Feb 24, 2018 | Energy, Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Water
This first quarter of the year is supposed to be devoted to tips on home energy savings, but it would not be complete without talking about water. Saving water also saves energy, especially if you are talking about saving hot water, because it takes energy to make it...
Feb 17, 2018 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living
You always see that boring reminder on lists of how to go green: buy Energy Star appliances. Does this resonate with anyone? Most appliances have Energy Star Ratings — you see the little yellow sticker that estimates the number of kilowatt hours per year the...
Jan 30, 2018 | Energy, Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living
Insulation sounds like a really boring thing to even think about, but the number one recommendation coming from a home energy audit is almost always that: improving home insulation will decrease your energy bills and provide a more comfortable, less drafty home. But...
Jan 3, 2018 | Energy, Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living
What is a Home Energy Audit? Does not sound fun, right? It’s really just a guy (usually it’s a guy – women don’t seem to enter this field very frequently) who is specifically trained and certified to be a residential energy auditor — which means he...
Dec 20, 2017 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living
Almost all of the tips I offer during this first quarter are about saving energy in the home, but most of us know that our car-driving habits can be one of the worst contributors air pollution, global climate change, dependence on foreign oil, not to mention lost...
Nov 20, 2017 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living
After last week’s tip on switching to LED bulbs, it got me thinking how to best order the tips and suggestions for this section on energy efficiency. I am basically going in order of easiest to hardest, with the easiest, most bang for the buck going first. So what’s...
Oct 13, 2017 | Energy, Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living
The winters are dark and cold here in Minneapolis, and I had not been not happy with our outdoor lights. They got my attention because we were advised by the police to keep them on all night after a recent burglary. So, in the winter, they are on from about 4:30 pm...
Sep 6, 2017 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living
As promised, the first tip is about developing an awareness of the issue, which for the next 3 months is ENERGY EFFICIENCY. (There will be a bit on water efficiency, but I’ll tackle that later.) According to the US Department of Energy, homes are responsible...
Jul 1, 2017 | Energy, Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Water
Most people think that going green costs more. Sometimes it does (and in many of those cases, it pays back in a reasonable timeframe). But sometimes, it does not cost more – and in that case, they are really no-brainers. If something does not cost more, but it may...
Apr 30, 2014 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living
Over the years, as I have talked about why renewable energy is so important, I’ve tried to find accurate statistics on how we get our electricity — that is, what percentage is from coal, gas, nuclear, hydro, solar, wind, etc. The various websites...
Aug 11, 2011 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living, Toxins & Chemicals
Steven Brandt’s recent article in the Star Tribune, Yards Can Go Au Naturel in Minneapolis, already has 75 comments on the website. That might make one feel that Minneapolis has a nice community of people who can properly argue the merits of having a mowed lawn...
Jul 26, 2011 | Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Water
Many people ask me what my favorite “green” features of our home are, since we have now lived in it for over two years and can honestly assess whether we would make the same green choice again. While don’t people ask what was the worst choice? What...
