Posts Tagged ‘Green Energy’

As I’ve said before, in order to use alternative energy sources in a sustainable manner, we need to make sure that the organizations providing the service and technology are making a reasonable profit – but not gouging us just because the power is “green”.

Does manufacturing a wind turbine cost that much more than coal stations (per Kilowatt hour)? Does operating a wind turbine cost that much more?

In most cases the answer is no. Operating a wind turbine might even cost less.

In relation to this, Jay Hancock recently posted on his blog questions about green energy certificates in Maryland. He says…

You can read the rest of Jay’s post at Jay Hancock’s Blog.

I recommend energy audit’s for every home. It gives you a clear idea of where you are losing the most energy, and what are the most practical ways of fixing the problem.

Here’s an article about one family’s energy audit experience. I particularly like the practical approach they had in this quote.

Yes you can replace the all the windows in a home… but you can also use a $5 tube of caulking in the right places and make a significant difference.

The key question is, which one are you going to start with?

You can read the full article at nytimes.com.

Although many homes are called green, few actually are There is more to making a home green than simply plugging in a light timer or using lower wattage bulbs. There are standards from the government and builders that describe what a green home requires. They have provided 5 attributes of home that need to be examined when determining how green a home really is.

Energy Consumption - Is the home’s energy usage reduced through the use of insulation and energy efficient devices such as furnaces, appliances and fixtures?

Water – does the home make use of water saving techniques? Does it use efficient appliances and fixtures? Does it make use of rain water?

Building materials – has the home been constructed using materials that are not toxic to the environment during the manufacturing process nor while they are in the home?

Lot and setting – Is the home in an area that is sustainable? Will the systems (including the ecosystems) survive?

Inside air quality? Is the home built with materials such as paints that will not contaminate the indoor air?

Each of these areas can determine what impact a home can have on its surroundings and on its inhabitants. It is therefore important to examine each one as we determine how green a home is.