Energy Efficiency to Shine in 2010
San Jose Mercury News, by Dana Hull, January 25, 2010
http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=1430110...
Solar and wind power may get the headlines and attention, but green-tech experts say 2010 will be dominated by energy efficiency. Venture capital investment in energy efficiency hit a record in 2009: at least 115 deals worth nearly $1 billion, according to a preliminary tally by the Cleantech Group and Deloitte. That's up 39 percent from 2008. Home energy use accounts for 21 percent of the nation's carbon footprint -- roughly twice the carbon emissions of passenger cars, according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. There are 100 million homes in America, and energy-saving measures like insulation, caulking, and heating and cooling system upgrades can reduce household energy consumption by 10 percent to 40 percent, according to a memo by the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.