Bottom Line: Save money AND create a more comfortable home by entering the Biggest User contest with SSMC.

Did you know that the typical homeowner spends 40% of their home energy bill on wasted energy? Sustainable San Mateo County, San Mateo Energy Watch and RecycleWorks, and a host of local businesses have teamed up to launch a new contest that will help you save money on your energy bills AND feel more comfortable at home.

Bottom Line: A home energy efficiency audit will identify ways that you can save money on your energy bill and improve the comfort and health of your home.

Ever wondered how your building envelope affected your home’s energy efficiency? Probably not. Ever had a thermostat war in your family?

Bottom Line: The federal government makes it easy for homeowner’s to make energy improvements to their homes through energy efficient mortgages.

What is an Energy Efficient Mortgage?

An Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) is a mortgage that credits a home’s energy efficiency in the mortgage itself. EEMs give borrowers the opportunity to finance cost-effective, energy-saving measures as part of a single mortgage and stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans thereby allowing borrowers to qualify for a larger loan amount and a better, more energy-efficient home.

Bottom Line: Reducing your business’ carbon footprint will not only make your operations more sustainable, but it will also improve your financial bottom line.

PG&E has teamed up with the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) and San Mateo County RecycleWorks to provide energy efficiency services and incentives to the County’s qualifying businesses. The San Mateo County Energy Watch project aims to help businesses save energy and money while reducing their carbon footprint.

Bottom Line:  Green Teams can make organizations more sustainable and businesses more profitable.

Some employees respond to our current sustainability challenges and opportunities by becoming intrapreneurs, regardless of their role or positions. These intrapreneurs start green teams in their organizations to make them more sustainable and--for businesses--more profitable.

Sustainability is a simple idea with big implications. With all the information and ideas floating around, figuring out how to move towards your sustainability goals may seem overwhelming.

Is your business’ utility bill too high? An innovative non-profit offers a great opportunity to businesses to reduce their energy bills, save money, and boost productivity.

Your home electronics use a lot of electricity when they are turned on, but did you know that many electronics and computer equipment, go into stand-by and continue to consume electricity, even after you've turned them off?

Based on semiconductor technology, LED’s have many advantages over traditional light sources including the widely used incandescent bulb and the newer (and energy efficient) compact fluorescent light.  LED’s use less energy, last longer, are smaller, and can be changed more quickly.  They do not contain mercury.  Their disadvantage, as with many new technologies such as solar energy, is greater up-front cost for the user.

California is striving to create thousands of megawatts of new solar-generated electricity, moving the state towards a clean energy future. And you can help! Join the thousands of home and business owners who have earned cash back rebates by installing solar energy systems through the California Solar Initiative. Customers earn cash rebates for every watt of solar energy generated on homes, businesses, farms, schools, and government and non-profit organizations.