Cash for Clunkers, the casual name for the government rebate program that paid thousands of drivers to swap their gas guzzlers for newer, more efficient models, was wildly successful, leaving many people shocked when they learned the program was over before they had a chance to take advantage of it.

The good news is that we've seen several reincarnations of the program, the latest of which is designed to motivate people to trade in their inefficient household appliances for models bearing the EnergyStar label of approval.

Unlike Cash for Clunkers, in which cloudy details about how to qualify and infrastructure problems caused some disgruntled consumers, manufacturers in the  Cash for Appliances program are setting up an online infrastructure that will make it easier for consumers to apply for rebates.

Environmental Leader reports that "the federal government is kicking in $300 million for states to disburse as part of the energy efficiency upgrade program, which came about after the Cash for Clunkers car rebate program," and all major appliance manufacturers are hoping to reap the benefits of an expected spike in purchases.

According to EnergyStar.gov, all 50 States, Washington DC, and 5 US territories will have an appliance rebate program, although specific details of the program and the amount of money available for rebates might vary in each state. Consumers interested in taking advantage of the program in their area are encouraged to view the interactive map of states and territories with approved programs at EnergySavers.gov.

Whirlpool Corporation recently launched an easy-to-use rebate finder tool on three of its brand Web sites – Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid brands, according to a recent press release. By entering a local zip code and appliance type, the online tool instantly informs the consumer of the amount of applicable state rebates through the federal program. Additionally, the rebate finder will provide information on rebates from a consumer's local utility company if available.

A general Web site, EcoRebates, has also sprung up to help consumers find rebates and connect with local participating appliance dealers.

Besides making better use of the internet, many consumers and manufacturers are relieved to hear that this program won't require the trade in of a old appliance; however, this raises interesting questions about whether or not consumers will be able to properly dispose of this electronic waste, which is classified by the EPA as hazardous.

Image Credit: Ingorrr (Flickr Creative Commons)

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LED streetlights - more light, less energy

Cash for Clunkers gets all the press, but cities across America are also taking advantage of  federal resources to invest in energy-saving technology.  These investments will improve the quality of life for residents while easing the long term burdens on taxpayers - and they also mean important opportunities for green businesses.

The city of Palo Alto recently launched a small pilot program to test the effectiveness of a new, smart streetlight system.  They are replacing a small number of High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights with Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps, and they are also partnering with San Jose-based technology company Echelon to equip the new lights with the company's power line networking technology and segment controllers.

The new LED lamps last longer and use about 40 percent less energy than HPS streetlights.  Further, the Echelon technology system allows for the remote management of streetlights, dimming them when less light is needed or increasing light when necessary. The system has other meaningful uses beyond energy conservation.

"This software can be integrated with city planning software such as parks and recreation reservations," says Steve Ngyuen, a spokesperson for Echelon.  So it’s not at all far-fetched to create a system that schedules higher light levels around little league fields for night games wherein the lumen output degree and timing is triggered by the park reservation system. Another example is an emergency service that causes the LED lamps to strobe at the location of an accident or other incident.  Yet another, is to dim the lights in the absence of pedestrian traffic, and raise them when people are detected."

Palo Alto joins cities like Anchorage, San Francisco, and San Jose in similar partnerships. But the city hasn't stopped with Echelon when looking for partners. "We were able to secure assistance from lighting experts at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to provide technical input to the pilot project at no cost to the City," says Christine Tam, the pilot project manager in Palo Alto. "We plan to issue a joint report with PNNL on the pilot results later this year."

Meanwhile, Ms. Tam reports the City has applied for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant administered by the Department of Energy and plans to use a portion of the grant funding (approximately $450,000) to replace between 600 to 750 units of the HPS fixtures with LED fixtures. She says the expected annual energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reduction from these new streetlights are approximately 185 MWh and 74 metric tons respectively. If the City replaces its entire inventory of HPS fixtures (6,300), total annual energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions are estimated at 1,500 MWh and 600 metric tons respectively.

While Echelon does not release the financial details of its individual projects, it's clear that companies like Echelon are strengthening their position as the vendors of choice as municipalities take advantage of the newly-greened mindset in Washington.

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The popular 'Cash for Clunkers' program—a government-run incentive that pays people to trade-in their gas-guzzling vehicles for more fuel-efficient models—has received an official stay of execution, albeit a short one.

The Hill is reporting that the Department of Transportation will extend the Cash for Clunkers program, originally set to expire Monday afternoon, another 16 hours. While the deadline for actually completing sales remains 8:00 p.m. today, the deadline for automobile dealers to file applications for rebates has been extended until noon tomorrow (Tuesday).

Despite a large increase in the system’s capacity, the program's CARS website crashed this afternoon, leaving thousands of transactions hanging in the balance. The extension will please both customers and dealers who were trying to squeeze-in last minute rebates, only to find the website unable to keep up with demand.

Because of the temporary shutdown, dealers have been given extra time to file the necessary paperwork. The move came after the National Automobile Dealers Association, best-known for their 'Blue Book' values, pressed the government for an extension.

"Dealers across America risk millions of dollars in losses if they are unable to submit valid 'clunkers' transactions because the government’s computer system is unavailable," NADA officials said in a statement.

Despite the popularity of the program, some have charged that it is hardly the most cost-effective route to slash carbon emissions, reduce fuel consumption, or stimulate the economy. But the fact that it did a little of each of those should be considered a good thing and hopefully something we can learn from.

Image via ThreadedThoughts

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