Sustainable Design Update

by Matthew Grocoff, Esq. LEED

Read the name of this blog again.  This is what Sustainable Design is all about.  Nest Labs, founded by former Apple wizards from the iPod and iPhone design team, announced today the launch of a thermostat that “learns,” making it simpler than ever to program schedules and, even better, save energy.

Nest has Auto-Away sensors.  It knows when you’re not home and adjusts the thermostat for you.  You can access and adjust the thermostat from a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

I’m curious how this might work with a geothermal system and avoid pitfalls of using higher energy stages and auxiliary heating to bring up temps when you return.  Nevertheless, Cool School just got a new quarterback.  With a few hundred million thermostats out there, this baby is going to find a few dates to the prom.

I’ve posted a video on my Google Plus page – check it out.   Google+

http://www.nest.com/

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by Matt Grocoff, Esq. LEED

Vermont households and businesses expended $2.5 billion on all forms of energy in 2009.  In 2011, this green mountain state found itself under water from a hurricane.  Now the state is making a push to provide 90% of the state’s energy from renewables by mid-century.

Before you start your celebration you should note that in their infinite wisdom Vermont considers tree-fueled biomass energy to be renewable.  Nevertheless, the state is making an aggressive push for solar and wind projects.

Read Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan:  http://www.vtenergyplan.vermont.gov/

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by Matt Grocoff, Esq. LEED

Read the full article via OldHouseWeb

Steve Jobs used design to change the world.  He created the products needed to get us to a future he imagined. Jobs brought us the iPod, iPhone and iPad to engage in the same basic functions as other products.

Jobs insisted that, like a refrigerator, Mac products were appliances; you shouldn’t need to know much to use one.

I found three energy-saving products while at the Greenbuild International Conference in Toronto last week that are worthy of your home and maybe of Steve Jobs’ love.

1.  ecobee Smart Thermostat

They’re are plenty of programmable thermostats on the market.  But, if the interface feels like you are looking for a secret passage in an old Donkey Kong game then they are useless.  The ecobee Smart Thermostat is designed so that you can actually use it.

ecobee.com

2.  Philips AmbientLED

The Phillips AmbientLED is the first true LED replacement for a 60W incandescent light bulb.  It’s a got a warm 2700k color and a bright 800 lumen output.

Phillips AmbientLED

3.  Lutron Maestro Dimmer Switch / Vacancy Sensor

The Lutron Maestro is one of the first residential, consumer friendly dimmer switches that comes with a vacancy sensor.

Read the full article via OldHouseWeb

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E-Genius Electric Airplane

Known primarily for the space program,  the International Space Station, orbiting telescopes and robots on Mars, NASA also inspires new airplane designs that are an order of magnitude more efficient and much quieter than current models.

Shown above the e-Genius aircraft takes off during the 2011 Green Flight Challenge, sponsored by Google,  in September 2011.  The NASA CAFE  (Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency) program has been working for decades to create more efficient, even electric aircraft.  The results this year are several designs that get over 200 passenger miles per gallon or if flown solo, 100 mpg.  Better than my Prius unless I drive with 3 passengers in my car.

More at NASA

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by Matt Grocoff, Esq. LEED

Soaking in a hot tub after a walk around one of the most beautiful lakes in America. Relaxing by the fire after a fine meal downtown. Slipping between soft sheets at the end of a perfect day. Welcome to your next “green” vacation.

This exceptionally ambitious venture boasts solar, wind, geothermal and an aerobic mound system.   Fritz Kreiss and his wife, Catherine McQueen are the creators of The Green Leaf Inn located in Delavan, Wisconsin and will have 19 luxurious rooms.  The 50kW wind turbine will help produce as much energy as the hotel’s occupants consume.  This may be the first hotel in North America to achieve net-zero energy.

http://www.thegreenleafinn.com/

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by Matt Grocoff, Esq. LEED

A couple years ago when I launched Greenovation.TV I posted a video from Brazil about a creative hack to turn soda bottles filled with water into 50 watt equivalent lights. After 700,000 hits on that video, I just found another cool BBC video about a similar use of these inexpensive sun tunnels.

A simple initiative in the Philippines is bringing a bit of brightness into the lives of the country’s poorest people.  The project is called “Litre of Light”, and the technology involved is just a plastic bottle filled with water.  It’s an environmentally-friendly alternative to an electric light bulb, and it’s virtually free.

via BBC

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