If you have been waiting for the right time to apply for a solar system rebate through NV Energy, this is your reminder. Rebate applications are only accepted during certain windows and one of them is currently open. In past years the program used a first-come, first-served application process that produced a mad rush at […]
Recreating the American Home – The Passive House Approach
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 […]
Cool and Green
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 […]
Energy Audits are the High Road
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 […]
Smart Meters
In my previous column, I emphasized the incredible amount of energy we use in our daily lives and how it is often taken for granted. A reader subsequently expressed his willingness to conserve energy but also conveyed some trepidation about NV Energy’s new “smart meter” program that is getting underway in Nevada. It seems that […]
Energy Evolution: Efficiency is Key
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 […]
Corn, Oil & Electric Rates
I recently attended a series of seminars designed to inform realtors, lenders, appraisers and builders about the importance of energy efficiency and green building. The program, hosted by the Green Alliance/Nevada Energy Star Partners, featured Sam Rashkin, the national director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star for Homes program. The seminars were very informative […]