

These are not difficult to install.  I swapped both of ours out by myself using only the included instructions and have had no issues with them whatsoever.  The only tricky part is making sure it’s properly gauging your indoor temperature and adjusting the baseline accordingly.  Again, you can do this yourself. Just read the instructions.

Next, you need to program it.  Be realistic about what will make you comfortable and try to kick it up 2 degrees above that to see if you can tell the difference.  We did that in our house and found the difference between 72 degrees and 74 degrees is hardly noticeable.

When we’re not home, I program our thermostat for 83 degrees.  Some will say you can go higher, but I don’t want to freak out my appliances and electronics.  If Gibby’s at home, I don’t go higher than 78 degrees.  I know, I could do better, but really, I’m cool with my bills.  The only thing I’d do differently would be to purchase an ecobee wi-fi thermostat so I could control my thermostat on my iPhone… Someday, someday…

Remember, though, that the point of a programmable thermostat is to let it do the work so you don’t have to.  Do your best to let it do its job and don’t mess with it.  You’ll be saving money before you know it…

Extra Credit…

Ready to take some additional steps?  Here are some quick tips for improved air-conditioning efficiency this summer:

• Fun with filters. Swap out your filters according to your system’s needs.  Don’t use a three-month filter if you don’t need one – you’ll make your system work harder than it should.  If you’re using one-month filters, be sure you replace them every month. Put stickers on your calendar if you need a visual reminder.
• Shut it up. Close the air vents in unoccupied rooms. You can either flip the vent switch or buy a vent magnet.  There’s no sense in cooling a room that doesn’t need to be cooled.
• Be unclear. I’ve installed solar film on my skylights and found a HUGE difference.  (full disclosure: they look like crap with wrinkles and tears, but they work nonetheless) Insulated curtains are going to help, too, but only if you remember to close them.
• Respect the fan. If you’re in the room, turn the fan on.  When you leave, turn it off.  Remember that fans cool people, not rooms.
• Give your house some cushion for the pushin’. The amount of insulation you have in your walls is going to determine how your home will respond to outdoor temperatures.  If you can afford to increase your insulation, it’s a worthwhile investment.  Don’t forget: if your pink insulation has black spots, your house is leaking like a frat boy at a sports pub.

I wish you luck and encourage you to contact me if you have any questions along the way!

A few quick notes before I go:

• Next week I’ll be back with some information on tankless water heaters.  Hit me up if you have thoughts you’d like me to include or address.
• I’m going to move “Ask Renewabelle” to Thursdays from now on — not only is that a better day for me, but it seems like the response is better when I post later in the week.
• If you have any questions you’d like me to answer in a future post, tweet @Renewabelle or get in touch with me one of a few other ways over here.
• If you have any follow up questions or notes you’d like to add, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I hope this information proves useful and that it finds you well.

RB

Yo! Thanks for coming back for this week’s “Ask Renewabelle.”  As you hopefully read last week, we discussed the cost benefits associated with unplugging your electronics last week and I immediately received a follow up question from Johnny B. Truant that I had to address right away.  He asked…

I knew I was going to write about it, but then Phil Buckley echoed Johnny’s question with a comment on last week’s post…

Since there are a few myths to bust here, I’m going to go after this one piece at a time…

Livin’ La Vida Verde

When CFLs first came out, many promoted a lifespan of seven years.  Anyone who has used one for a while can probably look back to one that didn’t come even close to that.  The reason is understandable…

If you read the packaging, it probably said it would last 10,000 hours.  To come up with the seven-year claim, they’re estimating you’ll use the bulb about 1,429 hours per year or approximately 27 hours per week.  I’m going to guess you left yours on a lot more than that, which means the bulb isn’t going to last as long.

If you have a CFL that only lasted a year, you got a faulty bulb.  I’d bring it back to wherever you bought it and request an exchange.  I’d also call the manufacturer to let them know.

It’s All About The Benjamins, Baby

Now that we know these really are going to last a while, will they pay off?  In a word, YES.  In a few words, HELL FREAKIN’ YES.  Here’s the science:

• Let’s figure you’re going to have your CFL turned on for eight hours a day (or night), five days a week.  That’s 40 hours a week (as if you didn’t know this), or 2,080 hours per year.

• We’re going to take that 2,080 hours and assume you’re using a 23-Watt CFL instead of a 60-Watt incandescent bulb with a 1,000 hour life.

• If the lifespan of the bulb is 10,000 hours (about 4.8 years using our numbers), you can figure you’ll save 370 kWh over the life of the bulb or approximately 77 kWh per year.  (if you want to convert your own Watts to kilowatt hours, go here for the math)

• Assuming you pay an average kWh rate (check your bill to run your own return) of $0.10 per kWh, you can expect to save around $37 over the life of each bulb or $7 and change per year.

• If the average CFL costs $3 each—versus the average incandescent, which costs $0.60 each—your simple payback is 0.2 years.

• This number is even better if you factor in the $1.20+ you’re going to spend every year on that replacement incandescent bulb, the gas money spent going to the store, your time spent swapping bulbs, etc.  Hassle factor is heavily weighted in my house.

• The number is even better than that if you’re swapping out an outdoor flood or another indoor bulb with a wattage closer to 100 or more.  I picked 60 Watts for our example because it’s about as low as anyone goes with their wattage.

• Now, go count the number of incandescent bulbs you have, multiply that by $7 and you tell me if you’re going to save any money by swapping them out with CFLs…

So now you say, sure… I’ll save money, but I heard CFLs are dangerous…

Those Lights Are POISON?

Let’s talk about the mercury issue.  Did you know there is more mercury in your average battery than in a CFL? Yeah.

People freak out about the mercury and use it as an excuse to avoid buying CFLs, but those same people probably have dental fillings containing more of the stuff IN THEIR MOUTH than they’ll find in a bulb.

Check out this article from Popular Mechanics to get the low-down on mercury.

I’ve had CFLs burst on my head.  No, that’s not why I’m freaky – I was like this well before CFLs hit the market.  Wanna know what I did?  I cursed, grabbed a broom, swept up the glass, put it all into a plastic bag from the grocery store and took a shower with my eyes closed.  Easy peasy.

That being said, you need to pay attention to how you dispose of them.  Check out this page from the US Environmental Protection Agency to learn more about proper disposal procedures.  I personally bring mine to Home Depot, which keeps a cute container right by the front door just for CFLs.

I wish you luck and encourage you to contact me if you have any questions along the way!

A few quick notes before I go:

• Next week I’ll be back with some information on thermostats and set-backs.  Hit me up if you have thoughts you’d like me to include or address.
• If you have any questions you’d like me to answer in a future post, tweet @Renewabelle or get in touch with me one of a few other ways over here.
• If you have any follow up questions or notes you’d like to add, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I hope this information proves useful and that it finds you well.

RB

Hooray for summer! My family took a road trip last week to Dutch Wonderland and Hershey Park, hence the missing update.  However, I’m back now and ready to tackle your most perplexing energy questions.  And yes, I know I’m posting this on a Thursday.  I’m late sometimes… (that’s what she said – doh!)

This week, I’m taking on a query from the ever-awesome Johnny B. Truant. He asked…

I love this question because it acknowledges that electronics draw power even when they’re turned off or in stand-by mode.  If they’re plugged in, they’re probably sucking energy, hence the term “Vampire Power.”

They Vant To Suck Your Money

A cursory search around the web will show you that this is a very real issue and, while manufacturers of power-saving equipment would have you believe it’s a major contributor to higher bills, my experience has shown that an average consumer will only spend about 5% more if they leave everything plugged in all the time.  That averages out to about $50 extra per year for everything.

Obviously no one wants to throw away that kind of money, but I ask you to remember that’s just an average and expects you to have a few computers, a whole bunch of inefficient equipment and no power-saving measures whatsoever.  I would estimate unplugging a standard cable box every time it’s not in use would save you about $5 per year.

That said, many advances have reduced the amount of energy they’re pulling.  ENERGY STAR appliances and electronics were designed to draw far less power in standby mode than non-qualified items.  Check this out to learn more about how to buy products with low standby power draws.

Some will say that the increased focus on standby mode power use at the manufacturing level is helping the situation.  I disagree.  We have more crap that requires power than ever before, so our increasing volume offsets the reduction for those few items.  Fortunately, there are a number things you can do to stay in control of your power draw without climbing behind an entertainment center or desk…

Bring Out Your Slayer Stakes

Most computers have a sleep setting. Use it. If you want to go one step farther, flip the big switch in the back (if you have one) instead of the “soft” button on the front, which is more of a standby switch than a power button. Learn more about computer management at Climate Savers.

There are also a few different manufacturers offering smart power strips that eliminate the excess power draws experienced in your home or office.  One that I’ve received a lot of great feedback on is the Smart Strip Power Strip, which can save up to 73% of the wasted energy on a computer system if you set it to go to sleep after an hour and keep it plugged into the strip.

You can find out just how much juice your electronics are pulling with a Kill-A-Watt device.  These things are great for predicting energy bills and also deciding which of your items need your attention the most.  Plus, they’re fun in a geeky sort of way.

The Advice You Weren’t Expecting…

Ultimately, you’re better off focusing on more pressing matters.  The amount of time you’re going to spend mitigating energy vampires could have a better bang if you gave your hour to something else…

• Do you already turn off the lights when you leave a room? Really? (don’t lie… you’re only doing so to yourself here)
• Speaking of lights, have you replaced all your incandescent bulbs with CFLs or LEDs?
• Do you already have setbacks scheduled on a programmable thermostat? Do you leave it, or do you mess with it according to your outfit, level of activity, etc?
• Do you use a ceiling fan to keep you cool instead of kicking up the AC? Do you reverse it in the winter to bring the heat down to you?
• Do you wash your clothes in cold water? Dry your clothes on a line when possible?
• Have you replaced outdated refrigerators, washers, and so on with energy efficient models that, by nature, use less than their predecessors?

If you’ve done all of this and still want to go after your vampires, I’d suggest checking out the Berkeley National Labs site on Standby Power.  I wish you luck and encourage you to contact me if you have any questions along the way!

A few quick notes before I go:

• Next week I’ll be back on the regular Wednesday schedule.  Hit me up if you have thoughts you’d like me to include or address.
• If you have any questions you’d like me to answer in a future post, tweet @Renewabelle or get in touch with me one of a few other ways over here.
• If you have any follow up questions or notes you’d like to add, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I hope this information proves useful and that it finds you well.

RB

Carrying on with my new Wednesday tradition, I’m transforming your energy questions into answers. Let no one tell you that I’m short on tricks.

This week, I’m tackling a query from Vic Roberts. Here we go…

This topic is a freaking mine field.  For every company that sells carbon credits or offsets, there’s a person who thinks they’re bogus.  There’s also a person who thinks they’re the best way to save the planet.  Since I’m the type of girl who’d prefer the hard fight first, I’d like to explain why some think carbon trading is the greatest invention since invisible underwear.

Put It On Our Tab…

First, the concept of carbon credits is relatively new and was created to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the industrial market sector.  As I noted last week, industrial users consume more power than any other sector.  The international carbon trade was established to stimulate environmentally preferable activities (such as renewable power generation or forest farming) with funds paid in exchange for a virtual reduction in on-site emissions.

On the surface, it’s easy to get frustrated watching these major industrial users buy their way out of the pollution they cause instead of focusing on improvements at the source.  It seems as though they’re slapping Band-Aids on bullet holes, but that’s not always the case…

What you may not see is that some are also working to increase efficiency and reduce on-site emissions, too.  They just can’t move fast enough.

Transformations take time and money—two things most businesses don’t have enough of to begin with.  By assigning caps or quotas, countries and markets are  able to assign a monetary value for each metric ton of carbon dioxide, which in turn financially motivates more individuals to become operators who sell credits.

Countries that have ratified the Kyoto Treaty follow different guidelines than those who have not (like the United States), though they’re all based on the same general idea.  Around the world, there are five exchanges trading carbon allowances: the Chicago Climate Exchange, European Climate Exchange, Nord Pool, PowerNext and the European Energy Exchange.  Other markets are in development or in early stages of trading, and carbon is being touted by some as the commodity of the future. I disagree.

Can You Say “Pollution Palliation” Three Times Fast?

I certainly see the value in the promotion of renewables via financial incentives (there’s no carrot like money to move a market) and I really like to read about developing countries generating more revenue, but I fear that there are too many industries that will see this as the easy way out.  Consider this…

I tell you that you can lose all the weight you want if you take some magical pills that I’m selling, and the more you take the more you’ll lose, regardless of what you eat.  If, however, you do not take my pills but still want to lose weight, you’re going to need to reduce your caloric intake, increase your physical activity and find the time to make it all happen.

If you had the money to buy the pills, would you choose the hard way? I wouldn’t. I’d eat 45 White Castle burgers in a row and plop my ass in front of the TV for the rest of the week. Losing weight is hard. Swallowing is easy. (heh) And easy is…well…easy.

Change and challenge are BFFs.  Many people are not against change unless it involves them directly.  This is clearly the case with the so-called “Carbon Cowboys” who would prefer to buy carbon credits rather than change the way they do business, and with industrial users, that’s exactly what you’re asking them to do.

The Shape Of Things To Come…

While I certainly don’t have any issues with market mechanisms that increase the number of environmentally preferable operations, I do take issue with policies that allow energy hogs and polluters to ignore their on-site energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.  Furthermore, spending their money on carbon credits limits the amount of capital they will have on hand for efficiency upgrades.

To get back to Vic’s question, we (meaning “we” as individuals) manage the undermining effects of this new trading scheme by doing what we’re supposed to be doing in the first place: reducing our energy use, consuming less stuff and minimizing the impact our activities have on the planet.

Once you’ve done all that, if you’re rolling in dough and guilt, you can exchange your money for a carbon credit.  Just make sure you research the company taking your money, because ultimately it’s the brokers who are getting the most out of these trading schemes and not all of them care about the planet as much as they do the profit.  If you’d like to learn more about legit carbon trading, I think the Environmental Defense Fund has some great information to get you started.

I had hoped to tie in a few more questions, but this really needed its own post and I’m out of time.

A few quick notes before I go:

• Next Wednesday (or within a few days thereof — it’s summertime), I’m going to answer a question from Johnny B. Truant on whether we really need to unplug everything to be energy efficient. Hit me up if you have thoughts you’d like me to include or address.
• If you have any questions you’d like me to answer in a future post, tweet @Renewabelle or get in touch with me one of a few other ways over here.
• If you have any follow up questions or notes you’d like to add, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I hope this information proves useful and that it finds you well.

RB

It’s recently come to my attention that many of you have questions related to energy that go unanswered.  I’d like to change that.  Starting today and continuing until I can’t do it any more, I’m going to answer your most perplexing energy questions every Wednesday.  To kick it off, I have some questions that came in Tuesday via Twitter…

First, I received an excellent question from Anson Burtch:

This question gets hotter the closer you are to Capitol Hill.  Of course, the answer is going to be different depending upon who you ask.  My particular specialty involves the development and management of market transformation programs, and my opinions should be regarded as such.

That said, we’ve all known for a long time that our resources are limited and that there are better ways to obtain the energy we crave.  I use the word “crave” intentionally, as we don’t really need as much as we use.  Opportunities for efficiency are everywhere, yet many still choose the old way of doing things.

I’d like to point out here that we’ve been mining coal here since the mid 1700s and drilling oil since the mid 1800s.  Most of the American energy infrastructure was built to depend primarily on these two resources.

The latest research shows that roughly a third of our energy is used by the industrial sector for things like manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and construction.  The transportation sector uses the second largest amount of energy.  The remainder is consumed by homes and businesses.

Most of our total energy use is spent making stuff, feeding ourselves and creating more energy.  Our nation is but a collection of energy user archetypes, each with his or her own reasons for not doing what it takes to make a clean energy future our reality today.

Consider how hard it is to walk down a grocery aisle without seeing at least one item that touts its own eco-friendliness.  There are a lot of things to evaluate when making purchases, and for many, the key items of note are the ingredients.   Since we’re talking about energy here, I’m going to ask that we instead think about how these items actually came to be.

For the amount of energy used to develop a crappy plastic egg-poaching gadget (which, by the way, includes a recycling symbol associated with a type of plastic no one recycles but people think it’s okay because it has a symbol), you could light a living room for the evening. Think about that… Now think about what you’ve purchased in the last week.

While you’re pondering, I’d like to tie in another question to this conversation that I received from the delightfully irreverent Jay Dolan:

The US government is offering more incentives than ever before to get people to use less energy and support the adoption of renewables.  They can’t seem to throw enough money at it, but they’re certainly trying.  Money is the only way the Feds can come up with to motivate the market to move – though regulations are passed all the time to push out inefficient and ineffective technologies.

See, this is bigger than the government covering an entire southwestern state with solar panels.  They can’t force this on us any faster than we let them.

We must not forget that solar panel manufacturing requires energy, too. The same goes for all those elements that make up the clean energy systems that Anson addressed.  We must also remember that, while technology continues to improve efficiency in said production lines, large-scale renewable energy systems are very costly investments.  When compared to conventional means of obtaining energy, the returns are lengthy and too few are willing to give away investment funds for good will.  That’s why the government is buying down the cost with as many incentives as it can afford…

If you tell me you want to make some kind of energy improvement in your home or business, 95% of the time I can find an incentive of some sort to buy down the cost.  We can make this more affordable.  The thing is, you actually have to make the improvement.

For many people, the only believable future is one that doesn’t include coal or crude oil.  With this thought, Martin Whitmore (the awesomely talented artist responsible for my header) is going to make me take this one step farther…

Scientists and engineers tell us it is possible to power our nation completely with renewable resources.  If we want renewable resources to power our nation, we need to remember that money makes the decisions these days.  True, the government and utilities are offering more incentives to lower the initial costs, but no investors are stepping up to take this on right now.

The reason, as Marty astutely noted, is because we consume too much energy to make it a worthwhile investment.  We need to cut back.

Really, this is the critical key…

We are responsible for our own energy use, whether this comes from actually flipping a power switch to consuming copious quantities of items that take energy to produce.  We are the only ones who can make this change happen faster, and we do this by making energy-smart decisions in every aspect of our lives…

I know.  It’s frustrating that this urgent issue isn’t moving quickly enough.  Believe me… every week I learn of a business owner or a municipality who knows what they can do to reduce their electric and gas use but won’t make the changes because they don’t have the money.  Really, though, I think they need a paradigm shift more than anything…

We are the reason this is taking so long.  How we actually fix it is going to be another post, since I’m definitely out of time. A few quick notes before I go:

• Next Wednesday, I’m going to tackle questions from Marty on cold fusion and Vic Roberts on the implications of carbon credit programs. Hit me up if you have thoughts you’d like me to include or address.
• If you have any questions you’d like me to answer in a future post, tweet @Renewabelle or get in touch with me one of a few other ways over here.
• If you have any follow up questions or notes you’d like to add, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I hope this information proves useful and that it finds you well.

RB

Four and three and two and one (What up!)

When Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock first organized as the Beastie Boys, they were among the hardest of the hardcore in 1979. Rather than abandon their sound for their love of rap music, they made music history by changing the scene instead of themselves.  As it turned out, they could do both. At the same time.

If only it were that easy for the rest of us…

The saving grace is that we’re not alone in this.  A month ago…

• I hadn’t read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
• I hadn’t heard any of the Question The Rules modules from Johnny B. Truant & Lee Stranahan.
• I hadn’t received optimystical clarity from Mynde Mayfield.
• I hadn’t asked a few particular people for guidance, or heard the rather confounding feedback I eventually received.
• I hadn’t gone to the NC CEO Forum or heard the amazing speakers discuss how they achieved a triple bottom line in their businesses.
• I hadn’t seen that (I can not believe I’m about to say this) Glee episode with Neil Patrick Harris about dreams.
• I hadn’t gotten my new tattoo, a cover-up for another tattoo that represented a period in my life I finally became ready to leave behind.

And really, it was the last one that came with a bullet because it was an intentional change made to represent this moment…this time in my life where I’m standing at the crossroads, looking forward at what my life could be, knowing the only thing these paths share is a change from what my life currently includes. I now have a permanent reminder of who I am today and I couldn’t be happier.

The tattoo sealed the deal, but it was a combination of all these things together that created a rather perfect existential storm.

Kickin’ the clarity…

I’ve seen how other people before me have worked through trying times when it feels like nothing is certain and everything is up for grabs. And I’ve seen how they rocked it into six-figure businesses that fulfill them.

I understand Resistance and refuse to accept it as my driver.

Most importantly, I’ve questioned everything I thought was solid (spoiler alert: there really is no spoon) and have come to realize I don’t have to change who I am in order to change what I do.

True, there are tons of people writing about sustainability. Are any of them business-focused pervs who are incapable of providing a value proposition without giggling at the word proposition?

There are a lot of people who discuss grieving and the importance of reconciling your past in order to be fully present for the now.  Are any of them twisted enough to tell you it’s okay to feel anger while cracking on the reaper with jokes that would make your mama blush?

Even if the answer is yes, I’ve realized I actually do have things to offer that won’t compromise my current line of work or my integrity.  I don’t need to take on an assumed name (yet) and I don’t need to write to you in a fashion that reads like comment bait.  While I certainly hope you comment, that’s not my goal here.

Short time frame, big difference…

If I learned anything from the last 30 days, it’s that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be right now. More, I’m exactly who I’m supposed to be.

I’ve been so focused on change that I forgot it’s okay to be the constant. I don’t have to be the one who changes all the time. And neither do you.

As I bless this site with a new header (created by the ever-awesome Marty Whitmore) that more accurately captures what I’m trying to do here, I also bless myself with a little kindness for all the crappy things I’ve been doing to my mind.  It is true that I’m a total freak, but people have built revolutions on this kind of thing… so why not me?

If this resonates with you at all, I’d love to hear your experience and insight.  It’s been so liberating to find I’m not as alone as I thought I was…

I hope you know the same is true for you…

Art by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

Since starting this blog last year, I’ve written about my job twice. There’s a reason for that, and it’s probably not what you think.

I’m not holding back here because I feel like I should save my material for paid work. Well, that’s not the biggest reason…

Earth Day was last week and I didn’t do a damn thing on here for it.  I owe you an explanation.  The chief reason I haven’t posted on energy topics is because my profession consumes me everywhere but here.

I had hoped this blogging experiment could remind me of who I am beyond this belle who manages big budget energy projects.  I don’t want to be one-dimensional, so I write about everything but my job.  Probably not the most predictable direction for my Renewabelle handle, but I had no idea things would turn out this way when I started my company three years ago…

This is the real face of green.

I work from home.  Many people think that means I lead a relaxing and flexible life of sustainable luxury.  Many people would be wrong.

The truth is that I work more than most people I know.  Even on the playground with my kid, I’m thinking about work.  I don’t concern myself with a work-life balance because everything requires such fluidity that I hardly have a moment to plan rigid time blocking.

Over the last six years, I’ve watched the Illinois market for energy efficient technologies and sustainable building practices transform before my eyes.  The program we run is better than a typical rebate program because we help business owners and public entities make educated investment decisions.  In a rebate scenario, they do one thing.  In a design assistance program, our experience has shown clients implement a lot more than one simple measure.

When our program began, we were begging businesses to let us audit their facilities for free.  The general opinion was that energy-related investments were reserved for treehuggers or spendthrifts.  Today, we can hardly keep up with the incoming flow of applications for assistance.

Things are very different now than they were a few years ago.  For example, people now understand that increases in energy efficiency have many benefits, both economic and intrinsic.  Sweetening the deal, incentives and grants are available to offset the increased costs associated with efficient technologies.

The only problem is that the bottom fell out from under the country right around the same time legislation was passed to require significant results from related programs.  Everyone wants to do it, but either they don’t have the money, the time or they’re too scared to spend anything right now.

It’s an uphill battle, but the team I work with is amazing and we work our backsides off to keep our program successful.  With this work comes a lot of stress, which affects pretty much everything I do since, like I said before, my work consumes me.

This is the real face of Jess.

Sometimes all I can muster is a tweet.  After reviewing a report or having a long, detailed call that requires 110% of my attention, I don’t have much left in me for commentary.

I have to fight the urge to isolate. After leaving Florida, I was socially sequestered on and off for nearly four years.  I don’t want to go back.  Tweets are progress.  Or maybe regress… Either way, I digress…

I’m well aware that hundreds of bloggers write about swapping a light bulb or inspecting a building envelope (walls, windows, roof, etc) and I don’t feel I need to add to that.  I want to bring something different to the table, but everything I want to tell you either involves something I’m contractually not allowed to discuss or something I’ve made myself believe is banal.

People ask me from time to time what I sell, and the only simple answer I can provide is “sound solutions.”  I’ve thought a lot about it and think that’s why I keep writing all these bizarre life lessons.  I want to help you (whoever “you” are), so I’m throwing everything at you in my arsenal while reserving my area of professional expertise for my day job.  The problem is that you’re probably here for something I’m not giving you.

A normal businesswoman would look at this and say, “Jessica, I believe you may be onto something.” Unfortunately, this particular businesswoman has become a commitment-phobe and likes to come up with awesome ideas that she convinces herself aren’t worth the sacrifice of time necessary for success.

That said, I’m not going to promise you I’m going to write a report or book or some other saleable item that I hope will justify my efforts on here anymore. The next time you hear me talk about that type of thing, it’ll be because it’s done and I’m ready to take your money.

I built this blog because I thought it was the next right step in my journey.  I don’t know what I’m going to be doing next year, but I do know that today I have this thing that I’m supposed to write for and find myself failing.  I will do my best to change that.

All I have to do now is figure out how to use my own voice again and all will be well.  Right?

When you’re looking down the barrel of a mic (or a pen) and a reporter is on the other end, you’d better be ready.  I’m not going to mince my words at all when I tell you it is exceptionally easy to blow an interview.

Since starting my work in the energy efficiency industry, I’ve been interviewed for pieces in industry newsletters, the Wall Street Journal and everything in between.  My ability to provide succinct sound bites and quick quotes is not a natural talent, but  one I honed through a number of embarrassing, easily preventable events that you never need to endure.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and, while I have many maxims regarding the subject, the story behind my First Maxim of Media Relations is really too good to keep to myself…

My “John Mayer” Incident

In 2002, I was interviewed by the ever-lovely Xtine for her magazine, In Theory. Neither of us had actually done an interview before, and what happened was nothing less than punk f***ing rock. (click here to download the PDF)

At the time, I was working in the editorial department at Orlando Weekly as the calendar girl, spending the remainder of my extracurricular hours as a DJ and live show producer for my college radio station.  Never a wallflower, I was not one to maintain a “professional” demeanor either at work or play…which is probably why I was immediately forced to learn my First Maxim of Media Relations:

No matter how much fun you’re having, don’t forget you’re giving an interview.

This WILL go down on your permanent record.  You don’t have to be stuffy, but I strongly suggest you stay away from responses like “don’t take it in the ass” unless you are absolutely certain you won’t mind that showing up in print.  Also…

Do not make jokes about fellatio when discussing how you landed your current job. Even if your bosses are a gay man and a woman.

The day after it came out, the head editors called me into their office to discuss the article and I was unofficially reprimanded.  Thank goodness I worked at a newsweekly with a sense of humor and wasn’t fired for this.  I could have been, but really, it never occurred to me that she would print that.

I forgot I was being interviewed and said something that could not translate without inflection or facial expressions. Bad, bad move…

Having since been an interviewer as well as the interviewee, I must warn you that many writers are (*gasp!*) personable individuals.  They engage for a living, so it should come as no surprise when it happens while they’re asking questions.  No matter what, you must always remember your conversation is part of the interview and respond accordingly.

(note: I do realize that I’m letting you all read something you’d never, ever have known existed, but figured mere reference simply wouldn’t transfer my message quite as clearly.)

Xtine and I were later crowned Princesses of Punk at the Orlando Punk Awards, so it wasn’t even close to a loss.  In fact, as my first interview ever, I’d say it was one of the coolest things I did during that era.  I can assure you I haven’t done anything like it since…

Except for the part about Tony Danza.  I still sing the wrong words to that song because it’s funny. And because I really do want him to hold me closer… Really… who doesn’t?!

Yesterday was a day that shall live in infamy.

To call what happened a failure of epic proportions would be an understatement.  Fortunately for you, sweet reader, I swiftly cataloged the sequence of events that led up to my Passover paroxysm in case you were interested in creating your own minor meltdown.

Question nothing as you follow these steps and you too will soon enjoy a spectacular failure, the kind where an hour feels like an entire evening and you know it will be one you’ll never forget…

Step 1. Do not plan ahead: Look for essential resources (such as a Seder plate) the day before you need it. There is no need to interrupt your moments prior when you’re “pretty sure it’s somewhere.” Chances are likely it will magically appear alongside the magical coffee that brews itself and the dishes that clean themselves overnight.

Step 2. Source via big box: Do not attempt to locate unusual replacement items from a website that specializes in such matters, especially when you live within a few miles from a Party City. Do visit said big box, ask for assistance, and experience the awkwardness that can only come from requesting a Seder plate and getting handed paper plates with pastel crucifixes on them as an appropriate equivalent.

Step 3. Mince your words (especially in the meat section): Upon entering your chosen supermarket, locate the nearest meat expert (someone wearing a white jacket) and inquire about particular cuts specified in your recipe.  Do not question his wisdom.  Ideally, a child with a penchant for poking his finger into the plastic wrap covering ground beef and steaks should accompany you.  Ignore italicized words on plastic packaging, as they are often unnecessary descriptors that do not apply to your chosen outcome.

Step 4. Relax: Even if you’ve never prepared a brisket in your life, this isn’t something you really need to worry about.  You printed out the recipe and got what it said to get… deal with the prep when the time comes.  If you find your recipe requires more time than you left for yourself, frantically search the internet for ways to cook meat faster than advised.

Step 5. Forget to laugh: Quite frankly, there is absolutely nothing funny about mistaking corned beef brisket for beef brisket, forgetting to start the cooking process on time, messing up cuts so that the non-brisket ends up in rubbery rectangles, or eating the crushed-tomato covered carrots that were supposed to soften somehow in the non-brisket juice.  May your eyes burn holes through anyone who dares to make a mustard and rye joke in lieu of spearheading activities that could involve unleavened bread.

Given some practice and possibly a beer, I’m certain you too could enjoy your 15 minutes at the butt of your spouse’s every joke while creating a memory that will last a lifetime.  If you have any tips you’d like to contribute, I sure would love to hear them…