GreenDream - The Art of Green Living » efficient

From Daylighting to Moonlighting

Steve — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:26:46 +0000

Green buildings perform well by incorporating a variety of ways to increase efficiency and enhance occupant comfort. Perhaps one of the most common strategies is daylighting, a means of utilizing natural light for interior illumination. It not only reduces energy usage, but provides natural, full-spectrum light that enhances our well-being.

When an architect designs a new green building, they might employ several daylighting techniques. Obviously, window location, size, type and orientation play a key ...(more)

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Recreating the American Home – The Passive House Approach

Steve — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 07:25:53 +0000

I found a great book and I’m recommending it to anyone who would like to know more about just what a high-performance home can be. It’s called “Recreating the American Home: The Passive House Approach” by Mary James. The publisher is Low Carbon Productions.

Ms. James has put together an extraordinary and diverse collection of profiles describing homes built using the Passive House approach. The small but very informative book is easy on the ...(more)

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Cool and Green

Steve — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 07:02:05 +0000

Green living happens when we apply conscious thought to everyday life; when vision coupled with planning intersect at appropriate times. Setting yourself up for success is the key.

Since summer is here, let’s use an appropriate example. Most of us would not care to live in Southern Nevada without modern air-conditioning systems. We depend on them to get us comfortably through months of extremely hot temperatures. Like all equipment, they require regular maintenance, periodic ...(more)

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Passive House – Ultra Efficiency

Steve — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:04:24 +0000

This column often explores the exciting transformation taking place in the building industry. Green building programs have grown and multiplied at an amazing rate in recent years. We’ve looked at Energy Star, LEED and even the Living Building Challenge. These programs are important because they raise the bar and provide real-world examples of what is possible, not just what is permissible. They drive innovation and change.

Each program has its own unique approach but ...(more)

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Getting a Green Workout

Steve — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:01:42 +0000

I got to the gym a little late yesterday and it was already dark outside. After checking in at the desk at Sun City Anthem’s Liberty Center, I headed for the locker room. As I opened the door, the lights were out and it was pitch black inside. It wasn’t that late and the place was not closing down. The lights had been shut off automatically by a sensor that had not detected anyone ...(more)

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Energy Audits are the High Road

Steve — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:01:08 +0000

When we have a choice to make, taking the high road means choosing the honorable or ethical course over some lesser alternative. In terms of housing efficiency, Nevada has a choice to promote an ethical path toward increased home energy efficiency and savings, or to maintain the dismal and expensive status quo.

I’m referring to legislation passed in 2007 to require a professional home energy audit whenever an older home is sold in Nevada. ...(more)

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