Archive of posts tagged solar
10 Steps To Off-Grid With Solar PV Panels
This is like rehab, getting off of the power grid, but its not a 12-step to recovery – it’s only a 10-step toward power independence. Determine your historical energy use from your past electric bills. Pay attention to the difference between summer and winter power usage. Determine your roof area available for photovoltaic panels. the […]
Solar Heated Pools
Not too hard … You can significantly reduce swimming pool heating costs by installing a solar pool heater. They’re cost competitive with both gas and heat pump pool heaters, and they have very low annual operating costs. Actually, solar pool heating is the most cost-effective use of solar energy in many climates and is very […]
Can You Afford Not To Have A Solar PV System?
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has gained worldwide popularity in recent years. Many products are available on the market. Prices have come down. There are still federal and state incentives for solar PV installations. Solar PV systems offer great money and energy savings opportunities. Nevertheless, solar PV systems are still big-ticket items. The good news is […]
How to Choose Energy Efficient Appliances
Energy efficient appliances can offer energy and money savings. While it may not be economical to replace a piece of appliance, when the appliance is reaching the end of useful life or when new appliances are purchased during a remodel, choosing an energy efficient model is the perfect time. The energy efficient model may cost […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]