Can an Air Conditioner be Used as a Heater? A Guide to Using Your AC as a Heat Pump
Very few of us are lucky enough to live in an area where it’s gloriously warm and sunny all year round. So if we’ve doled out hundreds (or even thousands)…
Know the ROI Before Purchasing Energy Efficient HVAC Units
Although the current national average life expectancy of residential furnaces is between 16 and 20 years, many homeowners aren’t waiting to their furnaces to stop working before they look for…
10 Ways To Make Your Swimming Pool More Environmentally Friendly
One would have a hard time denying that swimming pools are some of the most wonderful and luxurious comforts in life. Merely at a touch of warm and soft water…
3 Green Lighting Tips Beyond the Obvious
Most advice out there on efficient lighting simply states what you already know: switch to LEDs or CFLs, embrace natural light, look for the Energy Star logo, yada yada. We…
How to Save Energy With Radiant Floor Heating
This is a brief exchange between members of Acterra’s Green@Home Community members about the joys and challenges of living with radiant floor heating. The insights are offered by Gerry, who…
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Frank Schiavo Solar Home’s Legacy to San Jose
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…
Where 98% of Energy Vanishes Before it Reaches Your Light Bulb?
Not sure how you are going to react to this but when I saw the below image and realized what’s going on I was shocked. And not by electricity but…
What’s That Energy Sucker in the Corner?
You and I probably had a similar experience when we saw that plasma TV quality for the first time at our local Fry’s store. The picture quality was so vivid…
How to Save 5000% When Buying CFL Light Bulbs
So you’ve heard the benefits of CFLs. When it comes to energy savings, CFLs or Compact Fluorescent Lamps simply blow the regular incandescent light bulbs out of the water. According to…