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Archive for March, 2009

You’ve probably heard the economic downturn’s good news for the environment because people aren’t buying unnecessary things. But the economic downturn can actually mean people ARE buying things — energy-efficient things, that is.

The Shelton Group just released a study (PDF) showing that consumers are willing to buy green even in this down economy — if their purchases save green. And the most attractive green purchases are those that start saving green immediately. For example, of the people who responded to the survey:

• 44% say they’ll likely buy a programmable thermostat — and 32% already have.
• 43% say they’ll likely insulate their homes; 26% already have.
• 42% say they’ll install a higher-efficiency water heater; 26% already have.

Most Low Impact Living readers have probably incorporated all three of those eco-friendly things into their homes already. But if you haven’t, it’s not too late to stay ahead of the eco curve — and save money at it too!

Programmable thermostats: Start by browsing our selection of recommended programmable thermostats, ranging from $50 to $130. Since these gadgets can cut your energy bills by $100 or more a year, you’ll make your money back pretty quickly. And installing a programmable thermostat’s easy! Just follow our simple instructions and watch the savings add up.

Green insulation: Insulating your home will save you money on your heating bill, and using green insulation will let you avoid formaldehyde and other dangerous chemicals or materials.

Browse our list of green and eco-friendly insulation to find one that fits your lifestyle, then follow our home sealing tips for winter. As LIL co-founder Jason Pelletier’s pointed out, “The insulation investment will pay for itself in less than five years. And your local utility company very likely offers substantial rebates, so be sure to check with them for incentives.”

Water heater and insulation: Get the low down on tankless hot water heaters, which can give you instantaneous hot water, thus saving you money on both your water AND your heating bills. Or if you live in a sunny area, consider a solar hot water heater — for which you can currently get a 30% federal tax credit!

Can’t afford a new heater? Then start by getting water heater insulation to make the heater you already have more efficient.

If you have limited funds and don’t quite know how you can get the most eco-bang for your buck, try using the Low Impact Living Impact Calculator. For each green project, you’ll be able to find out how much money you’ll need to put in up front, how much money you’ll save, and what your carbon footprint reduction will be.

Remember — however — that you’ll still need to use energy wisely with energy-efficient products. If you start washing more clothes more often because you’re psyched out about your tankless water heater, you won’t see the savings add up so quickly….

Pittsburgh’s plans to make itself into a hotbed for solar power and other green technology got a metaphorical fist bump last week with the visit of two cabinet secretaries to announce funding from the federal stimulus package.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced $11 million green stimulus funding during their trip. They also toured a welding and heating and air conditioning training facility at Allegheny County Community College, where officials showed off the skills needed for energy efficient projects. Allegheny County  will get $8.1 million, City of Pittsburgh will receive $3.4 million out of a $3.2 billion pot being divvied up around the country.

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The Wedge House in Durham, North Carolina is part modular home, part custom design. The home’s wedge shape was created by using 3 modular prefabricated homes. A single modular is on one side, while the other two are stacked opposite with a slanted roof connecting the two. As prefab homes have greater control on tightness and building quality, they are often considered to be more efficient homes built with less waste. Custom homes though, tend to fit the lifestyle of the inhabitants better. This wedge house is a great example of a blending of the two design styles - prefabricated modules worked into a custom design.

Studio B, a Durham-based architecture firm is responsible for the wedge design and BuildSense took care of the construction of this 1,829 sq ft home. A nearby factory built the three modulars, in a controlled environment with the aid of computers and specialized machines that helped maintain building integrity. Factory fabrication has many advantages over on-site building, like minimizing waste, higher tolerances, less gaps in the building envelope, properly installed insulation and less exposure to moisture and the elements. By the time the modulars were delivered on-site, they were ready to be dropped into place.

Before the modulars even arrived, careful site work was done to determine the optimum orientation for the house to maximize solar passive design. A concrete crawl-space was poured and then the modulars were placed on top and then sealed tightly. A shed roof was laid over the modulars to create an open, airy living space.

The kitchen, dining and laundry occupy the single modular, while the bedrooms are placed in the stacked modulars - the master bedroom and bath are downstairs, and two bedrooms with a shared bath are upstairs. The living room is airy, open and still cozy at the same time. Because the house is modestly sized, what would seem like a giant space, is actually quite comfortable. An outdoor/indoor screened-in patio sits right off the living room for a nice place to sit and relax.

High efficiency windows and doors were installed along with 2 x 6 wall framing for larger insulation cavities in order to improve energy efficiency. The homes floor plan was designed for energy efficiency, comfort, usefulness and natural ventilation. Rain screens were installed along with the exterior siding to prevent moisture damage and improve the efficiency of the envelope. Exterior cladding and materials were chosen not only for their looks but also because they were low maintenance. Polygal Fenestration, Galvalume corrugated metal siding, and Cyprus wood were used as cladding materials. With the busy lives we lead now, spending time and money maintaining homes these days takes away from quality time with our families.

Inside the home, modern finishes and rapidly renewable materials give the home a clean yet natural look. Interior rooms were well designed to maximize the space, which included built in cabinets, study nooks, and a screened-in porch. The large windows in the living and kitchen area provide ample daylight to minimize the use of lighting during the day. And to top it off, the house was built on a modest and very affordable budget.

via Jetson Green

Irish scientists have discovered that adding just a small amount of fish oil to the diet of cattle can vastly reduce the amount of methane produced by, ahem…cow farts.

Climate scientists have long known that, pound for pound, methane is 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping the suns rays, making it a highly potent greenhouse gas. An incredible 900 billion tonnes of the noxious fumes are produced each year by methanogen bacteria that live in the digestive systems of ruminants such as cattle, sheep and goats.

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