Video: The Pink Panther(TM) Breaks Silence: Identifies Biggest Energy Consumer
November 21 2008 - 9:13PM
PR Newswire (US)
Owens Corning Chief Energy Officer Urges Proper Insulation for
Improved Energy Efficiency in Buildings TOLEDO, Ohio, Nov. 21
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Armed with survey results revealing
public misperceptions about energy use, The Pink Panther(TM), Chief
Energy Officer at Owens Corning (NYSE:OC), broke his decades of
silence on October 9, 2008 to focus national attention on the
massive amount of energy used to heat and cool buildings. According
to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 40 percent of U.S. energy
is swallowed by buildings, yet most Americans believe
transportation and industry are the largest offenders. To View the
Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/owenscorning/35579/ In a recent
survey conducted by Owens Corning, only 27 percent of Americans
correctly identified buildings as the major energy culprit. More
survey participants singled out transportation and industry as the
primary users of energy. Buildings are clearly the primary energy
user followed by industry and transportation. "That startling lack
of awareness compelled The Pink Panther to cease his lifelong
silence," said Frank O'Brien-Bernini, Chief Sustainability Officer
at Owens Corning. "The Pink Panther has agreed to be part of a
nationwide campaign to draw attention to the facts." Communicating
directly through his Save Energy blog, The Pink Panther wrote that
the Owens Corning survey reveals a deep lack of understanding about
the greatest source of energy use -- the buildings in which we live
and work. "People keep searching for answers to our energy problems
while the answer is all around us," wrote The Pink Panther. "By
focusing on the role our buildings play in energy consumption and
making simple, easy changes such as adding insulation, we will use
a lot less energy." O'Brien-Bernini said heating and cooling of
buildings in the U.S. is also a leading contributor of greenhouse
gas emissions -- a fact that is not commonly understood. According
to a global study by the McKinsey Global Institute, the most
cost-effective method for decreasing greenhouse gas emissions is
insulating buildings. Yet only 8 percent of survey respondents
correctly identified insulation as this most powerful tool,
compared to other options such as hybrid vehicles or
energy-efficient appliances. "Imagine what a difference we can make
if owners of our nation's nearly 80 million under-insulated homes
realize they can easily decrease their carbon footprint by properly
insulating," said O'Brien-Bernini. "Our best source of energy is
energy we don't use in the first place." With homeowners everywhere
worrying about the economy and winter on the horizon, insulation
saves on energy bills. A properly insulated home can save up to 20
percent on heating and cooling costs* -- and is an easy
do-it-yourself project. It is interesting to note that 68 percent
of survey respondents would be willing to pay up to as much as
$10,000 more for a home that could help save up to 20 percent on
heating and cooling energy-related bills. The Pink Panther and
Owens Corning urge homeowners to head up to their attics to measure
their existing insulation and add more to meet current DOE
recommendations of up to an R-value of 60. To meet these standards,
your attic should have at least 19 inches of fiberglass batt (roll)
insulation or 22 inches of blown insulation. By doing so,
homeowners will increase their homes' energy efficiency, do more
with less and save money this winter. For more information about
current DOE standards, the benefits of insulation and easy
instructions about measuring and adding insulation, please visit
http://www.insulateandsave.com/. Sources: Buildings Energy Data
Book September 2007, Buildings Share of U.S. Primary Energy
Consumption, U.S. Department of Energy. Consumer-Omnipulse Survey,
September, 2008, Owens Corning*
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_methodology.
*Savings vary. Find out why in the seller's fact sheet on R-values.
Higher R-values mean greater insulating power. About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) is a leading global producer of residential
and commercial building materials, glass fiber reinforcements and
engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune 500 company
for 54 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving
sustainability through delivering solutions, transforming markets
and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a
market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology with sales of $5
billion in 2007 and 18,000 employees in 26 countries on five
continents.
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/owenscorning/35579DATASOURCE: Owens
Corning CONTACT: Ried Artis, Owens Corning, +1-419-248-5577, ; or
Lisa Heathman, HMH, +1-503-973-9220, Web site:
http://www.insulateandsave.com/
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