I watch a LOT of YouTube. Like...most of my days are spent watching other people's content. Some of it is let's plays, some is documentary-based, some informational, some educational. It is very eclectic. Anyway, I just recently watched this one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFEHFsO-XSI) about heat pumps. BTW this guy is pretty amazing. Just watch this and then go down his rabbit hole.
So I'm watching this and then get to thinking about recent return-to-work policies that companies are now implementing. Then I recall a tweet/image/post that someone made about how if we DON'T return to work at the office, then ALL of the *INVESTMENTS* that our companies have made for those spaces/buildings/skyscrapers are completely invalid.
I can see the point there. But what about the heating and cooling that is required to keep humans comfortable? You really don't need to heat the building in the winter (that much) for equipment. They like it cooler, which is why you have AC units running 24/7 during the summer, right? Plus lights? And equipment like desks and chairs and partitions and extra docking stations and monitors for people who have a setup at home ALREADY but don't want to lug everything back and forth?
Like my ENTIRE team has unequivocally proven that we are 100% effective at home. It matters not where we are located, we're on the ball. And yet, management has decided at the VP level that we need to go back to work one day a week. So I get that it's nice to see your co-workers every once in a while. But I came from a job where we had 12-hour shifts and saw someone for a couple of minutes MAYBE when we handed off the on-call phone and told them if there was anything to expect on their shift. But there was also an email chain for that specific purpose, so more than half the time it was 'leave the phone on the desk and let the email do the talking, then wave to them on the way out of the parking lot'. I shit you not.
And on THAT job, 99% of the office was FUCKING EMPTY, and 90% of the 625,000 square footage buildings were ALSO completely empty. The only reason to be there was to monitor stuff. Stuff that could be monitored...you guessed it...remotely. All of the admins on that job were 'offshore'. If you know what 'do the needful' means.
But I digress. We're looking at an energy crisis due to certain geopolitical events, and gas prices are through the roof. And yet, our employers are wanting us to get back into the office. I've been thinking about buying a new car, because my current daily driver is a 1992 SVX, which isn't exactly the best daily in the world. In fact, when it comes to parts availability for these things, the answer for picking up a part is generally 'Buy another SVX.' Not exactly what you want to hear on the reliability front. I was REALLY hoping I could manage a new BRZ, but now that gas pricing is fluctuating, I'm really thinking that instead I should just go electric.
So what's my point here? Well, it's about energy. Where it comes from, where it's going, and where it gets used. I feel like I have a little bit of an unfair advantage being in the PNW, and I don't have to worry so much about my electricity coming from coal-burning plants, as we have a LOT of power coming in from renewable sources. I think WE, as a nation, should focus more on that. How we spend our energy and what we can do to conserve it. And not just as a nation, but the world in general. However, we have to start somewhere, and it's easiest and most effective to begin where you are - so locally, regionally, and nationally make the most sense.
First off, get a car that doesn't need fossil fuels. If you need to commute long distances, pick up a hybrid. If you're worried about shit going down and need a soft-roader, many companies make hybrids of that type. We'll probably get one as the 2nd car. Advocate for working from home. Meetings do NOT need to be in-person, no matter what Jeff from management thinks. He's probably a republican anyway, so his 'family values' only extend to his own family, and only if they're cis. Less people in the office mean a lower heat load for the air handlers, which mean a lower bottom line for the company. 2020-2022 heating bills should bear that out, if he doesn't believe you. Ask him about the cleaning bills as well, not to mention the trash and coffee (if they used to be free, anyway). Invest in solar, wind, geothermal, hydro power. Like, buy stocks in those companies, as well as upgrade your house. Get a heat pump (did you watch that video I referenced in the first paragraph yet?), look into solar panels, maybe even a vertical wind turbine. Try to get to the point where you are pushing power BACK into the grid. Our power grid is super fragile, and becoming a little independent of it will at the VERY LEAST help it be less fragile.
You're probably saying, "But Richard, I can't afford all of this! Hell, I can't afford ANY of this!" You're right. Me neither. But at some point, your furnace is probably going to die on you, and you'll be faced with a replacement bill. Spend/finance the extra $1500 and get something energy-efficient. You'll save money AND energy in the long-run. You're going to buy a car again in the future, very likely. Get something that sips gas or maybe even a used hybrid/electric with a warranty for the battery. When you have to re-roof your house, consider solar tiles(like Matt in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFwZQHZAJDc). Appliances break, get one that is better on energy. Do what you can, because it ALL adds up.
