When given the choice between Pepsi and Coke I’ve always chosen the red bottle. Maybe it’s the brand awareness or the history of Coca-Cola or maybe it’s just a matter of taste. Lately though, I have found myself cheating on that red bottle to spend more time with Pepsi. To clarify, I have discovered Pepsi’s latest campaign, the “Pepsi Refresh Project.” About once a week I like to go to the website and have my faith in mankind restored.

For those that are unfamiliar with the project, Pepsi is awarding grant money to great ideas from online volunteers. Any regular person, like myself, can go on the website and submit a great idea and with enough votes from other viewers, like you, they are awarded money to make their goal a reality. The projects range from creating low-income housing to saving animal shelters to raising money for medical research.

I can’t help but think of the recent news from the DOE. When the DOE announced the projects and companies that were being awarded grants to advance energy-efficient building technologies I felt like it was a great story for the industry. Companies with great ideas were awarded money to better the country and included in these companies were some window film companies that we are all familiar with (CPFilms, 3M Company, Pleotint LLC, Southwall Technologies).

I wrote in my last blog about validation for window film and yet here I see it again. The U.S. government is recognizing window film as a valuable game-changer in the fight to save energy and make our country green. However, this is where my questions begin. Are there companies or ideas that were not awarded grants that should have been on the list? In the spirit of the Pepsi Refresh Project, what would you submit to the DOE as your energy-efficient idea?

Follow the links here to find out more about the Pepsi Refresh Project  and the DOE’s awards.

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