Energy Awareness Month

SHINE Partners | October 2021

October is Energy Awareness Month – An excellent time to reflect on how much energy we use and finding ways to reduce our consumption, and in turn, our carbon footprint. Since the ‘80s, Americans have focused on energy consumption during a designated time each year. Starting out as “American Energy Week,” the observance has since been proclaimed to take place for the entire month of October. This campaign is critical now, more than ever.

The United States first set aside time to raise energy awareness in 1981 with American Energy Week. This was observed from 1981 to 1985. In 1986, it became a month-long observance, and in 1991, October was officially deemed Energy Awareness Month. Each year a campaign runs nationwide promoting energy efficiency. The national awareness month was reinforced further in 2009 and 2010 and has continued until today.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy provides multiple resources for people interested in making sustainable life changes. For anyone interested in adopting new eco-friendlier habits, the following steps are recommended:

1. Plan the effort – Start with your company or personal goals and budget. The planning stage can help drive your efforts and ensure you stay aligned with your intended outcome.
2. Design and implement – Determine the best sustainable products and conservation methods that can be realistically adopted.
3. Evaluate and report results – Measure the actual performance of the sustainable products or conservation methods that have been implemented. For example, if you install solar panels on your rooftop, track the results and your return on investment.
4. Sustain the effort – Energy awareness is only the beginning. Once renewable and conservation methods have been implemented, sustain these efforts over time so that they are effective and can have the most significant impact.

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) offers checklists to help agencies conserve energy in their facilities. Companies can improve energy efficiency in buildings, central heating plants, and thermal distribution equipment by implementing these actions. FEMP also offers checklists to help people conserve energy at the office and to help people conserve energy at home. By implementing these actions, homeowners can improve energy efficiency daily, weekly, monthly, and annually.

At the end of it all, we have the ability to make small changes to our everyday lives that can conserve energy and protect the earth. At SHINE, we support people and businesses that are ready to switch to solar renewable energy. We make the process simple. For more information, visit our website at https://shine.partners/.