Raising Energy Efficiency: An Immediate Climate Solution

If you wasted 60% of your income, could you still pay your bills?

In 2019 more than 60% of U.S. energy was lost between generation at power plants and end use as electricity. Energy is inherently lost when raw materials like coal are converted to electricity, but the disparity is also due to outdated technologies, especially in coal power plants. As it turns out, older technologies use more energy to achieve the same output as modern technologies!

This is translatable to consumers’ end use as well. Referring to the loss of heat through uninsulated buildings, Amory Lovins professed that “we'd find more energy in the attics of American homes than in all the oil buried in Alaska.”

Think of Texas, where 70% of homes were built earlier than 2000, before buildings codes required energy-saving measures such as effective insulation. 60% of Texas homes have electric heating, and mostly use older technologies since winter storms are infrequent. But the record-low temperatures in February drove a surge in demand when everyone turned their heaters on, which coincided with a strained natural gas supply, resulting in absurdly high electricity rates for Texans who couldn’t efficiently heat their homes.

There’s no shame in a family heating their home during a winter storm, but if they can install energy efficient heating that will save them money on electric bills, why wouldn’t they?

The problem is that many people can’t afford the initial costs of energy efficiency improvements, even if it will increase their energy savings and resilience to extreme weather. In the direst situations, high costs of inefficient technologies may be hindering households and businesses from saving enough money to improve them. The Biden Administration has proposed a large-scale infrastructure bill last week that would invest $213 billion on upgrading buildings, but that funding is not guaranteed, and communities can’t wait for congress to act.

Guess what can help with this now? Crowdfunding! At Raise Green, we reduce barriers to entry by issuing investment opportunities that allow any outside investor to buy into energy efficiency projects. Offerings on our Marketplace allow communities to benefit from energy efficiency improvements almost immediately. This includes marginalized communities, who often have more inefficient technologies and thereby stand to save the most.

Energy efficiency lending and upgrades segment project costs into affordable increments, which gradually repay investors with a portion of the savings over time. That means that, upon successful repayment, everyone can benefit! We mean it when we say that Raise Green operates on a profit-for-all model.

An exponentially growing population will undoubtedly demand more energy, but if we can harness it more efficiently, we’ll reduce energy demand and inevitably burn less fossil fuels. It’s an immediate approach that everyone can support, even if they favor the status quo! By reducing energy waste, companies and consumers can save money and the environment while enjoying the same benefits.

If you’re interested in starting your own clean energy project, Raise Green can support both the development (Originator Engine) and funding (Marketplace). Or if you’re interested in investing in an existing project, you can create an investor account for free here.

As always, feel free to send any questions or comments you might have to info@raisegreen.com.

To get the most up-to-date information on Raise Green content, please sign up for our email list and follow any of our social accounts (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn).

This Blog is for discussion purposes only, expresses the views of Raise Green, and is not investment research. This is not investment or tax advice, and does not constitute a solicitation to sell or an offer to buy any securities. Certain information is from or links are to third party sources. Although they are believed to be reliable, we do not guarantee their accuracy, completeness or fairness. Raise Green is a licensed Funding Portal with the SEC and FINRA, and is not a Municipal Advisor. Prior to being approved to list a company on the Raise Green portal, a diligence review is completed. Prior to investing. investors must sign up for an account on the portal. Raise Green does not provide tax, accounting or legal advice. Investing in crowdfunded offerings involves risk and you should review the risks of a particular investment prior to investing. You are strongly encouraged to consult your professional advisors before investing. Go to www.raisegreen.com for additional information on services, the funding portal, regulation, and investment risks. Or, direct inquiries to info@raisegreen.com. Copyright © 2021