I think I may have found the most energy-efficient home in America. In this video, engineer Michael Strizki of Hopewell, N.J., reviews the three power systems on his home that have allowed his family to live "off the grid" completely. In addition to using energy-efficient construction, the home has a battery of solar cells that provide electricity. The solar energy also powers the hydrogen fuel cell technology, which is used for more electricity for the home and fuel for his car. As if that wasn't enough, the home has a geothermal power system for heating and cooling. When all else fails, Strizki can always flip on a switch to reconnect to the conventional electrical power grid, but what fun is that?
How many times have you needed to use a flashlight, but it was missing batteries or the batteries were dead? This problem is compounded by the fact that you have to find new batteries in the dark! Needless to say, flashlights with alternate power sources have caught my eye. NightStar’s shakable flashlight is one great solution. With every shake, it passes a magnet through coils embedded in the flashlight to produce electricity. Thirty seconds of shaking produces up to 20 minutes of light for use in or out of your home. Applied Innovative Technologies sells the flashlight for approximately $30 on its site.
Solar power has plenty of potential but right now the start-up costs can be high—between $20,000 to $35,000 for solar panels—before rebates. But a new company called SunRun is looking to change all that. SunRun installs solar panels on customers' homes but the panels are owned and maintained by the company; customers pay only for the electricity generated by the solar panels. After paying a small up-front fee, SunRun customers lock into a electricity rate that is lower than the retail utility rate. The company is obviously doing something right as they recently raised $12 million in venture capital funding.
You may remember the recent scare about trace amounts of mercury in CFLs (compact fluorescent lights), those energy-saving wonder lightbulbs. While the mercury is not a danger in household use, it can be a problem when thousands of the CFLs are improperly discarded and put into a landfill. But now Home Depot has started a recycling program for these bulbs. It will now take back CFLs at all of its 1,973 stores nationwide. Previously, customers had to seek out local hazardous waste programs or smaller retail stores for recycling, leading to a two percent recycling rate. Both Home Depot and Wal-Mart are heavily promoting CFLs, which are 10 times as energy-efficient as conventional bulbs.
Summer is here with a vengeance in New England! And now with the air conditioning blasting on high, I'm thinking of ways to cut my energy bill. According to a recent study by an Australian consumer agency, video game consoles and plasma flat screen televisions are major energy hogs, even when left on stand-by. The Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and plasma television sets consumed the most power of 16 electronic devices tested. The Playstation 3, while not in use, costs five times as much as running a refrigerator. Ouch. To get the most benefit, cut your electronics power supply off at the source. Turning them off by remote just puts them in stand-by mode.
Everyone knows what a smoke alarm looks like; the design has barely changed since it was first introduced in 1967. But now Kidde is looking to change all that with the introduction of their new Silhouette Smoke Alarm. It's much slimmer than conventional smoke alarms, extending only 1/2 inch from the ceiling, making it much more concealable and less of an eyesore. Best of all, there is no need to change the battery. The Silhouette draws its power from the home's electrical power system and uses a rechargeable battery during power outages. The battery is recharged when the home's electrical supply is re-activated. There's even a one-touch button to silence nuisance alarms.
Let's kill this rumor before it even gets off the ground: Compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, are no more a fire hazard than regular incandescent bulbs. One writer to the Green Guide expressed concern because his CFL burned out, leaving a charred base, some smoke and emitting a bad smell. No need to worry as long as the bulb has the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) seal, the Green Guide assures us. Good thing too, as there's no doubt CFLs are good for the environment and your electrical bill. They are 10 times as energy-efficient as incandescent bulbs. So, don't let this rumor and others deter you from installing CFLs in your home.
