Green Options » weatherizing

Making Home Energy Efficiency Human, Doable, and (Gasp!) Fun

Paul Smith — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:00:25 +0000

Ah, the magic of Twitter. I’ve been on there for the past year and during that time have become a green business hub of sorts. Every day, 10-20 new people “follow” me (choose to have what I say be tracked by them) One particularly interesting one was EnergyCircle.

In a miraculously concise statement of purpose, they say, “Our singular goal as a company is to take the complexity out of home energy.”

How do they do that?

Through telling their own stories. Exploring what’s going on out there. Teaching you how to best do it yourself. And know when it’s time to bring in a professional.

Then, armed with knowledge, encouragement, and others to identify with, they have a store full of ways to put talk into action. My antennae went up when I saw they sell space heaters. Seeming to know this would be an issue, they have a quick, fun video in their blog entry YES! Sometimes an Electric Space Heater Makes Sense.

New Middle Class Task Force to Make Green Jobs and Green Buildings National Priorities

Joel Bittle — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:31:41 +0000

Send Vice President Biden and the other members of the Middle Class Task Force your ideas about creating green jobs and making buildings more energy efficient.

President Barack Obama announced today the formation of a Task Force to strengthen the American middle class. As Vice President Joe Biden, a member of the group, describes the task force on the White House website, “This task force will be an important vehicle to assess new and existing policies across the board and determine if they are helping or hurting the middle class. It is our charge to get the middle class - the backbone of this country - up and running again.”

First on the agenda for the task force is the creation of green jobs and the ways home energy efficiency can both save homeowners’ money and create green jobs that cannot be outsourced. From the White House: “If we create jobs that aim to reduce your energy costs - like your electric bill and your home heating bill - that means you have more disposable income for other things. Creating more green jobs has multiple benefits. It helps the economy as a whole; it helps our environment; and it will save you money.”

4 Things to Consider Before Going Solar

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:57:49 +0000

Solar thermal technology provides space heating and hot water and is a frequently forgotten member of the solar family. These highly effective systems are popular in many parts of the globe, from China to Greece to Zimbabwe. They displace the use of the existing hot water heater and heating equipment, typically saving either natural gas or electricity.Solar thermal is a more mature technology than solar photovoltaic systems that produce electricity. It has been used for centuries for water heating. In fact, even Leonardo Da Vinci owned one.

When considering the installation of such a system, it is important to consider the following items.