There appears to be an interesting phenomenon taking place across the country with regards to energy conservation and renewable energy. Both provide your recommended daily allowance of good, nutritious, environmental attributes, but over the past few years, attention at the breakfast table seems to be shifting towards a heavy diet of renewable energy, at the possible detriment of energy conservation.

Some may argue that we all need to increase our attention to alternative forms of energy, primarily renewable sources, in order for all of us to begin to assist our climate in doing its job of allowing us all to live each day. A noble cause by all standards, we all should be fully behind the massive swell of interest and enthusiasm generated by the Clean Green Energy wave sweeping the country. It's long in coming, and continues to blossom from all comers of the world.

This country, over the past thirty years, has received the benefits of energy conservation efforts undertaken by the industrial, commercial, and residential sectors, saving billions of dollars per year, as well as, reducing a great deal of harmful emissions into the air we breath.

It is clearly evident by our nation's experience that saving a kilowatt-hour can be accomplished in a visually acceptable and economic manner, a manner that has kept thousands of Energy Engineers employed over the years.

Today, a two year simple payback using a variable speed drive may not sound as sexy as winning an Oscar, but our atmosphere is just as happy for the installation of the drive, as it is for the solar panels on the roof.

As a matter of fact, the carbon reduction produced by the drive was accomplished for 10% of the cost of the solar panel. That's right, the kwh saved with the variable speed drive (and carbon foot print decreased) was accomplished for a fraction of the cost of the solar panel.

The point is, while we as a nation, and we as a world, should push the limit with regards to the propagation of renewable energy resources where ever possible, lets not forget about energy efficiency. The reason we must not, simply boils down to the fact, it is far cheaper to save a kilowatt-hour, then to make it, even if it's renewable. I have not yet stumbled on non-subsidized solar panel projects with a two-year simple payback or less, yet we see variable speed drive with these types of returns on investment or better, all the time.

This reality has to be implemented into our nations schools, in order to reach the goals of installing onsite renewable energy at these locations, we need to install all cost effective energy conservation measures first, in order to put the building on an energy diet, and then these savings can help fund the school's renewable energy projects. What we don't want to see happen is a press conference at the schools auditorium praising the new solar panels, while the attendees all sit under incandescent lamps developed in the early 1900's.

Implementing innovative, renewable energy technology is an admirable accomplishment, combining it with inefficient technology will most certainly water down the benefits. If we strive to place both energy conservation and renewable generation on complimentary pedestals, we will most certainly accelerate our efforts with the goal of aiding our atmosphere in its struggle to protect our way of life.

Richard Costello, P.E. is a Board Member of Partners GREEN / Michigan GREEN. You can reach him at: Richard.costello@acelaenergy.com