Are we sheep?

Generally, the public is well ahead of short-sighted politicians in leading on important issues. Why should energy be different?

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You and I know better what makes sense for our lives and pocketbooks than out of touch politicians or a media that promotes Think Tank babble.

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The media has continuously raised the issue of Al Gore's energy consumption as an excuse not to reduce personal energy use. Who have we punished but ourselves?

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Others have moved ahead without fanfare, done constructive things, ignored the rhetoric and rewarded themselves with their energy savings. It wasn't always for environmental reasons, but instead to pocket the savings. Those frugal Yankees, you know!

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Local events, such as this will become the norm:

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New technology will be on display at Energy and Water Fair in Sharon
Homeowners can get a look at new technology at free event
By Jennifer Santos
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Sep 19, 2008 @ 05:39 AM
SHARON —
This weekend homeowners will be able to watch demonstrations and meet with
Local retailers will showcase alternative-energy and water-efficiency technology this weekend at the town’s first Energy and Water Fair.
The event is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Sharon High School, 181 Pond St.

Admission will be free.
Home Depot will hold educational sessions on insulating pipes and sealing windows. E Inc. of Boston will provide information on global warming and wind power.
Solar Wrights will demonstrate solar panels, which can be used to produce electricity, heat and hot water.
Adults will be able to test an electric scooter and view a hybrid and electric car that runs on bio-diesel fuel. The Sharon school system will hold a scavenger hunt for children.
An electric meter monitor valued at $100 to $150 and a rain barrel are among the prizes to be raffled off. A meter monitor enables a homeowner using a remote control to see how much electricity is being used.
For a list of the retailers and organizations that will be participating in the fair, visit www.sharonwater.com/ef/SharonEnergyFair.htm Brockton Enterprise

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Building with natural light
The Gazette

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Ron Wright assists Tom Pittsley by guiding the wall section into place. The inter-locking walls of the house provide the structure of the building and insulate the home beyond what traditional building would do.
September 18, 2008 11:30 AM
By CINDY DOW
Associate Editor
MIDDLEBORO — With fuel prices rocketing toward the sky and the economy swimming in the other direction, smart homeowners are looking into ways to cut back on heating and energy costs. One local home builder has taken that thought to a whole different level, by building passive solar homes designed to reduce the amount of energy used, and, in some cases, generate enough energy on their own that they sustain themselves electrically.

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Tom Pittsley is not new to the construction business; he's been building for over 25 years. Four years ago, he decided to focus on building the most energy efficient buildings he could, and started a new company, Energy Efficient Building Technologies.

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Some of his recent projects include working as the general contractor on the MIT submission to the 2007 Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C., working as an advisor to the Boston Architectural College and Tufts University team for the 2009 Solar Decathlon, and building passive solar homes in Rochester and Middleboro that will be part of the Green Buildings Open House, sponsored by Northeast Sustainable Energy and American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour, on Oct. 4.

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"Over 25 years ago, I was sitting in AutoCAD in high school, and I drew what basically was a passive solar house," Mr. Pittsley said. "Now, 25 to 30 years later, I'm fulfilling a dream."

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Mr. Pittsley explained that building "green" is not only better for the homeowner, who benefits by reduced expenses in heating and cooling, but also is better for the environment by reducing the pollution and energy used. He utilizes several different types of technology in his construction that greatly reduces the amount of energy a house will use for heating and cooling, but also incorporates materials in the house that make better use of the resources that are consumed.

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The 2,700 square foot home in Rochester was completed last year. The concrete slab floor had radiant floor heating installed, and the walls of the first floor and basement were insulated concrete forms. Large, high solar heat gain windows were installed in the south facing side of the home, and windows on the north, east, and west were smaller and fewer.

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The heating bill for the first winter in the Rochester home was less than $750 for the season.

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The Middleboro house is located on Tispaquin Street. Mr. Pittsley said he spent some time on the lot before agreeing that the passive solar house would be a good fit. The southern side of the house has to be able to receive enough sun during the day to ensure the systems will work. While the majority of the lot is clear, a few trees on the sideline of the lot still need to be removed.

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The four bedroom, two bath house will be just under 2,000 square feet, with a single floor design. Radiant floor heating installed in the concrete slab floor will heat the house. The structural insulated panel walls, ceiling, and insulation under the concrete floor, as well as a specially designed thermal mass window system that stores the sun's energy while allowing the homeowner to control how warm the rooms get, are specifically designed to keep the costs for both heating and cooling this home below $700 a year.

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The roofline of the Tispaquin Street house is also designed to install photovoltaic panels on it at a later time. These panels, which were used in the MIT Solar Decathlon zero-energy house, translate solar energy into electricity.

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"The MIT house was an off-grid house," Mr. Pittsley said, explaining the requirement of the Decathlon for the submissions to be self-sufficient. "Here, we would do a grid-tied system"¦we tie in to the town's electric system, and during the day, when you're not using much electricity, it goes back through the meter into the 'grid,' and at night when you need more but the sun is not out, it comes back through the meter."

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Mr. Pittsley said the roof panels would wait until the homeowner has been in the house for a year, when they could compile all the energy bills and could design a system that would equal the usage for the home.

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Mr. Pittsley said the house will cost about $269,000 to construct. He estimated that a similar building constructed without the energy efficiency would cost $30,000 to $40,000 less to build, but that savings could quickly be eaten up with increasing fuel costs.

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For more information on Mr. Pittsley's projects, visit his website, www.eebt.org, or see his blog, http://tompittsley.blogspot.com. For more information about the Green Buildings Open House scheduled for Oct. 4, visit www.nesea.org. SouthCoastToday
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What I have found is that sensible people have accepted personal responsibility and quietly gone their way of reducing consumption, politicians be damned!

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And so it was that Derrick Jackson's On climate, who will lead by example? was disappointing. Not everyone is following like sheep. People seem to be quietly leading even if the leaders aren't.