Innovation is a noble objective. But at the end of the day, the planning and execution of the pre-determined goal—whether it is designing a new building, manufacturing a better product, or developing a solution for any problem—falls on the shoulders of a few hardy soldiers who have to find the answer. An idea is a starting point. The real work, however, is taking the idea from concept to completion.
Such is the case in the mandate for improved energy efficiency. Politicians, business executives, activists and administrators who clamor for improvement can do so without understanding, investigating or even having direct knowledge of the problem. Any person can say they want to significantly improve energy usage. Anyone can say they want to land on Mars, too. Just because a person specifies a goal does not mean it will happen. The roll-up-the-sleeves work is done away from the press conferences and swanky boardrooms.