If all the existing high-rise structures and buildings that heighten the skyline of the United States were to be retrofitted with LED Retrofit Lighting, as much as $33 billion can be saved in a single year by the end of 2030. Sounds too far-fetched? Well, it is not too far from the stark reality that the country urgently needs to plan an energy-efficient retrofit to save energy as well as the planet.

Buildings are the largest source of energy efficiency, especially in the United States. LED retrofitting light helps achieve environmental synergy through energy efficient lighting fixtures installed at commercial centers, buildings and homes. Retrofitting buildings with this technology helps to save money on energy bills and reduce global warming.

Within the next twenty years or so, if all buildings in the United States were to be upgraded with LED Retrofit Lighting, the surging demand in lighting electricity can be reduced by as much as 33 percent, generating energy savings of around $265 billion. By using energy efficient lighting for just one-twentieth of all the homes in the United States, the government can definitely, avoid the need for 13 new medium-sized (300MW) power plants every year. At the same time, the total associated greenhouse gas emissions can be lowered by up to 160 million metric tons annually, thus saving our planet from further depletion of natural resources.

The mission behind every strategic initiative towards energy-efficiency is to reduce the emission of harmful carbon dioxide with the help of breakthrough concepts, such as LED Retrofit Lighting, that produces higher levels of energy output using lesser amount of energy. Advancement in technology has made it possible to retrofit any interior or exterior lighting to an LED component with minimal downtime.

However, despite the energy savings and environmental benefits of energy efficiency with LED retrofitting lights, several barriers had earlier prevented homeowners and businesses from retrofitting their buildings. Until a few years ago, affordable financing was one such barrier. Homeowners who were willing to invest in home retrofits and undertake energy efficient improvements were not aware of any financing options that could have been devised keeping the best interest of the community in mind.

The scenario has changed today, thanks to licensed companies in the energy smart industry, who offer innovative retrofit lighting service for homes, commercial complex and other governmental buildings, ensuring guaranteed energy cost savings and unbelievable positive cash flows. These companies specialize in LED Retrofit Lighting and encourage home owners or businesses to upgrade their existing facilities with state-of-the-art energy-efficient lighting with no money paid up-front.

The leading providers of LED retrofitting lights in the United States are well-equipped to retrofit an entire building through a professional turn-key approach, bringing about a neat 75 percent saving in energy bills. In fact, buildings that are powered by LED Retrofit Lighting require less power generation compared to facilities that are powered by other green-power systems. This makes LED Retrofit Lighting a far more economical and technically-feasible energy solution for the modern man. It goes without saying that American homes and buildings present an unprecedented opportunity to save energy and make the world a greener place.

Director of Programs and Partnerships, The Gold Standard Foundation
Looking back at the first half of 2009, what has Gold Standard seen as the years most significant developments to date?
The most significant change at the Gold Standard is that weve tripled our staff and grown from a European to an international organization. I remember at the Carbon Expo in 2008 a participant said to us during our side event, You either need to grow or youll choke. At the time we had about 200 pending applicant projects. Now weve got 300 projects in our pipeline, technical expertise (we call them our Local Experts) in seven developing countries, and weve re-ignited our US programme with the hiring of Director of US Markets, Lisa Hodes. Ms. Hodes brings a strong legal and policy background to the team, and has already taken the U.S. by storm. In short, its been a big year.

What is the view from Europe on U.S. efforts to launch a cap and trade system? What do the prospects of the passage of a U.S. cap and trade regime mean to Gold Standard and to Gold Standard certified projects?

The Gold Standard tries to remain neutral to political developments; meaning, so long as the US gets on board somehow with a regulated cap and trade market, the Gold Standard (and the rest of the world) will be relieved. That said, it would be favorable if the US would sign onto a climate bill that could be complimentary to the existing global carbon market. Kyoto was ratified on February 16th 2005, and the market is still going through growing pains associated with building human capacity, securing ample validators and verifiers for projects, and implementing the projects themselves. It would be a shame to reinvent the wheel.

Are you hopeful that a post-Kyoto (2012) global accord will be reached? What do you see as the biggest hurdles and opportunities ahead for reaching such an accord?

Im hopeful because being pessimistic is just too scary. The climate science is clear: we need stricter caps, policy that follows the science, and emissions stabilization at 450 ppm (or less).

The hurdles are always political. It is easy to take a short term view and claim that carbon reductions cost too much, when any careful look at the figures (such as the Stern report) make the economic case for early action very clear. Specifically, I think the larger rapidly developing countries need to show willingness to accept some of the climate burden, but that will only happen once the industrialized countries sign onto serious carbon reduction agreements.

In terms of opportunities, I do think the carbon market is a unique political device whereby environmental groups, oil companies, and governments all stand to gain. While I dont think carbon markets can do enough to mitigate climate change on their own, they have thus far surpassed the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in terms of new finance for renewables and they represent an opportunity to rally resources for a more efficient economy without necessarily winning over the hearts of business and governments. The opportunity behind the carbon market is precisely that you dont have to be an environmentally concerned person to be interested in the economic opportunity.

Please explain Gold Standards approach to project certification. What is Gold Standard 2.1, and why is it important for the standard to continue evolving?

The Gold Standard builds on the Kyoto Protocols project cycle: we use the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes (UNFCCCs) project methodologies, its validators and verifiers, and the same

equivalents when evaluating greenhouse gases against carbon dioxide. In the voluntary market, the Gold Standard accepts methodologies independent of the UN, and were also open to new additionality tools that seek a certification scheme to recognize them.

What makes Gold Standard different, however, is our strong emphasis on sustainable development (both local and global) and the local stakeholder consultation process. We really expect Gold Standard projects to contribute to the local community in tangible, monitored ways. Like any good standard, we employ conservative calculations and try to keep our documents updated to reflect a fast evolving market: thats why we just recently launched GSv2.1. Dont worry, its similar to the old Gold Standard: weve simply clarified some technical details and taken into account user feedback in order to further streamline our processes. Next up: were looking to improve our rules for micro-scale projects.

What would you like carbon market/project investors to understand about Gold Standard certified projects? Is there a long-term role for standards bodies in an evolving global carbon market?

A ton of carbon is not a ton of carbon. Many people, particularly in the United States, are wary of the carbon market. After all, youre buying an invisible commodity, and how can you know that the greenhouse gas emissions were actually avoided? The Gold Standard was created by environmental groups worldwide, who set up guidelines for what a really remarkable offset project looks like. So when youre purchasing or investing in Gold Standard, you know you have the brand that many governments, Fortune 500 companies and environmental groups like WWF and Greenpeace endorse as being top in the market.

Id like people to understand that quality carbon can also happen in large volumes. I think theres a funny myth out in the market that there are currently very few Gold Standard projects, when in fact weve seen a steady stream of new projects throughout the economic crisis. GS projects can be large-scale, and weve also got the small charismatic projects for which our brand is famous.

There is a long term role for standards bodies provided they are willing to evolve with the market and support its innovation. As a standards body, the core of our task is to reward excellence in carbon markets, assure buyers that theyve purchased something of quality, while also encouraging project developers to take risks and bring new ideas to the climate challenge.

About The Gold Standard Foundation

The Gold Standard Foundation offers the leading brand label for CDM/JI and voluntary offset projects, fetching premium prices. Projects in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector are eligible. The Gold Standard sustainable development requirements ensure that all projects benefit the local and global community in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria. The Gold Standard is endorsed by over 60 non-governmental organizations worldwide. Gold Standard projects are preferred by a range of government and private actors. Initiated by WWF, SSN and Helio International the Gold Standard for CDM projects was launched in 2003 after a wide-ranging stakeholder consultation among key actors of the carbon market as well as governments. A methodology for voluntary offset projects was launched in May 2006.

If you are about to embark on a new interior design look for your home, or for particular rooms in your home, one easy and fast way to make a dramatic change in the appearance of the room is with new window treatments. Many people enjoy using window blinds for their ease of use, energy efficiency as well as light filtering capabilities, and there are two brands that have been in business for decades that offer quality products: Hunter Douglas and Levelor. If you know that you would like to get some cell shades for your home, you are probably deciding between Levelor cellular shades and Hunter Douglas shades. The best brand between Levelor shades and Hunter Douglas shades depends on several factors that you deem to be most important.

Hunter Douglas shades offer several features that are attractive to homeowners. They have shades that are energy efficient, utilize green materials, take child safety in account, come in motorized styles with motorized lifting systems guaranteed for five years and also have a lifetime guarantee for defects and broken parts not caused by normal wear and tear.

Levelor shades come backed with many aspects that homeowners appreciate. In business for nearly one hundred years and now a division of Newell-Rubbermaid, they offer the latest in window fashions, innovation in Levelor shades’ designs and quality products.

Levelor cellular shades come in over two hundred different fabric choices. This means that there are a wide variety of colors and textures to the fabrics used from which you can select those that will best fit into your new interior design aesthetic. Levelor cellular shades also can help save you money because there are models available made with Energy Shield technology, basically made of thicker materials so that warm air stays in your room in the winter and cool air stays inside during the hotter summer months. You can also use these shades to control light in the room by varying the type of fabric selected, which could range from sheer to semi-opaque all the way to solid blackout quality. This also helps to give you the privacy level you desire for bedrooms, bathrooms and other rooms in the home.

Levelor also gives you many size and shape options in blinds. In addition to the regular square and rectangular shapes, you can get blinds sized to fit in arches, half arches, circles, angled skylights, cutouts and more.

You can learn more about Levelor and Hunter Douglas cellular shades by visiting an online window blinds dealer.

The type of lighting you use for your deck can play an important role in shaping the utility of this area. Without the right amount or use of lighting your deck will not be as easy, fun or safe to use after the sun sets. The deck is an extension of your home and to get the best use out of it you need both a nice seating area and enough illumination to make this area both appealing and functional.

Types of Deck Lighting

There are a lot of options available when it comes to outdoor lighting, so you can get creative and come up with a unique design that fits your needs best, but there are a few basic types of deck lights you may want to consider.

Post cap lights are a great choice because they look somewhat like part of the deck. You can either go with a very basic style that blends in or with something more decorative to fit the decorating style of your outdoor area.

Rope and string lights can be used in a variety of ways. They can either be used to add a festive vibe or they can be hung beneath the railing so you only see the glow and not the lights themselves.

Step lights are a good idea if you have stairs on your deck. Not only do they create an attractive glow, they also make the stairs safer to use at night.

Wall and recessed lighting can provide a functional, easy to use light to help you see when you are taking dinner out to the deck or cleaning up after eating. By adding lower watt bulbs you can create a softer glow if you don’t want something too bright.

Energy-Efficiency

Before you buy anything consider energy-efficient lighting which is better for the environment and your pocket book. Low voltage lighting is a good choice because it can provide a reliable power source, but it is a more affordable option. If possible you may also want to consider mixing in solar lights where possible.

Installation

If you want to do the installation yourself make sure it is something you can handle, if you are unsure hire a professional. Low voltage lighting is relatively easy to install and solar is even easier because it doesn’t have to be wired to an electrical source. Another option for easy installation is battery-powered LEDs which can be installed anywhere.

With a little thought and the right use of deck lighting you can make this extension of your home a functional and cozy place to spend your evenings.

The best time of year to make home improvements on home efficiency is before cold weather arrives, especially in Houston, Texas. Doing an inspection for checks to find drafty areas of the home is beneficial in making the home more comfortable and in saving money. Determine what do-it-yourself and professional repairs need to be done to prevent warm air from escaping and cold air from invading.

Radiant Heat Barriers
Call reliable local insulation contractors in Houston, TX to determine what type of protection the attic needs. They may make several recommendations to prevent energy inefficiency in what is typically the least efficient room in the home. Foil radiant heat barriers placed in the attic further prevent heat from leaving the home. This means the heating system doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the house at a pleasant temperature level, leading to further energy savings. These can be installed quickly and, once again, saved money may make it pay for itself in the long run. Foil sheeting costs a little bit more than the typical spray-on Houston radiant barrier, but it is worth the extra investment for those who can afford it. It blocks about 97 percent of the Houston sun’s heat from entering the home in the hot summer.

Chimney
Keep the flue closed in the chimney when it is not in use. Not only does this prevent cold, blustery air from blowing in, it also prevents animals seeking shelter from roosting in the attic for the wintertime. Invest in glass or metal doors in front of the fireplace. Keep them closed when the fireplace is dormant. Use fireproof mortar as needed to fill in chinks in the bricks.

Doors
Add storm windows to exterior screen doors. If they already have them, be sure to lower or raise the windows as winter rolls in. The less chance cold air has to sneak into the home, the less warm air must be generated to combat it. Add a draft blocker in front of doors with gaps beneath them. This is not only useful for the exterior, but interior doors as well. A chilly room that is seldom used harbors cold air which escapes into the warm house.

Crawlspaces
Like attics, Houston crawlspaces can harbor cold air and allow warm air from the rooms above it to escape below. Add insulation to prevent air from escaping to unused portions of the home, such as the crawlspace and attic.