As a recovering Governor I know that states and municipalities are the laboratories of democracy for our nation. The work done in states and local communities to save energy is critical to helping not only ease budget pressures, but also in giving the federal government some great examples of what can work. Similarly, the federal government and our nation can benefit from smarter, greener federal building.

This weekend I was back in Delaware — as I am most weekends — and I was driving home from an appointment. I was making great time. I think the only person who could have made better time is Vice President Biden, and he has about a dozen Secret Service cars that ferry him around Delaware these days.

As I was driving, I got stuck behind one of those Chinatown buses — the large coach buses that go between Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington for about $3 each way. While those buses may excel in affordability, they often fail when it comes to speed.

As I crept forward, trapped behind the bus, there was nothing I could really do except read the back of this huge white bus. And so for about 20 solid minutes I stared at the back of the bus which was emblazoned with the phrase “Double Happiness.” Apparently, that was the name of the bus line. “Double Happiness.”

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Look at the rundown interior of 5 Channel Center, a nearly 100-year-old building in the Fort Point neighborhood, said Nolan Browne; admittedly, it might be hard to see why the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems would relocate there from Cambridge.

The firm, which is a subsidiary of the German research organization Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, helps start-up energy efficiency companies commercialize cutting-edge products and services. But right now, its designated new space looks pretty shabby, with paint peeling off the walls, pipes and wires dangling toward the dust, and office detritus littering the floor.

But picture 5 Channel Center as Browne, the group’s managing director, does: with a first-floor reception area showcasing the latest energy efficiency technologies, and a sixth-floor multiroom facade-research laboratory where siding, insulation, and other building materials can be tested and compared.

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Bangalore: Karnataka can take pride on the renewable energy front. Of the total energy consumed by customers of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) so far, 11% came from renewable energy against the 7% target set by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. For consumers of Electricity Supply Companies, the figure was 10%.

Additional chief secretary of the energy department in the state Shamim Banu announced these achievements while opening a two-day conference on ‘Energy symposium and vendors conclave’ on Friday.

“Discussions on energy management have been going on since the 1970s, but nothing concrete has happened. The reason is the cost and uncertainty factors which need to be addressed,” said Banu.

She hailed the government’s efforts to push for energy-efficient appliances. “While Bescom has already distributed four lakh compact fluorescent lights in Kolar district, it may take two more months to complete distribution of lights in other jurisdictions,” said Banu.

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