What do Smart Homes running off a Smart Energy Grid need to be complete? Why, Smart Plugs, of course!
The energy conservationists at Zerofootprint are adding IQ points to each outlet in the home with their new carbon emission-reducing socket supplements, called "TalkingPlugs™." Designed to fit right on top of an existing outlet, each TalkingPlug™ comes equipped with technology that enables control of a plugged-in appliance across a network as well as real-time measuring of energy consumption. You know how the "Stand-by" mode of every plugged in appliance or electronic device consumes electricity even when said device is turned off? The TalkingPlug™ can be programmed to cut power to the device during certain hours (sleepy time) to conserve electricity.
Widespread installation of TalkingPlugs™ across neighborhoods, municipalities and even the country will result in a sort of mesh network -- information gathered from each home can be sent to Zerofootprint and individual homes can check in to see how their energy usage compares to others.
The current $50/plug price is a little prohibitive. I want to conserve, but I also want to have enough money to actually pay the electricity bill (lower though it may be). I'm not sure if I'm sold on the name, either. I envision cartoonish plastic wall pods from some animated kids' movie fighting for the attention of the human characters. "Plug ME!" "No, plug ME!" Lower the price, change the name, and I'm as game as the next guy.
LEED rates buildings on a number of factors that reflect a home’s sustainability. The first LivingHomes was the first home to receive a LEED’s highest designation of Platinum.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to help identify and implement practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
To qualify as LEED certified, homes must earn a minimum of 45 points in eight categories including: Innovative Design Process (ID), Location and Linkages (LL), Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR), Indoor Environmental Quality (IQ), and Awareness and Education (AE).
LEED certified homes save more energy, conserve more water, create less waste and are healthier for homeowners than non-LEED certified homes. These green homes offer homeowners health benefits, significantly reduce their utility bills and lessen their impact and dependence on the environment. While not every home will be built or retrofit to LEED certification standards, a number of smaller steps can be taken by homeowners and builders with the LEED standards in mind.
Federal stimulus packages create additional incentives for homeowners to incorporate energy-efficient products into their homes including a 30 percent tax credit (up to $1,500) on windows and doors, insulation, roofs (metal and asphalt), HVAC, water heaters (non-solar) and biomass stoves for those products purchased for existing homes from now until 2010. Tax credits for existing homes and new construction are available at 30 percent of the cost on geothermal heat pumps, solar panels, solar water heaters, small wind energy systems and fuel cells through 2016. With more than 1,800 exhibitors -- many of which boast LEED credits for homes -- and 100 educational sessions on sustainable building including a keynote opening by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, GreenBuild 2009 demonstrated the growing interest, importance and need for eco friendly building and design. Touting the theme, “green building on every street” and through its first-ever Green Job Fair, the conference and expo proved that going green has never been more mainstream.
What does this mean for homeowners? Not only will your homes be healthier for your family and the environment, but as more and more companies offer green products and services, more options and competitive pricing will emerge for homeowners looking to go green. For homeowners interested in more information on LEED, green building or to view a list of builders dedicated to sustainable homes, visit the USGBC Web site.
GreenBuild is an international conference and expo on bringing green living to Main Street. It is being covered for BobVila.com by the editors of EcoNewsNetwork.org, a blog that provides news, trends and commentary on ecological issues, challenges, products, processes, science and leisure.
The new R-Plus Insulation from Terminix is like the kid in high school who did everything well. As most plodded along pulling B's and girls' braids, this Renaissance Man hit home runs for the baseball team, played drums for the popular high school rock band and wrote brilliant plays in rhyming iambic pentameter. So does Terminix's new insulation relegate all others to the realm of mediocrity. What, your insulation only keeps out the cold? Boooooring.
Here's a bulleted list of what R-Plus has going for it:
- Saves the environment. R-Plus is made from 87% recycled materials, like old newspapers.
- Kills termites. The insulation is bonded in a patented process with boric acid, which controls pests like termites, cockroaches, ants and silverfish.
- Qualifies for Federal Tax Credit. You could save up to $1500 by purchasing R-Plus.
- Saves up to 20% in heating and cooling costs. R-Plus is Energy Star-rated. Ever heard of it?
It's quite a resume. Sadly, R-Plus could not be reached for comment. It was volunteering at the local soup kitchen before heading off to a Chemistry study group.
Would you consider R-Plus for your insulation needs? How about for Homecoming King?
Most window blinds are used to keep the sun -- and heat -- out of the home. These SolarChoice blinds do the exact opposite -- they increase the heat in the home. The "Heaters", as they are called, are winter window treatments that purportedly reduce heating costs up to 35%. How does it work? Each plastic vane has a hollow channel running its length. Cold air enters the channel at the bottom of the blind, warms up through passive solar heating, and exits out the top of the vane -- at temperatures as high as 140 degrees.
The website has a video to teach homeowners how to install the product, as well as measuring guides for ordering. Installation looks pretty straight-forward: Drill a few holes, fasten a few clips, hang the header and blinds, and presto! Thousands of BTU's of heat are exhaled into the room with zero emissions, zero operating cost and zero maintenance needs.
As if that wasn't enough to pique your interest, the Heaters qualify for Federal Solar Energy tax incentives.
The design isn't fancy -- a brushed aluminum-style finish faces the interior of the room -- and you'll probably want to be removing them during the warmer summer months, which is a slight bother. Oh, and the blinds aren't cheap -- one 6'x8' treatment sells for close to $1500. That certainly had me whipping the calculator out to determine how quickly the Heaters would pay for themselves, given a 35% savings in heating cost.
Here's one last consideration: there's really no point in having them installed on windows that don't see the sun, so your home decor may suffer from a slight imbalance, at least as window treatments are concerned. If you can get beyond that, I'd say the Heaters are worth taking a look at.
Would you consider the SolarChoice Heaters for your home this winter?
When dealing with a carbon footprint as large as the Big Apple's, replacing residential conventional heating oil with biofuel to reduce the city's emissions seems like bailing out the Titanic with a Dixie Cup.
Still, that's what Brooklyn-based Boro Fuel is doing, by introducing BioGreen™, an alternative heating fuel for residences. Available on the market November 1, BioGreen™ is a blend of traditional heating oil and 10% soybean oil. With only traces of sulfur, the green fuel's emissions are reduced; BioGreen™ also lubricates the home's heating system parts, which may reduce the number of service needs even as it adds to the heating system's lifespan. According to Boro Fuel's new website, BioGreenNY.com, the alternative fuel costs the same as traditional heating oil, and New Yorkers will actually earn a 10 cent tax credit for every gallon purchased through 2011. Even better: Your home's heating system doesn't need any alterations to run on the stuff.
It sounds like Brooklyn residents don't have a reason not to try it. Personally, I think every little bit helps. And last time I checked, Brooklyn had a population of about 2.5 million. That's a lot of Dixie Cups...
Most people care enough about energy efficiency that they'll make some changes to their own home to lower the bills a few bucks. But wielding the caulk gun at a stranger's house? Isn't that extremist? The volunteers at HEET don't think so. The Massachusetts-based organization combines weatherizing techniques and good ole-fashioned barn raising sensibilities to kill a few birds with one big good-will stone. Improve a home's energy efficiency? Check. Teach participants skills on said topic? Check. Build community? Check.
Their most recent "barn raising" (yes, they really call them that) attracted the attention of fellow blogger Martin LaMonica, who joined 40 others to help weatherize a leaky New England house before Old Man Winter starts his blowing. You can read all about his experience on his CNET GreenTech blog page.
Great concept, great cause. I wonder how many of these groups are cropping up across the country. Have you helped raise a barn lately? What are you doing to winterize your house this season? Get great tips for winterizing on a budget.
The late, great Michael Jackson once sang, "It doesn't matter if you're black or white." But when it comes to your roof, it really does matter. A black (or dark) roof absorbs heat on a sunny day--which is great in the winter--and a white roof reflects the sun--which is great in the summer. But for each roofing color, those advantages turn to disadvantages as the earth moves to the other side of the sun. The black roof turns the home into a sauna in the summer, driving up cooling costs, and the white roof reflects badly needed heat in the winter, elevating the heating costs.
Thanks to a handful of recent genius MIT graduates, the human race can now lay claim to color-changing roofing tiles. White in the hot months and black in the cold, the tiles use a technology that changes their color in response to temperature.
Bottom line figures: In their "white state," the tiles reflect as much as 80 percent of the sunlight, potentially saving up to 20 percent in cooling costs. "Black state" figures have yet to be released.
No word yet on what shade the tiles take on under overcast conditions. Rooftop mosaic, anyone?
