Survey finds that 65% of Americans have changed their green buying habits due to the recession. A new report has found that consumers who previously purchased green products have decreased their green purchasing as a result of the recession. In the study by Massachusetts-based Grail Research, 43% of “light green” consumers—those who buy some green [...]
Archive for the ‘Greener Choices’ Category
December 6th, 2011
10 One-of-Kind Building Techniques for Decks
Builders of award-winning decks typically don’t set out to snag honors and accolades, says Colorado deck builder Barry Streett; they aim to design structures that will please their clients and suit their lifestyles. The key: “You have to listen to them,” advises Streett, owner of Rolling Ridge Deck in Evergreen, Colo., and winner of multiple [...]
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 7th, 2011
Harnessing the Wind
Tax credits and utility incentives push residential wind turbines closer to the mainstream. In the backyards of five houses within a 2-mile span in Tarrant County, Texas, small Skystream wind turbines whir quietly atop poles. A prospective client recently approached builder Don Ferrier about making his lakeside house the sixth. “The owner came to me [...]
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, [...]
April 22nd, 2010
Happy Earth Day
Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future. Earth Day 2010 can be a turning [...]
March 23rd, 2010
Deconstruction as part of your Remodeling Project.
What is Deconstruction? The systematic dis-assembly of a structure in order to maximize the recycling and reuse of the resulting used building materials. Who might be interested in Deconstruction Services? Those interested in deconstruction for environmental or cost-savings reasons include: Present homeowners seeking to expand their current residence Purchasers of a property that wish it [...]
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 [...]
