Safer CFLs
Installing compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in place of incandescent light bulbs is one of the simplest and least expensive ways homeowners can reduce energy use in their homes. But there's a catch many homeowners may not be aware of - all fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, a toxin ...
Closing In on Net Zero
Enter Jackie O'Neil's home on a muggy 90-degree afternoon and you're struck by the shock of cool air - not the artificial cool of air conditioning but the natural comfort of a perfectly designed home. O'Neil pays nothing for heating and cooling. In fact, solar panels and a geothermal system produ...
Free Power for a California Home
Think a solar energy system will cost too much to install on your home? You might be surprised to learn that in some cases, depending on where you live, a solar installation can actually more than pay for itself. Consider the example of a 4,000-square-foot home in Saratoga, Calif., south...
West Coast Green Conference Opens to Homeowners on Sept. 22
West Coast Green, America's largest residential green building conference, today announced plans for its 2007 event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 20 to 22 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. More than 250 speakers, including Sarah Susanka, Michelle Kaufmann, Bob Berkeb...
Energy Efficient Communities
One of the latest trends in homebuilding is the creation of entire neighborhoods or communities of green, energy-efficient homes. The premise behind these energy-efficient communities, which are springing up all over the country, is simple: there's power in numbers - or rather, a greater opportun...
6 Ways to Improve Home Energy Efficiency
Homeowners who are serious about improving energy efficiency know there are numerous options available to them, many of which are simple enough for anyone to implement. Whether it's adding insulation, setting back the thermostat in the winter, installing compact fluorescent lamps, sealing air leaks ...
Coming Soon to a Home Near You
It's often said there's nothing new under the sun. We beg to differ. The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) recently identified 10 innovative technologies that are about to make our homes stronger, more durable and more resource-efficient. Some of these technologies, such as comb...
Solar Decathlon Shines Again
The National Mall in Washington, D.C., will once again be transformed into a solar village when it hosts the 2007 Solar Decathlon, scheduled to take place Oct. 12 to 20. The Decathlon, which is held every other year, is a competition in which 20 teams of college and university students design, bu...
Green on a Budget
A green, energy-efficient home doesn't have to be expensive. That's the lesson behind a new home that has recently been completed in the Virginia mountain city of Roanoke.Back in 2005, an international competition was held to find a home design that best followed the principles set out by th...
Choosing A Furnace
Whether replacing an old furnace in an existing home or installing one in a newbuild, homeowners have many moneysaving options. In addition to focusing on the heating system itself, homeowners also need to decide which type of fuel or energy source makes the most monetary and environmental sense,...
Three Basics of Energy Efficiency
While trying to develop material for this month's column on home energy efficiency, I thought long and hard about which new strategies or cutting-edge products I should write about to enlighten you. I considered high-performance windows and fenestration systems, the latest light and motion sensors, ...
Push 'E' for Energy Savings
When it comes to saving energy, it can't get any easier than pushing a button. Appliance manufacturer Bosch has equipped its 500 and 800 Nexxt front-loading clothes washers with a green-colored "EcoOption" button which, when pushed by the homeowner, will decrease water temperature during the wash cy...
Taking It Outside
Replacing an existing tank-type water heater with a more efficient tankless water heater often requires homeowners to upgrade the interior infrastructure of their homes. Specifically, tankless water heaters typically require larger gas supply piping and a Category III stainless steel venting syst...
Heat From Below
Compared to the media attention that wind, ethanol and geothermal power garner these days, solar energy seems positively prehistoric. "Didn't they try that years ago?" some ask. "Doesn't it only work if it's sunny out?" Gary Watrous, an architect based in Louisville, Ky., is defyi...
Energy Efficient Communities
One of the latest trends in homebuilding is the creation of entire neighborhoods or communities of green, energy-efficient homes. The premise behind these energy-efficient communities, which are springing up all over the country, is simple: there's power in numbers - or, rather, a greater opportu...
