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top green building trends

    Urban Density. Filling in the spaces is the name of the game as homeowners and builders opt to create more living space with infill building and similar techniques. Energy upgrades drive home remodels. Builders and remodelers have been able to capitalize on energy upgrade work. Deployment and testing of new materials. National labs and university research departments are partnering with builders to create test beds and sensor-filled buildings that log the energy performance of new materials and equipment. Consumer friendly home energy tracking devices. The introduction of the Apple-like Nest Learning Thermostat, and Belkin’s Conserve Insight energy use …

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Green Exploration-Raises the Roof on Energy Savings

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Green Exploration—Raising the Roof on Energy Savings As the summer temperatures inevitably climb, so do our energy bills. I’ve talked before about the importance of having an in-home energy audit to assess the energy efficiency of your home. According to the Nashville Electric Service (NES), to date, almost 5000 Nashvillians have participated in their energy audit program, which is very exciting news! These audits are available in most counties and/or communities and can provide sufficient savings for your home, but they are not the only way to do so.

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exploring green interiors – energy efficient light bulbs

exploring green interiors – how many lawmakers does it take to change a light bulb? As January 2012 creeps closer, many designers and homeowners have begun stockpiling incandescent bulbs due to fear of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, that takes effect in just six months. This article focuses on the portion of the bill that requires a 25 percent increase in light bulb efficiency starting in 2012. I have heard countless stories of people ordering bulbs in quantities of thousands—yes, thousands—for fear of running out. It actually reminds me very much of the Y2K scare over a …

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Solar Panels for your home

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Energy savings and green energy are the buzz words of the year, if not the decade and perhaps the century. Today’s homeowners are just beginning to become aware of energy solutions designed to reduce energy bills and free them from their dependence on fuel sources outside the home.

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energy solutions and alternatives

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energy solutions/energy alternatives Energy savings and green energy are the buzz words of the year, if not the decade and perhaps the century. Today’s homeowners are just beginning to become aware of energy solutions designed to reduce energy bills and free them from their dependence on fuel sources outside the home.

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energy solutions/energy alternatives

energy_solutions_solartek_217x220

Energy savings and green energy are the buzz words of the year, if not the decade and perhaps the century. Today’s homeowners are just beginning to become aware of energy solutions designed to reduce energy bills and free them from their dependence on fuel sources outside the home.

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Exploring Green Interiors – Energy Challenge

exploring green interiors – Energy Challenge I live in an historic district, Davidson County’s District 18, to be exact. We have been given a challenge, “Go Green, District 18,” to reduce our energy consumption by 5 percent by the end of 2010, therefore decreasing our carbon emissions and thus our carbon footprint. This challenge asks us to sign up for the NES In-Home Energy Evaluation. I was really excited to hear about the challenge and signed up with the initial run. NES mailed me an evaluation to fill out which asked me to identify the details of my inner home …

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exploring green interiors – certifying sustainable homes

exploring green interiors – certifying sustainable homes – By Beth Haley Through this series of articles and products, it is my hope that you are beginning to feel a little more knowledgeable about sustainable and green building products, practices, processes, and goals. Our aim is to break down barriers of confusion on the subject.  

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Home Builders

  Don Lofstrom — Franklin Company Name: Cedarwright Custom Homes Describe your enthusiasm for building: I’ve been building Lindal Cedar Homes for 10 years with homes now in three states—Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. Building background:  I started in construction building geodisic domes and custom adobe homes while in graduate school in Las Cruces, New Mexico, back in the 1970s. What was your favorite aspect of this project? My favorite part of this project was bringing the outside in with walls of glass, large acccordian doors opening up to large decks. What makes a home more “livable”? A liveable home has …

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Exploring Green Interiors – On Demand Hot Water

Exploring Green Interiors – On Demand Hot Water It seems like everything is “on demand” these days, why not hot water for our homes, especially if it saves energy and money? Does the thought of saving an average of 20 to 40 percent on your water heating bill appeal to you? What about the storage space that you can recapture when the tank is gone? Regarding the dollar savings, Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters reports that since July 1, 2006 until today, United States consumers have wasted $12,873,198,476 by heating hot water with tanks.