Green Blues

Grrrr. I've been at this energy thing for a long time, trying to persuade people to make energy-efficient investments in their buildings. Now that oil is well over $125 a barrel, everyone's jumping on the green bandwagon like they were the first person to think of it.

Except in one sense, nothing has changed; few buildings are interested in doing what it really takes to save energy.

Back when oil was dirt cheap -- say, less than $100 a barrel -- hardly anyone wanted to make investments in energy efficiency unless it involved new windows. The prevailing attitude seemed to be that it should be possible to add a $100 gizmo or turn a knob someplace and save 20% or 30% of your energy -- a fantasy then and now.

Now, people try to outdo each other to prove their "green" bonafides, but instead of opting for sensible but perhaps unglamorous measures, they want green roofs, solar panels and wind turbines -- preferably all at once and on the same roof.

Green roofs, solar panels and wind turbines are terrific, and I've been involved with the latter two (in fact I have a client who is on the brink of installing solar hot water panels) with some frequency. But the paybacks on this stuff (assuming there even is a payback for green roofs, which in my mind is an open question) are almost always ludicrous.

You are much better off investing in efficient lights, controlling ventilation, tweaking your fuel burner and heating controls, and installing weatherstripping and insulation.

I know, it sounds like the energy equivalent of castor oil. Who wants to brag to their neighbors about their well-insulated pipes?

What to do? If brag you must, try this approach: make the mundane but cost-effective investments and let your neighbor brag about his or her green roof; you can brag about your low maintenance.