MONROE - Being energy efficient is more of a personal endeavor rather than an community effort, according to some people attending the second in a series of Building Communities webinars presented Tuesday at the Government Services Building in Monroe.

The topic, Focus on Sustainability: Energy Efficiency, covered what people need to know about sustainable energy; retro-commissioning, a process for improving the energy efficiency of buildings; and programs, resources and opportunities toward building an energy independent community.

Sustainable power is defined as the pairing of energy efficiency with renewable energy.

"None of our communities are talking about it," Anna Schramke, Green County Development Corporation executive director, said.

Chris Wellington, dean of Blackhawk Technical College, Monroe campus, offered the college as a location for community discussion to take place.

Blackhawk Tech requires knowledge of sustainability, with knowledge in ecology, as a core ability for its students. The campus in Janesville is looking at ways to lower its carbon footprint, such as not mowing the lawn and developing a prairie area, she said.

"But people are all thinking individually, not talking together," Wellington said.

She believes when people begin to see the difference that taking steps to energy sustainability can make, the ideas begin to catch on.

"If the county were to take visible and local leadership in sustainability... all of a sudden it becomes a good idea," she said.

From soy carpeting to wind farming, people don't believe they can afford or have the ability to get involved in alternative energies, Wellington said.

"Seeing is believing," said Cara Carper, UW-Extension community resources development educator.

Energy efficiency comes in "even simple things," she said.

Carper said she knew she should be using energy-efficient light bulbs, but not until she witnesses the "energy bike" did she believe it made a big difference.

The "energy bike" is used to demonstrate how much human effort is needed to power various electrical devices.

One case study presented in the webinar showed how one south-central Wisconsin public school reduced its electrical and gas consumption.

The 250,000-square-foot building complex saves an estimated $40,000 to $70,000 annually. The cost to realize the savings was about $35,000, with payback realized over a 6- to 10-month period.

As a bonus, the school has improved comfort and operation.

Home builder Ron Starmer of D-H Builders, Monroe, said his company is doing similar things on a smaller basis with homes.

Starmer said new occupants are amazed by the reduction in their energy bills.

According to the webinar information, Wisconsin spends about $5,800 per household to import fossil fuels, and 70 percent of Wisconsin energy from utilities comes from coal, the single largest producer of CO2 emissions among fossil fuels.

Tom Purdy, community development specialist with Fehr-Graham and Associates, Monroe, said the City of Monroe "water and wastewater utilities continually look at ways to keep costs down."

"Yes, they want efficiency," he said.

Purdy also said he is getting "more and more calls about wind farms."

While some people try to use small wind generators, Purdy said the big wind turbines are most efficient.

Purdy put an instant water heater in his home, over the doubts of some family members.

"It was twice as expensive, but it paid back in one year," he said.

Wellington said learning about the many ways to save energy is not easy, even for savvy computer users.

"Find somebody who knows what they're talking about, not trying to sell you something," Purdy said.