Alan Meier is senior executive editor of Home Energy.
May/June 2010 Editorial: Targeting the High Users
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The Hunt for Low-Hanging Fruit [continue reading]
July/August 2010 Editorial: A Cottage Industry with High Electricity Use
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Can growing marijuana change the way homes use electricity? In rural Humboldt County, in far-northern California, there’s no doubt that it can. Figure 1 tracks average monthly residential electricity use in Humboldt County and ... [continue reading]
Editorial: Restoring Credibility in the Efficiency Marketplace
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A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and nowhere is this adage truer than with the assurance of a manufacturer’s compliance with energy efficiency standards and endorsement programs. If any ... [continue reading]
Editorial: My Friend the Smart Meter
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I am an unabashed supporter of smart meters. While testifying about energy efficiency at the European parliament, I logged into my home’s smart meter (in California) and showed them my current energy use. ... [continue reading]
Editorial: The Making of an Industry at ACI
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ACI is 25 years old. Happy Birthday! And thank you, Linda Wigington. [continue reading]
Editorial: What Tokyo Must Do
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Few countries have been dealt such a tragic combination of natural and manmade disasters as Japan. The part of the disaster that I understand is the shortage of electricity. I wrote a book, Saving Electricity ... [continue reading]
Refrigerators, The Grand Coulee Dam, And Coil-Cleaning Brushes
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Why do refrigerators deserve so much attention? The pie charts show one reason: refrigerators use a lot of electricity. [continue reading]
Is That Old Refrigerator Worth Saving?
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There it sits, the faithful old refrigerator. It's 15 years old, the vegetable crisper compartment is warped, the gaskets are cracking, the door doesn't close perfectly, and the shudders at the end of each cycle seem to be more wrenching than in the past. [continue reading]
January/February 2010: LEDs: Avoiding the CFL Debacle
Alan Meier
The lighting efficacies of LEDs have been rising steadily and are poised to overtake CFLs. Fluorescents and CFLs still outshine LEDs with respect to general applications and cost of light, but LEDs are already superior for some niche applications and offer many new exciting illumination opportunities. Now we need to ensure that the reputation of this new energysaving lighting source won’t be undermined by a tidal wave of shoddy products. Tests for quality, ... [continue reading]
March/April 2010 Editorial: Home Energy Monitors
Alan Meier
Home Energy Monitors, that is, devices that display a home’s energy consumption have been touted as Silicon Valley’s contribution to the national energy conservation effort. A Home Energy Monitor (or HEM) constantly informs the occupants of their home’s electricity and gas consumption, along with conversions to monthly costs and comparisons with previous periods. Some models can (or will) communicate with heating and air conditioning systems. These devices will enable ... [continue reading]
May/June 2010 Editorial: Targeting the High Users
Alan Meier
Photo by Jovan Peric - Fotolia.com Homes with high energy consumption are likely to provide us more opportunities to save energy. If that’s true, then why don’t we see more programs and businesses geared toward the high users? [continue reading]
July/August 2010 Editorial: A Cottage Industry with High Electricity Use
Alan Meier
Can growing marijuana change the way homes use electricity? In rural Humboldt County, in far-northern California, there’s no doubt that it can. Figure 1 tracks average monthly residential electricity use in Humboldt County and in California. Until the mid-1990s, these two values were almost identical. But after 1996, Humboldt County’s electricity use suddenly turned upward. What happened? In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 215, which legalized the medical use of marijuana. In practice, Proposition 215 ... [continue reading]
November/December 2010 Editorial: Restoring Credibility in the Efficiency Marketplace
Alan Meier
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and nowhere is this adage truer than with the assurance of a manufacturer’s compliance with energy efficiency standards and endorsement programs. If any link is broken in this process, then it is impossible to “haul up” those energy savings for the consumer. The Department of Energy (DOE) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are finally taking actions to repair some of the ... [continue reading]
March/April 2011 Editorial: The Making of an Industry at ACI
Alan Meier
Sometimes it’s only possible to recognize progress by turning around and seeing how far you’ve traveled since the journey began. That’s certainly the case for the energy-conservation industry. Gradually an industry devoted to improving home performance is taking shape. The number of technologies, techniques, and tools dedicated to reducing energy use, improving comfort, and fixing building defects continues to grow. [continue reading]
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