Archive of posts tagged light
Insulation
Insulation should be applied in: Attic, or roof if there is no attic Crawlspace External facing walls Around ventilation ducts (to at least R-8) Insulation should be applied after careful air sealing to close off all places for air leakage. Except for closed cell foam which acts like a sealant, most insulation materials allow air […]
Dimmers and Energy Efficient Lighting – Not Always Compatible
Most homeowners today are concerned with energy efficiency and are beginning to take retrofitting seriously. They want the efficiency that comes from switching their lighting from outdated incandescent lights to LED or CFL bulbs and home lighting controls which add to the energy and cost savings of new light bulbs – but they may run […]
Don’t Throw CFL Bulbs in The Trash
As the low cost of CFL light bulbs saving 75% of energy compared to incandescent bulbs, many homes switched to CFL bulbs. CFLs are completely safe to use in homes, but they do contain a very small amount of mercury like fluorescent tubes. Never throw CFLs or fluoresecent tubes in the trash. Instead, dispose them […]
Das Haus Is Coming, Das Haus Is Coming
Germany has been advocating a “passive house” standard for super energy efficient homes. The Germans are well known for their striving toward advanced technologies and manufacturing perfection. Building durable homes is no exception. In a nutshell, a passive home is tightly sealed, well-insulated, and equipped with high efficiency windows and doors. A 1500 square feet […]
Energy Efficiency Rises from the Ashes
My story started six years ago in Moraga, California. All was well. The kids were out of the house, two on their own and one in college. Work was good. All the saving and planning was paying off. We had saved enough to do the kitchen remodel that we planned years for. With me doing […]
LED Lights vs. CFL Lights: What Works for Your Home?
Choosing the right light bulb could drastically reduce your power bills and positively affect the environment, but with so many light bulb options on the market, knowing which one to choose can be difficult. Below is a simple comparison between incandescent, compact fluorescent (CFL) and light-emitting diode (LED) to help you decide which is right […]
Conservation Comes With Comfort
A couple of months ago, I visited an early adopter of green remodeling in the Bay Area. She has been making changes to her home since over a decade ago, before energy efficiency gets on the minds of most people. Starting in the late 1990’s, she had windows changed to dual pane units, installed attic […]
Fun with Holiday LED Lights
A few weeks ago I blogged about LED lights will be more generally accepted because the prices are coming down fast (Click here). In this holiday season, consider having some fun with LED lights. We know that LED lights are 5 times more efficient than incandescent lights and will last 25,000 to 50,000 hours. The […]