As fuel electricity prices rise the average working class citizen is wondering how to keep up with the cost of living. Heating oil and gasoline prices have skyrocketed in the past decade due to speculation in the market, and wages have stagnated leaving the average workers reaching for lint their pockets.  Many economists believe the cost of food and fuel will cause another recession, and if the government allows the United States default on its debt we will suffer a hardship not many in this country are prepared for.  It makes us all wonder if there is something more we Americans can do to solve the energy crisis.  The short answer is, we need to empower ourselves, not industrial corporations.

The truth is alternative energy solutions exist all over the globe, but in America we have not done all we can to support and grow the industry. Oil & Gas companies are some of the most profitable corporations on the planet and are extremely influential in the political arena.  The fossil fuel industry is connected to nearly every quadrent of our economy, which is why there is valid hesitation concerning a transition to a sustainable~renewable energy economy. They have worked to suppress alternative energy to some degree on the local and national level, yet right here in New York State we have created a company that can build you a residential or commercial structure 100% off the grid for good.

If you’re a commercial building tenant looking for new office space, you’re probably comparing a few potential spaces on the basis of rent, location, the condition of the space, and maybe even the carpet color. One consideration you’re probably not looking at is the energy bills the space typically commands, either because you don’t care or because they’re simply not available.

Enter commercial benchmarking laws. These laws, which are starting to appear at the city, state, and national level worldwide, can transform the role that energy efficiency plays in driving tenant and owner decisions. The idea is that, when tenants have access to an energy profile for office space they’re considering, they may compare the energy costs of different spaces. Efficient spaces end up more desirable and less efficient spaces face higher vacancy rates. In turn, building owners looking to minimize vacancy rates, invest in energy efficiency upgrades to keep their buildings competitive in the market.