Power lines are part of the smart grid What is the Smart Grid? If you want the official answer, check out the Department of Energy's comments on the Smart Grid.  If you want the answer you can explain to your children, stay here!  Basically, the Smart Grid is a way for Utilities to better...
My Sensor One of the first energy saving devices I installed in my town-home when we moved in last year was an occupancy sensor for my kitchen lights.  The model was from Leviton and can be seen here. The concept is extremely simple.  When my Wife or I enters the kitchen the light comes on. ...
Last night I gave a talk at Georgia Tech focused on energy conservation for the group Wasted Watts.  After my spiel, one of the questions was, "When do you see America embracing sustainable principles?". Those of us who follow the "sustainability movement" see a lot of great progress.  There seems...
  Fan of Cooling Summer's in Atlanta are hot and muggy. By nature I'm a hot person.  This is more information that you care to hear, but I sweat a lot.   I tell you this so you can understand how much I like to not sweat.  And in the middle of July here in Atlanta, the only sweat I like...
GreenSwitch Package The next major energy saving device I plan on purchasing for my home is the GreenSwitch.  The idea behind the product is great:  When your home is vacant, everything should be off!  They also sell a thermostat that will revert to an "economy mode" when the GreenSwitch is...
2009 Energy Use Pie Chart In order to start saving money on your energy bills and understand home energy consumption, you have to know where the best place to start is.  You could spend your whole life dedicated to cutting out all of your vampire loads, but that probably isn't going to be the...
Repower America When I first heard Al Gore mention that he wants to see America be 100% clean electricity within 10 years I thought he was out of his mind.  I believe the guy has good intentions (even if he is getting rich off of his efforts) but I also believe he is a politician, not an...
My last few posts on Carbon Capture and the kWh have been pretty cerebral.  So I'm going to keep this one nice and light, and it is something that everyone in your home can help out with. In Atlanta, we have been in a drought (even though it just rained for 4 straight days).  Because of this I...
In part 1, we went over the very basics of the kWh, but in part 2 we'll dig down a little deeper. It's hard for many people to understand why you need to multiply Watts (instantaneous value of power) by a unit of time (in our case our unit of  time is the hour.  The minute or second are other...
In part one I compared Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to an alternative way of mitigating CO2 emissions, in this case a Wind Farm.  Most of the analysis focused on the actual emission of CO2.  In part 2, I'm going to look at other environmental factors in comparing the two. As stated in part one...
(Disclaimer:  the below article is a thought experiment.  I'm not suggesting it as a real solution, but rather a way to analyze two different carbon mitigating strategies.  Enjoy!) You might have seen the environmental articles recently related to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).  Basically, all...
kilo-watt-hour We have a new and improved page on "What is kWh?" This is one of the most important articles for people just starting out understanding their electricity bill!  While I am proud of my famous What's a Watt blog, this one is just as important. The bill you get from your power...
A little over a week after Atlanta experienced a few inches of snow, we get weather in the high 70s.  But don't think I'm complaining! This just means I have to pay closer attention to the weather each night to see if I have to wear long sleeves or not ( I get hot easily ok). Let in the breeze...
If you follow this blog long enough (please, please, please) you will realize we are big fans of Thomas Friedman.  The guy just gets it, and not only that, he is listened to by important people.  While he hasn't won a Nobel prize, he may be more deserving than Al Gore because he actual presents...
As far as important things go in our life, I don't think anyone would argue that water isn't at the top.  Yet most Americans take it for granted.  That's what happens when it comes pouring out of faucets, spigots, water fountains, sprinklers, toilets, etc.  Thanks to the wonders of modern plumbing...
One of my favorite parts in Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, was the section on Polyface Farms located in Virginia.  What was so fascinating about Polyface is their focus on a sustainable system.  Their values really lay out what makes them so impressive. polyface sustainable farm...
Prelude: I first ventured down the path of energy monitoring in the Winter of 2006.  I was living in a 2 bedroom apartment with a friend and our electricity bills were outrageous!  For instance, the kWh usage from 12/06-2/07 compared to the same months in '08-09 in my new and bigger town-home (I...
Building Envelope basically refers to the materials that make up your house.  The floors, walls, windows, doors, attic, basement, etc.  I'm also going to include home orientation and exterior items that impact your energy/water usage in this category. As you should know by now (if you've become a...
The American Solar Energy Society had a great article in their March 2009 issue regarding how homeowners make their energy conservation and efficiency decisions.  Do residents really pick the low-hanging fruit that delivers the most bang for the buck? The article really stresses the need for the...
***Update - 10/4/09 - I have an improving lighting cost comparison that includes a lighting calculator and includes a residential LED bulb.  See the incandescent, CFL, and LED lighting cost comparison and calculator. In the last few months I've heard this statement twice: "I want to conserve...

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