Windows are an extremely important considerating in building a green home. Here's some help in finding the right energy efficient window. In 2005 the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) developed a label to provide consumers with energy performance data on windows, doors, and skylights. This label helps you compare one product to another, listing the manufacturer, a product description, a
Energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissionsProduction and conversion electric cars typically use 0.17 to 0.37 kilowatt-hours per mile (0.1–0.23 kW•h/km). Approximately 20% of this power consumption is due to inefficiencies in charging the batteries. Tesla Motors indicates that the well to wheelsenergy consumption of their li-ion powered vehicle is 0.176 kW•h/mi. The US fleet average of 23
I was thinking today about what I would like to do to help the energy crisis and the family budget if only I could afford it.1. Change the windows that are not double glazed ( and rotting away slowly but surely ) . About 1/2 our windows are not done.2. Change car to a new Hybrid model or much more fuel efficient.3. Install a solar or wind powered energy system.4. Increase the insulation and in som
In another hopeful sign, a world that long ignored energy efficiency is suddenly thinking of nothing else. "We tried for years to promote energy conservation, and we couldn't find one who was interested," he said. "Now the world has done a U-turn." In an entirely different arena, Mr. Harman's impeller can be used in combination with a solar-powered motor to create a ripple effect on the surface of
There are those that say the American way of life will not allow for energy conservation. That our economy cannot grow and worry about Global Warming at the same time. Well there's a study out now that will prove that thinking wrong. I found it on the lightsearch blog, where there is a fantastic summary. But you can also download the entire ACEE report here. Some interesting facts (as summarized b
Efficient Coffee Production: Spent coffee solids as energy
A short video about how coffee solids are used as fuel to generate heat for the Nescafe coffee production process and how they strive to...
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New Singapore residential buildings must now meet minimum standards for energy efficiency
By May Wong,
SINGAPORE: New residential properties must now include basic environment-friendly features before the building plans are approved.
This is a requirement introduced on 15 April by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
Under the new guidelines, BCA has set a limit on the amount of [...]
Energy efficiency in the home benefits us in many ways. Firstly we save money on our household bills and with the rise in energy prices, every penny counts. One way to start the saving is by choosing energy efficient kitchen appliances.
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Geothermal Heat Pumps or GHPs can use 30-60% less energy than conventional HVAC systems, Geothermal systems are also quieter and require less maintenance. Geothermal Heat Pumps are not limited to heating, they can also be use for cooling and in some cases they can even be used as water heaters.
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Are you in the market for a new television set? Are you considering a plasma, LCD or flat-screen model? Have you considered it’s energy efficiency? While most people shop for televisions with specific features already in mind, they rarely consider energy efficiency. Why is energy efficiency important in televisions? According to Energy Star, “today’s TVs, [...]
When discussing green products “cradle to cradle” packaging is often discussed. What does cradle-to-cradle mean? Cradle to Cradle is a phrase coined by Walter R. Stahel in the 1970s, it became popular in 2002 thanks to the book titled Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things written by William McDonough and Michael Braungart.
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As the cost of electricity continues to rise more and more people are looking for effective strategies to lower their monthly utility bills. Taking steps to make your home more energy efficiency can help you reduce expensive monthly energy bills. If your home is showing it’s age with some common home problems then renovating green [...]
Microclimatic Landscape Design: Creating Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency (Paperback)By Robert D. Brown
Buy new: $80.00$64.7018 used and new from $59.93 Customer Rating: First tagged “home” by BanditoJose Customer tags: landscape design(2), [...]
Are you in the market for a new air conditioner? Have you been considering a room air conditioner instead of a central air conditioner but aren’t sure what you should be looking for? Purchasing an air conditioner of any type should be researched before hand simply due to the amount of electricity your air conditioner [...]
Refrigerators account for approximately 5 to 20 percent of our monthly energy bills. Buying the right refrigerator and using it wisely can make a significant impact on our ecological footprint and our energy bills. Even minor changes in family habit patterns of refrigerator use can result in surprising savings over the course of a year. [...]
While most people understand the environmental benefits of energy efficiency - both a reduction in electricity generation based carbon dioxide emissions and a reduction in our dependency on fossil fuels - not everyone understands all of the real financial benefits. What many people know is that energy efficiency saves you money by reducing the amount [...]
Photo by Popaver. This Passivhaus is the winner of the 2007 Solar Decathlon. It was created by a team led by Professor Manfred Hegger, mentioned below in today's post. Last week, I moderated an energy efficiency symposium that brought together...
Looking for data to support the value of building green? Join a growing crowd and read on... If my software let me write sarcastic subtitles, this one would be "Most often cited statistics at green real estate conferences in Spring...
A Spanish utility Union Fenosa-led consortium has launched EnergyLab, an international technological center for energy efficiency and sustainability.
The center seeks to become a standard-setter in Spain and internationally, to guide, co-ordinate and lead the way for projects which have a significant impact on society, the economy and the environment.EnergyLab’s primary goal is to encourage the [...]
The OLPC laptop, known as XO or the $100 laptop, is a feat of energy efficient engineering, consuming just 2W of energy - which makes it able to be powered through solar cells or hand cranks. In the video below, Mary Lou Jepsen, passionate engineer and former Chief Technology Operator of One Laptop Per Child, [...]
Try Metal Roofing For Energy EfficiencyThere are so many new materials available on the market to act as roofs, that the metal roof is becoming one of the most popular choices. This type of roofing has many benefits over other types of roofing, especially in terms of weather. You can also get metal roofs that are extremely durable and fit most climates. A metal and a set of drywall taping tools to help you work on the walls can be an ideal combination for you.Metal roofs are very popular nowadays because they are much more sturdy than other types of roofs. You can get them so they withstand strong winds. This can be a great thing to have if you live in a hurricane prone environment. You can also get them to help you withstand lots of snow and strong rain.This is also great for a northern climate to. Even hail and extreme heat can all be tolerated well by a metal roof. These roofs will be safer from fire that can be caused by arson or by the heat of the sun. You can protect your home an
Home information packs (HIP’s) are still not being seen by house sellers and buyers as adding any value to the sales process, however it does seem that they are forcing people to think about improving the energy efficiency of their home.
I must admit that when I was insulating our loft, it did occur to me [...]
The global challenges of climate change and energy security require urgent action. “Improving energy efficiency is the most cost-effective concrete action governments can take in the short term to...
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The global challenges of climate change and energy security require urgent action. “Improving energy efficiency is the most cost-effective concrete action governments can take in the short term to address climate change and energy security concerns” said Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Presenting a new IEA publication: Mind the Gap -- Quantifying Principal-Agent Problems in Energy Efficiency, he said “efficiency presents a unique opportunity; not only does it save energy, it reduces costs and lowers CO2 emissions. Yet, there is a gap between actual and optimal energy use”, Mr. Tanaka added. “A significant proportion of potential energy efficiency improvements is wasted, because of barriers in the energy market.”These obstacles to the efficient use of energy isolate consumers from the consequences of their energy choices. Market barriers take many forms. This new book takes an in-depth look at one pervasive barrier: Split incentives
Today, Energy Tech Stocks [ETS] has the fifth installment from our interview, outlining my LED stock picks. He quotes me at the start saying that it's "going to be a gigantic market" about LEDs. It is, but only when compared to the current size of the market... you can ramp up a lot from a very small base. LED bulbs are increasing in brightness and decreasing in price rapidly. It's these quickly improving economics that make me bullish about LEDs. Unlike many energy efficiency technologies, LEDs are a product that a business can sell. Much of energy efficiency involves a complete revamping of our ways of doing things. The truly gigantic market is the whole energy efficiency space, but it is much more difficult to invest in behavior change than it is to invest in product. Nevertheless, there are ways, such as with performance contracting companies, more efficient transmission, or smart metering. Before we get carried away looking at the sheer size of the potential energy e
Richard Taylor, AIACustom Home ArchitectLuxury Home PlansLuxury House PlansGood house design takes its form in part from the forces that act on it. Climate and weather are two of the strongest form-makers (there are no igloos in the tropics) since houses must be designed and built to repel the damaging effects of the world we live in. Mother Nature is always trying to tear our buildings down.Climate and weather also affect the comfort of our homes, and cause us to seek out ways to maintain the temperature and humidity of our homes within tolerable levels. A great deal of design effort is devoted to keeping the heat in or keeping the heat out, depending on the climate and season.This Old HouseAt times throughout American history, the forms of our homes have reflected - to greater or lesser extents - our ingenuity in making our homes' internal climates more comfortable.Settlers in the Deep South built deep porches around their low-slung homes to shade them from the harsh sun and to
Buildings use about 1/3 of the energy consumed in the United States. A lot of that energy is wasted because houses aren't designed to use it efficiently. The few energy-efficient homes out there today use technology to manage energy use, but 30 years ago many homes made energy-efficiency intrinsic to their design. Can we do that again today?read more | digg story
