The Governor’s Conference on Energy

Are you in? If so, I’ll see you there!  If not, you might want to take a closer look…

The Governor’s Conference on Energy is an exciting event hosted here in Richmond to discuss the future of energy in Virginia.  There will be people from all walks of life at the event learning, speaking, discussing, and collaborating on the future of energy in the Commonwealth.

The event consists of two full days of speakers and breakout sessions, and the last day will be a post-conference workshop.  The event is hosted at the Richmond Convention Center in downtown Richmond, October 17-19.

Speakers at this year’s event include Thomas F. Farrell II, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dominion on Monday, October 17 and Virginia’s leader, Governor Bob McDonnell, who will deliver the keynote speech on the 18th at 7:00PM.  There are many panel speakers throughout the sessions.

To participate in the conference which includes 6 Tracks and 24 Sessions, lunches, and receptions, the attendance fee ranges from $50 - $275.  Price subject to change.

Last year was the inaugural event, hosting over 1,000 participants and 100 exhibitors in attendance, including keynote speaker: T Boone Pickens.

For details and to register, visit The Governor’s Conference on Energy website.

Insulate On Saturday, Watch Football On Sunday

You’ve been putting it off for the past 6 months 18 months and its quickly becoming the only noticeable project on the ‘honey do’ list.

It’s time to insulate.

I know what you’re thinking…getting under the crawlspace is such a pain, you have to borrow some tools from your brother-in-law, and sleeping in is much more appealing.  While I can relate to you, I do know the payoff for adding insulation has huge perks.

And to motivate you, here’s my Top 5 Reasons You Should Insulate This Weekend:

• First, the temperatures are perfect to be up in the attic and crawl space (better than being in the attic during the dog days of August or the crawl space in February).  
• Second, it’s going to save you money and make your home much more comfortable during the cold winter months and hot summer months. 
• Third, if you do it now, you won’t have to do it again next summer, or next winter, or the following summer, you get my drift. 
• Forth, you can get a federal tax credit (10% of the cost, up to $500). 
• And Fifth, if you insulate on Saturday, you have a free pass to watch football all day Sunday!

Now that you’re on board for insulation the house on Saturday…where do you start?

Well it can be a bit overwhelming, but nothing that you (the local Weekend Warrior) can’t tackle.  From soup to nuts, all the information you need on how to insulate can be found here: A DO-IT-YOURSELF GUIDE TO SEALING AND INSULATING WITH ENERGY STAR.  Guess the title says it all.

Also, you will need to determine the levels of insulation you need.  Again, Energy Star is our go to source for information.  For us Virginia residents, you’re in Zone 2.  That means you need R30-R60 for an uninsulated attic, R25-R38 for areas with 3-4 inches of existing insulation, and R13-R19 for the floor.

And lastly, make sure you wear some appropriate long sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves, glasses, and an air mask if needed.  Safety is key.

Have fun insulating (it’s not that bad!) and enjoy lounging on the couch watching some football on Sunday.

Ad Council PSA; Buy Energy-Saving Light Bulbs.

Readers,

Thanks for your patience in regards to the lack of posts in the past few weeks.  At Dominion, when storms like Irene hit, we go all hands on deck to get everyone’s power back on.  We’re back to weekly Energy Conservation blog posts!

This week I would like to give a shout out to our friends at Bird On A Wire, the blog of Memphis Light Gas & Water.  They are always coming up with creative and fun posts on conservation, efficiency, and other interesting energy information related to Memphis.

A post that recently caught my attention was one that featured a couple videos the Department of Energy, in collaboration with the Ad Council, released on energy conservation. The post from Bird On A Wire discusses the amount of money an average consumer spends on electricity as well as some tips they have on saving energy.

Thanks to MLGW, our readers can check out the same video.

And here’s a link to our residential lighting program and our commercial lighting program.

Thanks for the fun post MLGW!