SanJoseGreenHome.com

However, without the proper knowledge, searching for a portable air conditioner can become an overwhelming experience. Between trying to figure out a plethora of acronyms like EER and BTU and wading through numbers all over the 1,000s, the confusion can multiply. But, with a basic foundation, a confusing and/or time consuming experience can quickly become a simple formula that leaves you lingering in the comfort and bliss of a perfectly cooled and de-humidified room.  And not only that, purchasing the right AC, the first time, will save you now and over the long run.

Basic AC Terms

“W”  – A “W” is a watt, which is the standard unit for measuring power.

“BTU” -  A BTU stands for British Thermal Unit and measures thermal heat energy. In terms of ACs, they will generally rank in the 1000s.

“EER” – EER stands for the Energy Efficiency Ratio of any given appliance and basically tell you exactly how much cooling your AC will be able to provide you based on the amount of electricity it’s using. The higher the EER rating, the less energy it consumes. As a basic rule, anything over 10 is deemed “good” in terms of energy efficiency.

You will often see “energy consumed” represented by a “W,” and EERs can also be listed as BTU/W.

This means if you (more…)

After World War II, houses and buildings were erected quickly and cheaply as a means to rebuild Germany. However, many people living and working in these houses and buildings soon became noticeably ill, with all signs pointing to the new buildings as the cause. It was this phenomenon that inspired the baubiologie movement in Germany, and has since been infused in other parts of the world as well. Below are the 25 principles of baubiologie.

1. Building site without natural and human-made disturbances
2. Residential homes away from sources of emissions and noise
3. Low-density housing with sufficient green space
4. Personalized, natural, human- and family-oriented housing and settlements
5. Building without causing social burdens
6. Natural and unadulterated building materials
7. Natural regulation of indoor air humidity through humidity-buffering materials
8. Low total moisture content of a new building that dries out quickly
9. Well-balanced ratio between thermal insulation and heat retention
10. Optimal air and surface temperatures
11. Good indoor air quality through natural ventilation
12. Heating system based on radiant heat
13. Natural conditions of light, lighting and color (more…)

When most people think “green” homes they imagine solar panels and fancy energy saving gadgets.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  We invite you to explore with us a passive solar home in Saratoga (Bay Area) designed by a local architect Hari Sripadanna.  The home has achieved a LEED Gold rating and truly stands as a model for sustainability in our community.  After all, Hari bought parts of his house on Craigslist! 

Obviously, we could not cover all the fascinating details in the video so if you want to learn more, please read Hari’s comments and see design plans right below the video.  Enjoy.

by Hari Saripadanna (parts of the article was originally posted on the GAB Report):

With increasing popularity of green building and passive solar design, it is important to understand that sustainable design is more than a collection of credits. The key is to create synergy between building systems and practices that multiply each other’s benefit. One can create more value simply by choosing two or more complimentary sustainable design elements that play off of each other. The combined effect is more than the benefit when these design elements or systems are used alone. 

I would like to share with you some synergistic concepts used in the design of my house and show you how (more…)

This was fun.  A beautiful day on a roof of an Eichler home in San Jose (off Meridian and Curtner).  I met up with my friend Jarom Ferriante and learned a few cool things about solar panels and foam roofs.  This is a home of a crafty clay artist – Harriet, who’s art is shortly featured in the video as well.  Hope you enjoy!

Jarom can be found on: www.dura-foam.com
More of Harriet’s art is featured on her website: www.AcrylicAndClay.com

Here is a great example how one can take an older home and make it more energy efficient with an element of smart design.  These home owners in San Jose could have built this sun room addition in an old fashion way but instead, they decided to incorporate a passive solar element that not only made their home more comfortable but also chipped off a few bucks off of their energy bills.  You will also learn a few more benefits of a cool roof and see a couple of them in action.

The technical info is fun and educational, however, your favorite part might just be the very end, where Sigmond shares a message with us all from his heart.  Enjoy.

If you have any questions for Sigmond feel free to leave a comment here or give him a call direct at 408-353-6727.

A small PETE device made with cesium-coated gallium nitride glows while being tested inside an ultra-high vacuum chamber. The tests proved that the process simultaneously converted light and heat energy into electrical current. Credit: Photo courtesy of Nick Melosh, Stanford University.

Solar energy, more commonly defined by the energy geeks as “radiant light and heat from the sun”, continues to be harnessed for energy production. As you may be aware, most accountable renewable energy invokes the following:

• Solar Radiation
• Wind Power
• Wave Power
• Hydroelectricity
• Biomass

The problem is, only a fraction of the radiation gathered from the sun is really used.

Scientists have always used both light and heat from the sun to produce energy, however, they hadn’t yet discovered a way to efficiently utilize both simultaneously – Until now!  A device out of Stanford University is promising not just one production of the solar energy but two by being able to harness the power of both light and heat.

A Photon Enhanced Thermionic Emission device, or PETE device, is not only a state of the art technology but could potentially reduce the costs for the production of solar power to the point of where it could be a real competitor against oil as a source of energy. This is great for two reasons: 1) the environmental aspect of having solar power being a big player in the energy game is huge considering that it’s a renewable and clean energy source and 2) therein lies a real competitor to the oil industry. This is not to mention it also could open the door to (more…)

OK you tech geeks out there who like to build your own stuff, you must have considered building your own or shopping for used solar panels by now…. Why buy used solar panels?  If you are trying to save money on your residential solar electricity project, used solar panels may be a good investment.  Not only can they keep your initial cost low, but you will also be decreasing the waste at your local landfill by recycling.  But not all used solar panels can be effectively reused, so here are some tips to keep in mind before you buy.

What to look for when buying used solar panels

The ideal used solar panel can look almost new.  The glass will be clear, dry and intact with no cracks or holes.  The frame will be square and sturdy, and the solar cell connections will be securely soldered.  Older panels will typically be larger and heavier than the newer models that output the same amount of electricity.  But if the used panels are in good shape, the lower price will offset any size or weight disadvantage.

Check the electrical output from used solar panels

Don’t rely on the electrical output printed on the factory label.  Instead, use a multimeter and check the panel in direct sunlight to find out what its real output is.  The capacity for solar panels that have spent their lifespan in direct sunlight tends to degrade over the years.  But the decrease in output may not be significant.  A panel that is rated at 22 watts might only produce 18 watts after 20 years in the sun.  But if the price is right and the capacity is enough for your project, it could still be a good deal.

Where to find used solar panels

The best source of used solar panels will be one that is close enough that you can visit in person to inspect the panels for damage and electrical output (dig through Craigslist).  Also, try (more…)

These are the tips that keep coming up from a few solar pros in the community.  They can be common sense but tend to be overlooked by most folks who are pondering installing a solar panel system:

1. You can save money by learning about solar energy yourself

Now that solar panel parts are readily available for purchase on the internet, it really is possible to save money by building your own solar panels.  Build a few to power small battery powered electronics equipment like your laptop and cell phone.  Use those project to learn about how solar energy works, and to find out if you enjoy the process enough to tackle building them on a larger scale.  If you find you enjoy building solar panels, design a system for larger scale solar energy applications. 

2. Solar energy systems are scalable 

Many people think that in order to use solar power in their homes that they have to build and install a complete solar electric system that will supply all of the electricity that they now use.  But that’s simply not true.  You can start off by using smaller solar panels to power outdoor lighting or to light the inside of your garage.  Or you can install a small grid-tied solar panel system to offset part of the electricity that your family uses on a daily basis to cut your energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint.  Later you can add more solar panels and eventually generate enough solar electricity to be energy independent or even sell electricity back to your local utility company. 

3. Do an energy audit before you (more…)

Many of us have had a relationship with the stock market of some sorts at one time or another.  Maybe you had more luck but when I bought into the hype in 2001 and lost a chunk in one week, my enthusiasm evaporated like the morning’s dew.  Then I came across a statement by Scott Case from EnergySavvy that read: “Home Energy Retrofits are 3.5X More Valuable Than Microsoft Stock: The 5-Year Payback on Home Energy Retrofit vs. Buying Microsoft Stock.”  Hmmm… given the previously disappointing outcome with the stock market, this sounded like an interesting proposition so I asked him to elaborate for us all here:

“To illustrate the impact of doing a home energy retrofit as an investment, here’s a simplified example. Let’s say 5 years ago, a homeowner in Philadelphia named Julie was deciding between buying $10,000 of Microsoft stock as an investment or spending that same amount of money on a home energy retrofit to reduce her utility bills. What would have been the better 5-year investment?

The Microsoft stock worth $10,000 in May 2005 would have turned into just over $12,100 five years later (a return of 21% over 5 years), including the increase in stock price and the dividends paid out over the course of the 5 years. But it turns out that (more…)

When many of us think of a solar home we normally envision a specially designed, carefully crafted construction .  Hardly ever we can think of a modest 1,200 square foot tract home in South San Jose as being a model for passive solar benefits that almost all of us can achieve.  This is exactly what Frank Schiavo did when he retrofitted his 1978 home to harvest our greatest energy source – the Sun. 

Frank was an extraordinary man.  He was an enthusiastic passive solar home consultant, environmental educator at San Jose State and an avid social change advocate.  One of his most fascinating qualities was that he produced no trash.  That’s right; he composted everything and never bought anything that he couldn’t recycle.  He even stopped paying garbage bills to the city which was a highly controversial and highly publicized move.  Gotta love this spirit of sustainability! 

Unfortunately Frank passed away very unexpectedly last January, just a week before we planned to meet, but he leaves his solar legacy behind for all of us to marvel at and learn from.  He really wanted to use his house as a way of teaching others about benefits of a green solar home “on a budget”. 

As a very tiny way of repaying his years of kindness to the community I would like to share with you some of the things that Frank was able to accomplish in his home (more…)