AUDIO-VISUAL: Bigger TVs can use up to twice the electricity
December 23, 2007
It isn’t our intention to bombard you with information on televisions all at once, but we just found this article written by Rebecca Smith, and thought it was insightful and helpful as you make your project decisions…
Bigger TVs can use up to twice the electricity
By REBECCA SMITH
The Wall Street Journal
Prices for big-screen television sets are dropping, but the cost of home entertainment may still be headed up. That’s because the fancy screens shoppers are lugging home this holiday season consume far more electricity than their old-school predecessors.
Consider that a 42-inch plasma set can consume more electricity than a full-size refrigerator — even when that TV is used only a few hours a day. Powering a fancy TV and full-on entertainment system — with set-top boxes, game consoles, speakers, DVDs and digital video recorders — can add nearly $200 to a family’s annual energy Read more
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ECO-FRIENDLY TV: Which 50″ Plasma televisions are most efficient?
December 23, 2007
With After Christmas Sales, and the Super Bowl coming up, it’s time to talk TV’s and power consumption — again.
This time we look specifically at the power consumption of 50″ Plasmas. A 50″ plasma is likely too large to put on your kitchen wall during your remodel, but I’m sure you will be thinking about one for your new media room!
Just like we started our review of 37″ LCDs a couple months back, let’s review the term “power consumption.” There are two parts of power consumption when talking televisions. The first is Standyby Power Consumption (when your TV is turned OFF), and the second is On Mode Power Consumption (when you TV is turned ON)
Standby Power Consumption is what ENERGY STAR uses to rate TVs today. This is the energy your TV uses while it is just sitting there during the day. It is the lowest power consumption mode that cannot be switched OFF by a homeowner. To qualify for ENERGY STAR a television must Read more
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LIGHTING: re:modern offers a few eco-friendly lighting solutions
December 22, 2007
GetWithGreen.com was recently contacted by the eco-friendly online retailer re:modern. We took a look at their homeowner products, and we found a few greener lighting options designed and made by Jerry Kott.
These designs are made from recycled glass, and would fit nicely into your remodel project if you are leaning toward a more modern design. If you are going with a modern look for your remodel, take a look at re:modern.
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WATER HEATER: Return on Investment (ROI) on Tankless Water Heaters
December 19, 2007
A payback analysis for a tankless water heater is something that every energy conscious consumer should consider…
There are a lot of tankless water heater manufactures claiming a wide range of savings on your next water heating bill. A quick search on the web will show you a percent reduction of up 80%. However the question still exists: how much would you really save on your water heating bill using a tankless water heater?
Most importantly what is the payback or ROI of the average tankless water heater and how does it compare to a traditional tank hot water system? Let us try to answer these questions:
Annual costs associated with water heaters of any type are divided into (3) categories:
- Energy costs to heat the water from its incoming temperature to the desired temperature.
- Standby energy costs: in the case of traditional tank heaters, standby cost is the cost of the energy to keep the water hot in the tank all day. For a tankless water heater standby cost is the cost of energy when the tankless water heater is running Read more
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WE GOT GREEN: Homeowners Jim & Hanmi tell their remodel story
December 19, 2007
We are Jim and Hanmi Meyer, and will each be contributing to the blog. We are both in our mid 30?s and were married in 2006. Our family consists of two dogs, four hens, and our housemate Bobby. Jim works as a software engineer in downtown Portland and regularly commutes by bicycle. Hanmi is a freelance photographer and industrial designer who recently gave up commuting to a corporate design job in the ?burbs and now works out of small office in our home. Though each of us owned a house prior to meeting, this is our first home together.
Our house, located in the Hawthorne District of Portland, is a 2-story 1400 sq. ft. Craftsman-style bungalow on a 3500 sq. ft lot, built in Read more
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WE GOT GREEN: Erin uses water-based polyurethane on hardwood floors
December 18, 2007
Water-Based polyurethane for Hardwood FloorsAfter ripping out the carpet in our master bedroom we sanded the very nice, but 50 year old oak flooring underneath. As part of my requirements for redesigning our home I always want to start by looking into environmentally friendly products. So in an effort to work with materials we already have, and not consume unnecessary laminate flooring I took a trip to Southern Lumber in San Jose and talked to someone there about the difference between water-based vs oil-based stains, and water-based vs oil polyurethanes. The professional at southern lumber right away discouraged me from using water based Read more
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10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007
December 14, 2007
2008 is fast approaching, and the team at GetWithGreen.com is stopping now to recognize a few of our favorite eco-friendly home improvement products for 2007. These products are assembled together under one roof: GetWithGreen.com’s 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007.
GetWithGreen.com’s 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007 consists of manufacturers (or categories) who deliver eco-friendly products, which make our planet a greener place. These products help us conserve, help us reuse, help us recycle, or help us become less reliant on existing harmful resources. We also looked heavily at the popularity of these products with you, our readers.
Let’s give a GetWithGreen.com Thumbs up to our 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007:
1) Cyber-Rain ? ?The smartest, greenest, and easiest irrigation system on the planet.?
The Cyber-Rain XCI System caused quite a bit of stir at GetWithGreen.com in 2007. It was one of the most widely read stories, and for good reason. Resetting the sprinkler timer at every change of season, or for un-seasonal weather changes, just isn?t practical ? and we don?t do it! Instead we just let our sprinklers turn on when it is not necessary, and we waste our most precious resource. The Cyber-Rain XCI System made it to our list because it automatically adjusts our sprinklers depending on the weather forecast, thus greatly reducing water usage, and associated needless run-off. 2) EcoTop- The next generation recycled paper and wood composite countertop
Countertops are one of the most popular remodel topics on the web today, so it was only fitting that one material made it into the GetWithGreen.com 10 Best for 2007. This year we?ve talked about just about every type of alternative to granite, and our top pick for 2007 is the new material called EcoTop. Following up success at PaperStone, Joel Klippert has another winner here with EcoTop. We expect big things from his team in 2008 as their color pallet increases, and they go broader in distribution! Again we expect this one to be a game changer in 2008, and probably Read more
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SOLAR: Akeena works to secure residential solar rebates. You can help!
December 13, 2007
ARTICLE UPDATE: 12/13/07 (11:10 PST)
Akeena has told GetWithGreen.com that the bill did not pass the Senate this morning, and that it is being re-written so as to avoid a Presidential veto. There is a strong likelihood that tax credits will be stripped for homeowners. Check back later today as we provide more information.TODAY’S ARTICLE:
Did you know that this week Congress is debating the amount of tax credit that we should receive for installing solar in our homes?
Now is the time that we all need to pressure our Senator’s to ensure inclusion of solar tax credits in the upcoming legislation. By doing so, the financial incentives will remain intact for us to purchase solar, and decrease the payback period for our future residential solar investments. Ultimately this will drive the further adoption of solar as an alternative clean energy source for homeowners.
Today at the Solar Energy Industry Association’s website (www.seia.org), you can locate your Senator’s phone number and place a call to help secure the approval the legislation. SEIA provides quick talking points so that you can apply the appropriate pressure. If you are considering solar in your home remodel or makeover in the coming years, now is the time to help secure your incentives!Barry Cinnamon, CEO of residential solar design and installation company Akeena Solar, wrote the letter below to help raise awareness for what is now happening. Included in Barry’s letter are links to a two articles offering further insight. Here is what Barry wrote last week… Read more
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Moving out while you remodel? What should you do with your mail?
December 11, 2007
Many of us will only be surviving our remodel, not living in it as it happens. If you are moving out for the duration of your remodel, it is the perfect time to cut the cord on then endless daily piles of junk mail. Those five different party catalogs, your husband’s endless trade publications, the refinance offers that the senders hope 1 in 100 answers. STOP THEM ALL, and help our environment now. How? In just over a year, GreenDimes has already brought relief to thousands of consumers throughout the United States by eliminating 2.5 million pounds of unsolicited junk mail. The comprehensive service that GreenDimes provides has given homeowners back control of the mail delivered to their mailbox. It has also given back time formerly spent sorting through, tearing up and disposing of junk mail, leaving its members more time to do the things they want!
Amidst the powerful direct marketing industry that is continuously finding ways to make it harder for homeowners to get off the lists and get rid of the junk, GreenDimes works diligently every day to present a powerful and unified voice to combat junk mail on each member?s behalf.
When homeowners sign up ($15 one-time fee), GreenDimes contacts dozens Read more
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LANDSCAPING: 10 steps to a better and eco-friendly lawn
December 11, 2007
What eco-friendly steps can you take this winter and this upcoming spring as you put in your new lawn, or keep up the existing during your remodel? Here is a nice short list of 10 Steps we can all take. How many steps are you taking?1. Keep lawn mower blades sharp.
2. Cut lawn on your mower’s high setting.
3. Add Perinneal Ryegrass seed to your lawn next time you reseed.
4. Water less frequently, but for longer periods of time.
5. Leave the clippings on your lawn or add to your compost bin.
6. Let your law breathe - aerate each year.
7. Go light on the herbicides.
8. Sprinkle your lawn with compost soil seasonally.
9. Do not over-fertilize!
10. Seed with Trifolium reptans (white clover) in the spring.For more details on each steps, check out homerepairzen.com.
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