Homeowners who might have tried to sell their houses a few years ago are staying put with the hope that they’ll fetch a higher price if they wait out the bad economy. In the meantime, some are making their homes more comfortable by adding rooms—downstairs and up. Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies notes [...]
Archive for the ‘Energy Saving Ideas’ Category
December 6th, 2011
Department of Energy Updates Refrigerator Efficiency Standards
Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released new minimum national energy efficiency standards for most new refrigerators, which will improve efficiency and cut energy use by refrigerators 25% by 2014. This is the fourth time that the standards have been strengthened. Since the first standards were implemented by the state of California in 1978, [...]
June 16th, 2011
Worlds Largest Solar & Coal Project
Australian PM Julia Gillard announced approval for the world’s largest coal/solar hybrid power plant. Photo: CS Energy Australian prime minister Julia Gillard today announced the approval of a $104.7 million project to integrate solar energy into one of Queensland’s largest fossil fuel power stations. The 750 megawatt (MW) coal-fired Kogan Creek Power Station in South [...]
March 31st, 2011
Adopt a Contractor and Protect Your Assets
If you are sitting on a million dollars or half a million dollars or even $200,000, you might consider getting advice from a financial advisor. With that kind of money, you’d want the best advice on how to grow your investment. During your first session with him you are going to go over your goals [...]
March 31st, 2011
Making a Basement Feel More Like Home
Basements often are just leftover space. Builders don’t usually think about the most efficient way to use that space, putting the HVAC, plumbing and electrical components wherever it happens to be expedient. As a result, when it comes to re-purposing basement space, one of the toughest jobs is sorting out the infrastructure, says Mark Lawrence, [...]
November 23rd, 2010
Getting Your Home Ready for Winter
Cold weathers coming. You can count on it. Here are some tips to help get your home ready for the onslaught of winter weather. Drain and take your garden hoses inside. Take any nozzles off of the hoses. Water stuck in the hose can expand in cold temperatures and split the hose. Next, shut off [...]
October 18th, 2010
Tax Credit Ending This Year
The Federal Energy Tax Credit on energy-efficient home improvements, including energy-efficient windows, doors, insulation, roofing, and heating and cooling systems, will expire December 31, 2010. Contact us to schedule yours today.
June 2nd, 2010
Energy Star Beefs Up Requirements and Enforcement
The Energy Star program is overhauling its standards, certification process, and enforcement techniques—and its image—after the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that it was able to get bogus products approved. In March 2010, GAO released a report about its experiences submitting 20 made-up products to Energy Star for certification, highlighting weaknesses in the program, [...]
March 23rd, 2010
I’ll Be Back……
We were called to check the exterior of a house for numerous water leaks and damage done by a previous contractor. They had attempted to diagnose and repair these areas but failed and washed there hands of it. The first leak found was caused by the home builder not installing the correct flashing at the [...]
March 23rd, 2010
Things you can do to reduce energy use.
In renovating old homes into super-efficient ones, there is a definite path to success. After you get past item 5, the house will be efficient enough to downsize the mechanical equipment, which you replaced in step 1. If you’re planning to go at least through step 5, keep that in mind before buying a new [...]
