The average home spends over $1000 a year on heating and cooling costs. In these hot summer months, a great deal of heat transfer takes place between the roof and the attic, greatly contributing to those energy costs. According to Energy Star, reflective roofing...
Energy Efficient Products & Technologies
Philadelphia Mayor Announces Winner of “Coolest Block” | Energy Efficient Row Homes and Roofs
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced the winner of the RetroFIT Philly "Coolest Block" contest. According to the Mayor, 1200 Block on Wolf Street are the coolest block in Philly. They'll be getting a free energy efficiency upgrade and a free block party as a...
Ecospiral–A Second Generation CFL | Home Lighting
Next generation compact fluorescent lightbulbs are hitting the market, refined and revised to account for consumer criticism heaped upon their first generation predecessors. The Ecospiral is one such next-gen CFL, featuring ultra-low mercury content and an EPA-rated...
Proctor & Gamble Extends ‘Future Friendly’ Program Into the U.S.
Proctor & Gamble's 'Future Friendly' Program is set to expand into the United States. Already operational in the UK and Canada, Future Friendly is a multi-brand initiative aimed at educating consumers on the ways they can reduce waste, water and energy by making...
Has the ENERGY STAR Fallen?
Has the ENERGY STAR Fallen? Last week's Washington Post article on ENERGY STAR called into question the legitimacy of the program's "high standard" when more than half of the products in an ENERGY STAR-eligible category qualify for the label. Some product categories...
Smart Outlets: Putting a Plug In for Energy Savings
What do Smart Homes running off a Smart Energy Grid need to be complete? Why, Smart Plugs, of course! The energy conservationists at Zerofootprint are adding IQ points to each outlet in the home with their new carbon emission-reducing socket supplements, called...
A Cooler Summer
It makes sense that an attic fan can save you money. After all, it keeps your top floor cool so you don't need as much air conditioning -- reducing your bill up to 30%.So you can see why this tax-credit-worthy fan caught my attention. This solar powered attic fan from...
CFL Sales Plunge
It's got a lot of higher-ups shaking their heads. Despite being proven energy and money savers and getting a big government push, sales of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) have plunged. Sales have declined 25% nationwide from their peak in 2007 with sales in some...
Solar Powered Plants
The proliferation of solar panels has got people thinking about them in novel ways. With that in mind, Treehugger has put together a slideshow of 13 great solar concepts inspired by plants. I'm partial to the ones by Toyota appearing in major U.S. cities to promote...
The Jetson House, Coming Soon
Cutting your home's energy use by 15% may be as easy as installing a new device from IBM. The company just concluded a pilot program in Fayetteville, North Carolina with Consert, a leader in clean and intelligent energy development. This resulted in significant...