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energy efficiency

How to Build a Clean Fire: The Top-Down Fire

November 24, 2011

There’s more than one way to skin a cat, and there’s more than one way to build a fire. But that doesn’t mean they are all equal: the top-down fire (or upside down fire) is perhaps the most efficient and cleanest way to build a fire.

Related posts:

  1. Clean Edge and NASDAQ Launch Clean Energy Index
  2. Annual Clean Edge Report Outlines Emerging Clean Tech Trends
  3. Fire Starters: ELF Torches “Green” Homes
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Great Green Home Insulation Product: Sheep’s Wool Batting

November 21, 2011

Wool is one of the best natural insulators — think of how precious that favorite wool sweater of yours is, or those toasty wool socks you can’t leave home without on a cold winter day. Well, the benefits of wool extend to keeping your house comfortable, too — it is a fantastic, highly insulative, and energy-efficient material that is a superior material for saving on home heating and cooling expenses.

Related posts:

  1. I Heart Wool Socks: Why Wool Clothing is So Lovely & Warm
  2. GB #11: Soy Foam Insulation
  3. Phase-Changing Insulation
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Savenia Labs Rates Common Household Appliances For Energy Efficiency

November 16, 2011

The EPA’s Energy Star label is pretty well known at this point – there’s an Energy Star sticker on the laptop I’m using to write this. It rates the energy efficiency of a variety of major household appliances so that consumers can make educated choices when they’re purchasing new items.

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Eco-Board BillBoards Uses Solar and Wind Power

November 15, 2011

While the name is misleadingly old fashioned, bringing to mind a piece of wood and some paint advertising something quaint like a garage door repair service or an antique store, modern billboards do a lot more than that – which includes using a lot more energy than a piece of wood.

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5 Energy Saving Tricks and Treats

October 27, 2011

Image by D L / Creative Commons Halloween is traditionally known for tricks and treats. However, individuals looking to save energy, during the holiday season or perhaps throughout the entire year, can try some tricks and get some treats of … Con…

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Universities Commit to Billion Dollar Energy Efficiency Challenge

October 18, 2011

The rapidly falling costs of solar and the rapid growth of clean energy are causing ripples of excitement in an otherwise depressed economy. But we should not forget that old adage that the cheapest energy is almost always the energy you don’t use. T…

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Experimental Zero Carbon Development is Antithesis of Eco-bling (Video)

October 17, 2011

Image credit: SSE Zero Carbon Homes

Lloyd has railed against “eco-bling” in the past, also known as the practice of strapping on solar panels or other sexy clean tech onto fundamentally unsustainable homes or communities. But, when done right, solar …

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Wood Heat Stoves: 4 Reasons You Should Consider Heating with Wood

October 13, 2011

Heating with wood provides a range of benefits: from sustainability (with proper wood harvesting) to a great source of exercise.

Related posts:

  1. Small Wood-Burning Stoves For Small Homes: A Review
  2. The Ductless Heat Pump: an Efficient Heating (and Cooling) Solution
  3. How to Build a Rocket Stove: 6 Plans
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Permaculture Video Legend to Trash CFLs. Needs Your Help. (Video)

October 13, 2011

Image credit: Paul Wheaton/Kickstarter

I’ve confessed before that I am a little obsessed with Paul Wheaton’s permaculture-themed YouTube channel. From rocket mass stoves through tiny houses to

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Are Carbon Offsets Irrelevant? Maybe They Always Were…

October 12, 2011

Image credit: Land Rover Our Planet, used under Creative Commons license.

When I wrote about the new UK Carbon Reporting Framework which connects potential project funders with CO2-cutting initiatives, I noted that they were not calling it offsets. I…

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