(Taken from “Greentips” by UCS) Your home’s landscaping may be easy on the eyes, but not necessarily on the Earth—or your wallet. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that watering lawns and gardens accounts for about 30 percent of total household water use, and Department of Energy (DOE) research indicates that a home lacking shade trees could pay up to 25 percent more for heating and cooling. In addition, Americans apply millions of pounds of chemical pesticides and fertilizers to lawns each year, which can contribute to water and soil pollution.
This fall, as you prepare your yard for the next growing season, consider the following energy-, water-, and emissions-reducing solutions detailed in the link below.
http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/
(From Earth911) – Now that summer has come to a close, fall brings us the chance to go outdoors and enjoy the cooler temperatures and changing scenery.
Depending on where you call home, you can watch the leaves change color or at least take a break from the high summer temperatures. Added to that, the new season provides a great opportunity to make the most out of the great outdoors and add some new green habits into your daily life. Here are eight green ways to enjoy this fall:
http://tinyurl.com/yesw4d4
Sept. 1 was a landmark day for energy-efficiency in the EU, as a new law requires retailers to stop ordering incandescent light bulbs. The bulbs are being phased out until 2012, with stores selling compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and halogen bulbs instead.
In the U.S., incandescent bulbs will be phased out by 2014 under the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007. Nothing will be mandated until 2012, although in many areas, energy companies are offering incentives such as mail-in rebates to switch to CFLs.
http://tinyurl.com/ybygogr
GLOBE-Net – Wolfgang Bengel, the technical director at German biomass company BMP Biomasse Projekt, saw a business opportunity in solving the breweries’ grain waste headache. He reasoned that the leftover grain could be used to create steam and biogas, which would provide energy for the breweries, cheapening their energy costs as well as their costs of transporting grain to farms.
Bengel has successfully treated the residue from rice and sugar cane in boilers with atmospheric fluidized bed combustion systems, to produce energy in China and Thailand, and Bengel thought a similar process could be developed for the breweries’ spent wet grain. Water would first have to be removed from the wet spent grain, the grain would have to be dried and then burned to produce energy. “Beer making is energy intensive – you boil stuff, use hot water and steam and then use electric energy for cooling – so if you recover more than 50 percent of your own energy costs from the spent grain that’s a big saving,” says Bengel.
http://www.globe-net.com/green_tech/listing.cfm?ID_Report=1785
GLOBE-Net - Global offshore wind farm capacity will grow at a compound annual rate of 32 percent in the coming decade, according to a new report by energy consulting firm ODS-Petrodata.
The International Offshore Wind Market to 2020 report predicts that by the end of 2020 global offshore wind farm capacity will have soared to 55 gigawatts, or enough to power almost 37 million European homes. Current installed capacity is under two gigawatts.
Based on an analysis of more than 700 projects and prospects in the company’s database, ODS-Petrodata forecasts USD 61.4 billion of capital expenditure in the sector between now and 2014. For 2016 to 2020, total capital expenditure could be double that.
http://www.globe-net.com/other_news/listing.cfm?type=2&newsID=4585
GLOBE-Net- Solar thermal heating-which harnesses the sun’s energy for domestic water heating, space heating, and other industrial processes-expanded by 19 gigawatts of thermal equivalent (GWth) to reach 147 GWth of capacity in 2007. Solar thermal energy produced enough energy globally in 2007 to meet the equivalent heating needs of 15 percent of U.S. households.
Water heating for domestic uses accounts for 126 GWth (180 million m2), or 86 percent of all installations, while space heating, swimming pool heating, and industrial processes account for the remaining 21 GWth (30 million m2). Preliminary estimates for global solar thermal heating suggest additions of between 18 and 19 GWth in 2008, mostly in China.
http://www.globe-net.com/green_tech/listing.cfm?ID_Report=1783
As many people know, reuse is a step up from recycling. In fact, reuse is the middle-man between reduce and recycle, and some would be surprised at how many opportunities for reuse there really are – once you start looking for them.
We’re not talking about simply covering a bottle in magazine cut-outs, sticking some flowers inside and voilà
- a masterpiece vase is born. There’s more to it.
Though there is always room for easy and fun projects, the reuse that we find most interesting is the kind you can’t tell is reused. There are some quality results that can be achieved, and just like we learned with T-shirts, many products, including plastics, have a lot of reuse potential.
http://tinyurl.com/mdgn8l
A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced a new appliance rebate program. Starting later this year and in early 2010, consumers will be able to receive rebates to purchase new ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances when they replace their used appliances.
More than 70% of the energy used in our homes is for appliances, refrigeration, space heating, cooling, and water heating. Replacing old appliances and equipment with those that are ENERGY STAR® labeled can help American families save significantly on their utility bills.
Energy savings will depend on the specific appliance and model being replaced, but new ENERGY STAR appliances save significantly more energy than those manufactured years ago. For example, replacing a clothes washer made before 2000 with a new ENERGY STAR model can save up to $135 per year. Replacing a refrigerator made before 1993 with a new ENERGY STAR model can save up to $65 per year.
Each state and territory may select its own set of ENERGY STAR-qualified products to rebate. The U.S. Department of Energy has recommended the following appliances:
- Boilers
- Central air conditioners
- Clothes washers
- Dishwashers
- Freezers
- Furnaces (oil and gas)
- Heat pumps (air source and geothermal)
- Refrigerators
- Room air conditioners
- Water heaters
State energy offices will administer the rebate program. Some states may offer the rebate at the point of purchase—when consumers are actually purchasing the appliances. Other states may require consumers to mail in a paper form to request a check. There may be other ways, too, since each state will set up its own processing system.
The rebates will help consumers save energy and money at home in more ways than one. Federal tax credits also are available now for many home energy efficiency improvements, including windows, doors, water heaters, and HVAC equipment for existing homes. For more information, see the Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Web page.
Some local utility companies offer additional rebates and other incentives.
Post by Chris Stewart, a senior communicator at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its Web sites.
DETROIT – Detroit Edison has introduced a new program that will make installing a solar energy system 50 percent more affordable for homes and businesses.
Called SolarCurrents, the pilot program is intended to encourage Detroit Edison customers to purchase and install a solar energy system, and at the same time help the utility meet renewable energy targets contained in comprehensive energy legislation approved last year.
“SolarCurrents provides a significant financial incentive for Detroit Edison customers interested in installing a solar energy system on their home or business,” said Trevor F. Lauer, vice president of retail marketing for DTE Energy, parent company of Detroit Edison. “Customers will receive a payment when the system is installed, then will receive monthly payments over the next 20 years for the renewable energy credits associated with their solar system.”
Solar energy systems generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic (PV) technology, which turns the sun’s light energy into electricity. After passing through a component called an inverter, the direct current electricity generated by the solar panels is converted to alternating current – the type of electricity accessed through standard electric outlets.
A solar energy system for a typical 2,000 square foot home or business can cost about $18,000 to install. Under SolarCurrents, customers will receive a one-time payment when their system is installed. They then will receive monthly credits on their electric bill for the next 20 years for providing Detroit Edison with renewable energy credits associated with the system.
“When all is said and done, SolarCurrents can help reduce the cost of purchasing and installing a qualified solar energy system by 50 percent or more,” Lauer said.
Solar Currents was developed following passage of the Clean, Renewable and Efficient Energy Act of 2008 – legislation that requires Michigan’s electric utilities to provide 10 percent of their electricity sales from renewable resources by 2015. Detroit Edison expects upwards of 1,500 customers to take part in the SolarCurrents program.
Detroit Edison also plans to introduce a second-phase of the SolarCurrents programs in which the company will place large-scale solar energy panels it owns on customer rooftops or property. In return, Detroit Edison will pay long term leasing or rental fees to the property owners. Further details on the next phase of the SolarCurrents program are expected in the coming months.
