Carbon Savings - Promoting tangible methods of conservation (Finalist.)
YMCA - Toronto Office
Updates based on feedback:
Many have felt this proposal is based on measuring a person's carbon footprint, instead we are helping people estimate the economic and environmental benefits they can expect to achieve by switching to a new light bulb, showerhead or even by adding a rain barrel.
We will be getting the word out through our own marketing efforts but also see this as a resource to support the many organizations that are already out there. We provide traction to the envrionmental movement and use money and environmental benefits as incentives for people to consider and try new products.
We are looking to work with sustainability networks, housing associations, builders, manufactuers and retailers (to help market their products), real estate agents, mortgage specialists, educational programs, speakers and the list goes on. - If you are one of these people or know someone who is, we would love to hear from you!
OVERVIEW
Carbon Savings is committed to reducing society’s demand on natural resources by promoting environmentally preferred products (EPPs). To do this, Carbon Savings focuses on public awareness by helping people to understand how to conserve water and energy and then to estimate the financial and environmental benefits associated with each method. This is done through calculators which help people estimate their annual savings, payback period and CO2 reductions. Please view http://carbonsavings.org/product.php?item=faucet for an example.
The organization was founded on the following premises:
- People would prefer to reduce their impact on the environment as long as it does not affect their standard of living
- The majority of people are motivated to action based on financial considerations
- People are hesitant to spend money when the resulting savings are unknown
In order to support the transition towards a low carbon economy, Carbon Savings has decided to concentrate its efforts on a two pronged approach. The first is to help homeowners and businesses find tangible methods to conserve energy and water. There are roughly 30 household technologies that are good for the environmental and have a fast payback period, yet many of them are unfamiliar to the public. As a result, Carbon Savings is building a comprehensive and easy-to-use website for consumers to view all of their options and learn about each one.
The second approach is to help companies communicate the benefits of their EPPs to the public. This allows manufacturers and retailers to promote their products by demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits to the customer. In essence, the calculators become interactive marketing tools to help companies sell more products. At the end of the day, increased sales translate into greater adoption of conservation.
BACKGROUND & DETAILS
The concept of Carbon Savings was born in 2010 as part of a sustainability course in engineering at Queen’s University. Since that time, the idea has evolved and gained momentum. Today, the company has teamed up with a number of non-profit organizations to provide traction to their environmental efforts.
One of Carbon Savings’ core beliefs is that in order to achieve mainstream conservation, consumers must first know what their options are and then be convinced these products are worth buying. As a result, the company has created a working prototype at www.CarbonSavings.org to allow users to browse through different product categories, such as showerheads and thermostats, in order to learn about them and their importance. Each technology is highlighted with its own interactive calculator to help users estimate the financial and environmental benefits. The calculators are pre-loaded with average household data to help people that may not be aware of reasonable input values. These numbers can be changed to generate customized estimates.
In addition to the 30 household technologies, there are roughly 40 commercial technologies that can be adopted at work to generate even greater savings. As the site develops, the goal is to provide a user experience geared towards helping people and companies explore practical opportunities to achieve conservation. By highlighting all of these technologies, Carbon Savings is looking to offer the most extensive collection of environmental products and their calculators in one location.
Beyond the educational website, Carbon Savings will leverage its impact by creating marketing tools for manufacturers and retailers. The calculators can be customized to be product specific and can be placed on the retailer’s site beside the product, which positions the calculators in front of people at the point of sale. It also enables companies to provide personalized estimates without sending their customers away from their website. The calculators have a lot of flexibility in terms of look, feel and the number of questions asked of the user. They must also be approved by Carbon Savings for accuracy and then carry the Carbon Savings logo, providing third party verification.
Companies do not currently have the option to license energy savings calculators and therefore, cannot benefit from the various advantages they have to offer. The licensing option allows companies to focus on their core competency while outsourcing software improvements and utility updates to an industry expert. Also, companies are able to forgo the development cost, which reduces risk and makes high-end features more affordable. At the end of the day, these marketing tools and added features help companies sell more EPPs and lead to a low carbon economy.
Once the site is established, Carbon Savings will create tools to help sustainability departments and green teams to evaluate the energy and water savings potential of their company. Again, the focus will be on both the financial and enviornmental benefits so they can communicate the benefits to the public once the retrofits are performed. This helps the departments identify the best opportunities while saving a lot time since the software will evaluate which technologies offer the greatest savings and are best suited for their applications. This lets staff members concentrate on implimentation while Carbon Savings performs the initial research and compares technologies.
A big component of our success will be getting our calculators in front of people. This will be facilitated by a number of partnerships. As it's been mentioned throughout the competition, we have a number of partnerships in the works and some have been confirmed at this time. We are working with the YMCA, a few TD branches (to start), Science 44 Housing Co-op (and looking at the Co-op network), Youth Metoring Youth program and we are hoping to work with a number of low-income housing organizations, Greenovations with Queen's University and there are a large number of organizations in the pipeline.
Another aspect to consider is that corporate clients are similar to partnerships in the way that they help bring the calculators to the public. Companies looking to license the calculators bring the calculators to their own network and often present the information at meaningful times such as the point of sale or in relationship to a "call to action".
The energy demands of the average Canadian household results in roughly 8-10 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. However, it is possible to reduce these energy demands by more than 20% with technologies that offer a combined payback period of less than 5 years. As a result, a household would be able to save upwards of $500 per year and reduce emission by over 2 metric tons on an annual basis.
Average Annual Savings
Low flow showerheads - 220kg CO2 | $90 per year | 0.7 year payback period (or less) | 30,000L of water
Faucet Aerators - 60kg CO2 | $40 per year | 0.5 year payback period (or less) | 15,000L of water
Rain Barrel - 2kg CO2 | $9 per year | 10 year payback period | 5,000L of water
Front-load washing - 170kg CO2 | $140 per year | 5 -10 year payback period | 40,000L of water
Thermostat - 200kg CO2 | $40 per year | 2.5 year payback period
Phantom Power Bar - 30kg CO2 | $20 per year | 2 year payback period
The goal is to reach as many people as possible and through the help of the YMCA, Carbon Savings is able to get a good start. In Toronto alone, the YMCA network reaches approximately 500,000 people each year and the organization helps roughly 25% of all immigrants entering the country. Their network offers an incredible opportunity to reach a large number of people and tailor solutions to help recent immigrants. The partnership will begin with a flyer distributed through the YMCA’s network that will highlight a couple household products and how much can be saved. It will then lead people to both organizations’ websites to learn more.
Partnering with the YMCA offers an unparalleled ability to reach a large number of people and achieve environmental reform. Furthermore, targeted campaigns can help low income families save money with products that have payback periods of less than 1 year.
Separately, a couple bank branches have offered to provide exposure by handing out information about www.CarbonSavings.org to new homeowners that sign up for a mortgage.
Carbon Savings was founded by Howard Swartz who graduated from Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University. He has continued his studies at Queen’s and is currently completing a Masters in Civil Engineering with Speciality in Applied Sustainability. He has worked as the environmental manager for an eco-friendly coffee shop and spent a summer at an energy service company. In the latter role, he generated estimates of the financial savings associated with various energy reducing technologies. Howard’s network includes sustainability managers, manufacturers, retailers, utility companies, environmental consultants and marketing firms.
The company is able to derive revenues through a number of methods. The main source will come from licensing the customized calculators. Carbon Savings is in the process of developing a sophisticated platform to offer customized calculators that are capable of collecting valuable statistics about users, which can then be used to influence future marketing campaigns. Manufacturers and retailers will pay to have calculators developed for their products, which will be supported by Carbon Savings through software and data updates. This helps companies focus on their core competencies while benefiting from a third party source that is trusted for estimating utility savings.
Once the company has developed a strong online presence, the company will look to establish a consulting division. This would allow the company to provide more detailed analysis and engage organizations that would prefer to receive expert advice.
Comments
your tool
i really like this becasue it will engage the people and they will be intrested in seeing how much they can save. they will also be able to tell quickly on how much they have saved. this soundes clear and efficent. i dont understand though how you will use this money as your toll sounds meerly like a online tool not anything phisical that would require funding.
you must show more clearly how you would be able to use these funds.
Good Idea
I think this is a great idea! Keep up the good work.
I think it is a very well
I think it is a very well thought out and well rounded proposal....very impressive !!
Great idea and user friendly
The strengths of this proposal lie both in the idea and the execution. Not only does it provide a user friendly calculator but the tools to help collaborators promote to consumers. This would ensure a faster circulation to the ultimate recipient.
Carbon savings
a really great project. It would also be ideal to help upper primary and middle school math to work out their own carbon savings from their own utility bills.
I would suggest that more provinces be added to the sample as Manitoba has some of the lowest hydro and water rates in Canada and information given on the savings can be misleading.
I would also suggest that the site for purchasing products be improved by adding a search bar as I wanted to look at a dryer cover and couldn't find it again. I realize its an amazon operated? system but perhaps a word to them would help. Also a way to go back to previous page of the items listed for sale would also help.
Saving Money while helping planet a win,win
it encourages people to take action on saving energy by using everyday household items that save them money. The consumer is definitely consious of his/her monthly expenses. If is benefits the world around them all the better!
Carbon Savings - Promoting tangible methods of conservation
Provides a practical and easy way to see what you can do that is positive and proactive to promote sustainable lifestyles.
Smart idea
simole and user friendly. This will make a difference. Good job
user friendly and practical!
user friendly and practical!
Great product! Once again,
Great product! Once again, back end of the site could be enhanced through the help of a CA. Just sayin'.
very cool.
I like it! Very easy to understand website.
It's a great idea. Good luck
It's a great idea. Good luck to you.
Call to Action Opportunity
The biggest plus is that Carbon Savings is really about getting people the tools they need in their homes to get the job done on reducing a household's carbon footprint and of course there is a huge opportunity to save money. What would be helpful to this proposal would be a more comprehensive plan on how the widget is marketed to the widest possible audience. Therefore, being connected with http://GreenHeroes.tvo.org would clearly be a benefit. This would be perfect fit in terms of the widget having a home where people are on the look out for solutions. The GreenHeroes Campaign currently has one widget called the Sharelizer which we could imagine could be adapted or to include the products, services and calculations offered in the Carbon Savings widget. The Sharelizer can sit on any website and play up to 100 videos. The Call to Action in the GreenHeroes "Conservation Game" which is described here is also part of the ClimateSpark Social Venture Challenge. GreenHeroes could imagine the possibility that a tool kit made up of some of the products presented by the Carbon Savings widget could be demonstrated and and featured in GreenHeroes Sharelizer as part of the Campaign. These videos could be shared across platforms enhancing the reach and effect of these products.
This is a really good proposal - probably an inforgraphic that explains how the system works would make the delivery a little more dynamic, sort of like a commercial on TV but for the web.
a solid partner for GreenHeroes Call to Action Challenge
We have already met with Carbon Savings and see really benefits to being involved with the tool they have created and helping to market it to end users through not only our game but also our "Take Action" campaigns.
easy to use, relevant
easy to use, relevant information.
I wonder if there's a 'gamification aspect' that could be incorporated. ie. showing how others in your area code, YMCA group, province, compare to your individual savings.
I like the idea of the YMCA (or other agency) helping low income families make purcahses of items with 1year returns. This might be tricky to manage, but could be a good way to help low income families in the long term.
GreenHeroes Can Deliver on Gamification
Hi Roger: Great suggestion - re: gamification - the GreenHeroes proposal is all about this and we are interested in partnering with Carbon Savings - have a look here at our idea.
Tangibility
Great tool - given the economic uncertainty, consumers are focused on BOTH their wallet and the environment.
Working with others
This idea has tremendous scalability.
I admire that you are dialoging with other ClimateSpark participants and open to work in a collaborative effort to accomplish the desired goals. It appears from the comments of others and your responses that you are both a team player and leader with vision and problem solving skills.
Excellent!
Howard is a dedicated entrepreneur and this is bound to succeed!
very impresed with what they
very impresed with what they are doing so things their strengths are very positive - don't really see any weaknesses
What a great innovative idea!
What a great innovative idea! Well done!
Green Business Case
This project sounds very good, I agree that it can be difficult for consumers to grasp or fully appreciate the financial and environmental consequences of many purchases, the calculators Carbon Savings creates could really help to clarify that.
There are potential synergies and bottlenecks in systems that are not readily apparent by looking at just one component - for example - showerhead - are the pipes properly insulated/installed - how old is the hot water tank (tankless?) - do you have solar hotwater installed etc - the larger system can be more complex. It would be interesting to have a full home system calculator in addition to the standalone product calculators. Users could save a profile and update with newer components/products to see the big picture of their home or business savings/consumption.
Great Idea Howard! Good luck!
Great Idea Howard! Good luck!
Howard is an amazing
Howard is an amazing candidate and the tool he has created is incredible.
Great Idea!
I'd use this :)
iPhone and android apps would be great!
This proposal is well though
This proposal is well though out and presented.
Interesting concept!
It is pragmatic, based on the truths that many people (like me!) will use environmentally friendly products if they can be assured that they will work, if it's not too much trouble and if the benefits can be demonstrated. The difficulty is to convince those people....for example, I hate the light from the compact bulbs, don't like the idea that they are hard to dispose of, and think they are expensive, and so refuse to use them - never mind how good they may be for the environment. So I likely wont' use them till ordinary light bulbs are no longer available. And there are going to be lots of "resisters" like me...kind of a lost cause for this proposal. However, for those who are more environmentally conscious, or maybe even for me with different products, it's a good idea.
Transparency
A very interesting and useful tool, but you should include an option to view the data used to make the calculations (ie: weather data, etc.).
Gives us a way to make better
Gives us a way to make better decisions.
Awesome Idea!
Very innovative idea with a lot of potential. (especially with the incorporation of technology)
I am impressed with your
I am impressed with your commitment to explore ways to reduce dependency on natural resources.
Carbon Savings makes cents
Well-thought out and timely.
The great strength of this
The great strength of this method is that benefits of projects are displayed properly in which customer are persudaed to use these projects . This is very eco-friendly and practical method and also effective for saving natural resources.
The installion of large products should be easy and also there should be methods so that individual can assess the usage of energy resources.
A practical, easy to use tool
A practical, easy to use tool that can produce tangible benefits in a short timeframe.
this is a practical tool to
this is a practical tool to help people figure out how they are really impacting the environment based on their spending. It appears to be easy to us and comprehensive
sustaining environment by optimum utilisation of resources
I think this is a great idea of sustaining the environment by using tangible methods of conserving nature. The best part of this movement is that these people educate the local people in order to use EPP's. This is contributing significantly to our environment as our environment is in a desperate need to conserve itself . The emission of CO2 is to be reduced so that no harm is further witnessed to the society.
A good starting point
The advances in technology are allowing us to use low wattage lighsources such as LEDs in more and more ways. This could be a good pilot project that can be rolled out on a wider scale. Timers and sensors can also be used to automatically switch lights on and off and reduce the amount of light pollution.
This proposal can be improved by more aggressive public awareness programs and education.
I think this is very cool,
I think this is very cool, but I wonder how if it is different enough from other interactive energy saving tools such as the one promoted by the federal or provincial government, or from similar tools developed by people in other countries. I think more needs to be done to explain how this tool is different and/or better than other tools in the market and in development.
Clear explanation of what differentiates this tool in the market. Clearer explanation of how the tool will be executed and on what platforms it will be made available. Clearer explanation of how it will work with existing awareness programs, and how it will be marketed.
Strengths are its focus on
Strengths are its focus on providing a simple translation of an action into a cost saving and payback period, ability to integrate the calculators into other websites.
No comment
I think the strength of this
I think the strength of this approach is on leveraging the internet which can reach a large audience. As well, making use of the YMCA as a distribution channel is thinking outside of the box to reach even more people including new immigrants.
Good Topic.....Thinking For Future
Carbon savings is a good idea, but have to think how to spread this idea to the people around you, which i feel that we need to bring some awareness like what is gonna happen if the percentage of carbon increases and how can it effect the environment and try to reduce the products that increase carbon.
Go with the natural solar products, Light saving bulbs and turn off when not in use and educating children at schools.
It's a very strong proposal,
It's a very strong proposal, and will very likely help reduce carbon footprints.
It just makes sense!
Who wouldn't want a calculator on their phone to tell them how to save money and save the planet at the same time? It just makes sense. So many of us are completely lost when it comes to deciding what is green, organic, fair-trade and ethical. Unfortunately it is easy to give up when there are so many choices out there and we have no idea what is "green-washed" from what isn't. This tool eliminates all the research and makes it easy to chose a products and service that benefit or wallets and the planet. I think this project is really going to take off whether it wins or not. Good luck and great work!
great idea
strength?
How do you get the message out without creating waste and carbon footprint?
It is a great idea. very well
It is a great idea. very well planned and thought out.
Good Concept
The calculators are a great idea to get people thinking about their own consumption.
Perhaps you could license the calculators to corporations so they could use them on their own websites in return for sponsorship fees. In addition to providing the corporations with the calculators you could also provide links to their websites.
Spectacular
Great proposal - really empowers people to be green by saving green (or multi-coloured as our currency is).
The perfect way to go.
The challenge is the outreach, but it's clear Howard has some key partners in play that can help spread the message. Great work.
Great idea
I believe that there has been some grat discussion points brought up above.
Continue looking at the marketing and advertsising opportunities for eco friendly companies.
A new and an innovative idea
i think thsi is a new and innovative idea..
save lights and switch off them when not reqired
Simple But Strong
elminating carbon emission is a must, cause of the fear of problems created by them.
the strength of this concept is that it is so easy to start with as we only need to first start with our homes.
weakness is the awarness which the people dont know abot the problem.
think proposal can be improved by first setting and example and using the less carbon emmission products.
and later we be an example for others which others can follow.
I feel this poposal helps
I feel this poposal helps every individual to see how he/she can have an impact on changing the environment as well as saving money by the choices each of us make.
Great potential to promote solar panel projects and more...
This comprehensive idea could accomodate innumerable conservation and energy generating projects. For example, our Alberta home has a brand new, owner installed 6 Kw roof mounted solar system. Due to provincial regulations, we (the "energy producer"!) are paid 8.1 cents per Kw hour of electricity produced. Our local electric utility installed a 2 way meter so we can keep track seperately of the energy we produce and the energy we consume. We also track our electricity production online with software supplied by the manufacturer. As you know, homeowners in Ontario are paid approximately 80 cents per Kw hour for the electricity they generate!! We in Alberta think that would be a huge incentive to install a photovoltaic system on your roof! We calculate a pay back of around 5 years for an Ontario home-owner with a system identical to ours. Voila: an affordable way to reduce your household's carbon footprint. All you need is a south facing roof with a reasonable pitch... You might inspire your neighbors, too! We installed our system ourselves with the help of a civil engineer friend whose claim to fame thus far has centered around rain barrels. I mention our project because I think it and/or similar projects would work well in the framework of this energy conservation proposal. For more information, technical and cost details and photos of our project, you can contact me at this website, or at [email protected]. (By the way, solar energy is a hobby, not a business, for us. Any pointers or advice are offered free of charge, and we are not affiliated in any way with the manufacturers of any part of the above described system.)
Add a component of energy generation to the basic idea of energy conservation.
As a home owner I could
As a home owner I could definately use this tool. Hope I get to use it one day (and soon).
Keep up the great work
We need groups like yours to solve issues that the government and municipalities simple are not addressing.
Well done
Can you partner with the people at
Good good, very interesting.
Good good, very interesting.
Great Proposal
As a person who owns a varety of rental properties this proposal appeals to both my business interests as well as my personal beliefs. I think that it will a great tool to promote people who are fiscally motivated to think differetnly abouth their choices regarding their properties. Very hands on and user friendly. Well done!
Make the calculator ubiquitous
Strengths: A working prototype exists and it works. The calculators already have default figures so that people don't have to guesstimate things like "flowrate of a faucet"
Weakness: Most of the products you list are purchased as "once in a while" items, therefore I don't foresee your site receiving a lot of traffic under its current model. Plus, consumers consider other features, such as, ease of installation, aesthetics, safety, etc. in addition to price.
I like your idea of affixing "calculators" on retailer's websites (e.g. Amazon, Home Depot, Wal-Mart), to help consumers make informed decisions about their carbon savings (I suspect their experience with your calc has to be very, very simple)
- More emphasis on long-term dollar savings & payback periods. You already feature this, but the way I view your site, its secondary to "carbon savings"
- Simplify the calculator (unless you find that users really enjoy knowing what assumptions are built into your calculations
- Present payback periods in years and months and not "1.67 years"
- Eventually put out a market survey to collect info about the kinds of conclusions that users want from your calculator
- Also survey retailers and manufacturers: What kind of consumer data would they like from your calculators and are they willing to pay for it?
This may sound like I'm changing your business model to fit a "dollar driven" rather than a "carbon driven" motive and perhaps I am. But I am confident that the engineer in you will cherry-pick the right appliances & consumer products that promote real "carbon savings" as you've already done
Never seen a website promote
Never seen a website promote this idea before. Potentially extremely beneficial to the average Joe and commercial suppliers - a win-win.
Great Idea
Strength: Having people able to track their savings is always a great idea! I like the included payback.
Weakness: There could be a lot of other things eventually added.
Eventually having other improvments: prehaps adding insulation, changing old windows, ect.
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Neat tool
I think you've put together a neat tool and the site alone should generate lots of interest and education at the very least.
However I'm unclear as to how you plan to make use of the winnings for this contest.