Appliances tips
Hitting a Home Run for Clean Energy March 12, 2012 11:39 Spring. With gentle breezes, blooming flowers, and warm sunshine, the season marks the beginning of fun outdoor activities—picnics, camping, hikes, and the classic American pastime—baseball. In the past five years, major league baseball teams have increasingly made strides in greening up their stadiums. Here [...]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a report that documents the increased adoption of energy-efficient lighting products in the United States over the last decade. The 2010 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization examines the current conditions and broad trends in the U.S. lighting market, broken down by technology and sector. The report also details [...]
Electricity is at the heart of the U.S. energy economy. And the numbers say so. A report by the Manhattan Institute cites this fascinating statistic: In 1950, 20 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product was directly dependent on electricity. By 2008, that number had tripled to 60 percent. Additionally, the report states that over [...]
President Obama announced nearly $4 billion in combined federal and private sector energy upgrades to buildings over the next 2 years. These investments will save billions in energy costs, promote energy independence, and, according to independent estimates, create tens of thousands of jobs in the hard-hit construction sector. The $4 billion investment announced today includes [...]
On Oct. 25, the Department of energy confirmed that it adopted new residential appliance standards for central air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps. According to the new rule, the country will be divided into 3 regions (Texas will be in the Southern Region), and the minimum efficiency standards for these appliances will vary depending on [...]
Feel a draft around your home’s electrical outlets? If so, you’re wasting energy. Even if you cannot feel air moving, you still could have a leak. Here’s another way to check: Hold a feather or piece of lightweight string in front of outlets, switch plates, window frames, baseboards, fireplace dampers, kitchen or medicine cabinets or the attic [...]
KB Home and Build San Antonio Green(R) (BSAG) today announced the start of their partnership by recognizing KB Home’s first BSAG Certified home during a special event held at KB Home’s La Fontana community. The first certified home actually goes above and beyond the BSAG program’s guidelines and it is also KB Home’s first net-zero [...]
Just last week, we lamented that Energy Awareness month (that’s going on now, by the way) didn’t do much at all to increase awareness. The critique didn’t offer links to more information, because sending people to clunky government websites is confusing, not enlightening. However, there are companies out there that are looking to empower [...]
New energy-efficient water heating technologies and practices can save residential and commercial buildings on average 37% more energy than conventional technologies. These energy savings could be worth nearly $18 billion, according to a new study of emerging technologies released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Water heating is typically the second [...]
Despite environmentalist’s love for salty snacks, many food manufacturers do not “go green.” Frito-Lay’s Casa Grande facility plant in Arizona, PepsiCo’s North America division, is a different story. The firm launched an ambitious sustainability project, the “near net zero” effort that took a production facility “off the grid,” running primarily on renewable energy sources and [...]