Between the trends of environmental conservation and the demand for more affordable utilities, energy-efficient homes have recently gained a lot of exposure.
According to Forbes, more and more states in the U.S. are adopting the practice of finding new and improved forms of battery storage to reduce the use of energy. They compare the introduction of the Tesla Powerwall, which costs $3,500, to the impossibility of such an affordable form of home energy storage in the past few years.
A report from Green Tech Media (GTM) shows that the USA just had its best quarter out of the past few years regarding renewable energy storage. According to the article, 220 megawatts of storage will be deployed by 2015, leading to more than 800 megawatts by 2019.
Ravi Manghani of the GTM research report stated “It’s a sign that states and policy makers are recognizing what storage can provide and are ready,” regarding the surge of large energy saving projects around the Country.
Manghani acknowledges the need for further research and testing in relation to battery technology and implementation but is positive that the conversation will continue.
Some states have already made efforts to expedite the discussion by setting ambitious energy-efficiency targets. The Washington Post names Maryland as one state helping to lead the charge.
With 618,000 new single-family homes being built this past year, Maryland plans to capitalize on this booming market by directing the state’s electric utilities to cut usage by about 2% of their retail sales every year by 2020 at the latest. This places Maryland in the top five states in the country in terms of energy efficiency policies.
It’s estimated that this new target will reduce the state’s carbon emissions by around 9,000 tons a year. That’s equal to 173,000 fewer vehicles on the road.
In order to encourage homeowners to implement energy-saving measures, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute offers “on-bill financing,” which offers utility loans for consumers to make energy efficient improvements.
