Utility Tracking and Benchmarking Blog | WegoBlog

Whether you want to be a more informed citizen or just want to kill some time before 5 on a Friday afternoon, WegoWise has got you covered. This Friday we're focusing on some ways to make your day to day a little greener. So peruse our best links, give us some feedback and be sure to share some of the info you just gleaned with other interested parties at the parties you are hopefully attending this weekend. Brought to you by Dan, Nate, Sean and Lily.

Every year my family makes the annual trip to the nearby Christmas tree farm to pick out the perfect Canaan fir for our living room.  However, as an environmentally-conscious consumer, I always wonder which is better: a live tree or an artificial one.  I did some research, and have found that my family’s tradition of bringing home a live tree is the more environmentally-friendly option when compared to purchasing an artificial tree from the nearby superstore.

Our friends at buildingwell.org were kind enough to share some of their building science expertise on air and vapor barriers. 

Whether you want to be a more informed citizen or just want to kill some time before 5 on a Friday afternoon, WegoWise has got you covered. This Friday we're focusing on the good and bad in energy efficiency around the country. So peruse our best links, give us some feedback and be sure to share some of the info you just gleaned with other interested parties at the parties you are hopefully attending this weekend. Brought to you by Dan, Nate, Sean and Lily.

Climate change is a politically volatile issue, often polarizing the left and right as “believers" and “deniers” respectively. However, recent polls have shown that despite a person’s given stance on the science of climate change, the concept of energy independence through clean energy can line up very well with traditional conservative thought. For instance, there has been a recent explosion of energy saving sentiment in small towns and rural areas of conservative Kansas, including awareness programs for kids, new geothermal and wind energy projects and energy conservation competitions between towns with significant results (up to a 5% decrease). This may be surprising to some, as this trend seems to clash with how conservatives are commonly viewed by liberals, but the phenomenon is real. 

If you recently installed a new boiler in your home and want to figure out how much energy and money you're saving, or if you want to see if that cool new thermostat is helping lower your heating bill, tracking utility data is the first step. After all, you can't manage what you can't measure. Unfortunately, tracking utility data is not as straightforward as it seems and can be a frustrating experience. This post is meant to guide you through your first utility tracking experience and give you the tips needed to avoid common tracking pitfalls. 

Whether you want to be a more informed citizen or just want to kill some time before 5 on a Friday afternoon, WegoWise has got you covered. This Friday we're focusing on trends that will help reduce emissions and energy consumption. So peruse our best links, give us some feedback and be sure to share some of the info you just gleaned with other interested parties at the parties you are hopefully attending this weekend. Brought to you by Dan, Nate, Sean and Lily.

Thanksgiving is a time of giving.  However, what many turkey consumers forget is that our delicious meal (and the traveling we do to enjoy the meal) takes away from the quality of our environment and has a very large carbon footprint.  If you haven't already purchased your bird, it is not too late to find an organic Thanksgiving turkey that is sustainably produced.  Here are some DOs and DON'Ts to consider when purchasing your bird:

Whether you want to be a more informed citizen or just want to kill some time before 5 on a Friday afternoon, WegoWise has got you covered. This Friday we're focusing on current housing trends and news. So peruse our best links, give us some feedback and be sure to share some of the info you just gleaned with other interested parties at the parties you are hopefully attending this weekend. Brought to you by Dan, Nate, Sean and Lily.

NYC building owners who had yet to comply with Local Law 84 received letters warning of fines a few weeks ago. Have you complied yet? Read about the ordinance here:

Local Law 84

New York City’s Local Law 84 (LL84), which went into affect this year, mandates that owners of large NYC buildings report their property's annual energy usage to the city's Department of Finance. The law applies to buildings that are: