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Energy Star TVs will have to meet higher test
 The EPA announced today it has revised the qualifications for televisions to achieve the Energy Star label, requiring TVs to be 40 percent more energy efficient than conventional models.
The new requirements raise the bar on how energy efficient a TV must be to earn the Energy Star label. They require TVs to use less energy when turned on, ensure a satisfactory level of brightness and curb power associated with downloading program guide data. The EPA says this will translate to greater savings for consumers and the environment. If all televisions sold in the United States met the new Energy Star requirements, Americans would save $2.5 billion annually in energy costs while reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of about 3 million cars, the agency says.
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Tags: · Energy Star, EPA
Cash for clunkers: Home edition
From Green Right Now Reports:
In the frenzy over the “Cash for Clunkers” program that rewards drivers with up to $4,500 for ditching their old gas-guzzlers in favor of a new fuel-efficient model, many consumers appear to missing a similar though smaller deal on their homes.
ConstructionDeal.com, a Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based web site that helps homeowners find contractors for home improvement projects, did a survey that found nearly 40 percent of respondents were not planning on taking advantage of the $1,500 federal tax credit for energy efficient home improvements. The survey of about 5,000 project owners — primarily homeowners — also found that 25 percent were completely unaware of the tax credit.
Still, 10 percent of those surveyed said they had already taken advantage of energy efficient home improvements. And ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy that helps consumers save money and protect the environment traffic, says traffic to its tax credit web page is skyrocketing.
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Tags: · American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, ConstructionDeal.com, Energy Star, Non-business Energy Property Tax Credit, Residential Energy Efficient Property Tax Credit
Greening in place, tips for retrofitting from LA’s Eco/Consulting US
By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
New green homes can awe-inspiring, both for their groundbreaking designs and their show of techno-muscle. Those tubular daylights, state-of-the-art solar panels, sleek recycled flooring, dehumidifying HVAC systems, complex gray water reclamation systems, louvered light “shelves” and heat-reflecting metal roofs can leave the common homeowner gaping — and wishing.
The truth is most of us won’t be building a brand new green castle, at least not anytime soon — and perhaps there’s something to be said for the alternative; let’s call it “greening in place”.
Almost any home can become more energy friendly, and this “in fill” project can occupy a very important spot in the urban landscape: your own lot!
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Tags: · Anna Roseman, Eco/Consulting US, energy efficiency, Energy Star, Green Homes, Home Energy, Home Energy Rating System, Home Performance Test, home retrofits, HVAC systems, low-flow faucets, low-flow shower heads, Photovoltaics, solar panels
Schools go net-zero in Kentucky and win national award
By Diane Porter
Green Right Now
There’s a shiny green report card out in Warren County, Kentucky this month.
The county’s school district won the Alliance to Save Energy’s 2009 Andromeda Award for its programs, which include $4 million in energy savings over the last five years, a 28 percent energy use reduction, a daily curriculum that focuses on energy efficiency and Energy Star ratings on four buildings. But the star of their show undoubtedly is the new Richardsville Elementary, a Warren County School on target to become the nation’s first net zero energy public school when it opens in fall of 2010 (see photo above).
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Tags: · 2009 Andromeda Award, Alliance to Save Energy, energy efficiency in schools, Energy Star, geothermal power, Green Schools, Kentucky, LEED certification, net zero school, Recycle & Reuse, Richardsville Elementary, Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects, Solar Power, Warren County
KB Homes to build new Energy Star homes in Dallas
By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
KB Homes announced that all new homes built in Dallas are being built to Energy Star guidelines. The homes, in both new and existing communities, will allow homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce their monthly energy bills.
According to a report by Whitefence.com, the average monthly utility bills for Dallas households were the highest of the 20 U.S. metro markets surveyed in the report.
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Tags: · Dallas, energy efficient homes, Energy Star, KB Homes
Portland’s Heathman Hotel: A landmark goes green with a waste-not renovation
By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
It can be a challenge to update an historic building, let alone transform it into a model of green modernity. Rattling pipes crowd walls that need new duct work; old fixtures adhere stubbornly to aging walls and facades retain character, but heating and cooling – not so much.
Still, the historic Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland has recently undergone two green upgrades, and is determined to become a model of sustainability, while sacrificing none of its landmark historic elegance.
 The 81-year-old Heathman, like most vintage urban hotels, has been through many nips and tucks over the decades. It got its first green redo about three years ago with the renovation of the guest bedrooms and living areas and the addition of a new heating and cooling system. The project, which won financial incentives from the Energy Trust of Oregon, and included switching to CFL light bulbs, proved enlightening: The changes trimmed energy usage by 20 to 30 percent at the 150-room hotel.
“My return on investment, we realized that in less than two years; a year and half for the HVAC investment,” said hotel general manager Chris Erickson. “It was a wise idea and now as we move into the future, it’s all straight to the bottom line.”
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Tags: · Energy Star, Energy Trust of Oregon, FSC wood, Green Hotels, Heathman Hotel, hospitality industry, LEED, Portland, ReBuilding Center, sustainability, sustainable travel, U.S. Green Building Council
A window of opportunity, tax credits for key home improvements
From Green Right Now Reports
Looking to replace your windows this year? Well, look out, you may qualify for newly increased tax credits of up to $1,500 if you install an energy-saving product.
The new government stimulus package includes tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements such as installing new exterior windows, doors, air conditioning systems or insulation. The new legislation extends tax credits through 2010. Most of these improvements were increased from $500 to the new $1500 cap; a cap of $200 for windows was removed.
If windows are on your mind, SeriousWindows, of Sunnyvale, Calif., is promoting energy efficient models that it claims are 200 to 400 percent more efficient than regular old Energy Star rated windows.
Many other firms sell windows, and many of those meet the Energy Star designation; windows must at least meet that test to qualify for receiving a tax credit.
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Tags: · Alliance to Save Energy, Energy Star, Home Improvements, Serious Windows, Tax Credits, windows
EPA lauds 25 U.S. cities with most Energy Star Buildings
By Harriet Blake
Green Right Now
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized 25 U.S. cities for having the most Energy Star buildings in 2008.
The top 10 are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Atlanta and Seattle.
Los Angeles ranked first with 262 buildings earning the Energy Star rating, which can be applied to rehabbed and new properties. San Francisco had 194 buildings; Houston, 145; Washington D.C., 136 and Dallas, 126.
Energy Star, the EPA’s label for high efficiency, sets standards for everthing from light bulbs and appliances to buildings.
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Tags: · Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Energy Star, Galleria North Tower, Green Valley ELementary, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Houston, J.C. Penney, LEED, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seatle, U.S. Green Building Council, Washington DC
Get green in your apartment, condo or townhome
By Laura Elizabeth May
Green Right Now
Meredith Henderson was on a mission, she wanted to make composting available where she lived. But she is among of the one-third of Americans who do not own their own homes.
 “I do feel that apartment dwellers are often left out of the green movement because of the fact that their options are limited by their landlord’s willingness to create those options within their buildings,” said 25 year-old Henderson.
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Tags: · Belkin, Cars, Catalogs, condos, Energy Star, green apartments, green cleaning, indoor plants, surge protects, townhomes
Heal your “sick” house with a green retrofit
February 27th, 2009 · 1 Comment
By Harriet Blake
When a member of your family is sick, you probably call the doctor. But what about when your home is sick? Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters is probably not an option, but invisible house issues need to be dealt with.
A house might be considered “sick” if it never seems warm enough, cool enough or maybe has utility bills that are sky high.
That’s when you want to call in a specialist in sustainable home retrofitting. It’s a relatively new field, although bits and pieces of the industry have been around for a while, just not under one roof, so to speak.
Mike Rogers, senior vice president of GreenHomes America in Syracuse, N.Y. and Irvine, Ca., calls it one-stop shopping. And more and more companies are emerging that can handle the multitude of tasks required for a full home retrofit.
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Tags: · Asdal Builders, BPI, Building Performance Institute, Energy Star, Green Homes, GreenHomes America, retrofit, San Francisco, Sustainable Spaces, Syracuse
NY tip: Curb your kilowatts with power management
From Green Right Now reports
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has issued a list of cost-effective products to help New Yorkers save energy and money. But these suggestions apply, no matter where you live.
“Using power management products is one of the easiest steps to saving energy at home,” New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Francis J. Murray Jr. said in a statement. “These devices, coupled with simple energy-saving actions, will help New Yorkers further reduce their power consumption while increasing their energy savings.”
The agency is recommending four products to help people curb their power consumption:
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Tags: · Energy Star, New York State Energy Research and Development Authorit, Power consumption
Tighter energy guidelines for dishwashers
By Barbara Kessler
Our refrigerators, which can be the biggest electricity hogs of all household appliances, have been getting the once-over from the Energy Star program for several years now, with those bright yellow tags alerting us to what sort of electrical consumption we can expect. Washers and dryers, ditto.
Now our dishwashers, which have been [...]
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Tags: · dishwashers, Energy Star, water
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The EPA announced today it has revised the qualifications for televisions to achieve the Energy Star label, requiring TVs to be 40 percent more energy efficient than conventional models.
