As local communities continue to suffer from the current economic slowdown, as governments and businesses pinch pennies and pare budgets down to the bare minimum,Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet, the idea of spending money to save energy may seem counter-intuitive to some.
But to others, the question is not simply whether putting alternative energy systems to work is costly, or will save energy and money in the long run.
No, to some, it has been a matter of survival.
“I would have been in the unemployment line if it weren't for this,” said Mark McLain, a Carbondale architect, referring to Garfield County's expanding energy efficiency and renewable energy market.
“I'm a pretty small fish,The additions focus on key tag and impact socket combinations, but it's been a huge difference to me,” he added.
“It” is the growing commitment to clean energy, from generating renewable energy through solar and wind power to aggressive energy efficiency projects by local governments and residential and commercial property owners.
McLain, whose architectural business took a nosedive after the financial meltdown of 2008,Do not use cleaners with Wholesale pet supplies , steel wool or thinners. also was a certified energy auditor thanks to a class he took at the Solar Energy International in Carbondale.
He started conducting energy audits, and found that in doing so he was generating commissions for architectural work, too. Hence, his ability to survive, even thrive, without resorting to public assistance.
Is McLain's story one that has broader implications, or was he just lucky?
Investments in clean energy
The upsurge in interest and participation among businesses and residents,Save on Bedding and fittings, as well as government, is now a fact in Garfield County.
Dozens of public buildings and businesses, along with scores of private homes, are using some type of application of clean energy.
According to Alice Laird of Carbondale, director of Garfield Clean Energy, the organization has “stimulated demand for energy upgrades offered by local firms and installed by local workers skilled in energy improvements.”
She reported that more than $600,000 has been spent in energy evaluations and energy-conservation upgrades for business, homes and affordable housing units.
“Over $2.3 million has been invested in renewable energy,” she wrote in a written statement, “stimulating demand for products and firms that install solar systems.”
She said more than 60 businesses and 1,000 households have signed up for the Garfield Clean Energy Challenge, which involves energy evaluations and subsequent energy-efficiency improvements.
Savings so far, as a result of these improvements, have topped $310,000 for business and homes where upgrades were made, and she expects those numbers to rise.
For example, Lynn Dwyer, owner of Dwyer's Flowers & Greens, a plant nursery and greenhouse south of New Castle, worked with an energy coach who helped her find an “energy curtain” system.
The curtains, installed inside the greenhouse reflect sunlight and provide shade in the heat of the summer,Initially the banks didn't want our RUBBER SHEET . and can be used as a type of insulating blanket for cooler times. They open and close using an automated system.
A $5,000 grant through GCE, she said, brought the price tag for the curtains down enough that she could afford the project.
She said the curtains cut her propane bills by 25 percent last year. Now she plans on making further improvements to cut her bills even more.
Noting that tracking energy use is the first step to saving energy, Laird reported that 67 government buildings across Garfield County are now using a new website, garfieldenergynavigator.org, to track their energy consumption. With the data collected, building managers are adjusting lighting, heating and cooling to save on utility bills.
School districts, too, are getting involved.
Laird said 20 schools in the Roaring Fork and Garfield Re-2 school districts have signed on for “comprehensive data-driven energy conservation programs.”
But to others, the question is not simply whether putting alternative energy systems to work is costly, or will save energy and money in the long run.
No, to some, it has been a matter of survival.
“I would have been in the unemployment line if it weren't for this,” said Mark McLain, a Carbondale architect, referring to Garfield County's expanding energy efficiency and renewable energy market.
“I'm a pretty small fish,The additions focus on key tag and impact socket combinations, but it's been a huge difference to me,” he added.
“It” is the growing commitment to clean energy, from generating renewable energy through solar and wind power to aggressive energy efficiency projects by local governments and residential and commercial property owners.
McLain, whose architectural business took a nosedive after the financial meltdown of 2008,Do not use cleaners with Wholesale pet supplies , steel wool or thinners. also was a certified energy auditor thanks to a class he took at the Solar Energy International in Carbondale.
He started conducting energy audits, and found that in doing so he was generating commissions for architectural work, too. Hence, his ability to survive, even thrive, without resorting to public assistance.
Is McLain's story one that has broader implications, or was he just lucky?
Investments in clean energy
The upsurge in interest and participation among businesses and residents,Save on Bedding and fittings, as well as government, is now a fact in Garfield County.
Dozens of public buildings and businesses, along with scores of private homes, are using some type of application of clean energy.
According to Alice Laird of Carbondale, director of Garfield Clean Energy, the organization has “stimulated demand for energy upgrades offered by local firms and installed by local workers skilled in energy improvements.”
She reported that more than $600,000 has been spent in energy evaluations and energy-conservation upgrades for business, homes and affordable housing units.
“Over $2.3 million has been invested in renewable energy,” she wrote in a written statement, “stimulating demand for products and firms that install solar systems.”
She said more than 60 businesses and 1,000 households have signed up for the Garfield Clean Energy Challenge, which involves energy evaluations and subsequent energy-efficiency improvements.
Savings so far, as a result of these improvements, have topped $310,000 for business and homes where upgrades were made, and she expects those numbers to rise.
For example, Lynn Dwyer, owner of Dwyer's Flowers & Greens, a plant nursery and greenhouse south of New Castle, worked with an energy coach who helped her find an “energy curtain” system.
The curtains, installed inside the greenhouse reflect sunlight and provide shade in the heat of the summer,Initially the banks didn't want our RUBBER SHEET . and can be used as a type of insulating blanket for cooler times. They open and close using an automated system.
A $5,000 grant through GCE, she said, brought the price tag for the curtains down enough that she could afford the project.
She said the curtains cut her propane bills by 25 percent last year. Now she plans on making further improvements to cut her bills even more.
Noting that tracking energy use is the first step to saving energy, Laird reported that 67 government buildings across Garfield County are now using a new website, garfieldenergynavigator.org, to track their energy consumption. With the data collected, building managers are adjusting lighting, heating and cooling to save on utility bills.
School districts, too, are getting involved.
Laird said 20 schools in the Roaring Fork and Garfield Re-2 school districts have signed on for “comprehensive data-driven energy conservation programs.”
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