Monitor/Control each circuit in your home!
In our Energy Tools for Newbies, Part 2 post we looked at several different types of energy monitors including the plug-in device monitor, whole-home moment of use, and whole home internet enabled data-logging monitors. And then there was one more...
When my wife and I head out on vacation (unfortunately not often enough) we like to use an automatic light timer to turn on our lamp (with its CFL) in the living room for a few hours each day to foil would-be robbers. (Yes, occasionally I rank home safety over saving a few watts.) The automatic...
Sun Tracker iPhone App
I was recently contacted by Andrew Mackenzie about the iPhone app he created called the Sun Tracker. I downloaded the app and I'm extremely impressed. (he gave me a free trial license but regular cost is $14.99) With just your iPhone you can get an excellent idea if...
Energy Monitoring Tools
Now that you are a pro at tracking your monthly utility usage, it's time to drill down and start looking at how you use energy by the week, day and even hour. In order to learn what appliances and household items are the biggest draw in your energy footprint, you need...
I just watched The Story of Cap & Trade by Annie Leonard (who also was behind The Story of Stuff) and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I thought I was just going to watch another explanation of what Cap and Trade is, but instead I got to see Annie criticize the leading "solution" that...
Last Monday night I had the pleasure of seeing Al Gore give a talk at Ahavath Achim Synagogue for the Eizenstat Family Memorial Lecture here in Atlanta. To be honest, my feelings towards Mr. Gore have been up and down over the years. I was too young to vote in the 2000 elections, but I did want...
BuilditSolar PV System
If you’ve read my post on Earth4Energy you know that there are several people out there selling plans to build your own solar panels. While technically these aren’t scams - because I’m sure if you follow their directions you will be able to build a solar panel - I still...
OMG, It's Bob Vila!
I was finishing up November's Popular Science magazine last week and I was at the point where I started getting to the bad advertisements at the end of the magazine. And much to my surprise, I see yet another expensive space heater advertisement that claims to reduce...
- therms of natural gas saved (if you keep track of gas bills see this post)
- passenger vehicles affected this year (this is for individuals or companies that remove vehicles from their fleet)
If you provide the number of units saved for one of these categories above, the calculator will tell you...
Green Hawk
Thomas Friedman's NY Times column on Wed. regarding those who don't believe in a clean energy future was one of his best I've seen in awhile. If you want America to be a leader in the 21st century, you need to read it. That means if you don't read it you are probably a terrorist. ...
I just got word that the Ecobee iPhone app has been released and downloaded it today. If you have an Ecobee and an iPhone, just go to the app store and search for "Ecobee". If you don't know what an Ecobee is, then you should read my post, "Ecobee Programmable Smart Thermostat: I love adjusting...
Even Garth is a fan!
We've had over 150 posts on Mapawatt since February and we're thankful for all the readers and hopefully some of you have learned to save energy and live a little more sustainably! If you like what you've been reading, please subscribe to Mapawatt's feed to stay updated...
Learning how to track your energy usage
I'm new to blogging on Mapawatt but have lurked behind the scenes building the infrastructure behind Mapawatt.com. I share Chris' vision of providing users with a trusted source of energy information and tools that will help us learn how we use energy. ...
I was surprised to see that one of my most popular blog posts has been on Bicycle Power. In that post I said that the average power that a cyclist in excellent shape will be able to put out over the course of an hour is probably right under 300 watts. The majority of people are probably closer...
Enviroscape Dashboard
***Update - 2/10/11 - I was re-reading this post, and when I clicked on the links to Breezeplay, none of them were active. Looks like this company is out of business!
My dad called yesterday and said one of his investment letters was recommending a company called...
Tesla charging
I finally paid off my normal, 6 cylinder gasoline car, so I'm already planning my next purchase in a year or two. I don't just want a hybrid, I want a plug-in hybrid or plug-in electric. I love the idea of plugging my car in each night and being totally (or at least partially)...
It seems each month that passes brings a new energy management product, and cnet just covered a new product being released next week by ZeroFootprint called TalkingPlug. While energy monitors like the TED 5000 are great at showing you how much power you are using, they are just a visual tool. ...
What's a kWh? I only speak $$$.
Whenever I'm discussing energy conservation or renewable energy expenditures with customers for my job or readers of the Mapawatt Blog the question almost always comes up: What's my payback? Unfortunately this isn't as easy to answer as one may think....
Home Energy Audit
Today I had lunch with a friend who was starting from scratch when it comes to saving energy. Well, he's not really starting from scratch; that would be someone who is moving in to a new home and hasn't been paying for their energy. This guy (I know you're reading, I'll try...
Toxic Atlanta
I just learned that Atlanta was named by Forbes as the most toxic city in America! The article states: "...the city's combination of air pollution, contaminated land and atmospheric chemicals makes it the most toxic city in the country." Since I live in this city, you could say...