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Happy New Year! I am having fun bringing in the new year with my family. The boys are excited about the new year, because I have the day off in the middle of the week, but are not old enough to know that one year is added. I take that back, the oldest is getting his birthday cake this week and understands he’s 3 years old. That means he has 3 tails. He does not understand fiscal years and data.

Before last year, my family was only mildly into recycling, tc., but last year my New Year resolution was to further and encourage others to do the same. I have many posts about recycling and how easy it is to do. Between my workplace and my home, we have tons of refuse from the landfill. It was very easy to do. All the waste that we throw into the trash, does not have to go in the trash. If some of her separated stuff before the trash can is recyclable then it is placed in the recycling bin instead. It takes no more effort just to change this habit. We also had fun with composting. Daniel put our organic waste into the bin and he tells me that “feeding the worms.” At the foot of the body he sees the worms and the “monopolies.” (His term for Roly Poly’s.)

This year I will continue to encourage others to recycle and a few other RE to add to the mix. Recycling is great, but how about reducing first. Why recycle something that should not have been wasted in the first place. The amount of energy saved by recycling is great. The amount of energy wasted by not reducing even greater.

Each spring we plant a new garden at our home and last year we bought a bunch of herbs and a few vegetables from a local nursery for our herb garden. The rest of the herb garden was created from propagated herbs from the rest of the yard. The soil for last year’s garden was compost that I made from waste wood scraps from our job sites that I use as mulch. It took a couple of years for it to decompose, but it worked really well as compost!

In addition to the mulch pile we started a compost bin for yard waste and food scraps. The bottom of the pile is full of worms and the mulch is ready for next cycle of life.

Unfortunately, the place where we bought the live herbs is no longer there since we are in a severe drought and it could not sustain business. Earlier this month, I was checking on the herb garden and most of the plants are doing well in spite of the frost. The rosemary, thyme, sage are still alive however the basil died since it is an annual. I pulled all of them up to put in the compost pile and collected the seeds in an effort to see if they would grow indoors.

From previous posts you can see that I am also trying to find new and interesting ways to re-purpose trash. The same day that I collected the seeds, I noticed that we were almost out of eggs. This looked like the perfect container for me to try to grow the seeds! I cut the lid off, got some soil from the bottom of the compost bin and planted the seeds. To insure that the water would drain out I cut a hole in each egg holder and used the lid as a drain pan to catch all of the excess water. By using waste trash to hold the seeds, compost from lasts year’s garden, and seeds from lasts year’s garden we managed to get new basil plants at no cost!

Each spring we plant a new garden at our home and last year we bought a bunch of herbs and a few vegetables from a local nursery for our herb garden. The rest of the herb garden was created from propagated herbs from the rest of the yard. The soil for last year’s garden was compost that I made from waste wood scraps from our job sites that I use as mulch. It took a couple of years for it to decompose, but it worked really well as compost!

In addition to the mulch pile we started a compost bin for yard waste and food scraps. The bottom of the pile is full of worms and the mulch is ready for next cycle of life.

Unfortunately, the place where we bought the live herbs is no longer there since we are in a severe drought and it could not sustain business. Earlier this month, I was checking on the herb garden and most of the plants are doing well in spite of the frost. The rosemary, thyme, sage are still alive however the basil died since it is an annual. I pulled all of them up to put in the compost pile and collected the seeds in an effort to see if they would grow indoors.

From previous posts you can see that I am also trying to find new and interesting ways to re-purpose trash. The same day that I collected the seeds, I noticed that we were almost out of eggs. This looked like the perfect container for me to try to grow the seeds! I cut the lid off, got some soil from the bottom of the compost bin and planted the seeds. To insure that the water would drain out I cut a hole in each egg holder and used the lid as a drain pan to catch all of the excess water. By using waste trash to hold the seeds, compost from lasts year’s garden, and seeds from lasts year’s garden we managed to get new basil plants at no cost!

The lid needs to be cut off so the sun can reach the new leaves. The lid then gets placed under the carton so it can catch the water from the holes. Make sure that you put the container in direct sunlight so they can grow. I have to water mine every other day to keep the soil moist as well.

Every father wants to be able to care and provide for their family. This is their job. Secretly, most dads do not mind being likened to a super hero with their children. If your spouse calls you Superman, I think that’s okay!

Yesterday, I was doing my weekly honey-do-list and my son looked up at me and called me “Bob the Builder.” Being a green builder, I actually liked the title, and for me, was better than being called Superman. Not only did Bob get to work by car to speak, teach children to build sustainably. With the slogan “We can do this? Yes we can!” Managing your company with an attitude can do. When it comes to waste he emphasis on the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle.

I remember my young days, and discussing with my friends on whose father was better. I think that eventually won when I convinced them that he could build and fly airplanes, as well as building skyscrapers all by himself. Although this might be an exaggeration, my father had the mechanical ability to build houses. He also led me to believe that I could do whatever I put my mind as well. I continue to believe this! I can only hope that my children say I can build a house that requires less energy to operate than the father of their friend or it can build a city that is self-sufficient. Fortunately, for my children, this is not too exaggerated!

There is a new company in town. Creative Solar USA in Canton, Georgia bringing renewable energy to its customers to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels.

The company, founded in June 2008 by Russell Seifert, consults, designs and installs solar direct solar energy, solar and wind power for homes, farms, businesses, educational institutions and government projects in the state of Georgia.

“The state has little benefit rates, which will grow in double figures for the next seven to 15 years,” says Seifert, during his presentation at the Georgia Energy and Agriculture Department of Energy Innovation in Macon, Georgia, in December. “Georgia is one of the best renewable energy tax incentive programs in the country, and we have an opportunity to be a leader and a role model for other states to follow. ”

Seifert, who spoke with representatives from state and federal agencies, including the agriculture liaison for Governor Sonny Perdue on the various programs that natural energy can be produced by solar and wind without scaling natural resources, reduce dependence on foreign fuel resources and the creative and innovative approaches to these energy can be exploited.

“It is surprising that some states in New England has moved towards solar and wind to very aggressive,” says Seifert. “Here in Georgia, we have an average of 90 minutes more sunlight peak time per day than they do, and we do not use this fantastic, free resource. We have the ability to be proactive and move forward with these rising costs and freeing us from dependence on foreign and coal-producing fuel. The economic benefits go beyond the savings benefit by the ability to create new jobs and help ensure a solid foundation for Georgia’s growing economy. ”

Seifert started the company with a vision to balance and reduce the average carbon imprint he helped create in his former profession.

Finally! It looks like we may have a government that recognizes the importance of renewable energy is to our country’s long-term health – financially and environmentally.

Here are some quotes of interest from President Obama’s speech last night.

“We know that a country that uses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st Century. And yet, it is China that has launched the largest effort in history to make its economy energy efficient. We invented solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan to produce it. new plug-in hybrids rolling off our assembly lines, but they will run on batteries in Korea.”

Side note for those who do not know: In Germany, the 47% of its energy from the sun. Percentage-wise, leads the world in the use of solar technology! Yet, the sun was invented here in the USA! It’s time we used our invention for our sake.

More from President Obama’s speech. (Note: Emphasis added by us.)

\ “Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double the nations supply of renewable energy in three years. We’has also made the largest investments in basic research funding in American history – an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine and science and technology.”

Now, that’s excellent news for us all!

Returning to his address:

“But to really change our economy, to protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we must ultimately make clean, renewable energy profitable type of energy.

… (snip) …

And support – to support innovation, we will invest $ 15 billion a year to develop technologies such as wind and solar power, advanced biofuels, clean coal and more efficient cars and trucks manufactured here in America.”

We are pleased with the potential this type of investment has, and we look forward to the positive changes in our local and regional communities and nationally, as well!

Light emitting diodes, commonly known as LEDs, are becoming more and more widely in all types of electronics. Their current uses range from small flashlights LED lights, laptop computers, video and giant billboards.

What a lot of people don’t know is that they begin to find their use a more common form of lighting application that can be found in almost every home or office throughout the world. I am, of course, talking about LED lights.

The fact that you reading this guide shows that, although the idea of using LEDs to replace conventional lighting begins to sound more known as a greener alternative to energy-efficient lighting (including compact fuorescent lamps are currently the most famous ), but there are still many people who do not know enough to make an informed decision on how and where the purchase of LED lights to make.

This guide is written as a complete guide to buying almost everything you need to know to make an informed decision on the purchase of LED lights to create and to help you determine if LED lighting is good for you. This will be an evolving document as LED lighting technology changes so quickly, so keep checking back for updates!

Introduction

Now the pace of advancing technology for LEDs now is amazing when you have new developments in LED lighting hear almost every week. One of the big pushes because it is not only a substantial savings on their electric bill (although that is one of the best reasons to switch), but the realization that we all must rally together and do our part to save the environment . The green is not only about his”in style’more, it is a practical business model that can help the planet and our wallets. People are aware of global warming and increasingly environmentally conscious public, and are looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption. What easier way is there than just changing a light bulb?

When I was a kid- I could remember my mom singing” rain, rain, go away- come back another day” As I was driving to work on Monday and saw the Chattahoochee flooding several local businesses I found myself singing it in my head.

GA was in drought,now we are in a flood. A friend of mine owns a rain harvesting business. Even his green clients are not in the mood to talk about collecting rainwater until their basements and crawlspace stop collecting rain.

Let’s not beat up the rain harvesting guys right now- they are part of the solution. Water is still a huge problem. There is either too much or not enough and we are on watering restrictions. If you manage your own reservoir, you could eliminate the peaks and valleys.

Since my company deals with energy efficiency, we tell people the same thing. You cannot control prices of energy from your provider, but you can control how much you use and will not be affected as much if their is a price swing if you home uses less energy.

All this talk about rain gets me on a rant about basements. As a home performance contractor and owner of a design/ build firm, I cannot see how any contractor would build out a basement without dealing with water. If you had a basement that flooded recently, I am truly sorry. Some of them would have flooded no matter what, but most of them could have avoided flooding it designed and built properly.

Here are some considerations that we do on every basement design:

Address bulk water on the outside of the house- most of the water comes from runoff from gutters or improperly sloped yards. Gutters should discharge at least (if not more than) 5 feet from the house. Most gutters dump the water on the foundation. The code for the grade on the house is that for the first 10′ the grade should drop at least 6″. Gutters can be easily fixed with extensions that you can do yourself, or that you can buy at your local hardware store. Fixing the grade is not as much fun.
Water proofing- not damp proofing. For some reason GA thought that it would be OK to dumb down the building code, and allow damp proofing for many years, instead of water proofing. The last few days here we did not have “damp” we had “water”. If your basement flooded- thank the State of GA for not requiring (in the past)- water proofing. If you are building a new home- insist that your contractor waterproof. Here are some of the products that we have used in the past: Delta Dry
On an existing unfinished basement- water proof from the inside. Water will always find a way in. Either through humidity or cracks in the foundation. As a good contractor- I need to give the water an opportunity to “get out.” On our basement specification, we always insist on water proofing the basement before finishing it. If we don’t do this and the basement floods- there will be mold, rot and other unpleasantness that will come about.
Pre-treat for termites, mold. Seems obvious, but why not just make the conditions not so friendly for what we don’t want around. We vaccinate our kids so they don’t get sick. Why not vaccinate your home to prevent a sick home? We prefer to use non toxic chemicals that do not make you sick when they “off gas.”

In the Atlanta area, and probably the rest of the county are many people who will provide free audits. Free had a cost that can be more expensive to pay a consultant. Read on with notes from the Department of Energy.

When I was 8 years old I remember, and events at a bank where they had “free” pizza and other offerings there. I also got a “free” peasant f or enter an account number there. I remember talking about the free pizza and this older gentleman next to me told me that nothing in life is free. Unfortunately appear every time I get a “free,” he says back into my head and as a business owner, I begin to calculate how much time off could cost me.

This still applies today. Free is a loss leader, hoping to get your business. You pay for free when you do business with them. In the energy world, there are plenty of “free audits.” I think that giving a free energy audit is brilliant marketing. You have just hidden a sales call, using a more calming phrase such as “free energy.” What kind of you to give away something for free. Nothing wrong with that, except that you are sold on a given product verses a holistic solution, but 3rd party control. I see lots of windows and insulation sellers offer this free audit that is good to get people’s attention, but the best solution might not only windows, insulation or plumbing. They will not give the true best return on investment, because they will lose money. So your free audit, I mean the sales call, could actually cost you more money because it’s free. The sales call, you sell the product with the highest profit margin, compared to the solution using the best ROI.

When you pay for an Energy Assessment, it is more than a visual checklist, which takes 20 minutes (as free energy). There is a pressure-voltage method was created by a 3rd party-EPA. I would rely on a proposal from an unbiased 3rd party before I trust the manufacturer. With a home entertainment with the Energy Star Assessment, you receive a prioritized checklist and full report of how your house might be better for your energy efficiency, comfort and safety. An assessor home to your house and spend hours, not minutes try methodically your home to see where improvements can be made.

Also, with the assessment that you are entitled to more discounts and have measurable numbers to work with when you go to sell your home.

Enjoy our latest cold weather? When it is below freezing, the first thing we can see how annoying it is our homes, if they were not built or tuned. You will see many ads say either upgrade the insulation, repair or change your HVAC out the window with geothermal solutions. They argue that if none of these improvements will see 50% or more of your energy.

This could be the case, but each house or building is different, and these types of savings are based on how bad the house is in the first place.

If you are talking with contractors and HVAC (HVAC, that only makes power-not at home), will sell you the latest and best equipment.

If you got one of those “free audits” for your home-you sold some insulation.

If you call the window replacement company get-sold a super-insulated plastic boxes that will be 25% lower if you sign up!

Not that these products do not work (it was a deliberate “double negative”), but if used in the wrong order, will end with money to spend twice or may not get the full benefit of the improvement immediately.

What is the solution? The best thing to do is to do everything at once with the supplier of domestic output. Will do a full diagnostic assessment to see where the problems are on your home and you’ll be on the priority list of concerns about the safety and return on investment.

Typically, you will see a return on investment in that order.

Repair holes All holes in the exterior of your home costs money every day. Whether it’s a real home, where the air or water coming into / going out, or if the lack of thermal insulation, allowing lost in winter or summer gain. This applies to the foaming holes around windows, air sealing around outlets, adding insulation to areas that have not yet (after sealing holes), replacing windows that leak and the pipe laying work, which leaks.

Upgrade HVAC is necessary to become the house is weatherized. If not, will house the size of HVAC inefficient. Once you make it effective, it will be HVAC-size for the house. Over-sized HVAC systems may not run long enough to pull moisture from the air, and it can cause internal problems of air quality. If you plan to upgrade insulation and windows (now), then the effective size of the HVAC for the house. Will just have to run longer than the state house, but it will be a condition. Also, make sure you patch distribution at the same time. If not, just spend a few tens of thousands on a system that is 10-30% effective, you have an old (if you go with geothermal) and pipe your system could be 50% of the air leak out. Consolidating distribution is a fraction of the costs and revenues faster return on investment.

Geothermal HVAC should be considered if you are looking to replace or add HVAC. Since geothermal costs more, it is necessary to make your house as efficiently as possible by upgrading your insulation Spray foam and add a good window. This will reduce the size of the unit and geothermal Soot your installation and operating costs.

Solar thermal-I love hot hot water with the sun, since solar energy is currently free.