Did you know that last Friday (October 30) was National Weatherization Day? Me neither, but the US Department of Energy marked the occasion with the launch of a new website: Energy Empowers. The site is chock full of media telling stories about how simple home upgrades to insulation, windows, and heating systems are saving consumers money on their energy bills, and providing jobs in local communities hard hit by the economic downturn.

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Today is Blog Action Day, and this year’s topic is climate change. As such, today’s finds will all relate to technology aimed at addressing this threat… enjoy!

• A no-brainer: Engineers have found one simple approach to addressing the release of methane into the atmosphere: seal natural gas well leaks.
  
  
• Sketching up energy management: Buildings are one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The open-source tool Open Studio can now be plugged into Google’s SketchUp (a 3D modeling tool) to account for energy usage in the building design process. (via CNET Green Tech)
  
  

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Can the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid really deliver 230 mpg? Can you power your DVD player with your exercise bike? Answers to these questions and more in this week’s green tech finds…

• Powering up with your bicycle: Exercise bikes aren’t just good for keeping fit; many people are figuring out innovative ways to harness that power and create electricity.
  
  
• A showcase green home in Silicon Valley: Eco-entrepreneur Marc Porat has turned his 1936 English Tudor Revival home into a carbon-neutral showcase of green tech.
  
  

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Solar panels are certainly sexier than insulation, and new LEED-certified buildings look better on the front page than aging houses. Are aesthetics the main reason that newer technologies and practices get all the attention, while retrofits and efficiency upgrades are relegated to the sidelines of most conversations about a clean energy future?

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Could you use an extra $475 a year? According to the US Department of Energy, that’s the amount the average American family could save on energy bills by implementing long-term energy efficiency changes in their home. You don’t have to start with big purchases, though: all of us can cut our energy usage (and utility bills) with some common-sense practices.

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THE LAZY ENVIRONMENTALIST, hosted by Josh Dorfman, screens Tuesdays at 9PM on Sundance Channel.

It’s been “interesting” to witness the varying degrees of interest on the part of my immediate family members to my Lazy Environmentalist endeavors. I mean, I’m pretty sure my Mom has read my books, but I can’t say the same for my dad or my brother. And while it’s pretty simple to sign up for a subscription to Sirius Radio, no one in my family ever did so during the two years I hosted my radio show on that network. But things changed as soon as I made the Lazy Environmentalist TV pilot. “Josh” was no longer just “off doing some weird-eco-save-the-planet-thing even though he has an MBA and could be cashing in by now.” To the contrary, suddenly everyone wanted to watch what the Lazy Environmentalist was up to. And not just once either; they wanted to watch it over and over again, share it with guests on holidays and with pretty much whoever else visited my folks’ house for any reason whatsoever be it to deliver the mail or even exterminate bugs.

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Welcome to the best green refrigerators of 2008! Within this post you will discover the last two refrigerators in the top ten list.

2) Maytag MFI2569VEM [www.maytag.com] – Full Depth French Door Refrigerator

Everyone knows Maytag, a company that has been making home appliances since the dawn of electricity. This refrigerator uses 30% less energy than is required by the EPA. In terms of actual recorded usage levels, this fridge consumes 509 KWH/year.

Besides the excellent energy efficiency found within the inner workings of this fridge, you will find all the regular features such as filtered water, ice maker, as well as the quad-core cooling system. This system has individually insulated compartments within the fridge, so that when you open the door to the unit, you are losing a smaller amount of cold air. This fridge made it to the number 2 spot because of its large size. Most fridges in this size use more energy to cool all that space. In the case of this fridge, somehow the larger amount of space is cooled more efficiently than in most smaller fridges.

1) Whirlpool – GS5VHAXWA [www.whirlpool.com] – 25 cu. ft. Resource Saver Refrigerator.

This amazing fridge is considered the most energy efficient fridge of its type. According to the Energy Star website, this refrigerator uses just above 500 KWH/Year. The fridge has all the standard features of a modern unit, including purified water, icemaker, beverage cooling and adjustable storage containers.

One important factor to consider when purchasing a fridge, is what type of customer support you can expect to receive. Whirlpool has a long history of taking care of its customers. If anything goes wrong, you can get a service technician to come out to your home and fix everything. Nobody wants an investment in a new energy efficient fridge to result in having to pay repair bills, and with Whirlpool, you need not fear this outcome.

Check out more entries in the Top Ten Fridges!
Page: PREVIOUS / NEXT.

Remember, if you want to replace your old fridge, you can use the Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculator [www.energystar.gov] from the EPA’s Energy Star Website. This tool allows you to assess whether it is time for you to upgrade. If you have the model number for your fridge handy, it will be quick and easy to figure out.

AT&T Collaborates with Greensburg GreenTown to Build First Model Green Town

Contributes $50,000 for Sustainable Homes

Greensburg, Kansas, September 22, 2008

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced a collaboration with Greensburg GreenTown, the nonprofit organization working to rebuild Greensburg, Kansas as the nation’s first model green town. As anchor corporate sponsor of the organization’s The Chain of Eco-Homes Challenge project, AT&T will donate $50,000 to help build eco-friendly homes and get the project started, as the organization looks for additional corporate sponsors.

The Chain of Eco-Homes Challenge seeks to build a variety of model homes that will demonstrate the latest in residential building technology and green living. Through The Chain of Eco-Homes Challenge, the organization is partnering universities with builders, industry trade associations, designers, and product suppliers to build GreenTown’s first demonstration eco-homes.

Faculty and students from the participating universities will have the opportunity to collaborate with local builders in constructing the homes. Together, they will build homes that showcase all types of sustainable building techniques, energy efficiency features and green living products. The homes will be scientifically monitored to demonstrate the actual energy savings realized.

“AT&T is a strong supporter of the responsible use of our natural resources and inspiring innovation, which is exactly what The Chain of Eco-Homes Challenge is all about – incorporating new technologies and sustainable design into the rebuilding of this community,” said Dan Jacobsen, president of AT&T Kansas. “We’re pleased to provide this contribution to support the successful comeback of Greensburg.”

AT&T’s support will help with the start-up costs for The Chain of Eco-Homes, which will serve as “living laboratories” where Greensburg residents can learn about sustainable housing, and also as eco-lodging for visitors wishing to experience different types of sustainable building methods and technologies.

“We’re very grateful to AT&T for its commitment to our Chain of Eco-Homes project,” said Daniel Wallach, executive director and founder of Greensburg GreenTown. “These homes have the potential to serve as a model for communities across the country. AT&T’s donation has taken what was just an idea on paper and made it real.”

Greensburg GreenTown has been leading efforts to build the most sustainable and energy-efficient community in America since 2007, when a tornado destroyed nearly 95 percent of the rural Kansas town. Since the tornado, AT&T has invested more than $2 million in Greensburg to rebuild the telecommunications infrastructure. Greentown’s newest initiative, The Chain of Eco-Homes Challenge, is just one of the green initiatives the organization has implemented in Greensburg. The $50,000 AT&T donation is specifically earmarked for The Chain of Eco-Homes Challenge.

“The Greensburg GreenTown project is one more example of how Greensburg is continuing its efforts to not only be Kansas’ newest city but also the most energy efficient city,” state Representative and Minority Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives Dennis McKinney said. “We appreciate the efforts of the companies and organizations like AT&T that continue to support this effort.”

State Senator Ruth Teichman said: “I am very proud of what AT&T has done. They were on the scene restoring telephone service moments after the tornado and are continuing their efforts through this generous donation. The company stands as a model of good corporate citizenship for Greensburg and Kansas.”

AT&T works to enhance energy performance and minimize energy consumption in its own company buildings, IT systems and networks, and the company is evaluating alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power. The company conserves natural resources through waste reduction and recovery and recycling efforts, helping its customers do the same. AT&T also helps customers further manage their own environmental impact through intelligent use of AT&T products and services, such as teleconferencing, video conferencing and other broadband applications.

AT&T has served as the major telecommunications provider for Greensburg for more than 100 years.

For more info on Greensburg’s Greentown Initiative, check out the GOODFIGHT website [www.sundancechannel.com].

You do not always have to start from scratch when you want to save energy. While it is true that building a LEED certified building from the ground up can net you the best energy efficiency for your heating and cooling needs, you can get really close to that same efficiency by investing in new gadgets to modernize your existing home. The EPA encourages people to get to know their programmable thermostats.

EPA’s research has shown that most consumers with programmable thermostats do not know how to use them to maximize energy savings. When programmed properly, these products can save about $180 a year on energy bills – but the majority of consumers have not achieved their full energy and dollar savings potential.

As part of ENERGY STAR’s year-long Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR campaign EPA has developed proper use guidelines for programmable thermostats, which include:
- Lower the temperature setting by 8 degrees when you’re away or asleep in the winter.
- Raise the temperature setting by 7 degrees when you’re away and 4 degrees when you’re asleep in the summer.
- Save even more by using the “Vacation” and “Hold” features to manage temperatures while you’re away from home for an extended period.

Starting June 5th, EPA will also provide consumers with valuable tips and resources to help them get on the right track. The following info will be available at www.energystar.gov.

If you prefer a visual tutorial on thermostats, check out this video from the EPA.

To improve the efficiency of your lifestyle in other ways, you can find more strategies and product recommendations here [www.energystar.gov].

Green innovation is steadily spreading throughout all types of industries. Even the companies that make the silicon chips that are probably running your computer have started to adapt commercially efficient manufacturing processes.

For example, the director of corporate responsibility at Intel, Dave Stangis said, “We started with a green blueprint and designed in waste recycling, energy efficiency, water reuse and ways to take advantage of the sunlight.” According to Stangis, the giant chip company has spent $23 million doing green renovations on their factories and have saved $38 million as a result of these green investments.

IBM is joining Intel in the march towards green by repurposing old semiconductor wafers with a cheap and safe process that cleans the silicon wafers for use in solar panels. Solar companies are very interested in buying silicon wafers as they are expensive and energy intensive to produce. IBM can afford to sell them competitively because the wafers themselves are a byproduct of their primary chip business.

Ultimately, this is another reason to feel good about using your computer. Computers save time and money in many ways, cutting down on transportation, packaging and allowing people to be more productive with their time. Now that the components of a computer are being produced more efficiently and less wastefully, the good feeling you get when you click on your favorite Mac or PC can become even stronger.

When it comes to lighting, compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) are a giant step forward when compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, and TreeHugger recommends them for everyone. Even though CFLs offer superior energy efficiency and life expectancy, another light source is on the consumer products horizon with the potential to revolutionize the way we flip the switch: light emitting diodes.

Better known as another three-letter acronym, LEDs offer a similar efficiency upgrade over CFLs that CFLs offer over incandescents; whereas CFLs boast about 66% less energy usage and a lifespan of about 10,000 hours, LEDs can reduce energy consumption by 80-90% and last around 100,000 hours. They light up even faster than incandescents (and way faster than CFLs, which take a minute or two to warm up), which is a nice feature in your house, but could be a life-saving feature if they’re installed as your car’s brake lights.

Since they’re just now beginning to break into the consumer market, LEDs (and the fixtures that they usually come built in to) are almost always more expensive, though they have the potential to be cheaper over their lifespan because you’ll only buy one every 100,000 hours, rather than ten CFLs or dozens of incandescents. As is typical with a burgeoning movement, we’ve seen some high-end, designer-oriented implementations of the technology help break it in; Herman Miller and Yves Béhar’s Leaf Light (pictured; learn more about it here [www.treehugger.com] and Lucesco’s Halley Light (read more about that one here [www.treehugger.com] are a couple pretty chic examples, but Sylvania [www.treehugger.com] and Koncept [www.treehugger.com] have more affordable desk lamps for sale. Though many fixtures and lamps come with bulbs pre-installed, companies like Mule [www.treehugger.com] and Enlux [www.treehugger.com] are leading the charge for screw-in bulb replacements, allowing you and I to slowly start replacing LEDs in your everyday life and light fixtures.

The prices are steadily heading south, and we know that it’s no coincidence that the Millennium Technology Prize went to the inventor of the LED. Learn more about green lighting at TreeHugger’s How to Green Your Lighting Guide [www.treehugger.com], and get ready to get the LED out.