Category Archives: sustainability

Home Energy Audit – You can’t save energy until you know where you are using it

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Trying to save energy (re: money) without knowing where you are using it is like assembling something without reading the instructions. Sometimes it works but most times it doesn’t.

 

http://www.homeenergy.org/show/article/id/1541/viewFull/

 

Getting to the Bottom of Home Energy Use

BY TODD HOENER

 

In 1949, according to DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA), residential electricity consumption was 5% of total residential energy consumption. By 2009, it was 40%. This rise is attributable to many factors—appliance and equipment saturation, innovations in electronic technology, larger houses, and greater disposable income, among others. According to DOE, end-use electricity consumption will continue to grow as a percentage of total household energy consumption. As electricity consumption grows, so does base-load household electricity consumption—that year-round electrical load upon which seasonal electrical loads, like air-conditioning and space heating, are stacked. Water heating, refrigerators and freezers, lighting, laundry and kitchen appliances, electronics and entertainment devices, pumps, and miscellaneous plugged-in loads are common base-load end uses. All additional electricity use—from occasionally used devices, tools, or equipment; visitors; short-term construction jobs; and so on—is consumed on top of base-load use. And the fervent appetite for new and as-yet-unimagined appliances and electronic devices is expected to climb. Growth is why base-load end use is an important topic.
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Subscribe to the magazine and read the rest.
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More next week.

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Home Energy Conservation – It is the safe thing to do

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Energy Conservation saves money, but it can also save lives. CES believes in safety first.

http://www.safetyathome.com/environmental-safety/environmental-safety-articles/energy-conservation-facts-that-may-surprise-you/?gclid=CKvq5r_k1qoCFU3IKgodrnrT9w

Environmental Safety

When you’re a parent, environmental concerns suddenly take on new meaning. You want to keep your family safe and your environment healthy for so many reasons. Get the answers you need to feel confident that the products you purchase will live up to their eco-claims and that you’re making smart choices for your family.

Energy Conservation Facts That May Surprise You – and What to Do About Them

faucet leaking

Want to step up your energy-saving savvy? Here are some energy eye-openers along with ways to conserve you might not have thought of yet.

Energy Eye-Opener: Wasting water needlessly uses electricity. In large cities, the biggest draw on electricity is supplying water to residents and cleaning up the water after it has been used.

  • Take a good look at your water bill every month. Unusually high use could mean you have an undetected leak.

Energy Eye-Opener: Refrigerators and freezers consume about a sixth of all electricity in a typical American home, using more electricity than any other single household appliance.1

  • If possible, move your refrigerator away from the wall, stove, dishwasher and heat vents to help it perform more efficiently.2

Energy Eye-Opener: A six-inch pan on an eight-inch burner will waste more than 40 percent of the stove’s energy3.

  • Use pots the same size as your burners. Use lids when possible so you can cook at a lower temperature.

Energy Eye-Opener: Some water heater thermostats come preset to 140 degrees, which can cost you more money.

  • Make sure your water heater is set to 120 degrees.4 This is also recommended to help prevent accidental scalding and burns from water that is too hot – especially important with little ones around.

Energy Eye-Opener: About 90 percent of the electricity used by everyday incandescent bulbs is lost as heat.

  • Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They provide just as much light with one-fourth the energy.5

Energy Eye-Opener: As much as half the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling.

  • Use duct or foil tape to seal the seams and connections of your heating and cooling ducts, especially the ones running through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement or garage. Wrap them in insulation while you’re at it; you could improve your system’s energy efficiency by as much as 20 percent.6

Energy Eye-Opener: An open fireplace damper can let up to eight percent of heat from your furnace go up the chimney.

  • Close the damper in summer and when you don’t have a fire burning in winter.7

Energy Eye-Opener: Devices such as modems and other networking boxes draw power anytime they are plugged in.

  • Plug your computer, modem and other electronic devices into a power strip so you can turn them all off when you’re not using them.8 This also goes for small appliances in the kitchen that are constantly drawing energy while plugged in. Make sure all power strips are UL Listed.

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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DYI Green Energy For Homes – Another link request

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This guys don’t realize it but I have posted about them before. They know what they are talking about.

 

http://diygreenenergyforhomes.com/

DIY Green Energy | Home Made Energy

diy green energy for homesAre you sick and tired of having to pay huge energy bills? If you answer yes to this question, then DIY green energy is a sensible option for you. You can begin utilizing free, eco-friendly power and reduce your household power bill by more than 80% while doing your part in saving the Earth.

The most significant benefits of DIY green energy is the ability to make big savings in the long run. Bear in mind though that there are significant start up costs associated with the setting up of solar, magnetic or wind power, and it’ll require a bit of time before you start to enjoy the rewards.

Setting up green energy power is really an enjoyable task that can be done by yourself – there is no better satisfaction than the experience associated with getting this done yourself. The very first time I assembled a residential wind turbine involved a couple of weeks, however the thrill of seeing it working in motion is priceless.

There are numerous methods to construct your own homemade green energy generators online which depicts the procedure and show you which components are needed. Don’t ever doubt yourself and don’t forget that anyone can create a workable and effective machine by yourself.

If you wish to reduce your month-to-month electricity bill, become self sufficient or increase the value of your property, this is all merely an arm’s reach away using homemade energy. It is possible to construct DIY solar panels or wind power generator by using simple, straightforward, “any kid could understand it” instructions. We’ve placed together some terrific information on DIY solar panels and homemade wind turbines that will make a massive difference in saving energy if you put them into application.

Regardless of whether you’ve questions on home made green energy or don’t have the slightess idea what is green energy, we have answers for you here. Before you know it, your free electricity dreams will turn out to be a reality.

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More tomorrow.

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My Air Conditioner Failed – So this week it is personal

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Our 26 year old York air conditioner failed on Saturday. We had it recharged 2 months ago but it did not hold. It was worth a try because it had never been tapped before. Now we have to get a new one. I spent an hour today taking 2 east facing windows out of service to help cut down on the heat load. They don’t really talk about that here.

So here are the standard tips on cooling your house without AC. I will be doing this for the rest of the week.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/care2/422/10-ways-to-keep-cool-at-home-without-a-c.html

10 ways to keep cool at home without A/C

By Chaya, selected from Hometalk

Posted Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:18pm PDT

Save energy this summer. It’s easy to keep your house cool without air conditioning. Employing a few basic environmentally friendly principals will help keep you cool and will help you save money.

1. Hot Air Out, Cool Air In

The most basic thing you can do to keep your house cooler without air conditioning is to keep as much sunlight out as possible and let cooler air in at night. During the day, keep windows, drapes, blinds or shades closed, especially on the southern and western sides of your home. If you have a porch, you can put up large plastic or bamboo shades to cut down on sunlight.

2. Windows

Use white or light colored window dressings to reflect light. You can also apply reflective slicks to windows to further cut down on light. At night, leave cabinets open as well, as they will store heat.

3. Be a Fan of the Fan

Moving air is cooler air. At night, place fans in windows to bring more cool air in. Ceiling fans can also make a big difference. In terms of cooling, even a one-mile-per-hour breeze will make you feel three to four degrees cooler. In terms of energy savings, if you run a ceiling fan full-blast for 12 hours, you will only spend about $10 a month in electricity. Ceiling fans have two settings, one to pull air up (for winter use), and the other to push air down. Make sure your ceiling fan is blowing down.

4. Turn Your Fan Into an Air Conditioner

Another easy way to cool your home without air conditioning is to place a bowl of ice or a frozen milk jug in front of one or more fans.

5. What’s Hot in Your Home?

It’s one thing to keep hot air and sunlight out; it’s another to identify the appliances in your home that generate heat. If you aren’t at home during the day, it is easier to simply shut off as many electric appliances as possible. If you spend more of your day at home, try to use heat-generating appliances only during the coolest part of the day.

Keeping your electronics on a power strip provides a quick way to “power-down” before leaving for the day.

7. Light Bulbs

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Please. If you are still using incandescent lightbulbs you are insane. That means at least 80 member of the House Of Representatives. But then you knew that. Please go to the site and read the rest. Has some interesting links as well.

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More tomorrow.

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Last Day Of The Meditation On Residential Services – GreenUP, I love the name

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It is a good thing that I got to them when I did because they are changing their name to something less charming. Oh well that is the way the corporate dice fall. Anyway, to me these people look like up and comers so to speak, so:

http://iwantrenewableenergy.com/

Yes, its true…after many months of planning and good counsel, GreenUP Energy Solutions will begin taking steps to change its name to Green Building Solutions Inc. GreenUP is owned by someone who also was a part owner in a construction company. Now with a new team and direction in place, It has been decided to be necessary to create a name and brand that will suit our portfolio of services and clients. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we take, what we feel are the necessary steps to building a solid infrastructure for all our partners and associates to grow from.

 

Green Building Solutions is a diverse company offering many services revolving around construction and renewable energy. We offer a variety of wind and solar options as well as full service installation. Green Building Solutions offers a variety of construction services specializing in building alterations, new construction, interior finishes and systems, with over 15 years of experience in Retail, commercial, industrial and residential. Green Building Solutions is a reliable resource for all your construction and go green needs!

Looking to build a NEW greener Smart Home? Contact us today and mention the Smart-House promotion! We have tons of designs to choose from.

Browse our products and services for more information on how we can help you or your Home or Business go green. Visit our contact page and someone in our sales team will respond with-in 24 hours. We look forward to working with you.

Visit our News Archive

GreenUP Energy Solutions is changing its name…

June 30, 2011

Yes, its true…after many months of planning and good counsel,  GreenUP Energy Solutions will begin taking s…

9 things to know about wind turbines

July 26, 2010

Used to be if you wanted to put a wind turbine up at your house you either had to live on a remote farm, or grow y…

New Products with GreenUP Energy Solutions

July 26, 2010

GreenUP Energy Solutions is proud to announce that we have added a new line of products to our renewable energy ar…

GreenUP Version 2.0

July 26, 2010

We hope you like the brand new look to our web site.  We have made numerous changes included the design and c…

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Have a great weekend everybody. More next week.

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Residential Solar Down To A $1.57 Per Watt – Cool breeze

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At least that is what the folks at SunWize claim.

http://www.sunwize.com/aboutsw/sunwize-solar-energy-index.php

SunWize headquarters and East Coast distribution facility in Kingston, NY

What Can SunWize Do For You?

From manufactured specialty modules to prepackaged units to site installed systems to an extensive component inventory, SunWize meets your power needs using photovoltaic (PV) technology. Our solar electric systems supply reliable power where and when you need it. We design our products and systems for maximum efficiency and minimum on-site construction time and operation costs.

Products

Our pre-assembled systems are complete, fully integrated power supplies designed to meet the requirements of your project. All systems are easy to order, factory assembled, and simple to install and commission. We design custom systems and products to satisfy specific load and environmental requirements. SunWize, the premier solar electric distributor in the USA, also supplies a large selection of solar modules and balance of system components to its network of solar dealers and installers.

Solar Energy Design Services

For over 25 years, PV has been used extensively as a distributed power source for industrial equipment located “off the grid”. PV systems are powering a variety of loads, such as microwave and fiber optic repeaters, instrumentation, RTU/SCADA, cathodic protection, rural telephony and traffic safety. Since many of these projects include a variety of requirements and special considerations, we offer the following project services:
– Site Analysis – Specification Preparation
– Personnel Training – Turnkey Installation
– Installation Supervision – O&M Manual Preparation
– System Commissioning – O&M/Service Contract

West Coast Solar Distribution FacilitySunWize West Coast distribution facility in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

SunWize Offers Reliable Solar Energy Solutions for Electric Power

SunWize Technologies, Inc. is backed by the reputation and financial stability of its parent company , one of the world’s oldest and largest trading companies with 864 subsidiaries in over 91 countries. Read the .

SunWize Facilities

Our engineering and manufacturing activities are housed in a 30,000 square foot (2,787 sq. M.) facility in Kingston, New York (photo at left) that also serves as our corporate headquarters, main distribution facility and the center of operations for the Industrial Power Group. The building is designed for the indoor outfitting of large telecommunication shelters and walk-in enclosures, independent of weather conditions.

Our Kingston facility also contains a comprehensive research and development laboratory facilitates new product development offering our customers more solutions to remote power problems. The Custom Solar Module lab was specifically designed for our proprietary manufacturing process.

In 2008, SunWize moved the Distributed Power Group headquarters to San Jose, California where it currently conducts it’s Product Distribution, Residential Systems and Commercial Systems operations. The Residential Power Systems Division, headquartered in San Jose, currently focuses on providing design, engineering, and installation services for residential and small commercial customers in California and Oregon and operates five regional offices. The Commercial Power Systems Division provides similar services to large commercial, government and industrial customers nationwide, with projects over 50kW.

In December 2007, SunWize acquired the former GenSelf Corporation – the largest solar electric installer with offices in the Coachella Valley and is currently headquartered in Tustin, California. The Residential Power Systems Division has also recently expanded its operations into Oregon. The first branch is located in Philomath near Corvallis, and serves the Interstate 5 corridor between Eugene and Portland and throughout the Willamette Valley.

For the convenience of our customers, we also maintain a 71,000 square foot (6,596 sq. M.) distribution warehouse in Rancho Cucamonga, California (photo left), providing same day shipping on the West Coast. We retain nineteen sales offices in the United States, and offices in Canada to support our solar customers in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. We offer our customers in Latin America a Spanish language catalog, and dedicated field office.

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More tomorrow.

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Residential Energy Services – The Green Home way

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This site offers a lot of features. Most of the cover page is one of those fancy slick every changing happy pictures type power point presentations so I will spare you that, but they have a lot of really useful information so:

http://www.greenhomesamerica.com/

Save money and live more comfortably by increasing the energy efficiency of your home.

We make improvements to your entire home so you can:

  • Reduce your energy bills
  • Increase the comfort of your home
  • Breathe healthier air indoors
  • Help the environment!

Learn how we did it for 10,000 other families

Cash Incentives Available

We assist with all paperwork and help identify all applicable rebates

Learn more about government incentives

One Call… We Do It All!

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More next week.

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Residential Energy Services – Trying to get back to our roots

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This blog was really set up to parallel CES’ interest in the residential energy market. But I have ended up for one reason or another writing about nuclear disasters, the oil spill in the gulf last year and religion among other things. So this is an attempt to try to get back to our roots today.

http://www.residentialenergyservices.com/Home.html

Phone:  (440) 835-5735

Fax:  (440) 835-5780

Email:  info@residentialenergyservices.com

  2. RES is now a certified LEED Verifier! RES is now certified to support your efforts toward Green building design. Click here to read more about the LEED Green Building Rating System™ and how your home or project can become LEED certified today. LEED_Verification.html

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  3. Home Energy Audits
  4. Residential Energy Services is an experienced consulting and analysis firm providing an accurate, effective, and user-friendly approach to improving your home’s energy consumption.  After a scheduled home energy test we provide the home owner with a Home Energy Evaluation Report of prioritized energy saving recommendations.  The homeowner can then decide what improvements they can make themselves and what may need to be addressed professionally through a third-party contractor.
  5. For more information on our Home Energy Audit Services, including our service area, pricing, and the Home Energy Audit process click here or on the link at the top of the screen.
  6. Builder Certification
  7. At Residential Energy Services, we also provide Energy Star Certification services to builders in the residential new construction industry.  A contract can be arranged to provide scheduled testing of new projects upon their completion.  For more information or to discuss the benefits of Energy Start Certification in new construction, please call us at (440) 835-5735.

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And on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Residential-Energy-Services-Co-LLC/200562656621626?sk=info

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More tomorrow.

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Residential Energy Services Around The Country

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http://cec-mi.org/structures/services/residential-energy-audits/

Home » Structures » Services » Residential Energy Services

Residential Energy Services

The average Michigan household spends more than $2,000 annually on energy bills. But with Clean Energy Structures’ assessments and tools, we can help you achieve lower energy bills, greater comfort and increased property values.

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Infrared Analysis

Infrared imaging is a powerful tool to detect insulation gaps, air leakage, and other hidden energy losses. This tool is most effective when combined with blower door testing. A full report including infrared and reference images with detailed captions will be provided.

Efficiency Verification + Contractor Coordination

Clean Energy Coalition can assist you as you implement energy efficiency upgrades in your home. Once you have completed a home energy assessment, we will make recommendations for specific, vetted contractors that will best fit your project. Our trained energy analyst will evaluate the installations and performance of these energy-saving upgrades and provide a report detailing the changes made in your home.

*$75 DTE Energy Rebate available

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Construction Consultation

Our trained staff will consult with you as requested to help make your residential construction project as energy efficient as possible.

Service Contact Information

Nick Helmholdt
Structures, Project Manager
734.585.5720 x13
nick@cec-mi.org

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More tomorrow.

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As often as this has been documented, you would think peeps would get it by now.

http://www.good.is/post/nine-of-out-ten-climate-denying-scientists-have-ties-to-exxon-mobil-money/?fb_ref=rightrail

Nine Out of Ten Climate Denying Scientists Have Ties to Exxon Mobil Money

Nine Out of Ten Climate Denying Scientists Have Ties to Exxon Mobil Money

2011 • 2:30 pm PDT

newsweek, global warming is a hoax, global warming, climate change, denial,

If you spend any time at all browsing comments on articles about climate change (and bless you if you’ve managed to avoid it), you’ve likely read the same handful of long-debunked arguments against the reality of anthropogenic global warming (or “man-made” global warming). Recently, you’ve also almost definitely seen links to this website—”900+ Peer-Reviewed Papers Supporting Skepticism of “Man-Made” Global Warming (AGW) Alarm”—created by the Global Warming Policy Foundation.

The problem is, of the top ten contributors of articles to that list, nine are financially linked to Exxon Mobil. Carbon Brief, which examined the list in detail, explains:

Once you crunch the numbers, however, you find a good proportion of this new list is made up of a small network of individuals who co-author papers and share funding ties to the oil industry. There are numerous other names on the list with links to oil-industry funded climate sceptic think-tanks, including more from the International Policy Network (IPN) and the Marshall Institute.

Compiling these lists is dramatically different to the process of producing IPCC reports, which reference thousands of scientific papers. The reports are thoroughly reviewed to make sure that the scientific work included is relevant and diverse.

It’s well worth reading the rest of the Carbon Brief analysis.

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More tomorrow.

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