Niall Enright is a sustainability consultant helping companies become more resource and energy efficient. A few months ago he contacted me to tell me about a book he’s written called, Energy and Resource Efficiency Without the Tears – the complete guide to...
Kevin Royce at Eco Building Resource sent me a list of new products he has available. New Eco Products In Stock For ________________________________________________________ Solatube 160DSe (10″) Provides the ultimate...
The Ecobee is a very cool device I discovered at The 2012 GreenLiving Show that can help any homeowner save money on heating and cooling their home. It’s a programmable thermostat that’s actually easy to use and program. Not only that, but because it has a...
Two years ago I attended the press party for Nexterra LivingHomes. I was pretty excited about the concept of a green modular home that achieved the goals of being lighter on the planet, but was still functional and gorgeous. The house is now ready and, since I was in...
When I was speaking with John Bell about the energy efficiency upgrades he made to his home, he didn’t even flinch when he told me he spent an additional $28,000 for the upgrades. That amount included solar panels, a more efficient furnace than what the building...
For architects and builders concerned with a building’s energy efficiency, windows have always been a double-edged sword. On the one hand they offer views, natural light, and heat in the winter when the sun is shining. On the other hand, they’re holes in...
A few weeks ago, while in Ottawa, I contacted Rolf Baumann, owner of RGB Group and builder of the first Earthquake resiliant/LEED Platinum duplex in Canada. He took me on a tour of the building and explained what he was doing to attain the LEED Canada Platinum for...
During GreenBuild 2011, there was a tour of three green houses offered, so of course I had to go on it! We saw three homes all in different stages of construction. The last house we saw was none other than The Rosedale House which I covered in July, 2010 during...
The latest in energy efficient stove tops uses induction heating to warm and cook food. Food and liquids are heated significantly faster than with either a traditional electric stove or natural gas. But I’ve always had a few reservations with induction heating...
Buying new appliances can be a pretty overwhelming task, even if you’re just buying a replacement for one that’s finally konked out. And if you’re buying a suite of new appliances as part of an overall kitchen/laundry room renovation, they will...
I’ve written many articles on energy efficiency, and read a lot on it as well, where I’ve always gotten frustrated are the uncoordinated tips that are given about improving your home’s energy efficiency. “Buy this super duper auto shut-off...
Think back to the ’80s, before the existence of iPods, home computers, electric telephones, home theatres, gaming stations (all right, there was Nintendo). Although our appliances consumed a lot more electricity per unit than the ones we use now, we used a lot...
In a previous post I discussed the importance of benchmarking your electricity use. Benchmarking helps you understand how much electricity you are currently consuming, as well as your usage history. Now we want to figure out where we consume it. A Do it Yourself Home...
With Central Air Conditioning Season well underway, I thought it was a good time to produce a series of articles about how to reduce your electricity use. This article is the first in a series on “how to” reduce your electricity use. In this case I’m...
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