Recent Green Living Posts
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By Steve Rypka on November 3rd, 2011
 Seven years ago, Southern Nevada experienced its first Solar Home Tour. At the time, I was involved with a great non-profit group called Solar NV, the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). I had attended a few solar home tours in Arizona and they were always a great experience. Our group decided it was time for folks in our local communities to have that same opportunity. That first tour was a resounding success and everyone had a great time. Thus, a tradition was born.
This year marks the seventh anniversary of the Southern Nevada Solar Home Tour. It will take place this Saturday, November 5th from 10 AM until 4 PM and is open to the public. Organized by the dedicated volunteers at Solar NV, this year’s tour will be another great opportunity to meet face to face with neighbors around the valley who live with renewable energy on a daily basis. Sponsors include Bombard Renewable Energy, Geary Company, and Southwest Gas.
Continue reading Tour of Solar Homes.
By Steve Rypka on October 6th, 2011
Most of us use a computer these days and, like everything technical, they evolve. They also tend to get slower over time. Eventually, it’s time to upgrade. If you are savvy, your old PC will be responsibly recycled. The Blind Center of Nevada has a fantastic program to handle that. It is part of the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Reducing and reusing products take priority over recycling though, since they have the …(more)
Continue reading Computers and Humanity to Others
By Steve Rypka on August 11th, 2011
 Recent malfunctions in our home’s irrigation system have wreaked havoc with my water efficiency efforts. The real problem wasn’t the leak, sometimes things happen and occasional maintenance is necessary. The issue was that the leak went undetected until weeks later when the water bill showed up.
Water is a basic human right and is priced relatively low for a good reason: We need it to survive. But one unintended consequence is that we also tend to take it for granted, even here in the parched Mojave, the driest desert on the continent and one of the driest areas in the world. In a place where we should value every drop of every gallon, it’s still considered acceptable, even normal, to detect leaks after the fact. I can only imagine how many others have the same experience every month and the cumulative waste it represents.
Continue reading Thoughts on Water Use in the Mojave Desert.
By Steve Rypka on June 30th, 2011
 Nothing is more important to the human spirit than freedom. People sacrifice their lives so that others may experience it. As we celebrate our country’s independence this weekend, friends and family will gather for barbeques and many homes will display the flag. In addition to displaying a symbol of our patriotism, our homes and businesses represent a vital opportunity that, if we choose to take action, can do more to strengthen and enhance our freedom than almost anything else.
Continue reading Celebrate Independence.
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 January 13th, 2011
 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 in the room for several minutes. I smiled at the reminder that this was a LEED certified facility. Energy efficiency is part of its DNA. After one step through the door, the lights came on, acknowledging my arrival.
Continue reading Getting a Green Workout.
By Steve Rypka on November 4th, 2010
 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. The requirement could be waived if both seller and buyer agreed to do so. To allow time for the industry to prepare, the activation date was set for January of 2011. I won’t bore you with the torturous details, but the bottom line is that due to opposition from industry trade groups, primarily the Nevada Association of Realtors, it may not happen. This would be a tragic outcome for the citizens of Nevada.
Continue reading Energy Audits are the High Road.
By Steve Rypka on June 3rd, 2010
 Energy efficiency has never been more important or more urgently needed. Our homes are taking on a new and very important role in terms of energy: they are becoming an integral and active part of the electric grid system. The existing model of electrical generation, distribution and use, one that has basically changed little for over one hundred years, is about to take a major leap forward. The change will provide benefits in the form of lower energy costs, greater comfort and control, increased reliability and security, and environmental healing.
The premise is relatively simple: greater efficiency, real-time load management (down to the micro level), distributed generation and renewable energy. Homes will generate energy, share it with others when it makes the most sense, as well as use it much more wisely. The integration of these concepts will forever transform and improve the way we use energy while providing a major part of the solution to some of society’s most pressing issues. The details are complex and will take some time, but the seeds of change have already taken root and are sprouting. It’s a paradigm shift that will transform not only our homes, but our energy utility companies as well. Continue reading Energy Evolution: Efficiency is Key.
By Steve Rypka on April 22nd, 2010
 April 22 should be a GLOBAL holiday of deep significance. Seriously, I mean that. I can’t think of any other day whose meaning carries greater potential or consequence for life. It should be a celebration, and calibration, of our future. Earth is home to all people; every religion, nationality, race and political persuasion – not to mention the millions of other species we share it with. Surely Earth Day should reign supreme as the Big Enchilada, the Mother of all Holidays. But in the overall scheme of our daily lives, it barely gets a nod in the mainstream media.
Continue reading Earth Day – or rather, Eaarth Day.
By Steve Rypka on April 8th, 2010
 Every cloud has a green lining. They say that every cloud has a silver lining. That might be even more appropriate here in the Silver State, since the clouds caused by the housing market have caused more than a passing shadow. However, the sun is beginning to peek through, and it’s shining a bright light on some activities in the housing market that not only have a silver lining, but perhaps even gold or platinum.
I’m talking about two projects, one quite old (by Las Vegas standards) and the other brand new. Both are equally exciting and represent a new wave of housing development that is just getting underway in Southern Nevada.
Continue reading Housing’s Silver Lining.
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Seven years ago, Southern Nevada experienced its first Solar Home Tour. At the time, I was involved with a great non-profit group called Solar NV, the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). I had attended a few solar home tours in Arizona and they were always a great experience. Our group decided it was time for folks in our local communities to have that same opportunity. That first tour was a resounding success and everyone had a great time. Thus, a tradition was born.
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