SOLAR: For all us Dummies, here is how to Solar Power Your Home

This may be a book the book that helps you in demystifying a part of your eco-friendly remodel, Solar Power Your Home for Dummies.  The book was released in last December.

Want to take advantage of solar power in your home? Whether you’re looking to save on your energy costs by adding a few solar components or you want to build a solar-powered house from the ground up, Solar Power Your Home For Dummies attempts to take the mystery out of this energy source and shows you how to put it to work for you — according the Dummies team. 

The guide offers tips for making your home more energy-efficient though solar power—and helping the planet at the same time. The following topics are covered:

• Choose and install your best solar system
• Handle small to large solar projects
• Heat and cool your house with solar energy
• Install exterior solar lighting
• Handle swimming pool, water heater, or ventilation solar projects
• Create greenhouses or solar rooms
• Build, buy, or sell a solar home
• Finance your solar investments
• Take advantage of tax rebates and incentives associated with solar power
• Avoid the worst solar mistakes
• Featuring ten of the easiest and cheapest do-it-yourself solar projects, Solar Power Your Home For Dummies is the fun and easy way to meet your energy needs with this clean power source!

You can read an excerpt from book at Architecture Week online to see if the content makes sense for you.  You can read the more marketing/sales messaging about the book on Dummies.com.

The book was written by Rik DeGunther.  Rik is the founder of Efficient Homes, an energy consultant firm that focuses on home energy audits and the design of efficient heating and cooling systems.
 

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Landscaping: First Eco-Friendly Grass Seed Announced

Yesterday, Pennington Seed unveiled ‘Smart Seed’, which they claim is the first environmentally-friendly grass seed. The seeds are coated with their ‘MYCO Advantage’, an exclusive blend of beneficial, all-natural root organisms that contribute to plant growth. The additional nutrients have been shown to result in denser and deeper root systems helping to achieve a thick, healthy, more drought resistant lawn.

According to Pennington, the average lawn requires 10,000 gallons of water in addition to what is provided by rainfall each year. By planting a new lawn or over seeding an existing lawn with Smart Seed, homeowners can conserve up to 3,000 gallons of water per year, so they can conserve water and save money.

Smart Seed is available in Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Rye and Bermudagrass seed blends, as well as Sun and Shade, Fescue/Bluegrass and Dense Shade seed mixtures.

Have you or someone you know tried ‘Smart Seed’? Are you aware of similar grass offerings? We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a comment to share your experience.

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Buzz, buzz, buzz, 2008 Energy Star Partners Awards are out today!

Today was the first day of “Tell The World You Received an ENERGY STAR Award Week”.  Newswires were buzzing with press releases from the big guns about the recognition they received from Department of Energy for their energy saving efforts in 2007.  Let’s break this down, and offer up an opinion on what it all really means… 

Each year, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. Award winners will be recognized at the