Comments on: Blue Line Poll: Smart Regs http://www.boulderblueline.org/2010/06/30/blue-line-poll-smart-regs/ News, Analysis and Opinion for the Informed Boulder Resident Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:34:08 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Zane Selvans http://www.boulderblueline.org/2010/06/30/blue-line-poll-smart-regs/comment-page-1/#comment-56 Zane Selvans Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:56:59 +0000 http://www.boulderblueline.org/?p=1944#comment-56 This is a classic example of split incentives. Landlords will never make improvements (such as energy efficiency measures) which only benefit tenants and not themselves of their own accord. Applied uniformly, these higher standards will result in higher rents, but lower utility bills for renters (and less energy used overall), which is exactly what we should be aiming for. Hopefully we can find a financing mechanism which will work, even with the mess that the feds have foisted on us through Fannie and Freddie and the ClimateSmart loans. This is a classic example of split incentives. Landlords will never make improvements (such as energy efficiency measures) which only benefit tenants and not themselves of their own accord. Applied uniformly, these higher standards will result in higher rents, but lower utility bills for renters (and less energy used overall), which is exactly what we should be aiming for. Hopefully we can find a financing mechanism which will work, even with the mess that the feds have foisted on us through Fannie and Freddie and the ClimateSmart loans.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Blue Line Poll: Smart Regs | The Blue Line -- Topsy.com http://www.boulderblueline.org/2010/06/30/blue-line-poll-smart-regs/comment-page-1/#comment-49 Tweets that mention Blue Line Poll: Smart Regs | The Blue Line -- Topsy.com Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:41:17 +0000 http://www.boulderblueline.org/?p=1944#comment-49 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mathew Kenney. Mathew Kenney said: Blue Line gives the skinny on the SmartRegs forum. Check it out! http://fb.me/w45yIQDm [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mathew Kenney. Mathew Kenney said: Blue Line gives the skinny on the SmartRegs forum. Check it out! http://fb.me/w45yIQDm [...]

]]> By: Mark Gelband http://www.boulderblueline.org/2010/06/30/blue-line-poll-smart-regs/comment-page-1/#comment-48 Mark Gelband Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:49:18 +0000 http://www.boulderblueline.org/?p=1944#comment-48 Now that climate smart loans aren't an option, isn't it time for the Anne Livingston and the city to update their data? And with the winds of energy change blowing Xcel and our franchise agreement out the door, who will be "paying" for those rebates? Even with a $25,000 rebate and a $9,000 dollar federal tax credit, the payback on my recently installed PV system will be about 6-9 years. For three months I have produced more electricity than I use, but who in our community can afford a system without those credits and rebates? Even with them it's a big outlay and small return on investment. That doesn't even consider that the panels are manufactured in China, and the environmental impact of productiona and import? Which brings me to Ms. Poinsatte, whose article about upgrading her rentals I have read. If the insulation she used from Home Depot were fiberglass batting, which seems likely since she is claiming it is relatively inexpensive, her choice in insulation and store are both questionable choices for one who is concerned with the environment and local economy, but not so for one who cares about her personal wealth. More environmental choices in insulation - soy-based spray foam or recycled cellulose, paper or cotton, are considerably more expensive. And Yael asserted that all the units studied scored 50 already, did she mention that two of the seven they retrofit never made it to 100 points? When Mr. Hillman talks of behavior, are we going to make it illegal for folks to open their windows in the winter with the heat on? Ultimately, conservation is a matter of personal choice. And even the proponents of more mommy government regulation could turn off their sprinklers, live in more modest homes, recycle more, consume less, hang their clothes to dry, etc. Do we really want to live in a community that dictates what others do without first looking in the mirror? Now that climate smart loans aren’t an option, isn’t it time for the Anne Livingston and the city to update their data? And with the winds of energy change blowing Xcel and our franchise agreement out the door, who will be “paying” for those rebates?

Even with a $25,000 rebate and a $9,000 dollar federal tax credit, the payback on my recently installed PV system will be about 6-9 years. For three months I have produced more electricity than I use, but who in our community can afford a system without those credits and rebates? Even with them it’s a big outlay and small return on investment. That doesn’t even consider that the panels are manufactured in China, and the environmental impact of productiona and import?

Which brings me to Ms. Poinsatte, whose article about upgrading her rentals I have read. If the insulation she used from Home Depot were fiberglass batting, which seems likely since she is claiming it is relatively inexpensive, her choice in insulation and store are both questionable choices for one who is concerned with the environment and local economy, but not so for one who cares about her personal wealth. More environmental choices in insulation – soy-based spray foam or recycled cellulose, paper or cotton, are considerably more expensive.

And Yael asserted that all the units studied scored 50 already, did she mention that two of the seven they retrofit never made it to 100 points? When Mr. Hillman talks of behavior, are we going to make it illegal for folks to open their windows in the winter with the heat on?

Ultimately, conservation is a matter of personal choice. And even the proponents of more mommy government regulation could turn off their sprinklers, live in more modest homes, recycle more, consume less, hang their clothes to dry, etc. Do we really want to live in a community that dictates what others do without first looking in the mirror?

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