Blogs

A truly underground movement

Suzi Blakley — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:40:27 PDT

Today, we salute a little-known holiday celebrating an unusual underground cause.

While you may have heard of underground music and the Underground Railroad, this is something altogether different: May 14 is Underground America Day, a day to recognize the subset of North Americans who make their homes in the Earth, not just on it.

Even if you are not a Hobbit, there are huge benefits to dwelling beneath the Earth's surface. Since there's little or no need for insulation, underground houses are naturally energy-efficient, with heating and cooling systems utilizing the Earth's geothermal energy.

Subsurface homes also provide shelter from the elements and forces of nature -- an abode and a storm shelter all in one.

As more people strive to live in tune with their environment, this movement encourages sustainable architecture and green building practices, and the aesthetics of nature are of the utmost importance.

What can you do to celebrate this occasion?

It may not be practical to bury your home, but why not start with small steps? Take an underground tour, or use public transportation -- specifically a subway.

Or begin a green roof project. It technically counts as living beneath ground (or at least beneath soil and plants), while at the same time cleaning the air. And the types of rooftops that can go green are limitless.

Suggested sites:

About Malcolm Wells - biography of the creator of Underground America Day.

Unusual Hotels of the World - a listing of worldwide underground hotels.

Sustainable Architecture - Wikipedia - describes environmentally conscious design techniques in architecture.

Greenroofs.com - the green roof industry resource portal.

Directory categories: Geothermal Energy, Energy-Efficient Construction, Sustainable Architecture, Geodesic Domes, Green Roofs

Originally posted on The Spark, a daily blog where Yahoo! Directory editors highlight new and interesting content on the Web.

Grow your own

Jay Weinstein, Forecast Earth Food Correspondent — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:27:55 PDT

While your neighbors might prefer to look out on a fertilized, dandelion-free lawn, there's no doubt that growing vegetables in your yard makes good eco-sense. The debate about whether economies of scale beat local food distribution methods becomes moot when the produce at your table used absolutely zero fuel to get from your garden to your kitchen.

Front-yard farmers are taking a bite out of global warming by planting oxygen-generating, vegetable-producing green plants on their property in both cities and suburban areas. While planting melons, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers in front of your house might not yield the 6000-pound harvests that the Dervaes family produces on their 1/10-acre urban lot in Pasadena, CA, it can go a long way toward cutting your own carbon footprint, and slash your grocery bill at the same time.

For those who wonder if it really matters if they grow their own, when the scope of the global warming problem is so huge and developing countries are starting to emit faster than we are cutting down, sustainable food author Michael Pollan has an answer: It does matter. In addition to policy changes in government and industry, it will take changes in personal behavior to turn things around. He points out that consumer spending represents 70 percent of our economy, and so in the end, it really is all about us.

However long the growing season is where you live, you can supplement your food supply with healthy foods that are usually much more delicious than store-bought by growing them at home. Even apartment dwellers can grow lettuces and herbs in window boxes. By updating the World War II-era concept of victory gardens, urban and suburban residents can make a big difference, and enjoy the fruits of their labor in ways they may never have imagined.

LifeWire provides original and syndicated content to web publishers. Jay Weinstein, a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America, is a New York based food writer, editor, and cookbook author. His food articles and recipes have been featured in The New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Newsday, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, and numerous other publications. His latest book, The Ethical Gourmet, focuses on ecologically sustainable fine foods. He's currently working on a book about sustainable use of water.

Carectomy week in review

Joshua Liberles — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:51:49 PDT

HGTV âgreen homeâ: Complete with gas-guzzling SUV!

Has green-washing hit a new low? HGTV has completely missed the point of what it means to be sustainable with its new Green Home Giveaway sweepstakes.

The winner gets a fancy âgreenâ home in Hilton Head, SC, complete with energy-efficient appliances, eco-floors, amenities, doo-dads, etc.; a membership to the local water-sucking, pesticide-spewing golf course; and a hybrid SUV. Of course all of these prizes are carefully branded and marketed through the HGTV programming.

Bicycle City: Perfection, sans picket fences?

Bicycle City sounds like a place Iâd like to live. By plannersâ description, its highlights include a âwalkable, urban design; vibrant local economy; eco-friendly, sustainable design; organic farming; human-powered transportation; strong and diverse community; active healthy lifestyle.â

By contrast to most urban areas, Bicycle City doesnât have âpollution, traffic jams, parking lots, national franchises, strip malls, stress, chemicals, or 'cookie cutter' â designs.

Glastonbury Festival celebrates green transport

The annual Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is encouraging concertgoers to leave their cars at home. A full third of people attending the three-day celebration (akin to Woodstock, but in the English countryside) will commute by public transport (including via coach and rail) and festival organizers are encouraging all who attend to car-share, if they must commute by vehicle. âThe aim is to reduce the number of cars which come to the festival,â organizers say.

Cars cause a scentless spring

Cars have made us fat, diseased, cash-strapped, and disconnected from one another and ourselves. Now, thanks to air pollution caused by cars and power plants, we don't even have the scent of flowers to appreciate. As National Geographic reports, the potency of the smell of flowers has been reduced by as much as 90%.

Plywood prefab could green your life

Jozef Winter — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:01:40 PDT

If youâve ever dreamed of living inside an old Zeppelin, then this pre-fab modular home, the CanÃ¼home, designed by George Brown Collegeâs Institute Without Boundaries, is for you.

Well actually, the designers thought it looked more like a canoe, hence the name. They also wanted the name to provoke a question: âCan Ã¼ make a difference?â Of course the appropriate answer is yes, and certainly so with this unique design.

In their own words,

The design is intended for use by young couples, seniors, singles/small families, as a starter or finisher home. It has been designed to fit in rear gardens in the city, the suburbs, or rooftops of buildings or in the countryside.

At 850 square feet, it fits the bill, being the same size as a typical condo or apartment. It's a fully comprehensive unit including a kitchen, living room, dining room, bedroom, and bathroom (with a shower that will hold 4 people for efficient water use!).

Made largely of FSC-certified plywood and other wood materials, the modular home is assembled with the aid of steel brackets. Being modular, it allows you can hook up as many or as few units as you like should your need for space grow or diminish.

The engineering behind the design is quite ingenious. Its shape allows for convective and radiant heating, and the designers proudly announce that âair is a building materialâ!

The curvature of the structure also channels rain water for capture and use in various applications, and there are plans to incorporate solar collectors to help meet some of the energy needs of the home.

The project has 5 major goals: to engage the public, to raise public awareness of the impact of housing on the environment, to showcase sustainability, to aid in growing the market for sustainable homes and related products, and finally, to enable the housing industry to more easily move towards sustainable practices.

It remains unclear what the future will hold for the faculty-, student-, and expert-designed home after it returns from its show tour, but if properly marketed, it has some real possibilities.

For those of you with spare plywood lying around, the technical drawings (PDF) are available for you online.

via Ecolectic.org

Simple tips to green your kitchen

Virginia Lacy — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:54:48 PDT

We often receive questions about how people can reduce their home energy and water use â and the bills associated with them.

We are strong advocates for saving energy and water by simply using them more efficiently. People shouldn't have to make large sacrifices to conserve, accomplishing less with less. In fact, we often help our clients achieve more with less.

While there's a lot to be said for installing efficient lighting, changing out old appliances for Energy Star models, replacing drafty windows, or re-fitting your sinks with low-flow fixtures (which will pay for themselves over time), what about when you don't have any money to invest?

Fortunately, you can still cut your energy and water consumption by spending nothing at all. That's because a lot of your energy and water use depends on how you use what you already have in your house. Using your current appliances more efficiently, in other words, can lower your consumption and your utility bills.Â

If you're looking to save energy, water, and money this spring, a good place to start is your kitchen. By some estimates, kitchen appliances account for 26 percent of an average household's electricity use. And dishwashing is one of the more water-intensive activities in your home.Â Â

Here's a list of easy habits you can adopt to use your kitchen appliances more efficiently:Â

Oven

Don't open the oven door to check on a dish â use the oven light instead (20 percent of the heat can be lost each time you open the oven door).
Keep preheating to a minimum.
Turn the oven off before cooking is complete (depending on the dish, up to 15 minutes). The heat in the oven will continue to cook the dish until finished.
If you need to self-clean the oven, plan to do it after cooking a meal while the oven is already hot, requiring less energy to raise the temperature to a higher level.

Stovetop

Match the pan size to the element size.
Use the least amount of water and the smallest size pan possible. Otherwise you're wasting energy to heat up excess metal or excess water.

Refrigerator

Let hot foods cool to room temperature before putting them in the fridge. Otherwise the fridge works even harder to bring the temperature down.
Keep the freezer full. The more air you displace with food and beverages, the less cold air you lose when you open the freezer door.

Dishwasher

Run the dishwasher when full; it requires the same amount of energy for a full load as it does for a half load.
Use the "no heat" drying option.
Don't wash dishes twice. Although it depends upon the age of your dishwasher, most dishwashers can get your dishes clean without rinsing them first by hand.

Other appliances

Plug countertop appliances into a power strip that can be turned off after use, saving the energy that would be used by the appliances when in "standby mode." (Depending upon how often you use your microwave, the microwave's digital clock could use more energy than the microwave oven itself.)
You can also simply unplug appliances when you're done using them.

Virginia Lacy is a Consultant with the Energy & Resources Team at Rocky Mountain Institute.

Keep tabs on your consumption

Peg Fong — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:05:03 PDT

You're feeling pretty good about yourself these days. Walking to work? Check. Cycling around town? Check. Recycling bottles and cans? Check.

But if there's a nagging feeling that you could be doing more, then here's the device to help you maintain that guilt complex. The Manodo Display from a startup company in Sweden puts green habits to the test.

The device gives household residents all the facts about how much and what is being used, right down to the number of pounds of CO2 emissions from your last bath.

Imagine having Al Gore living in your house reminding you each time you forget to turn off the lights! The intent is to keep residents aware of how much resources are being consumed through daily activities ... and maybe guilt them into changing their ways.

The monitor also provides current information like the weather and when the next tram is scheduled to arrive at the nearest stop.

Now being tested in the hallways of 15 apartments, the Manodo project isn't all about negative feedback. When good green levels in the apartment are reached, a green smiley face appears on the display.

How else are you supposed to know if you're a good person?

Solar shingles coming to a roof near you

Hank Green — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:15:21 PDT

Dow and Global Solar Energy have teamed up to take on the Department of Energy's "Solar America Initiative (SAI)" to create building-integrated solar.

The purpose of the SAI is basically to create an incentive for the development of cheap, simple building-integrated photovoltaic systems. Dow Building Solutions wants to take Global Solar Energy's panels and, basically, turn them into roofing shingles.

Expensive, shiny, energy harnessing, roofing shingles.

Global Solar Energy produces thin-film, flexible CIGS solar panels for a variety of markets already. Dow was excited to partner with them because they're the only producers currently making flexible panels that meat the SAI's requirement for 10% efficiency.

Photovoltaic roofing shingles aren't a new idea, but using low-cost CIGS panels could make the technology significantly more cost competitive. As more CIGS manufacturers move onto the scene, we could be seeing a lot more of this sort of transparent, distributed power generation.

My house is going to need a new roof in ten years or so ... hopefully by then, they'll be ready for me.

Via Energy Daily andÂ GoodCleanTech

How low can you go?

Sam Silverstein — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:26:57 PDT

How far will I go to save energy? I recently read the owner's manual for our dishwasher, that's how far.

Locating the manual was easy: Filing our collection gets done regularly. Actually reading one, however, generally means there's a crisis afoot.Â

And there is. An environmental crisis. Were there energy savings to be found in how we wash our dishes? And if so, what are the tradeoffs?Â

I turned to the manual in search of answers. I'll share what I learned by reading it â and by testing the results â so that you don't have to.Â

Our machine, an Asko ASEA 1502, is made in Sweden, and some critical passages in the manual were lost in translation. The manufacturer relies heavily on symbols to tell the story.Â

With some squinting, I eventually figured out there are three dials I can turn â or I should say buttons I can push â to save energy.Â

The first determines the duration of the wash cycle. A second controls water temperature, which can range from 150 to 110 degrees. The third turns a heating coil at the bottom of the machine on or off, for extra oomph steaming away water during the dry cycle.Â

The most energy-efficient scenario is the shortest wash cycle using the coolest temperature without the heated dry. We were doing the opposite. All three settings on our machine were maxed out, and had been for years.Â

A week-long experiment was conducted, with lots of settings tested - by which I mean, I futzed with the buttons and then eyeballed the results. Did the dishes suffer?Â

Yes, a little. They were clean as always. But cooler water evaporates less completely - and with the coil turned off tiny puddles appeared here and there among the otherwise gleaming glasses and plates. Opening the machine and letting the contents air dry helped.Â

So did giving them a quick twist with a towel prior to stowage. I figure, it's the least I can do to help. And there's no going back. The manual was crystal clear in one regard: "For greatest energy savings do not use heat during drying."Â

A couple extra tidbits from the week, in the name of every little bit counts:Â

Dishwashers do themselves need to be cleaned - at least ours does. Scraping clean a series of filters ahead of the drain made a significant difference in how the dishes turned out -more significant than water temperature.

Loading the machine with care also made a difference. Pointing the silverware up in the basket instead of down mattered most. (Sharp knives should point down, for safety.)

Turn off the machine altogether between use instead of leaving in standby mode. Though the energy saved is "negligible" according to the manual, it's a good habit to be in with all appliances, for minimizing the effect of so-called "energy vampires."

We'd been using too much detergent, filling the receptacle each time. The manual recommends this only for "hard" water with high mineral counts. It took two minutes on our local water district web site to learn our water was relatively "soft," requiring just one tablespoon of detergent.

In addition to energy, a fringe benefit was the amount of *time* saved. Running the machine on the most energy-efficient settings took 70 minutes instead of more than two hours â creating plenty of time to read up on my refrigerator.

Sam Silverstein is the editor of Yahoo! Green.

Eco-mythbusting

Trystan L. Bass — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:28:24 PDT

Think CFLs aren't worth it because of all that mercury? What about the idea that recycling costs more than chucking junk in a landfill? Hear the one about wine corks being endangered?

These and other myths keep many folks from going green and helping the environment. But a little bit of fact-checking shows that you can clean up the planet in lots of small, easy ways. And you may save some money too.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) save energy and money, that's a fact. But the incredibly tiny amount of mercury they contain has scared off some people.

I can't remember the last time I broke an incandescent bulb (maybe when I was a teenager?), and I've never cracked any of the CFLs in my house and garage. If it did happen though, I'd head to the Environmental Protection Agency handy guidelines for cleanup and disposal. No big deal!

Recycling is another no-brainer that occasionally gets harassed. Sure, you might have to sort bottles from cans in the bins, but that's better than creating a mountain of garbage. The benefits of recycling are huge -- less trash in the landfills, energy saved from not using virgin resources, and more jobs are created.

The City of Fort Collins' recycling program notes that recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy that it would take to mine new aluminum. The Curbside Value Partnership (PDF) estimates that recycling 10,000 tons of waste creates 36 jobs -- but dumping that same waste into a landfill only creates six jobs.

Biodiesel has been the source of many eco-myths lately. I pointed to recent studies that decried biofuels, while also mentioning that different types have different impacts. Clayton B. Cornell goes into more depth on biodiesel and separates it from ethanol. Useful info if you want the real deal, not just the hype.

Have you heard that making little changes won't help the environment? What one person does can't possibly matter? Not so. In a detailed article on Bankrate.com, a spokesperson for the Natural Resources Defense Council reminds us that if everyone in the U.S. bought just one package of 100% recycled paper napkins instead non-recycled ones, we'd save 1 million trees.

And if you do want to go green on a larger scale, it's not that hard either. Building an eco-friendly house doesn't have to be expensive or horribly complicated, according to the home gurus at HGTV.com. Start with a tight building envelope, use low-flow toilets (which are mandatory anyway), and choose from the thousands of mainstream products that will make your new home or remodel sit more lightly on the earth.

For the garden out back, don't fall for those myths about composting either. The process doesn't have to be a lot of smelly work, and you can even compost in an urban setting. You'll keep useful organic matter out of the trash and improve your soil.

The myths just keep piling up! From computer sleep mode (which could waste 20% of your energy bill) to driving with the windows down (same as the AC), we get suckered in. Some folks even question whether local food really is better for the planet.

And what about that cork myth? Yep, there's a rumor that good old-fashioned wine bottles with natural corks are bad because the cork trees are endangered. Not so. Green Living Online says that the trees aren't chopped down to make wine corks -- the bark is merely stripped. The trees aren't damaged at all, and this has been going on since time immemorial.

So drink up -- you can enjoy life while saving the world.

"Smart" appliances for an energy-efficient future

Sam Newman — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:21:26 PDT

Sam Newman is an analyst with the Energy and Resources Team at Rocky Mountain Institute.

For years, Hollywood has sold us images of futuristic houses filled with "smart" appliances. Think of the coffee machine that can make as many drinks as a Starbucks barista, the refrigerator that tells you when you're out of milk, or the clothes drier that can talk.

Real attempts at such devices have long been constrained to trade shows and demonstration homes. These devices have been portrayed as artificially intelligent, user-friendly, and capable of two-way communication with us and other appliances.

Today's smart appliances have a new benefit that goes far beyond novelty and will finally bring them to the shelves of Home Depot: energy efficiency. Their adoption will be part of a response to the urgent need to modernize the ways that we buy and consume electricity.

Appliances and electricity use

More than a third of electricity generated in the United States is used in households. Air conditioners use 16% of that electricity; refrigerators use another 14%. Hot water heaters and other home appliances -- including clothes dryers and dish washers -- consume an even more: 29%. Using existing technology, each of these machines can be made "smarter," lessening our environmental impact.

Every time your air conditioner kicks on during a hot summer afternoon, it contributes to a larger problem. When many air conditioners turn on at the same time, they force up the demand for power from the local utility, putting stress on the system.

To meet this demand, utilities rely on peak generating plants, which might only be used on the hottest days of the year. Power from these plants is carbon-intensive and expensive to generate.

The benefit of smart appliances

Smart appliances will respond to price signals from the grid to lessen these peak loads. Under a "real-time pricing" system, energy used during peak hours will cost more than energy used at night, when demand is low. This price structure allows residential energy users to optimize their energy usage habits to save energy and reduce emissions.

Imagine setting your air conditioner to save money by remaining off during weekday afternoon hours when power is expensive. It would turn on in the late afternoon, so the house would still be cool when you returned from work.

Similarly, a clothes dryer could be programmed to an "economy" setting which would turn its heating element on and off to take advantage of the cheapest power rates. The dry cycle would take a bit more time, but it would allow the household to respond to variations in electricity supply.

For instance, if a cloud passed in front of the sun, reducing the output of a solar power array, the price of power would increase, signaling the dryer to turn off until the cloud moved away.

Studies have shown that consumers conserve energy when provided with real-time feedback and improved control systems via a computer or appliance smart meters. Just as car owners drive more efficiently when provided with real-time fuel economy data, residences with smart meters use less electricity.

In a recent study in Washington state, overall energy usage fell 10% following the implementation of smart water heaters and dryers. If used nationwide, these technologies could save $70 billion and eliminate the construction of 30 new coal-fired power plants over 20 years.

Smart appliances in the real world

The next step toward getting smart appliances in each of our homes is taking these pilot programs to scale.

In March, Xcel energy, one of the United States' largest utilities, chose Boulder, Colorado, for an innovative smart city project.

Residences will be fitted with smart appliances, and the utility infrastructure will be upgraded to enable real-time demand response and power pricing. Predicted benefits include lower peak demand on summer afternoons, reduced overall carbon emissions, and improved system reliability.

Appliances that can talk back to you are unlikely outside of Hollywood fantasies any time soon. But smart appliances that save money and reduce carbon emissions are not science fiction. These technologies offer a market-based approach to energy efficiency that will help reduce your environmental impact.

For more information see:

Gridwise Program at Pacific Northwest National Lab
Xcel Energy's Smart Grid City project

The winged Lego pile of tomorrow

Magnus Hølvold — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:06:59 PDT

It's no secret that the folks at Inhabitat are big fans of prefabricated homes and not without reason. Prefab houses can be assembled on-site in very little time and with highly reduced production waste compared to old-school building methods. Of course, this also leads to reduced production costs, something we really can't complain about.

But the features of zeroHouse are enough to make EcoGeek stand up with Inhabitat and salute. All the power for the house comes from that wing-like protrusion at the top. The solar panels up there provide more than enough sunlight on a regular day and on a full charge, you can go for an entire week with no sun at all.

Additionally, the rainwater cistern can hold 2,700 gallons of water which is distributed by gravity to the various rooms of the house, nixing the need for any pumps. There's also a composting system in place that takes care of organic waste.

I'd like to express some level of concern over the "house brain" they refer to as the system that controls how the whole house works, though. As a geek and fan of a certain science-fiction film, "house brains" make me uncomfortable.

Sadly, now I have to ruin it by complaining a little.

One of my favourite features of prefab homes is the chance of properly modular buildings. If I had my way, I'd sit on a computer and put a future house together in a Lego-like fashion from parts available to me. An assembly crew would come next week and, over the next couple of days, they'd assemble all the pieces. Hey presto: New, fully customised house for me! If I wanted another room later on, I'd order an extra module, and the company would come and slide it on to the rest of the construction.

So why doesn't Specht Harpman ever make these kinds of houses? It calls the various levels of the house "modules," because that's obviously how it's assembled. Why not expand on that and make it properly modular? It obviously has the know-how to create both well-designed and sustainable houses.

But to me, it looks more like the Lego airplane my two-year-old nephew made this Christmas than a home built for nature lovers. The design has the effect of making the house look like an intrusion on the otherwise serene landscapes. The house even looks like it wants to fly away from the scenes, perched with those solar panels sticking out like wings, ready for take-off.

Don't get me wrong, it has a lot of awesome ideas and features within it, they're just wrapped too tightly in "master architect" pretensions and impersonal design choices.

via Inhabitat

GE's new water heater could kill 30 coal plants

Hank Green — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:42:14 PDT

Until today, Energy Star didn't regulate water heaters at all. They're the most energy-hungry single appliance in the home and are responsible for about 17% of residential energy use. But because of a lack of consensus on how they should be regulated and resistance from industry, their efficiency went completely unregulated.

Well, that all has changed. Along with the announcement that the new standards will save Americans hundreds of billions of dollars per year, here comes two new water heaters from GE that will, of course, meet the new standards.

The first is available now. It's a tankless heater that provides hot water only when you need it. The result is an unlimited supply of hot water and about 25% less energy use per gallon of hot water produced.

The second is even more exciting, though, it won't be available until 2009. GE is calling it a "hybrid electric" water heater, I suppose hoping to capitalize on the excitement surrounding hybrid electric vehicles. But it is a kind of hybrid. The water heater first uses a heat pump to bring the water up to the temperature of the ambient air. Then the electric water heater takes over, bringing the water up to 140 degrees F.

This new design is 50% more efficient than previous water heaters. If every home in America had one right now, we would need 30 fewer coal-fired power plants! Every home that installs one will see its yearly power bills drop up to $250.

Because the new device uses a heat exchanger, it will actually make your furnace work harder during the winter. But in the summer and in warm climates, it will actually help cool your house.

This is exactly the kind of technology we until renewables take over for coal. GE's got a video featuring the new devices, if you'd like to check it out.

A new standard for green homes

Steve Brauneis — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:43:19 PDT

Over the last few years, the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program has garnered a lot of attention in the media. What you may not know is that there are actually nine LEED programs.

The original program, LEED for New Construction, is the one we've heard the most about. This is the rating system under which your local school, library, or commercial office building has likely been certified. As LEED has been employed on more types of buildings, however, specific rating programs have been developed to provide a transparent program that ensures a positive impact.Â

LEED for Homes
After many years of volunteer work and consensus building, the USGBC unveiled one of its newest certification programs this past January: LEED for Homes. People looking to build new homes now have a standard to work toward.Â

LEED for Homes criteria include the familiar areas of a home's energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality, use of environmentally preferable building materials, and a few new categories, like "Location and Linkages" and "Awareness and Education."Â

Building a mansion? Well, you're going to feel a little pain. LEED for Homes includes negative points for having an overly large home. This controversial provision was included in the standards because size really is at the root of resource consumption and ongoing efficiency.Â

In contrast to the LEED projects you may have heard of, certifying your home under this new program differs from the other rating programs, because you must work closely with a LEED for Homes Provider throughout the design, construction, and certification of your home. Only after your project has been vetted by one of these providers can you register it with the USGBC.Â

You will also likely contract with your LEED for Homes provider to garner a pre-construction Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating and to complete the onsite inspections necessary for LEED certification. After construction, this onsite work will typically include a blower door test (to test how tight the house is) and a duct blast test (to gauge the tightness of the ductwork), among other activities.Â

The LEED for Homes pilot phase included approximately 400 builders and covered 10,000 homes across the United States.Â

Check out some of the cool designs and accomplishments in this archive. USGBC has teamed with Environmental Design + Construction magazine to offer a paid, three-part webinar series on LEED for Homes. The third program, "The Delivery Process," will be presented on April 9, 2008.Â

Improving your current house
LEED for Homes may sound great, but if you're like me you're not going to be building a brand new home anytime soon. Luckily for us, the American Society of Interior Designers has teamed with the USGBC to create Green Remodeling Guidelines under the brand REGREEN. The program literature is full of guidelines, case studies, and other information to help you make the best decisions for your remodeling project.Â

And for those who won't even be remodeling soon, check out this handy list of quick retrofits. (You know the drill: CFLs, weather-stripping, programmable thermostats, etc.) Taking the time to make these small changes-and sharing them with people in our neighborhoods-can really start to affect the way we use energy and other natural resources.Â

If you haven't done so already, consider discussing your utility consumption and expenses with your neighbors to begin the conversation.Â

Steve Brauneis is a Sustainable Design Consultant with the Built Environment Team at Rocky Mountain Institute.

New windows would save $15 bil/year

Hank Green — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:05:55 PDT

In terms of energy efficiency, windows are one of the biggest contributors to heat loss from buildings.

But a new window technology called vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) being developed by Guardian Industries could allow for windows that can provide insulation values comparable to walls, thanks to a new double-pane glass with a vacuum between the panes.

The principle behind the Thermos, namely that a vacuum is a very effective insulator, is now being applied to windows, which are one of the most energy-inefficient parts of a building, responsible for up to 30% of the heating needed.

Heat is transferred by one of three methods, conduction, convection, or radiation. A vacuum prevents transfer by convection or conduction, and a low-E coating on windows can block much of the radiation transfer.

The manufacturer, Guardian Industries, is hoping to have this glass commercially available by the end of 2009. More importantly, while other researchers have been exploring the idea of vacuum glass for several years, Guardian is expecting to be able to produce this glass at a reasonable cost.

The head of the Building Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory notes:

This performance level would convert most windows in heating climates into net energy suppliers, providing more energy to the home via passive solar gain (even facing north) than the window loses ... If you could convert every window [in the U.S.] to this performance level, you would save homeowners about $15 billion each year.

via: BuildingGreen.com

A longer version of this article is cross-posted at Green Building Elements

Clean, green sweep

Trystan L. Bass — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:25:50 PDT

So you're throwing open the windows and beating the winter blues out of the house. Spring cleaning is under way -- why not do it in an eco-friendly fashion this season?

Many of the cleaning products found in the kitchen and bathroom are full of harsh chemicals that are toxic for you and your family plus the planet.

The Union of Concerned Scientists notes that most cleaners contain petroleum products, phosphates, phthalates, or chlorine. These ingredients are either nonrenewable resources, polluting to the environment, or harmful to our health. Bad news all around!

And frankly, they're not necessary to get stuff clean. Our grandmothers kept the homefront spotless with good old-fashioned ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, borax, and plain soap. If you want a fancy scent, add a natural essential oil. Planet Green has a bunch of easy recipes to make your own green cleaners.

If you don't have time to mix your own stuff, look for certified biodegradable products, such as Planet brand. The EcoLogo certification is a globally recognized environmental certification worth looking for on cleaning products too.

Seventh Generation has an excellent guide to getting the toxins out of your home, and this brand of papers and cleaners lists all of its product ingredients on its website.

Even eco-celeb Ed Begley Jr. has weighed in on green cleaning with his own line of products called Begley's Best. The cleaners earned a Crade-to-Cradle certification, which means the product is not only environmentally safe but the design itself is efficient and the company is socially responsible.

Lastly, when you do get rid of any toxic cleaners, be careful. Don't just pour them down the drain. Check this saftey info about disposal, and contact your local hazardous waste department (check your phone book), if necessary.

Getting the most out of your CFLs

Noah Buhayar and Laurie Ramroth — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:51:05 PDT

Noah Buhayar and Laurie Ramroth are fellows at Rocky Mountain Institute.

You've taken the plunge. You've replaced all those incandescent bulbs in your house with energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). You've even gone as far as installing dimmable CFLs for the few places where you'd like to be able to control the intensity of the light.Â

But, lo and behold, some of those new lights are burning out sooner than the manufacturer claims they should. What gives? Aren't CFLs supposed to last 10 times longer than the cheaper incandescents?Â

Here's some straightforward information about how you can get the most out of your CFLs, and why you're probably still saving emissions and money even if you don't get all the advertised hours out of each lamp.Â

"Operating cycle" and CFL life
The life of your CFL depends on how often you turn it on and off, and how long you leave it on. In engineering lingo, this is called the lamp's "operating cycle."Â

Operating cycles can vary for practical reasons. Think of the CFL in your garage versus the one in your bedroom. The one in your garage probably stays on for only a few minutes: when you open the garage door, or when you go out at night to put something in your car. The CFL in your bedroom, however, probably stays on longer: when you read or watch TV in bed.Â

CFLs usually fail when the electrode's emissive coating (the part of the bulb that emits electrons into the tube to create and maintain an electrical arc) evaporates. This loss of coating occurs slowly during operation, but is accelerated each time the lamp is turned on, and the electrode is bombarded with mercury ions.Â

That means the more frequently you turn your CFLs on and off, the shorter its operating cycle, and the shorter its life.Â

Greenhouse gas emissions
The good news is that even if you're operating your CFLs for short periods of time, you're still putting less greenhouse gas into the atmosphere than you would have operating that old incandescent in the same manner.Â

A group of researchers at RMI recently studied the emissions associated with manufacturing, distributing, operating, and disposing of both incandescent and CFLs.Â

They found that even if a CFL's average operating cycle was reduced from 1 hour to 5 minutes, greenhouse gas emissions were still lower -- 63.4 percent lower -- than those of an incandescent. That difference takes into account the shortened life of the CFL (and the fact that another one would have to be assembled, shipped, and purchased at a store).Â

Getting your money's worth
Of course, saving greenhouse gas emissions may be a small consolation if you're buying CFLs more often than you think you should have to, and watching the up-front costs add up.Â

Remember, though, that CFLs save you money in 2 ways: (1) They last longer than incandescent bulbs, and (2) They use less electricity to provide the same amount of light.Â

In our emissions analysis, RMI's researchers also looked at average payback time for CFLs under different operating conditions and at different electricity costs.Â

Even with extremely cheap electricity ($0.0492 per kilowatt-hour) and a drastically reduced life (1,500 hours on a lamp rated for 10,000 hours), the CFL still paid back its extra retail cost before failing. This held true even if the retail price for a 23-watt lamp varied from $1.65 to $5.50.Â

Taking it to the next level
The bottom line: Even if you're replacing your CFLs more often than you think you should have to, you're still coming out ahead in terms of reducing emissions, and are most likely saving money.

Next time you screw in a CFL, though, see if you can make it last longer by changing its operating cycle. Monitor your energy bill and see how quickly you can get a return on investment. And know that the more efficiently you use your new lights, the more greenhouse gas you'll be keeping out of the atmosphere.

Escape from the suburban fringe

Trystan L. Bass — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:22:30 PST

The subprime-mortgage crisis has hit suburbia bad. Is this the straw that breaks the back of McMansions and unwalkable cities?

In the March 2008 issue of The Atlantic, Christopher B. Leinberger suggests that towns filled with identical houses and clipped green lawns may soon be a thing of the past.

He writes: "The pendulum is swinging back toward urban living, and there are many reasons to believe this swing will continue." Cities offer the ability to walk to shopping, jobs, and entertainment. With rising gas prices, this is a big advantage.

The article also points out: "If New York City were its own state, it would be the most energy-efficient state in the union." A large part of this is due to less reliance on cars.

While not everyone wants to walk or take the bus, clearly some folks want the choice. Suburbs don't offer these options, while urban landscapes do.

Little solar leaves

Hank Green — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:23:36 PST

A new sustainable design group called SMIT (Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology) has been working on a pretty awesome little invention.

Instead of mounting big solar panels on heavy rigid structures that need reinforcement and special installers, they've put the solar panels on small, flexible, durable pieces of plastic.

And then they tacked the pieces of plastic to a house.

Of course, each little panel has to be individually wired to its neighbor, so that they can all produce electricity for the house. But the result is still both impressive and inexpensive.

Of course, you're not going to get the kind of efficiency out of these panels that you will out of traditional monosilicon roof-mounted panels, but your investment won't be as signficant either.

The idea is that the solar cells remind passers buy of ivy leaves. They're green, they blow in the wind, they absorb photons and conver them into electrons.

Really, the similarities are pretty overwhelming.

Via Inhabitat

New clothes dryer could save billions

Hank Green — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:20:57 PST

Generally when people offer up miracle devices from backyard and basement tinkering, we're pretty skeptical. But it's hard to argue with Michael Brown. Especially when he hooks his "Dryer Miser" up to a Whirlpool dryer, turns it on, and pulls out dry clothes using half as much energy as the exact same dryer without his device.

The device, really, is fairly simple. Instead of using a traditional air-in-contact-with-heating-coils heater, it uses an oil as the heat-transfer medium. The oil needs less energy to heat, and, once heated, holds onto the heat better. That oil is then used to heat the air that gets blown into the drying drum.

The device is so much more efficient that it can be plugged into a regular 110 V plug (instead of 220s now required by dryers). Considering how simple this is, it's a marvel (or perhaps a travesty) that GE or Whirlpool didn't think of it first.

Additionally, the heating unit only ever reaches about 150 F, since the heat-transfer is so much more efficient. Traditional dryers have to heat their elements up to 1000 F in order to reach optimal efficiency, resulting in about 15,000 household fires each year.

The device can be installed by a technician in 30 minutes at a total cost of around $300, which would be recouped in less then four years. A quick calculation based on the number of households with electric dryers (around 80 million) and the average amount spent on electricity for drying clothes a year ($85 per household) shows that this device could indeed save several billion dollars per year just in America.

Brown is already in talks with a major European manufacturer to integrate the device into new dryer units, and he's raised several million dollars in angel funding. He's also talking to the EPA about getting his dryers Energy Star rated. Up until now, dryers have been so inefficient that not a single one on the market has been awarded with the Energy Star label.

While it would have been easy to call his dryers the most efficient on earth, Brown always qualifies the statement with "aside from the sun." And that's a touch of modesty that, to me anyway, is very welcome.

Via CNet Clean Tech

Environmentally and technologically advanced crappers

Gavin D.J. Harper — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:40:50 PST

Europe is beating the pants off America when it comes to low-flow toilets. One pint of water per flush might be something to write home about on your side of the pond, but here in Europe, we've already seen our fair share of water-less urinals.

It turns out that the two main problems with not having water run around your loo after each pee are odor and blockage. Odor isn't as much of a problem as you would think, as specially designed traps can pretty much eliminate smells escaping. The other problem is blockage -- solids and salts accumulate in the traps of waterless urinals -- however, two litres of hot water a week poured down them is enough to ensure they stay clear.

Furthermore, the people at IFO have solutions for times when you just have to sit down. Some of their loos will clear the bowl using as little as two litres of water for less serious matters -- whilst effectively clearing the bowl using as little as four litres -- a shade over a U.S. gallon.

Furthermore, you can take water out of the equation altogether. This may seem a little extreme to the average U.S. consumer but might appeal to EcoGeeks -- the 'composting toilet' is now being carried at Home Depot. A compost toilet biologically digests waste to produce harmless compost as a waste product. If the balance of biological functions in a composting toilet is maintained at the correct levels then it should emit no odor at all!

Outwit, outlast, out-conserve

Trystan L. Bass — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:41:37 PST

The environmentalists were the final survivors in a reality TV show that aired on Boston-area cable recently. "Energy Smackdown" pitted three suburban families against each other in a contest to reduce their carbon footprints by at least 30%.

This was one reality show without tears and recriminations.

The Christian Science Monitor recently interviewed the contestants. While each family was already at a level of eco-friendliness, they all found simple, fun ways to conserve energy around the house.

From closing the fireplace flue to using cloth napkins, everyone saved far more than the minimum CO2 levels. Plus, they got their neighborhoods involved in a "community challenge" episode. One family bought 176 compact fluorescent light bulbs and gave them to friends.

Not only did the winning family get to gloat over being greenest, they're saving 25% on their energy bill. Pretty nice reward.

The TV producer is heading to Medford, Arlington, and Cambridge, MA, for the show's second season. In the next series, whole communities will compete. Interested? Email info@energysmackdown.com for details.

Watch clips of the past series and get ideas on how to lower your energy use at Energy Smackdown.

Getting credit for going green

Trystan L. Bass — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:10:41 PST

Who says loving the planet isn't worth it? Being environmentally minded could save you a couple hundred or a few thousand dollars at tax time.

If you've made energy-saving improvements to your life in the past year, you may get some tax credits on your federal and state income taxes. Follow the links in this article to see what you qualify for.

Cars
The tax break that gets a lot of attention is for hybrid cars. It's true, when you buy a fuel-efficient hybrid, the federal government gives you a credit off your income tax.

The specific amount depends on the hybrid you bought. If you got a Ford Escape SUV, you could get up to $3,000. A Honda Civic garners $2,100. And a Mercury Mariner SUV earns you up to $3,000. Check the IRS chart to find your vehicle.

And note that popularity has its price. Toyota and Lexus have sold so many hybrids that their cars are no longer eligible for tax breaks. If you bought a Toyota or Lexus hybrid after October 1, 2007, you won't get a credit. But you're still saving money on gas, and you're polluting less.

Some states also give you a tax break for buying a hybrid car. The Department of Energy has a database of state incentives and laws related to alternative-fuel vehicles. While many of the incentives are geared towards businesses, you'll find some useful stuff for personal taxes too.

For example, Oregon gives a tax credit of up to $1,500 when a resident buys a hybrid car such as a Prius or Ford Escape. Colorado offers a credit of up to $3,013 for buying a hybrid, depending on the model. In Illinois, hybrid vehicle buyers can get a $1,000 rebate from the state.

One to plan ahead for -- starting January 1, 2009, in Washington, you can buy a hybrid car with no state sales and use tax.

Home energy
If you're deep green and have gone beyond hybrid to alternative fuels, you'll get a few more tax benefits. Many states offer credits for converting a vehicle to using biofuels, and biofuels themselves are often untaxed.

Kansas gives a tax credit of up to 40% of conversion cost if you switch to biofuels. Montana's credit is 50% of the conversion cost. Utah also gives a 50% credit for the conversion cost to clean-burning fuels.

In Oregon, if your car uses biofuels, you get an income tax credit of $0.50 per gallon up to $200 per vehicle. If you make and use your own biofuels in Oklahoma, you're not subject to state motor fuel excise tax.

The other big area you can save green by going green is home energy. Making your house more efficient saves money on your utility bills in the long run, and you can get a tax cut too.

If you upgraded your home's insulation, windows, doors, metal roof, water heater, or heating or cooling system in 2007, you may get a credit of up to $500 off your taxes. The new items have to meet energy-efficiency codes -- this Energy Star chart shows what qualifies.

Did you go solar recently? That'll net you a bigger break. Solar panels and solar water heaters earn you a credit of up to $2,000 off your taxes from the feds. And that's not all.

Many states offer an array of tax deductions for adding solar energy to your home. The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy lists tons of credits, rebates, grants, and more ways to cut the cost of green power.

In some states, such as Texas, and counties, like parts of Virginia, solar energy systems are exempt from your home's property tax value, which can be a real savings.

Quite a few states give a credit back for the sales tax paid on solar panels or the equipment is totally exempt from tax. Appropriately enough, the sunshine state of Florida hasn't charged sales tax on solar energy systems since 1997. More recently, Vermont, Minnesota, Washington, and New York jumped on the no-solar-sales-tax wagon.

Other benefits abound. If you take out a qualified loan to buy those solar panels, California lets you deduct the loan's interest on your state taxes.

In New York, South Carolina, and Arizona, you can get a tax credit equal to 25% of the costs of your solar energy system.

If you live in Louisiana, look for a new tax credit for installing solar panels after January 1, 2008.

Solar isn't the only home-improvement that can get you a state tax cut. Oregon has a host of credits for buying energy-efficient appliances like clothes washers and making upgrades to your central air conditioning. Idaho encourages owners of older homes to add new insulation by giving a tax deduction of 100% of the cost.

Charity
Lastly, don't forget about those charitable contributions. Giving green gets you another tax credit. Donations to qualified non-profit groups, such as those dedicated to educational or scientific purposes or the prevention of cruelty to animals, are tax deductible.

Planning ahead for 2008's taxes? Unfortunately, many of this year's federal credits relating to energy savings expire after the 2007 tax season. Several bills are in Congress to extend these credits, which were only available for a measly two years. If you want to encourage more energy savings, contact your representatives and tell them to support these tax incentives.

Everything you ever wanted to know about CFLs but were afraid to ask

Trystan L. Bass — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:20:21 PST

OK, maybe not everything, but we're here to point you to many experts around the Web who have the hard facts about compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Maybe you've heard some troubling things about them (Oh no, mercury!). Maybe you think you already know it all. Or maybe you're totally new to the swirly bulbs.

No matter where you stand, you and I can always learn a few more things. So here goes.Â

Why CFLs?

Simply put, these bulbs use less energy than regular old incandescent lights. Energy Star-qualified CFLs use 75% less energy.

In addition, Consumer Reports found that CFLs last 3,000 hours before wearing out, compared to only 1,000 hours for a standard bulb.

Since the bulbs draw less power, each one you install will save you $30 or more in electricity costs over its lifetime, according to Energy Star.

Bottom line: CFLs cost a bit more than incandescents in the first place, but you save in the long run because you won't spend as much on your utility bill each month or buy as many replacement bulbs.

One last bonus: CFLs create 75% less heat, so they're safer and don't heat up your house.

Where can I use CFLs?

Most lighting fixtures that accept standard incandescent bulbs will also take CFLs. Just look for the right size and similar wattage, which will be noted on the CFL package.

Lights with dimmer switches or three-way switches need CFLs specifically designed for dimmers. Read the label for this info too.

CFLs are not well-suited for recessed lights, and you may want to get a specially rated CFL for a ceiling fan fixture because of the extra vibrations. Otherwise, most places work.

GE Lighting has a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions about using CFLs, and while it recommends GE products, the info. is still useful.Â

Don't CFLs give off a nasty, harsh light?

People have their own tastes and perceptions of light, so ultimately, you'll have to test out different CFLs to see what works best for you. Broadly speaking, the early CFLs were harsher and the cheapest ones still are. Avoid the bargain bin for better quality light.

Popular Mechanics has a detailed comparison of eight commonly available brands. The reviewers gave high marks to several bulbs, but the N:Vision Soft White CFL got the highest grade for "reading and illuminating faces."

Grist also reviewed several CFLs and found the Philips Soft-White was the best of the bunch, providing a " nice warm glow." In general, Grist says to pick bulbs described as "soft white" instead of ones labeled "daylight or bright white."

A friend said his CFLs burned out fast...

Every new technology has horror stories and "I got a bum deal" tales. Sometimes, this is frankly due to user-error, but it can also be that the product simply wasn't suited to the application.

CFLs work better in lamps and fixtures with a bit of space around them, as opposed to recessed lighting, which can trap heat and cause premature burn-out according to National Geographic's Green Guide.

Also, don't flick the switch! Turning a CFL fixture on and off quickly also can shorten the bulb's life. Energy Star recommends using CFLs in fixtures that are generally left on for at least 15 minutes each use.

Using regular CFLs in light fixtures with a dimmer switch will shorten their life dramatically. Use only CFLs clearly labeled as "dimmable" for this purpose.

Energy Star-qualified CFLs automatically come with a two-year warranty, so you should be able to get a replacement or refund from the manufacturer if this kind of bulb burns out unexpectedly.

How can I dispose of CFLs? What about the mercury?

Yes, there is a trace amount of mercury in CFLs. But it averages only 5 milligrams â for comparison, a home thermometer has 500 milligrams. So you'd have to break 100 CFLs to expose yourself to the same mercury as in one thermometer, according to the Energy Star fact sheet (PDF).

Still, light bulbs do break. The EPA has detailed instructions on how to clean it up, and the method isn't hard. Open a window, and much of the potential harm will dissipate in about an hour.

You shouldn't toss old, unbroken CFLs in the trash because of that tiny bit of mercury. Instead, look for a recycling center in your area:

EPA's CFL recycling programs by state

Earth911's CFL recycling database -- click "More" next to the search box, enter your ZIP code, and then click "Go" to get a personalized list.

IKEA â every store has a free "Take Back" CFL recycle bin.

Hardware stores â chains like Ace and True Value are starting to collect CFLs.

Is there a connection between CFLs and migraines?

This question began popping up in early 2008 after an item in U.K Daily Mail presented questions asked by the Migraine Action Association as a statement of fact. No science has been offered to substantiate the suggestion that CFLs cause migraines.

The flip side of the same coin is that there are relatively few online resources refuting the claim.

EcoGeek came down hard on the subject, calling it a "crazy wildfire" of a rumor. TheDailyGreen.com also weighed in, quoting a representative from the migraine association as describing the connection between CFLs and migraines as "anecdotal." To date, no substantial research has been done on the subject that anyone's aware â or at least, that anyone has published online.

So there you have it. Compact fluorescent light bulbs save energy and money. Not great for dimmer switches and recessed lights, but the mercury won't kill you either. And you can try taking CFLs to the hardware store to recycle when they finally burn out after a long, bright life in your living room.

Nine no-cost ways to reduce your home energy use

Cher Seruto — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:34:57 PST

Cher Seruto is an analyst with the Built Environment Team at the Rocky Mountain Institute.

There's a crispness to the air, and winter is again upon us. Colder temperatures and longer nights bring more frequent indoor gatherings with family and friends. But, if you're anything like me, you're having trouble socializing because you're anticipating a spike in your energy bills.

The average American household spends about $1,900 annually on energy and also creates more than 26,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Collectively, residential energy use accounts for about 20 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.

We all want to be warm this season, and we often don't mind the increased cost. In fact, some of us may view those increased energy costs in the winter as a necessary evil.

But what if you had some no-cost, quick and easy ways to reduce that energy bill while saving the environment and maintaining the same level of comfort?

Well, here you go.

The Rocky Mountain Institute recently compiled energy usage information for the typical American home. In the process, we found dozens of ways ordinary people can cost-effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions from their own homes.

These nine suggestions cost nothing and will save you money:

Â	CO₂ Saved (lbs/year)	$ Saved ($/year)
Lower water heater temperature to 120^Â°F	214	$12.12
Lower thermostat in winter by 2^Â°F	353	$19.04
Wash clothes in cold water	327	$18.58
Turn off unneeded lights	376	$21.04
Turn off home-office equipment	137	$7.68
Unplug extra fridge in garage	448	$25.04
Use energy-saving mode on appliances	769	$43.04
Increase AC thermostat by 3^Â°F	339	$18.90
Air dry clothes during summer	779	$43.60
TOTAL SAVED PER YEAR:	3,742	$209.04

Not only can these free tricks save the average household more than $200 a year in energy costs, but the carbon dioxide reductions are equivalent to taking 10 miles off of your daily commute.

So be a do-gooder this season and year round, keep your guests happy, and give your pocketbook a boost, too.

Also, stay tuned, because next week we'll provide further energy efficiency measures you can purchase for less than 20 bucks per ton of saved carbon.

Financing the cost of solar power

Maria Stamas — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:45:11 PST

Maria Stamas is a fellow at Rocky Mountain Institute.

Solar panels have been commercially available for decades, yet few homeowners in the United States have installed them. In theory, they make perfect sense. They don't pollute, they offer greater security from power outages, and they keep your energy bills from fluctuating with the price of coal or other fossil fuels.

So what's standing in the way of wider adoption?

The biggest barrier is cost. Purchasing photovoltaic panels for your house is the equivalent of paying for 20-plus years' worth of electricity up front, a feat no more affordable than asking a family to buy 20 years' worth of food in advance.

Add to that the large electricity demand of most American homes (hard to meet with a small array of panels), and solar starts to look like a less attractive optionâeven for the well-intentioned consumer with deep pockets.

The first step: efficiency

Making solar affordable for the average homeowner starts with energy efficiency. If you're thinking of adding solar panels to your roof, it's best to do a thorough audit of your home energy use. That way you can reduce the amount of electricity you need to generate on-site in the first place.

Swap out your incandescent lights for CFLs, install energy-efficient appliances, and make sure your house is sealed up tight so that the heating and air-conditioning units aren't working overtime.

After you've done all that, consider some of the following government and commercial programs.

Private-sector financing

Solar panel vendors usually charge full price (around $15,000â$30,000) for hardware and installation up front. Fortunately, a number of businesses are sprouting up to help people finance that investment over the life of the panels.

Citizenre REnU, a company based in Colorado, allows its customers to pay a locked-in rent based on their average electricity consumption prior to purchase. This locked-in rent can last up to 25 years and covers installation costs and maintenance fees.

SunEdison sells a similar service in California, Colorado, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Hawaii.

Public-sector financing

For other areas, energy-efficient mortgages are an option. Under these mortgages, homeowners can roll the cost of solar panels into their loan and increase their borrowing limit.

The federal government supports energy-efficient mortgages through the Federal Housing Authority.

Energy Star also has a list of EPA-approved lenders for qualifying houses.

Local governments step in

Recently, some local governments have drafted plans to promote solar power. One of the most ambitious plans yet was just passed in Berkeley, California.

In November, the city's council approved a proposal to allow property owners to pay for solar panel installation and energy efficiency improvements by placing a tax lien with very low interest rates on their houses.

The homeowner would own the solar panels, and the annual payments would be about the same or less as projected savings on energy bills.

After a pilot phase next year, the city expects to help finance solar panel installations on 100â125 homes and businesses a year, for 10 years.

Additional boosts

Aside from large-scale financing, rebates and subsidies available in many states can help offset costs as well. These incentives range from a set cash refund to a consistent discount of a couple cents per kilowatt-hour generated.

To find out what incentives are available in your state, visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) or contact your state's energy office.

Also keep in mind that if your solar system is tied to the power grid, your utility company might pay to use any excess electricity you generate. This would further offset the cost of the system. Your local utility can tell you whether this "net-metering" is available in your area.

Deck the halls greenly

Trystan L. Bass — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:31:44 PST

Christmas parties are in full swing and New Year celebrations are soon to follow. You want the house to sparkle for your family and guests.

Can you evoke a Norman Rockwell holiday while also playing nice with Mother Earth? You bet.

The first stop for eco-friendly winter dÃ©cor might be your front yard (or a local garden supply store). As the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture notes, evergreens come in a wide variety of colors. Gather up pine, cedar, spruce, fir, holly, boxwood, nandina, aucuba, and magnolia leaves and boughs. These make beautiful wreaths, swags, and centerpieces for use inside the house as well as outside.

Fruits and vegetables are lovely, old-fashioned decorations on tables and trees. Care2 has instructions for easy, inexpensive candleholders made of oranges studded with cloves. These will look pretty and smell very Christmasy.

The same page also has tips for stringing cranberry garlands and making pinecone placecard holders for the holiday table.

The Telegraph UK has more ideas for decorating from the garden. British designers and crafters spray-paint seed pods silver and string them up, plus they use artichokes as candleholders.

Plants have a long and important history as holiday dÃ©cor. From the Christmas tree to mistletoe, many greens have symbolic meaning, even if the exact origins are debated. Still, it's hard to argue that real plants are the most traditional.

Some folks say that artificial plants are more convenient, but for such a short time indoors, we don't have to work that hard to keep the evergreens looking good.

Lime Radio has a handy segment all about prolonging the life of cut evergreens. For your tree, simply put a few drops of bleach in the water to kill bacteria and prevent slime. For garlands and other greenery, you can soak them with anti-desiccant before you hang them or mist them lightly afterwards.

Want some visual inspiration? Read about the revival of Christmas decorations at Colonial Williamsburg. See photos and video of how the holiday might have looked in18th-century America.

Our forefathers and foremothers only had natural decorations -- no plastics imported from China -- and their celebrations looked beautiful!

Cozy up to an earth-friendly fire

Trystan L. Bass — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:41:15 PST

Can a wood-burning fireplace help cut your heating bill this winter? Or does the air pollution created cancel out any electricity savings?

Is it better to burn cut trees or those fake logs from the supermarket? Let's look at the facts.

First, according to the Energy Guide, a typical masonry fireplace is a pretty inefficient way to heat a room. At least 80% of the heat escapes up the chimney, plus the fireplace pulls cold air into your house through small gaps around windows and doors.

These "convective heat losses" are bigger than the radiant heat the fire provides. And most fireplaces are poorly insulated, so they conduct room heat outside.

So as far as money savings, that fireplace isn't helping. All it does is look pretty.

Worse still is the pollution aspect. The American Lung Association finds that wood smoke is to blame for huge amounts of particulate matter air pollution across the U.S. in winter. This causes lower respiratory infections, exacerbation of asthma, and decreased breathing ability in people, especially children and the elderly.

Are we stuck with the video yule log? Well, depends on where you live and how often you burn a fire.

Duraflame's new logs made of plant-based waxes, nuts, shells, and wood fiber are a moderate hit with greens like TreeHugger. The manufactured logs burn cleaner and longer than natural wood, so you don't need to use as much for the same effect.

Green Daily also recommends Java Logs, another manufactured log. This one is made of recycled paper and coffee grounds and, like Duraflame, burns longer than regular wood.

It's also possible to make your own logs out of newspapers. You'll want to burn this in combination with other wood, however, to get a longer-lasting fire. But it's not a bad way to keep old papers out of the landfills.

This video report from CBS 5 notes that Seattle and Portland air districts recommend burning artificial logs if you want a fire this winter. But the news channel also says that the San Francisco Bay Area Air Quality Management District is stricter about all wood smoke, due to worse pollution.

Keep in mind that you probably shouldn't use manufactured logs in wood-burning stoves, which have special requirements. However, stoves are much more efficient than fireplaces if you actually want to heat your house. Check out the EPA guide for more details.