Southern Nevada Solar Home Tour

October is my favorite month in Southern Nevada. The summer heat is waning and the cooler nights are delightful. It also happens to be National Energy Awareness Month. It sounds like the perfect time to visit and learn about solar homes, don’t you think? The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) agrees, and their annual National […]

A Time of Momentous Change

This is a time of momentous change, the kind of historically-significant, mind-altering transition that shapes the entire world far into the future. This week, it came to Las Vegas cleverly disguised as the National Clean Energy Summit 5.0: Power of Choice. Tuesday’s summit was indeed about the Power of Choice, and our choices are more […]

Tour of Solar Homes

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 […]

Bathing with Sunlight

I enjoy writing this column and sharing ideas about living lighter on the planet. I think it works best when I write about real experiences, especially my own. Several years ago I set a goal to install a solar domestic hot water system. This week, I checked that one off the list. Now, most of […]

Taking Back Our Future

Last week’s National Clean Energy Summit provided a partial snapshot of the status of our nation’s shift toward clean energy. It featured a wide range of presentations representing green building, military, commerce, transportation, utilities, manufacturing and labor interests. The message was strong and clear: Renewable energy along with a vast array of innovative technology is […]

Green Revolution and the Clean Energy Summit

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 […]

Celebrate Independence

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 […]

Can’t Have it Both Ways

Energy Use: Perception vs. Reality I’ve done energy surveys on hundreds of homes to determine their suitability for renewable energy systems. One thing that I’ve learned is that many people are out of touch with energy reality. This is especially true in the U.S. where we’ve experienced more energy abundance (and waste) than any previous […]

Solar Increases Home’s Value

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 Insanity of Nuclear Energy

Lately it’s difficult to think about anything except the recent horrific events in Japan. My heart goes out to everyone involved. Disasters like the earthquake and tsunami are mostly unavoidable; they are a natural part of our planet’s evolution. The ongoing nuclear disaster is another story. The world would be quite a different place without […]