Technology, not behavior, most critical to renewable energy future

A recent survey has found that consumers, despite access to new renewable energy technology that has been introduced into the power mix, are still unwilling to fully convert to these new technologies. The survey, conducted by Columbia University, found that most consumers implement energy savings through commonly held green behavior such as turning off lights, rather than switching to more efficient, currently available technology.

Turning off lights was cited by 20 percent of those surveyed, whereas very few people cited the purchase of new, energy efficient light bulbs as a way to save energy. Some light bulbs are made so efficient that if left on all the time, they could still save more energy than traditional light bulbs used sparingly.

The study makes clear that despite consumers having knowledge about the shift toward a clean energy economy, personal decisions are still largely based on reducing use of current technologies rather than purchasing new ones. Ms. Attari, who led the study, notes, "But switching to efficient technologies generally allows you to maintain your behavior, and save a great deal more energy."