Comments on: Appendix D: Boston Innovation Challenge Breakout Group Ideas http://ceic.cambridgeenergyalliance.org/archives/20 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:09:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: LauraD http://ceic.cambridgeenergyalliance.org/archives/20#comment-17 LauraD Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:00:38 +0000 http://ceic.cambridgeenergyalliance.org/archives/20#comment-17 In some ways, y'all are missing the point. I came to this site from Innocentive's listing of the search for more-efficient window air conditioners. Since that main problem is probably that people leave their conditioners on all day so the apartment is cool when they come home, just turn the whole building off while people are at work. Too much control over renter/owner lives. But most of them aren't going to want to keep track of their own energy uses, either. (I found this out when I bought a bread machine which added $20 to my monthly bill and people at work were gaga that I noticed. One of them even bought the machine from me.) So who is complaining about the brown-outs? Have you walked through the office buildings where the work is done? How many secretaries/worker-bees are wearing long sleeves and their hair down while managers wander around comfortably in suit jackets? Or have personal fans in their cubicles to get some air movement? Cold travels down and pools in the lowest area: Cut the bottoms out of the cubicles, put in ceiling fans to help the conditioners move air, and turn the thermostat up to 78 or 80. Or take the cubicles out all together so ceiling fans can circulate the air more efficiently. Or move the top two or three floors of people into the basement during the summer. Take a page from construction companies: In the heat of summer, come in earlier, when it's cooler, to get the work done. Or consider the Latin countries who (used to) include an afternoon nap through the heat of the day. Roof gardens have come a long way. The top Google listing promises a light-weight system that requires neither retrofitting buildings nor maintenance. Offer incentives for that. We've taken all the growing green out of our cities; this is a way to put that back and cut energy costs. Y'all are looking at things to make for the future. My suggestions are things that can be done now, without a lot of trouble. I live with fans and ice water through Kansas summers. Yes, there are nights when it's too hot to sleep until late, but being outside is no worse than being inside, which air conditioning denies. Just don't forget that "going green" means "pain in the butt" to a lot of people, whether in Cambridge or in California, so try to KISS. In some ways, y’all are missing the point. I came to this site from Innocentive’s listing of the search for more-efficient window air conditioners. Since that main problem is probably that people leave their conditioners on all day so the apartment is cool when they come home, just turn the whole building off while people are at work. Too much control over renter/owner lives. But most of them aren’t going to want to keep track of their own energy uses, either. (I found this out when I bought a bread machine which added $20 to my monthly bill and people at work were gaga that I noticed. One of them even bought the machine from me.)

So who is complaining about the brown-outs? Have you walked through the office buildings where the work is done? How many secretaries/worker-bees are wearing long sleeves and their hair down while managers wander around comfortably in suit jackets? Or have personal fans in their cubicles to get some air movement? Cold travels down and pools in the lowest area: Cut the bottoms out of the cubicles, put in ceiling fans to help the conditioners move air, and turn the thermostat up to 78 or 80. Or take the cubicles out all together so ceiling fans can circulate the air more efficiently. Or move the top two or three floors of people into the basement during the summer.

Take a page from construction companies: In the heat of summer, come in earlier, when it’s cooler, to get the work done. Or consider the Latin countries who (used to) include an afternoon nap through the heat of the day.

Roof gardens have come a long way. The top Google listing promises a light-weight system that requires neither retrofitting buildings nor maintenance. Offer incentives for that. We’ve taken all the growing green out of our cities; this is a way to put that back and cut energy costs.

Y’all are looking at things to make for the future. My suggestions are things that can be done now, without a lot of trouble. I live with fans and ice water through Kansas summers. Yes, there are nights when it’s too hot to sleep until late, but being outside is no worse than being inside, which air conditioning denies. Just don’t forget that “going green” means “pain in the butt” to a lot of people, whether in Cambridge or in California, so try to KISS.

]]> By: jigar111 http://ceic.cambridgeenergyalliance.org/archives/20#comment-15 jigar111 Sat, 24 May 2008 02:01:45 +0000 http://ceic.cambridgeenergyalliance.org/archives/20#comment-15 Well I think we need to utilize stationary force to do work. I know it is against to the law of conversion of energy. I am mechanical engineer, Believe me it is not as much difficult as you think. Details available on http://energyefficientmechanism.blogspot.com/ Well I think we need to utilize stationary force to do work. I know it is against to the law of conversion of energy. I am mechanical engineer, Believe me it is not as much difficult as you think. Details available on http://energyefficientmechanism.blogspot.com/

]]> By: Alf Gracombe http://ceic.cambridgeenergyalliance.org/archives/20#comment-9 Alf Gracombe Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:43:23 +0000 http://ceic.cambridgeenergyalliance.org/archives/20#comment-9 The results of a study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory of the Energy Department strongly support the "Prius" Meter idea. Link below: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/technology/10energy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New York Times article link</a>. The results of a study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory of the Energy Department strongly support the “Prius” Meter idea. Link below:

New York Times article link.

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