Energy Consumer Behavior (main)

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Energy Consumer Behavior


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Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy

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  • Photovoltaic energy valuation model Featured Article Photovoltaic energy valuation model Photovoltaic energy valuation model
    Photovoltaic Energy Valuation Model Sandia National Laboratories in collaboration with Solar Power Electric™ has developed PV ValueTM, an electronic form to... More »
  • Dark side of insulation Featured Article Dark side of insulation Dark side of insulation
    Building insulation has become a modish activity in the western world since the 1980s. Considerable benefits can accrue in energy conservation, occupant comfort and reduction of... More »
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Carbon dioxide Vitaly Krivosheev-Fotolia.jpg U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from energy use fell in 2011 Last Updated on 2012-08-17 00:00:00 After an increase in 2010 of 3.3 percent, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions declined in 2011 by 2.4 percent and were 526 million metric tons (9 percent) below the 2005 level. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have declined in the United States in four out of the last six years. Main Image Credit: Vitaly Krivosheev-Fotolia. U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 2011 Release Date: August 14, 2012 | Next Release Date: August 2013 U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from energy use fell in 2011 Read the Analysis After two years of declining carbon dioxide emissions (2008 and 2009) and one year of increasing emissions (2010), carbon dioxide emissions in 2011 fell, but at a less dramatic rate than in 2009. Unlike 2009, the 2011 decline occurred during a year of positive growth in the Gross Domestic Product... More »
PhotovoltaicEnergyValue.JPG Photovoltaic energy valuation model Last Updated on 2012-02-01 00:00:00 Photovoltaic Energy Valuation Model Sandia National Laboratories in collaboration with Solar Power Electric™ has developed PV ValueTM, an electronic form to standardize appraisals of homes and businesses outfitted with photovoltaic (PV) installations. While the tool is licensed for solar PV installations, it could be used for other large green features in a home that generate income, such as wind turbines. The spreadsheet, user manual and webinar explaining the tool are available for download at http://pv.sandia.gov/pvvalue. The tool has been designed to be used by real estate appraisers, mortgage underwriters, credit analysts, real property assessors, insurance claims adjusters and PV industry sales staff. For appraisers, the inputs specific to PV in the Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum can be used as inputs to PV Value™. Valuing a PV... More »
LED-BLUE DOE.png.jpeg Phosphor-Based White LEDs: Mixed Blessings? Last Updated on 2012-01-26 00:00:00 Light-emitting diodes use less energy and last longer than even compact fluorescent lights.This article, written by Angela Spivey*, appeared first in Environmental Health Perspectives—the peer-reviewed, open access journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The article is a verbatim version of the original and is not available for edits or additions by Encyclopedia of Earth editors or authors. Companion articles on the same topic that are editable may exist within the Encyclopedia of Earth. The Mixed Blessing of Phosphor-Based White LEDs Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which use less energy and last longer than even compact fluorescent lights,1 are predicted to become the leading lighting technology in the United States as incandescent bulbs are phased out.2 But Abraham Haim, director of the Israeli Center for Interdisciplinary Studies... More »
MildewBob Blaylock.jpg Dark side of insulation Last Updated on 2011-02-09 00:00:00 Building insulation has become a modish activity in the western world since the 1980s. Considerable benefits can accrue in energy conservation, occupant comfort and reduction of noise pollution from external sources. A dark side of insulation arises, however, from its trapping of radon gas, cigarette smoke, household sprays and other toxins within the enhanced imperviousness of the building skin. Furthermore, insulation can promote the entrapment of moisture, that in turn may increase the formation of molds and mildews, some of which contain toxic species. Compounding the problem of trapping indoor air pollutants, some insulation techniques employ fibers and chemicals that themselves have adverse human health effects including toxicity risks. While use of asbestos has been a long known risk, there are a host of recently developed chemical substances and fibers that pose entirely... More »
BirdandRig web-Deepwater-Horizon-oil-spill-04eoe1292249200.jpg America's Spill video Last Updated on 2010-12-12 00:00:00 Watch this video on the connection between our demand for oil and the gulf spill at America's Spill. Discuss what you think with your family, coworkers, community. Then encourage them to learn more about the Gulf Spill at OCEAN-OIL: Resources for Educators About the Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster or at Encyclopedia of Earth: Oil Spill. More »
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