Recent Green Living Posts
|
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 July 28th, 2011
 Think about this: We are living during an incredibly unique period in the ongoing history of humanity.
How often did that same thought cross the minds of our ancestors? Did the first generation of farmers realize the profound impact the agricultural revolution would have on the formation of modern society? In the early years of the industrial revolution, did anyone have even an inkling of what they were setting into motion? These key turning points in the development of our species have dramatically changed the world. As important as they were, they will pale in comparison to the Next Big Thing. I’m talking about the new Green Revolution.
Continue reading Green Revolution and the Clean Energy Summit.
By Steve Rypka on June 2nd, 2011
 Green Living is an attitude more than anything else. At its core, there is deep caring and a sense of value for things that often do not carry an obvious price tag. Sure, anyone with ample cash can go out and buy a bunch of green stuff: a hybrid car, an efficient house or a rooftop solar array for example, but that’s not really the essence of it. The best formula for success includes the persistence, patience and vision to actually live an environmentally responsible life in the best possible way.
No one better exemplifies that spirit than Las Vegas resident Jane Feldman. She is a recognized leader in local environmental issues and has spent countless hours volunteering her time, energy and expertise to improve the quality of life in Nevada. She has played a key role in the Sierra Club, currently serving as Conservation Chair and Energy Chair. For many, that would be enough, but Feldman also walks her talk.
Continue reading Jane Feldman’s Green Home.
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 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.
By Steve Rypka on March 11th, 2010
 A PV array is installed on another Nevada rooftop. There is some good news on Nevada’s renewable energy scene. For those of you who have been waiting for the right opportunity to invest in a solar electric (photovoltaic or PV) system for your home or business, this might be the time to jump in. Prices are down, efficiency is up, incentives are strong and the return on investment for solar has never looked better.
Continue reading SolarGenerations Rebate Program.
By Steve Rypka on December 3rd, 2009
 I was pleased by a recent report detailing the substantial rise in property values in certain neighborhoods that are now the most desirable in the Las Vegas Valley. It was not completely unexpected. Ever since the light rail system was completed back in 2015, the value of nearby homes and businesses really took off. Ridership is more than double the projections. Everyone now wonders why Las Vegans took so long to build one in the first place.
Continue reading Future Vision.
By Steve Rypka on September 10th, 2009
I’m writing this column from the heart of California’s Sierra Nevada range near Yosemite National Park. It’s beautiful here and not as hot as Las Vegas in early September, but there is ample evidence of rising temperatures as the effects of climate change become increasingly obvious.
The wide-spread bark beetle infestation in the western U.S. has resulted in large numbers of dead or dying trees. And California’s fire season is now seemingly without end, …(more)
Continue reading Living Lighter to Save the Pika
By Steve Rypka on June 4th, 2009
We’ve all heard a lot about green jobs lately. But what exactly is a green job? When are they coming? Where can a person find one? A lot of people want to know how they can make a living while making a difference.
While I believe that any job in any company can be “greened” with the right attitude and attention to detail, there are some that fall squarely in the green job category. …(more)
Continue reading HomeFree Nevada
|
|
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.
Recent Comments