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May 2009

Back to our roots with passive solar energy

Submitted by Site Editor on Thu, 05/28/2009 - 17:36

Anyone who has ever sat next to sunny a window in late summer knows exactly what passive solar energy is.

Passive solar heating and cooling represents an important step in conserving energy in the home and solar energy has become a hot topic in recent years.

Solar energy is nothing new however, people throughout time have been able to use this seemingly recent technology. The ancient Greeks used solar design in their architecture. They clearly understood that a building facing South could take advantage of the sun's heat during winter time.

Trade in your shower head

Submitted by Site Editor on Sat, 05/23/2009 - 11:26

Standard shower heads can pump out an amazing amount of water.

If your shower head is powerful enough to peal the soap from the bathroom walls it may be time to look for an upgrade. Even though you can take a shower quicker than anyone in the neighborhood, that shower head is shooting out water at a rate of 5 to 7 gallons per minute.

By switching to a low flow shower head (2.5 gallons per minute) you can save a staggering 600 gallons of water per month.

Use Power Strips

Submitted by Site Editor on Thu, 05/14/2009 - 11:35

Remember the days before power strips? Those huge bundles of wire that you could find behind everyone's TV. Of course back then it was only 3 plugs, because we simply did not have so many gadgets.

In fact, it those gadgets that are what is wasting so much of our energy in the home today. It is estimated that 5 - 20% of a home's electricity is wasted on powering devices that are not even being used.

Fortunately, there are some really cool systems on the market that can control this power consumption, but most of us do not have the money to purchse these systems.

Plant a garden on your desk

Submitted by Site Editor on Sun, 05/03/2009 - 11:36

Well, not really a garden, but a small tree or plant for your desk would be nice. Not only will it look nice and probably make you smile a little more, but it will help reduce the indoor air pollution by cleaning up the air you breathe.

By choosing plants for the office you can greatly improve the air quality for you and others. If you bring a plant to work them maybe some of those around you will do the same. In fact, you could help your co-workers by encouraging everyone to bring a plant for their own desk.