Power Economics

Book description

Energy efficiency is more of a journey than a battle. It starts with small steps, taken at the local and state levels. It is a matter of identifying and then practicing good habits in our daily lives, at home and at work.

Every idea and process described in this book, if performed reasonably well, will put money in your pocket. You will not only save money; you will probably make money—and you will take important steps toward saving the planet.

Power Economics is a book for thoughtful people who want to cut their energy costs and diminish the harmful effects of greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change and global warming are not speculative fantasies. They are real. They threaten communities, towns, cities, regions, nations, and continents. Even if you don't care about polar bears and penguins, the effects of melting icecaps and shifting ocean currents will transform your life and the lives of the people around you.

Power Economics offers practical steps and achievable strategies for reducing the destructive impact of climate change and global warming.

Yes, we need energy to live and to sustain our economies. But we don’t need to burn fossil fuels and release CO2 gas at levels that will result in a global catastrophe. There are reasonable alternatives to our current practices. None of the ideas that described in this book are entirely new or totally unfamiliar. They aren't extreme or bizarre. They won't require harsh or draconian measures to work. All of them follow basic rules of common sense and can be achieved at reasonable cost.

"I have done my best to convey the complexity and urgency of the matter. I hope that you find this book informative and useful. Working together, we can shed many of our wasteful energy habits and begin the task of building a world that is safe, sustainable and healthy," writes author and energy expert Elena Cahill.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Introduction
    1. Quick Basic Concepts
    2. It's a Calling
    3. What about the Grid?
    4. Economics versus Nature
    5. Don't Put the Cart before the Horse
    6. Endnote
  7. Chapter 1: Good Building, Bad Building
    1. Living Buildings
    2. Systems Thinking
    3. What Makes a Good Building?
    4. Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty
    5. Digging Deeper, Searching for Clues
    6. Endnotes
  8. Chapter 2: Stabilizing Demand
    1. Techniques and Strategies for Stabilizing Demand
    2. Islands of Energy
    3. Generating Buzz
    4. Wider Adoption, but Hurdles Remain
    5. No Surprises
    6. Endnotes
  9. Chapter 3: Why Batteries Matter
    1. Battery Culture
    2. Enabling Energy Evolution
    3. Electrifying Energy
    4. Endnotes
  10. Chapter 4: Energy and the Law
    1. Carbon Dividends
    2. Universal Property
    3. Endnotes
  11. Chapter 5: Your Role in Reducing Carbon Output
    1. Simple Steps You Can Take Right Now
    2. Enjoy Creature Comforts without Wasting Energy
    3. Beware of Phantom Loads
    4. Get an Energy Audit
    5. Use DSIRE
    6. Aim for Net-Zero Energy
    7. Endnotes
  12. Chapter 6: Focus on What's Doable
    1. The Solar Brewery
    2. Making Pasta and Conserving Energy
    3. Finding Efficiencies in Steelmaking
    4. 195 Church Street
  13. Chapter 7: The Power of Local Action
    1. A Virtuous Circle
    2. Everything Is Local
    3. Strong Legal Framework Is Essential
    4. Endnotes
  14. Chapter 8: Conservation, Efficiency, and Generation
    1. Inefficient Systems Are Everywhere
    2. Building Codes and Energy Efficiency
    3. Diving Deeper
    4. Endnotes
  15. Chapter 9: Pricing Energy: It's Complicated
    1. Electricity Costs Are Variable and Inconsistent
    2. A Patchwork of Grids
    3. What about Fracking?
    4. Power Plant Decommissioning
    5. Where Do Renewables Fit In?
    6. Multiple Factors Drive Energy Markets
    7. Endnotes
  16. Chapter 10: Understand Your Energy Bills
    1. Calculating the Cost of Demand
    2. Impact of Energy Deregulation
    3. Considerations before Choosing Alternative Suppliers
    4. Pricing Is Problematic but Cannot Be Ignored
    5. Rate Class and Charges
    6. What about Natural Gas?
    7. Energy Is Subject to Sales Tax
    8. Endnote
  17. Chapter 11: Find the Money
    1. Federal Tax Credits
    2. Federal Depreciation and Tax
    3. State Sales Tax Exemptions
    4. Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Solar and Geothermal Energy
    5. Local Property Tax Exemptions
    6. Rebate Programs
    7. Cash Incentives
    8. Always Follow the Guidelines
    9. Spend Time on the DSIRE Website
    10. Demand Response Program
    11. Loans, Interest Rate Buy-Downs, and Specialized Financing
    12. Evaluating Energy Savings of Completed Projects
    13. Choosing Your Project
    14. Endnotes
  18. Chapter 12: Educate and Communicate
    1. Focus on the Positives
    2. Politicians Need Reminding
    3. Sharing Knowledge across State Lines
    4. Internal Business Communications
    5. Layers of Communications
    6. Visual Cues and Rewards
    7. Endnotes
  19. Appendix A: Tips for Saving Energy at Home
    1. Endnotes
  20. Appendix B: Resources
  21. Bibliography and Recommended Reading
  22. Expert Sources
  23. About the Author
  24. Index
  25. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Power Economics
  • Author(s): Elena Cahill
  • Release date: March 2021
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119707707