Get Energy Smart! NOW!

Today, a poll popped up:
How do you primarily heat your home / apartment?
This question gave me pause.
Sadly, for a self-proclaimed (and labeled by others) energy ‘geek’ and one who values feedback (systems) to enable better decisions/energy use patterns, I realized that I simply can’t answer this question.  The problem: multiple heating systems, with multiple changes [...]

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This is part of a series of brief posts on ‘clean energy jobs‘ opportunities for sparking meaningful employment, quickly, in the United States as discussed in Clean Energy Jobs: Stimulate Me.
Clean Energy Jobs Go Swimming: $300 million per year for 10,000 jobs
Legislation is, they say, analogous to making sausage. Sometimes, in the mixing and mashing, [...]

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This is part of a series of brief posts on ‘clean energy jobs‘ opportunities for sparking meaningful employment, quickly, in the United States as discussed in Clean Energy Jobs: Stimulate Me.
Clean Energy Jobs Go To The Cleaners: $50 million per year for 9,000 jobs
Coin-operated laundromats almost require rivers to operate, with their industrial-like washing [...]

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This guest post from Think2004 provides one homeowner’s story about moving a home from energy glutton to net zero re electricity.
This discussion provides a clear window on the many things that can be done, rapidly, to reduce existing building infrastructure energy use.
And, it shows that existing homes can be made ‘net zero’.
And, while it is [...]

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With the last moments of competition, with the last event, the
German team of Decathletes surged forward to seize the lead, seize the victory of the fourth Solar Decathlon, topping second-place Illinois (The Gable House) by less than 11 points out of 1000 possible (908.27 to 897.3).
The margin of victory came from just one event, an [...]

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The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), entry into the Solar Decathlon could be called understated from the outside, a form and boarding reminiscent of 19th century barns with a stunning interior, all built to Passiv Haus standards.  The Gable House is a well-conceived residence, combining 100 year old wood boards on outside with leading edge [...]

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One Senator has chosen to pay attention to The Solar Decathlon on the Mall and issue a challenge. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has issued A Challenge to Universities. He opened with a strong statement of praise and support for The Solar Decathlon.
Every two years at this time of year, an exciting thing happens on the [...]

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The U.S. Congress is often the site of friendly (sometimes not so friendly) wagering, when rival teams meet each other in important events.
This occurs around University football games, World Series, the Superbowl, March Madness, and other competitions.  Right now, there is a 20-team competition underway almost literally in the shadow of the US Congress and, [...]

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Thronging The National Mall at this time are thousands of curious people, visiting the Solar Decathlon with the 20 energy efficient solar powered homes, being awed by their designs, their technologies, and their visions for the future.  Team Boston has centered their entire project around that very sense of curiosity, with CURIO House having as [...]

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Each of the Solar Decathlon’s 20 teams developed their own philosophy, developed within their own regional requirements and styles, and developed a sustainable home from that. Some teams aimed for the upscale market, creating visions for the Hampton beach goer or the empty nesters sipping wine in Napa Valley.  While those on the high might [...]

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