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SAN JOSE (MCT) — Solar and wind power may get the headlines and attention, but green- tech experts say 2010 will be dominated by energy efficiency, the mundane but critical process of cutting the amount of gas and elec- tricity that homes and offices use. Energy Secretary Steven Chu regularly describes himself as an "energy-efficiency nut." Sixteen states, including California and New York, have passed legis- lation enabling home- owners to finance ener- gy-efficiency upgrades through their property taxes. President Barack Obama even declared insulation "sexy" at a Home Depot in Decem- ber. Then there are the sheer numbers. Venture capital investment in energy efficiency hit a record in 2009: at least 115 deals worth nearly $1 billion, according to a preliminary tally by the Cleantech Group and Deloitte. That's up 39 percent from 2008. Meanwhile, solar, which had 84 deals worth about $1.2 billion, was down 64 percent from 2008, and there's increasing talk about solar being "overfunded." "In 2009, there was a pullback and realization by investors that because of the capital intensity of solar, there may be safer places to put their money," said Scott Smith, U.S. cleantech leader for Deloitte. Energy efficiency generally refers to a wide range of technolo- gies designed to cut energy use such as improved lighting, greener building materi- als and sophisticated software that monitors power consumption. And it's increasingly seen as an effective way to create desperately needed jobs, save strug- gling consumers money, wean America from its dependence on foreign oil and reduce carbon emissions — all at the same time. Home energy use accounts for 21 percent of the nation's carbon footprint — roughly twice the carbon emis- sions of passenger cars, according to the Pew Center on Global Cli- mate Change. There are 100 million homes in America, and energy- saving measures like insulation, caulking, and heating-and-cooling sys- tem upgrades can reduce household energy con- sumption by 10 percent to 40 percent, according to a memo by the Presi- dent's Economic Recov- ery Advisory Board. And saving energy saves money: Californians pay an average of $84 a month for electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Kevin Surace has seen the shift firsthand. For years, the CEO of Seri- ous Materials, which makes energy-saving windows and drywall, was the only energy-effi- ciency executive at industry conferences. "I remember standing with a piece of drywall at the Cleantech Forum in 2006," he said. "Every other company was solar, wind and biofuel. People were like: What are you doing at our con- ference?" Now Surace is the keynote speaker at many of the conferences he attends. "All the cleantech conferences are efficien- cy, efficiency, efficien- cy," Surace said. "When you really break it down, every dollar spent on energy efficiency pays back the investment four or five times. It saves people money and cre- ates jobs. And it has bipartisan support." Another Bay Area company riding the surge of interest in ener- gy efficiency is San F r a n c i s c o - b a s e d Recurve, which provides detailed home energy audits and green energy remodeling to Bay Area homeowners. "Five or six years ago, energy efficiency was such a backwater," said president and co-founder Matt Golden, who remembers the days of being met with blank stares when he would talk about insulation and duct system leakage. "Everyone was like: There's no money in energy efficiency." The company, which had 12 employees in 2007, has grown to 65. It is creating customized software that it plans to license to other contrac- tors in the energy retrofit industry and is actively hiring software engi- neers. Golden, 35, is so sought after as a public policy leader that he spends much of his time in Washington these days. Recurve, which raised a first round of venture funding in September 2008, is backed by RockPort Capital and Shasta Ventures. "Energy efficiency is very capital-efficient," said Rob Coneybeer of Shasta Ventures. "We like the idea of people using IT to measure, monitor and improve their energy usage. We felt like Recurve had done a really good job, and we really liked the founders — that's a big reason why we invested in them." 8A – Daily News – Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Smog Check starting at $ 29 95 (most cars and pick-ups) Pass or FREE retest COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR + cert. All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. DW PLUMBING INC. Local Plumbers Serving all Your Plumbing Needs Since 1993 530 527-6403 Lic. No 679492 Major Credit Cards Accepted 2498 South Main St • Red Bluff www.tehamafamilyfitness.com Tehama Family Fitness Center presents Winning With Losses Weight Loss Competition Join this highly successful program! Benefit from weekly weigh-ins, specialty classes, nutritional consultations, cash prizes and more! Program starting early February 15 th Call Aubrie or Kim for more details at 530-528-8656 The winner of our last competition lost over 50lbs and the group lost a combined 282.5 lbs. in 10 weeks! New TRAX Routes and Times Beginning Feb. 1 a new TRAX bus schedule will be in use that includes express service from Red Bluff to Corning 7 times daily, 6am to 6pm Red Bluff Service, and more frequent service in Downtown Corning. Also 70 and older ride TRAX for FREE. Call 385-BUSS (2877) to receive a new Riders Guide Riding TRAX has never been easier Don't Get Caught with your Mower Down! BEAT THE RUSH... Have your lawn equipment serviced now! Serving Tehama County Since 2002 Chainsaws - Mowers - Blowers Hedgers - Trimmers - Tillers - Generators Zero Turn & Lawn Tractors ® Good thru Feb. 28 TH RED BLUFF OUTDOOR POWER 527-5741 490 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff Mon. - Sat. 8-5 QUALITY SAW & MOWER 365-8700 2901 Douglas St., Anderson Mon. - Sat. 8-5 Locally owned by Joel & Rhonda Snow N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY www.statetheatreredbluff.com State Theatre, 333 Oak Street, Red Bluff State Theatre Presents... "The Magic of Movies" (Screenings made possible by a donation from Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson) Published through a co- sponsorship agreement with the F r i d a y , F e b r u a r y 1 2 , 2 0 1 0 7 : 0 0 p . m . In the lobby: GIRLS INC. PROMOTING ACTIVITIES THAT INSPIRE ALL GIRLS TO BE STRONG, SMART AND BOLD. Tickets $6.00 / "Teams" of 5 or more $4.00 "Shower the people you love with love … Show them the way you feel …" N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY B. Boxers C. Cupid D. Hugs & Kisses A. Balloons F. Teddy Tehama County Valentine Love-Lines In the Classified pages of the Saturday, February 13 th only! Deadline: Wednesday, February 10 th @ 5 PM! Just 75 cents per word $4.50 min. charge. Add Valentine artwork of your choice for just $3.00 Will someone you love read the Valentine Love Lines In the Daily News on February 13 th , looking for a Valentine Greeting from you? Place yours today! 527-2151 Make yours sweet, romantic, cute, silly … We'll help you word your Love Lines! Send Love Lines to your sweetheart, parents, kids, etc. New this year – For your convenience! ♥ Reserve your Love-Lines by Phone/Credit Card: Just call Classified at 527-2151, and our Ad-Visors will walk you through the process, all the options, and take your Love-Line order payment by credit card. Or come by the office, of course. ♥ Place by Email: Send what you want to say in an email to advertise@redbluffdailynews.com. Be sure to include your phone/cell number so we can call you back and take your credit card information to reserve your Valentine Love-Lines. ♥ First time ever! Optional: Give us the email address of your Valentine. We will send your Valentine an email before publication day telling them that someone who loves them has placed a Love-Line in the Daily News on Saturday the 13th … and to be sure to look for their Valentine Greeting, in the paper … or online in our digital edition! E. Burning Heart Energy efficiency to shine in 2010 MCT photo Cisco Systems intern Sarah Shapiro stands in one of the labs she helps monitor at the company headquarters in San Jose. Cisco in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund's Climate Corps is the first program of its kind to put MBA students' financial and analytical skills, as well as a passion for the environment, to work developing an economic rationale for energy efficiency.