Summers in Colorado can be anywhere from mild to fiery and now’s the time to give your home an energy audit to make sure bills don’t bleed you dry with the changing of season. Here are a few tips for ways to ensure your home is energy efficient and won’t cost you an arm and a leg this summer:
Check your seals: Windows and doors are the primary place air escapes from homes, so getting them checked for leaks is a good idea before the weather gets too hot. Up to 40 of air conditioner (continua…)
>Comments Off
Wood burning fireplaces are a great choice if you are an environmentally healthy and watchful consumer, and still want to have a fireplace in your home. But, if you live in a big city, or an urban location, many of your neighbors may not be as environmentally “green,” as you are, and may in fact complain about the use of wood burning fireplaces. Although they are much healthier and cause no noxious gases to the environment, they can emit a stronger odor, get things dirtier than a traditional electric (continua…)
>Comments Off
In the opinion of many environmentalists, there are two main aspects to becoming environmentally conscious. The overriding aspect of preserving natural resources like gas and oil and the less known aspect of preserving human health by restricting the pollutants into the air we breathe. Fireplaces are not only cozy when lit on a cold winter’s night, but they are always environmentally conscious since they allow for a natural exchange of air from within the house and without. Most homes are shut up in the (continua…)
>Comments Off
There are many concerns that arise about car conversion kits, and if they really work. If you want to make sure that they are really reliable before purchasing one, the best thing to do is to visit an established retailer of electric car parts prior to your purchase. Many people have gotten bad luck with them, while others have purchased some that have been reliable for them. It all depends on the type you get, and the place that you get it from. There is (continua…)
>Comments Off
Methanol is an alternative fuel that can be mixed with petroleum or ethanol. It can be used in car engines and many other types of engines. It is promising in our oil-dependent world because it can be made from sources besides oil. For instance, it can be made from wood or coal or natural gas.
So, even when the resources are non-renewable–like they are in the case of coal and natural gas–there are still many benefits to producing methanol. Methanol (continua…)
>Comments Off
Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is a combustible, clear liquid that comes from fermented sugars found in corn, soybeans, sugarcane and other crops. The brilliant aspect of ethyl alcohol is that it works in a similar way to gasoline, which is why it has become a fuel substitute and additive. The letter “E” paired with a number is the symbol used to show the concentration of ethanol in a fuel. For example, E85, a common alcohol fuel concentration, is made of 85 percent alcohol mixed with 15 percent gasoline.
The ethyl alcohol must be distilled and dehydrated (continua…)
>Comments Off
As much as we love to hike, bike, and be active in Colorado, we live in an age where daily life requires us to sit down, buckle up, and drive sometimes. We do this knowing that our cars, vans, and trucks are burning through one of our most precious energy sources and releasing toxins into the environment as a result. While there are many dedicated reformists who get by without a set of four wheels, they have made sacrifices to do so that (continua…)
>Comments Off
I love it when I can comment on something that I’ve heard and read about, ultimately tried it for myself, and can attest that everything I took in was actually correct!So is the case with a programmable thermostat that we installed a little over a month ago. And guess what? I received the heating bill yesterday (after a full month of running time since installation) and we saved a whopping 32 over this same month last year; and while I haven’t actually checked the weather comparison via an almanac, I can tell you that we had a white Christmas and three days of county offices shutdown due to snow. So yes, it’s been cold this year.If you’re like me you’re motivated by money, so the monthly financial savings alone may entice you to head out and install your own model; but if you need further convincing, consider these additional benefits to (continua…)
>Comments Off
Bing Crosby may have sung about longing for a white Christmas a lot of years ago but times are changing and there are a lot of people who believe a green Christmas is far preferred. And before you imagine we’re talking about green snow we’re not. We’re talking about ways to survive the holiday season without browning the world around us. We’re in Colorado and we love our environment, so why would we set that aside during the holidays by burning excessive lighting to illuminate the exterior of our houses, use excessive energy to buy gifts, and waste precious paper resources to wrap them? Not wanting to come across as a Grinch, but we do offer these two tips that might keep the life of Christmas around for many more years to come without seeing it disappear in the ozone.
1.If you must use lights, choose LED. These little gems use 90 percent less energy which means less greenhouse gas emissions. And by all means use a timer! Yep, it might be nice to have your holiday lights on as dusk descends, but do they really need to be on all night (trust us; Santa really doesn’t need them to find your house). Do yourself (and the environment) a favor and get hooked up to a timer to take the waste out of the lighting display. 2.Start saving the newspaper to use as wrapping paper instead of buying pre-printed (and costly) options. You can even use a red marker to draw a bow instead of using a real one. Since when was the use of wrapping paper considered more significant than the actual gift? That’s kind of skewed thinking, wouldn’t you agree?
And should you need one more incentive to get you to start making changes, you might be interested to learn (continua…)
>Comments Off
Solar energy is one of the best sources of energy. In Colorado, multiple residents have incorporated solar energy into their homes. So much so, that the Colorado Renewable Energy Society holds an annual Colorado Tour of Solar Homes. But how does solar energy work and where can you get the systems for yourself?Colorado Solar Inc. has been in business since 2002. The company provides photovoltaic systems (which use sun to create electricity) to fourteen different Colorado areas: such as Summit County, Glenwood Springs, and Aspen. (continua…)
>Comments Off