Now that its home improvement-centric big box brethren are selling personal wind turbines and offering solar leasing estimates, what’s a mega-retailer specializing in home electronics and appliances to do when it comes to the residential energy game?

 

Late week, Minnesota-based consumer electronics behemoth Best Buy announced the launch of an online Home Energy Learning Center — in-store experimental learning centers can be found at three stores in Chicago, Houston and San Carlos, Calif. — geared to help consumers make energy-wise purchasing decisions and improve their home’s overall energy performance. Best Buy shoppers can also partake in an in-depth whole-home energy assessment in less than five minutes or simply discover how much moola can be saved by making specific appliance/electronics upgrades. There’s also an Energy Star rebate finder and a search tool that lets consumers in certain parts of the country schedule home energy audits with just a click of a button. The three brick-and-mortar learning centers will feature similar services along with a consultation bar and product demos.

 

Says Neil McPhail, senior vice president of Best Buy’s new business customer solutions group, in a press release:

A fantastic and not entirely surprising move from a retailer that’s already a leader in sustainability initiatives (on a related note, Best Buy recently dropped the $10 fee associated with recycling items with screens through its in-store electronics recycling program). I looked at the online Home Energy Learning Center and it’s quite robust and informative. Take a look around and let me know what you think in the comments section. And on the topic of learning and home energy savings, I should also mention that the Nest, the $250 smart thermostat recently unveiled by two Apple expats, is sold out at Best Buy until 2012.