The above video is about energy audits. From HERE.

A few tips to help with energy costs this summer HERE.

More ideas HERE.

Bamboo has seen a recent acceleration in popularity, but is it really all it’s hyped to be?

It is a highly renewable resource. It is native to every continent except Europe and Antarctica. It can be harvested as soon as three years after it’s been planted; compared with one hundred and twenty years for a common hardwood that is really impressive. Also, it is a grass, so there is no need for it to be replanted.It is stronger than steel in tension; stronger than concrete in compression, and more stable than red oak. However, there are several downsides to bamboo:

Forests are being cleared to be replanted with bamboo. In other words, it is becoming a monoculture. Fertilizers, while not necessarily required to grow bamboo, are being used to increase yield, and, of course, fertilizers don’t do great things to the environment. Being a relatively new resource there are not as many regulations, so formaldehyde is still heavily used in bamboo products. Most of the United States’ bamboo supply is being imported which is, of course, not the ideal situation.

As demand continues to grow the aforementioned problems will hopefully be addressed and bamboo will become one of the most, if not the most, viable green materials available.

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Straw bales currently come in come in three sizes: small, two wire; medium, three wire; and large round bales. The medium is the preferred size at 23″x16″x42″ and weighing 75-85 pounds. These also have the highest R-value, around R-50.

There are five recognized methods of building with straw bales:

1. In-Fill or Non-Structural — This method depends on some sort of pole or post-and-beam framing. Obviously the framing is then filled in with straw bales. It’s particularly useful for large buildings.
2. Structural — With this method, bales are stacked up like bricks up to one and a half stories. Some sort of spike is driven through the bales to hold them in place.
3. Straw-Clay Building — A clay and water mixture is stirred into loose stray and then packed into ladder-like frames. This makes for an extremely strong wall.
4. Mortar — In this method, structural mortar is placed between bales. Even if the bales eventually give way, one source says that the lattice of mortar will remain.
5. Pressed Straw — Straw is compacted under a certain temperature which results in 100% straw panels. These can be used fro prefabricated structures and even roofs.

In all the methods the outside is stuccoed (rendered) with earth or lime to protect it from the elements. The inside is plastered.

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Building with straw bales has been around for hundreds of years, but it has recently gained more momentum as a result of declining timber sources. Because it is readily available in so many areas it is very inexpensive. The USDA estimates that enough straw is harvested by farmers every year to build four million 2,000 square foot homes; clearly this is an underutilized building material.

There are three common mis-conceptions and apprehensions when you begin to talk about straw bale construction:

1. that straw bales are a fire hazard.
2. that straw bales house rodents.
3. and that straw bales are not structurally sound.

I’ll just jump right in. Straw bale houses are not a fire hazard. Studies have proven unrendered (not stuccoed or plastered) walls to be less of a fire risk than timber walls, and rendered walls are just a fire resistant as bricks. Rodents will not be attracted to straw bales for food, but they do like the holes. If the house is properly maintained there should be no problem whatsoever with mice and rats. As for straw bale homes not being structurally sound, that’s obviously not true. There are houses with this construction a hundred years old and older, and, with modern technology, there is no reason in the world why straw bale houses built today shouldn’t last just as long or longer.
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Small space ceiling CFL light HERE.

Energy Star sales tax holiday for Texans this weekend HERE.

Tips for keeping your air-conditioners running efficiently HERE.

Energy efficient McDonald’s? HERE.

“Of course we must pursue alternative energy sources. But at the same time, we need to rethink our daily lives.” Article HERE.

Most hybrid cars on the market today are gas-electric, however, a French car manufacturer, PSA Peugeot Citroen, is working on a couple of diesel-electric hybrids.

The following things contribute to making hybrids more efficient:

• Smaller, lighter engines.
• Regenerative braking. The electric motor acts as a generator that charges the batteries while the vehicle is slowing down.
• Periodic engine shut-off. The engine temporarily shuts off when the vehicle is sitting in traffic; it immediately starts up when it is put back into gear.
• Advanced aerodynamics. Smaller profile reduces drag.
• Low-rolling resistance tires. Narrow, stiffer tires have lower drag than regular tires.
• Lightweight materials. The lighter the vehicle is the more efficient it will be.

These are the gas-electric hybrid vehicles available in North America:

• Honda Civic Hybrid
• Honda Accord Hybrid
• Nissan Altima
• Toyota Prius
• Toyota Camry Hybrid
• Ford Escape Hybrid SUV
• Lexus 400h Hybrid SUV
• Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV
• Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUV
• Mazda Tribute Compact SUV

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Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of heat pump water heaters.

First, some advantages…

• As mentioned in the previous article about heat pump water heaters, fuel efficiency: these units have lower operating costs, using only 33-50% of the electricity that other electric water heaters use.
• If you live in a warmer climate and use electricity to heat water, a heat pump may be your best choice for efficient energy use.
• Cool exhaust air can be exhausted into the room–possibly helping to cool the room in summer–or to the outdoors.
• The life expectancy is 20 years. Of course, as with most appliances, proper installation and maintenance can extend the life expectancy significantly, and can reduce losses in efficiency.

Now, some disadvantages…

• Heat pump water heaters are most effective in mild climates—a 40-90-degree temperature range year-round is needed for effective use; they will not function efficiently in a cold space.
• They have higher initial costs—purchase and installation–than conventional storage water heaters.
• If the heat pump is not in a warm area from which to pull heat, the recovery rate can be modest, variable, and relatively low.
• This makes use of a storage system, so there will be stand-by heat losses.
• If the water pump is installed in a heated room, it will steal some of the heat, thus heating that room becomes less efficient.
• These are rather complex to install, especially if the heat for the unit is brought in from a remote site or if a separate tank is used. It is probably best to hire a contractor.
• Heat pump water heaters are not widely available, possibly because of lack of demand due to initial cost. Also, lack of contractor and consumer awareness of this option has led a number of manufacturers to discontinue their lines of heat pump water heaters. (Sounds like a marketing problem!)

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A slightly different use for radiant heating HERE.

Energy efficient stories HERE.

Article about green budgets HERE.

Fast-food restaurant. El Pollo Loco, recognized and honored with $13,000 incentives by The Gas Company because of their commitment to energy efficiency HERE.

Known as liquified petroleum gas (LPG), this alternative fuel is a bi-product of natural gas and crude oil production. Propane is the source of about 2% of all energy in the United States, but only 2% of that is used as transportation fuel. Nevertheless, it is the third most common fuel, following gasoline and diesel, and the most widely used alternative fuel. This is probably because of its wide-spread availability.

Propane is a vapor when under normal temperatures and pressures, but it turns into a colorless, odorless liquid when it is put under pressure. It is stored in tanks usually pressurized around 300 pounds per square inch, but is vaporized when sent to the engine. However, the introduction of liquid propane injection (LPI) engines may change that.

LPG is mostly domestically produced, and it is cleaner burning than either gasoline or diesel, but a gallon of LPG has about 25% less energy than a gallon of gasoline. Still, the propane tanks are about 20 times more resistant to puncture than gasoline tanks, and it has the lowest flammability of all the alternative fuels.

Most vehicles that use LPG are fleet trucks and public service vehicles (eg. taxi cabs and buses), but many conventional vehicles can be retrofitted for propane operation. Liquid propane injection is the future for propane as an alternative fuel. It promises higher mileage, and cleaner burning than LPG. Currently LPI is only used in medium weight vehicles such as: delivery vehicles, school buses, shuttle buses, etc.

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Natural Gas is a domestically-produced fossil fuel that is non-corrosive, non-toxic, and non-carcinogenic. It is one of the cleanest-burning alternative fuel options on the market today. Natural gas is used in either compressed (CNG) or liquified (LNG) form, usually compressed. LNC is usually only used in heavy-duty vehicles.

Vehicles can run solely on natural gas, but there are also some dual- or bi-fuel vehicles that can also run on gasoline or diesel. Dual-fuel vehicles require two separate fueling systems because CNG is stored in high-pressure, up to 3600 pounds per square inch, fuel tanks. Natural gas vehicles aren’t mass produced; the only new vehicle available in the United States is the Honda Civic GX NGV. However, conventional vehicles can be retrofitted for CNG. CNG vehicles get the same fuel economy as conventional gasoline vehicles on gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) basis.

Natural gas can be blended with hydrogen to make HCNG (20% hydrogen, 80% CNG); this is just the first step towards hydrogen-based transportation in the future.

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The most commonly known use of heat pumps is to heat and cool homes. But they can also be used to heat water, either in combination with a home heating/cooling system or as a stand-alone water-heating system. Because this type of water heater does not generate heat, but instead moves it from another source, it is more efficient than most other types of water heaters, using 33-50% of the energy required for a conventional electric storage tank water heater.

A stand-alone heat pump water heating system can be purchased in two different ways: either with a built-in water storage tank (an integrated unit) or as an add-on to an existing water heater tank. The heat-pump, which has a life expectancy of up to 20 years, may outlast the tank, so the add-on may be the wiser choice, if it is an option.

Heat pump water heaters, for which electricity is the only fuel choice, use a compressor and a refrigerant fluid to transfer heat from air in the general vicinity of the heat pump to heat the water. They work better with warmer air, since they don’t have to work as hard to extract heat from the air source. Some better models can bring in warm air from an attic or from outdoors. For highest operating efficiency, they should be installed in a high-heat room, such as a furnace room. There are some geothermal models that take heat from the ground in winter and from indoor air in the summer. According to another source, this type is good for most locations, but an air heat pump is good only for warm climates with winters that are quite mild.

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Ethanol is a biofuel that is becoming increasingly popular in the public eye. Although it has, in reality, been used for years the recent talk of an energy crisis has brought it to the forefront as a possible fix to the petroleum problem. Ethanol is currently blended into approximately 46% of the United States’ fuel supply. In fact, about 18% of the US’ corn crop in 2006 went into ethanol production, but it can also be made from other things such as: sorghum, corn cobs, corn stalks, wheat straw, rice straw, and switch grass. The USDA says that ethanol production adds about 30¢ per bushel of corn. The United States and Brazil are the largest ethanol producers in the world today. The US makes it using corn; Brazil uses sugarcane to produce it cheaper.

There are some disadvantages to ethanol however. It can’t travel through pipelines with gasoline because it will pick up unwanted residue. This means that it must be trucked, trained, or barged in which is both complicated and expensive. It also has less energy than regular gasoline which causes consumers to fill up more frequently. Another big problem is that ethanol is actually helping to increase fuel prices rather than drive them down! It all depends on your priorities now: save the earth or your wallet. Apparently you can’t have both… yet.

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The Canadian Press with tips on how to keep the home cooler cheaper.

Living Homes book review HERE.

More tips on making your home more energy efficient HERE.

Review of the 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid HERE.

We previously learned about some of the advantages of demand water heaters. Now let’s look at some disadvantages.

Disadvantages: a limited flow rate, which can cause difficulty keeping up with large demand; initial cost is a bit more than storage tank water heaters.

The typical flow rate with a demand water heater is two to five gallons per minute. If your household does not use hot water at more than one location at a time, this might be sufficient, but if someone is going to take a shower while the dishwasher is running, the water heater is not going to be able to keep up.

Gas tends to have a better flow rate than electric, however there is a constant, albeit small, energy loss with gas because of the energy consumed by the pilot light.

One way to combat this flow rate problem is to install demand water heaters in parallel sequence for simultaneous hot water demands. Or multiple demand hot water heaters can be installed.

At best, some manufacturers claim their product can perform as well as a 40-gallon storage tank water heater.

As stated in a previous article, the initial cost of a demand water heater is higher than that of a conventional storage tank type, but the future savings on monthly utility bills could make up for that.

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Have you entered to win?

This is a lovely “green” home (and a new GMC Yukon Hybrid) in beautiful South Carolina. Go HERE for details and while you’re there, enter to win!

According to the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) the technical definition of “Biodiesel” is as follows:

A fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, designated B100, and meeting the requirements of ASTM D 6751.

Plant oil is the largest source of biodiesel today; some familiar examples include: soybean, canola, cottonseed, sunflower, and peanut. It is also possible to convert recycled cooking grease into biodiesel. Raw vegetable oil has, in the past, been used, but it generally caused problems. Oils used to make biodiesel first undergo a series of chemical reactions before it can be used; the most common process is called “transesterification.” In this process the oil is first purified, then reacted with some sort of alcohol in the presence of potassium or sodium hydroxide. The esters that remain are what we use as biodiesel. The United States produces approximately 75,000,000 gallons of biodiesel a year; the largest market is fleet vehicles, federal and private.

One benefit of biodiesel is that it lubricates the engine, which potentially increases the engine’s life. However, as we saw in the previous article, biodiesel is not without cons. During the manufacturing process, nitrogen oxide emissions are increased by up to 10%. Another rather significant problem is that, because of it acts as a solvent, biodiesel loosens deposits which could clog the fuel filters in older diesel vehicles. Again, the solvent action tends to wear down the rubber and rubber-like components. Also, there is about a 10% decrease in fuel efficiency with biodiesel.

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After all the hype for biofuels in the recent years it’s almost refreshing to read some controversy on this issue. We all knew that it couldn’t be as good as the government said it was. So, what’s the “new” problem? Well, apparently scientists have discovered that you can’t create biofuels, use it, and then eat it. They also seem to have found that biofuels may actually emit more greenhouse gas than the stuff most of us are using now! Oh, and did you know that the fertilizer biofuel crops require also have a relatively large “carbon footprint?” The original biofuel activists must not have heard that the manufacturing process also has big emission problems itself.

Okay, so let me get this straight… we’re going to clear good forest land that soaks up carbon dioxide in order to grow soybeans for fuel. Right. Let’s just take away natural wildlife habitats, and grow food crops for fuel. I’m guessing biofuel proponents never heard about the starving kids in China and Africa. Oh, well, just a few things to think on for now.

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