Recent Green Living Posts | By Steve Rypka on May 5th, 2011  My wife and I live and work in a solar-powered home. I’m writing this from my office using a computer running on the freshest electrons you can get, produced just a few feet away, from photons only eight minutes old. That’s how long it takes light to travel 93 million miles from the sun to the photovoltaic panels on our roof. Everything we do here that uses electricity is powered by them. 100%.
A small device called a Sunny Beam sits on my desk displaying information about our energy production. As I write this, there are some high clouds so we’re not at maximum but the system is still cranking out nearly five thousand watts of clean, renewable energy – much more than we’re currently using. The extra power is going to the grid, spinning our meter backwards. Continue reading Solar Increases Home’s Value. By Steve Rypka on April 23rd, 2011  We live in interesting times. Never before have we witnessed so much change in so little time. Whether we resist or embrace change, it is still inevitable, but if we actively embrace the changes we like we can often minimize the change we’d prefer to avoid.
For example, almost everyone in this country uses some sort of fossil or other non-renewable fuel to heat water. We all like the convenience, but few of us like the changes that are occurring on the planet due to greenhouse gases or nuclear catastrophes. Solar hot water systems can help change that. In January I wrote about new solar hot water system incentives and mentioned that Southwest Gas was due to roll out a new program soon. The Southwest Gas Nevada Smarter Greener Better Solar Water Heating Program (that’s the official name in its glorious entirety) is now up and running. Continue reading Solar Hot Water – Be the Change!. By Steve Rypka on January 27th, 2011  Timing is everything, as the saying goes, and that certainly applies to act of purchasing a renewable energy system. There seems to be a constantly changing landscape of costs, rebates, incentives and supply that influence the final price of these systems. It would be great if we could gaze into a crystal ball to determine the precise moment of maximum benefit. The next best thing is to stay informed and that’s where this column can help.
The trick is to act like any self-respecting business, taking advantage of market forces, tax credits and other incentives to maximize shareholder return on investment. In this case, you and your family are the shareholders. Companies plan for the long term and that’s a strategy that certainly applies when it comes to investing in renewable energy. Continue reading New Solar Thermal Incentives. By Steve Rypka on September 23rd, 2010  Years ago, I travelled to Arizona to attend solar home tours. First it was Tucson, then a year or so later, Flagstaff and Prescott. Each one was a great experience. I met homeowners who benefitted from doing things differently. Best of all was their willingness to share their experiences with others.
I’ll never forget seeing my first straw bale home. The natural feel of the walls and the thick, inviting window ledges seemed to envelope those inside. I remember speaking with one homeowner as he proudly displayed his solar heating and cooling system. Yes, in the extremely hot climate of Tucson, AZ he cooled his home using passive and active solar technology and design, with very little electricity. I learned a lot from that conversation. Continue reading Solar Home Tour. By Steve Rypka on May 20th, 2010  Back in the days of old, taking a warm shower was a luxury that few could afford on a regular basis. Water had to be fetched from a well or stream, then heated by fire from wood chopped by hand in the forest (assuming there was one nearby). It took a lot of effort to make it all happen, but oh, how sweet the reward!
As an adventurous teenager, I lived briefly in a small, humble abode (actually the term shack is more accurate) on the slopes of the dormant Haleakala volcano on Maui. There was no running water inside, but plenty outside in the form of a small mountain stream. A short walk down a verdant path, through trees laden with fruit, led to a clear, natural pool at the base of a semi-circular twenty-foot cliff. From the top, a beautiful waterfall poured into the pool – my personal, all natural shower. Continue reading Personal Waterfall. By Steve Rypka on May 6th, 2010  The oil spill off the Louisiana shore is exacting a huge toll on the environment. Another thread is being pulled from the grand tapestry of life and, no matter how distant, it affects us all. Fingers are being pointed in plenty of directions, but how many of us take personal responsibility for the disaster? We have all contributed.
We’ve grown up in a society based on the oil standard. It’s so ingrained in our culture that we barely give it a thought. Yet at this point in time, we are utterly dependent on oil for almost everything we take for granted in modern life, either directly or indirectly. Here in the southwest, we don’t use fuel oil for heating our homes, but most of our communities are designed around the fact that nearly everyone has (or needs) a car. Thus, even our homes are at least indirectly responsible for our rapacious appetite for oil. Continue reading Ending Our Addiction to Oil. By Steve Rypka on January 15th, 2009 The left side of the street faces south. The north-facing side is in shade. A few days after the snow fell, it's clear which side is warmest. I love winters in Southern Nevada! In fact, just about anytime from October to June is fine by me, but deep winter is special. I suppose it’s a stretch to call our relatively mild and brief period of cool weather “deep winter” but hey, it’s all …(more) Continue reading Let the Sun Shine In | The Clark County Library District is sponsoring a series of five presentations on Green Living to be held at the West Charleston Library. I hope you can join us!
Download the flyer (PDF). Green Transportation: Getting Over Oil Thursday, May 31 6:30 p.m. The future of transportation is exciting and changing rapidly. Learn how people are saying adiós to the gas pump, saving money and helping the environment. |
My wife and I live and work in a solar-powered home. I’m writing this from my office using a computer running on the freshest electrons you can get, produced just a few feet away, from photons only eight minutes old. That’s how long it takes light to travel 93 million miles from the sun to the photovoltaic panels on our roof. Everything we do here that uses electricity is powered by them. 100%.
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