The University of Illinois designed The Re_Home for the 2011 Solar Decathlon with disaster response in mind. It is a very adaptable, flexible space to accommodate different family situations. Why a disaster response house? The state is prone to destructive tornadoes. The beauty of the house is that two modular components of the Re_Home can be transported on one trailer. In addition, the solar [...]
Team NJ’s Solar Decathon’s ENJOY House. Photo by Credit: Jim Tetro/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon The ENJOY beach house built by Team New Jersey was my first stop at the 2011 Solar Decathlon. Of course, my home state’s house received priority. Their 962 square foot home was built using precast Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) with [...]
Attending the 2011 collegiate Solar Decathlon in Washington DC this year was a dream come true. Nineteen domestic and international college teams competed to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that were cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The solar decathlon goal was to build a home under 1000 square feet and $350,000. At $350 a square foot, the cost to go [...]
Over the years, I have become obsessed with stopping air infiltration. Each fall, I check my doors and windows looking for daylight peering through the sides. If you see light, you have an air leak. For years, one of my doors had me stumped. My weatherstrip was in good condition and I had a sweep on [...]
With our troubled economy, could feng shui, a traditional time aged practice, change our home and work environments to be more profitable, harmonious and healthy? Maureen Calamia, founder of Luminous Spaces, a green Feng Shui consulting company, has in fact been helping people and companies for several years to transform their buildings into healthy positive [...]
Are you seeking to reduce energy in your company without replacing equipment? According to Energy Automation Systems, Inc. (EASI), simply installing their EasiLiner or other power quality performance technology products to your motors can save a company 10-25% in annual energy costs. The EasiLiner is used with medium size load motors. However, the Company can [...]
The WindMade label is the newest label to enter the overcrowded green certificates and labels field. However, as the name implies, this label is geared towards acknowledging corporations that power their business with wind. In addition, the label is backed by quantifiable standards and accounting methods to insure consumer transparency. To see a brief overview [...]
Last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Chisholm of A.O. Smith about their line of efficient water heaters. What makes A.O. Smith’s water heater product line so unique is the variety they offer: ultra-efficient (gas or electric), tankless, solar or a hybrid water heater. As David explained, A.O. Smith is committed to finding [...]
I am a huge fan of One Block off the Grid which provide group discounts for solar installations. (See here if group discounts are availabe in your town.) But what if you don’t want to spend a chunk of upfront change on system but want the benefits? The Company now offers the same group savings through [...]
During this week, I have been shedding some light on LEDs especially given the amount of false claims made by manufacturers. The LED industry is suffering from the same thing the green industry suffers from but in this case, it is called LEDwashing or lightwashing. Pick your favorite name. Just to give you some background, [...]
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