'Green' consulting firms in demand

Julia Glenn Carter is on a mission.

Carter, 54, became concerned about the threat of global warming in the mid-2000s. She worried about its potential to cause havoc not only on society with rising sea levels, but also on people's pocketbooks.

"As I was researching it, looking at how I could help my own family, it struck me that there wasn't a one-stop spot to help people figure out what they could do," said Carter, a former publisher of the weekly DeKalb County newspapers the Community Review and the Community Journal. "That got me thinking that I could do something."

So last year, Carter created her own company, ZiptoGreen.com, which is an energy-efficiency consulting firm as well as an Internet-based clearinghouse for the latest data on energy-saving strategies and products.

Wrapping a water heater in a special insulating blanket, using a spray foam on drafty windows, or cooking dinner in a slow cooker instead of a conventional oven can save a homeowner hundreds of dollars a year.

Businesses similar to ZiptoGreen.com have been sprouting all over America.

Ron Pernick, a co-founder and spokesman for the Portland, Ore., consulting firm Clean Edge, said that just five years ago, similar companies were hard to find.

"Now this is one of the hottest new industries on the scene," he said. "People are jumping into it, from investors to just everyday homeowners, trying to save on their light and heating bills."

Carter said that she got into the business because she couldn't find a consumer-friendly company out there to help her conserve energy.

"The biggest thing that I wondered was why more consumers weren't engaged in solving this problem," she said. "Maybe they thought it was too big, or didn't think there was anything they could do themselves."

Carter, a self-described social entrepreneur, said that the answer was obvious to her.

"People want to save money, especially in this economy," she said. "So if we can show them how they can save money while using less energy, then that serves the greater good."

Her fledgling business is currently doing about $110,000 a year in earnings, which she said is a lot considering its information on its website is free.

The company also can design personalized action plans for someone's home or business for $10.

"Think of us as your conscience," Carter said. "After we design a plan, we can keep nudging you to see that you've followed through."

Craig Hill, an energy consultant with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, an Asheville, N.C.-based nonprofit group, said that there's a big need for companies like Carter's.

"In America, we're way behind almost every other developed nation on energy savings," he said. "We keep water tanks filled with hot water all day, even when we're not at home. We use appliances that waste electricity, and we leave them turned on all the time. It's just money going out the window."

Such waste also is believed to hurt the environment because about 93 percent of America's energy comes from fossil fuels such as coal and oil, Hill said. Fossil fuels emit so-called greenhouse gases when burned, which many scientists believe trap extra heat in the atmosphere and raise global temperatures.

Hill said that while no single person or company can make a big change in energy consumption, collectively people can.

"We're using about twice the energy per capita as Europe, but they have the same standard of living," he said. "That right there should be enough proof that we can do better."

Anne McMullan Howe, a Gwinnett County teacher, said that she is a new subscriber to Carter's service.

While she hasn't seen any big money savings yet, she said she's hopeful.

"I just signed up because, while I've been thinking about making the house more efficient, I'm a very busy person," she said. "I didn't have time to do the research. What Julia can do is keep me focused, and give me a little kick in the pants to get this done."

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