A few months back, I wrote a short blurb on solar water heaters. THIS month, we learn that Californians have an opportunity to install solar water heaters for their homes, saving huge amounts of natural gas and money in the process. Read the rest of this entry »
More good news from California: Rebates for Solar Water Heaters
January 31st, 2010New Buildings in California will be Mandated to “Go Green”
January 31st, 2010Very exciting for the world of green buildings: Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced that starting January 1, 2011, all new buildings in California, including homes, will have to comply with the new CALGREEN sustainable building standards. The new standards will be the most stringent, environmentally friendly building code standards of any state in the nation. Read the rest of this entry »
Air Quality Statistics–a must-know for all homeowners
January 13th, 2010We’ve recently come across some alarming statistics about indoor air-quality, illustrating just how important it is to be careful about all the products we use in our homes.
Behavior problems have been linked to exposure to toxic chemicals and mold. At the same time, we see that ADD/ADHD rates in today’s schools are higher than ever. Read the rest of this entry »
Department of Energy Helping to Get Better Windows for More Homes
January 11th, 2010The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program (BTP) is helping more homeowners to get better-insulating windows for their homes. They are coordinating a volume purchase of R-5 (highly-insulating) windows in order to expand the market for them and prevent them from being cost-prohibitive to many homeowners.
This is great news–in 2010, many more people will be able to afford highly-efficient windows, saving them huge amouns in the long run on energy costs. But the good news does not stop there. Read the rest of this entry »
Green Building Catching On for SC County
January 4th, 2010South Carolina has realized that many of their builders, like many builders nation-wide (and world-wide for that matter), are struggling with what it means for a building to be sustainable. There are private education courses, such as LEED AP courses, and national courses, such as the NARI GCP, but state- and locally-funded courses are still lacking. Read the rest of this entry »
Green Future is Now: Glowing walls to replace bulbs
January 4th, 2010Believe it or not, we may see glowing walls hit the shelves to replace lightbulbs as early as 2012. A new technology is being developed in the UK, wherein wallpaper would be coated with a special chemical to emit a gentle, even glow throughout the room. The light is said to mimic sunlight, and could be dimmed on a dimmer switch like a normal lamp. Read the rest of this entry »
Solar Rebates in Massachusetts: A good sign and good recovery
January 4th, 2010Massachusetts has an existing rebate program for residential and small commercial parties that installed solar systems. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) the funds ran out in October, almost two years ahead of schedule, showing that people are embracing the idea of solar panels and systems in their homes!
The solar industry worried that the lack of incentives would slow down projects–but fortunately we’ll never know, as the state is re-implementing solar rebates starting in January. (There is also program for larger-scale businesses.) Read the rest of this entry »
New Years Resolutions…
December 28th, 2009Not surprising that the imminent New Year’s Eve got us thinking about our New Year’s Resolutions. We thought we’d share ours here at GreenHomeImprovement.com, and suggest a few that the eco-conscious homeowner might consider.
2009 was a big year for GreenHomeImprovement.com. Our launch was successful, and we’re proud to have developed a community of real people making real change in their homes. Our resolutions for early 2010 are to expand the community to wider circles, and particularly add more of the green-certified professionals you trust, and showcase the work that they are right to be proud of. We will also be integrating the blog onto the homepage, and adding new features to the site, like Events and Local pages. Your suggestions for other additions we might make are always welcome! (click here) Read the rest of this entry »
Selling or Buying? Energy efficiency becoming more important in Real Estate
December 28th, 2009Last week a report was released on energy efficiency, and how it can enhance real estate portfolios.
The report, “Energy Efficiency in Real Estate Portfolios: Opportunities for Investors“, was written by the responsible investment group of the investment consultant Mercer. It highlights the investment value contributed by energy efficiency, as well as the important decrease in potential value with poor energy efficiency. Read the rest of this entry »
National building codes a possibility–Your thoughts welcome
December 21st, 2009At present, the building codes in the U.S. are written by state and local governments, and no one standard exists. Now, as it’s become clear that buildings are a huge (40%) factor in green-house gas emissions, the climate change bill being considered in congress may force that to change. The current climate propsal being worked on in the senate includes a national building code imposing a minimum energy efficiency standard for all new buildings (currently, there are only voluntary national codes).
The bill includes a goal of net-zero carbon emissions for all new buildings by 2030, and seems to be a good idea for moving in the direction of real change. But it is not without countroversy. Read the rest of this entry »