What is Geothermal Energy?

Geothermal energy is defined as heat from the Earth. It is a clean, renewable resource that provides energy in the U.S. and around the world in a variety of applications and resources. Although areas with telltale signs like hot springs are more obvious and are often the first places geothermal resources are used, the heat of the earth is available everywhere, and we are learning to use it in a broader diversity of circumstances. It is considered a renewable resource because the heat emanating from the interior of the Earth is essentially limitless. The heat continuously flowing from the Earth’s interior, which travels primarily by conduction, is estimated to be equivalent to 42 million megawatts (MW) of power, and is expected to remain so for billions of years to come, ensuring an inexhaustible supply of energy.

Energy Meters with Refund Checks.

Your taxes are in. And if you're expecting a refund, using it to buy an energy meter could be the best investment you make this year.
Just like financial planning, energy conservation is made a whole lot easier when you have a baseline to work from and know what you're spending.
At a "Town Hall" meeting in March, President Barack Obama once again noted the importance of metering. While he was talking about smart meters, which will be able to help you tap into the new national smart grid we're all dreaming of, there's no reason we shouldn't ask our new administration for metering options in the meantime.
Energy and education experts have said metering provides easy-to-use, practical information that often serves as the impetus for behavior change. By some estimates, meters can result in savings up to 15 percent almost immediately.
If you can plug your air-conditioning unit into a $25 meter and discover within seconds your A/C is eating up unnecessary amounts of energy--and your bank account--you may be inspired to brave a degree or two, or completely unplug.
Other governments, such as the U.K.'s, are already ahead of the curve, providing meters for households. The U.K.'s meter program is part of the country's goal to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 60 percent by 2050.
If you can't wait for the administration, head to Home Depot, or set up an Internet-based home energy monitoring system. Google's PowerMeter--an online dashboard to help you gauge energy use and decide where to cut--is expected on the market soon.

What is Carbon Footprint?

Global climate change is one of humanity’s greatest challenges and one of the most important indicators that we are in ecological overshoot. Since the carbon footprint is 50 percent of humanity’s overall Ecological Footprint, reducing our carbon footprint is essential to ending ecological overshoot.
Today the spotlight is on carbon, but climate change is happening as we approach other critical limits in fisheries, forests, cropland, and water. Unless we focus on ending overshoot as a whole-systems problem, some of our solutions to global warming could cause large, unintended impacts. In the rush toward biofuels, for example, we are in many cases shifting pressure to cropland and forestland.
Today, the term “carbon footprint” is being used as shorthand for the amount of carbon (usually in tonnes) being emitted by an activity or organization. The carbon component of the Ecological Footprint goes beyond this definition and translates this amount of carbon dioxide into the amount of forest area required to sequester carbon dioxide emissions. This tells us the demand on the planet that results from burning fossil fuels.
This doesn’t mean planting forests is the solution to climate change. It shows us the planet doesn’t have the capacity to sequester all the carbon dioxide we are emitting.
The Ecological Footprint ensures that we can identify the best long term solutions and that our solutions truly “add up.” Whether we are deciding which carbon offsets are the most effective or which energy sources will lead us into the future, the Ecological Footprint tells us whether our solutions lead us out of overshoot and toward one planet living.

What is a Cool Roof?

A cool roof is one that reflects the sun’s heat and emits absorbed radiation back into the atmosphere. The roof literally stays cooler and reduces the amount of heat transferred to the building below, keeping the building a cooler and more constant temperature. Imagine wearing a white or a black T-shirt on a hot day. By wearing the white T-shirt you will remain cooler than if you wore a black T-shirt because it reflects more sunlight and absorbs less heat. Cool roofs like a white T-shirt, keep the internal temperature of the building cooler.
However, a cool roof need not be white. There are many “cool color” products which use darker-colored pigments that are highly reflective in the near infrared (non-visible) portion of the solar spectrum. With “cool color” technologies there are roofs that come in a wide variety of colors and still maintain a high solar reflectance.
The two basic characteristics that determine the ‘coolness’ of a roof are solar reflectance (SR) and thermal emittance (TE). Both properties are rated on a scale from 0 to 1, where 1 is the most reflective or emissive.
The CRRC measures these two properties for roofing products, both for the product’s initial values and after three years of weather exposure. The CRRC publishes the results on the online Rated Products Directory. The online Directory is available to the general public at no charge, and it allows you to compare the rated values of various product types and brands.

Discovering the Types of Solar

Solar water heating (SWH) systems are de-
signed to heat water for residential use. These
systems typically consist of collectors, a control-
ler, a storage tank, a delivery system, and—in
most parts of the country—some sort of freeze
protection. These components can be com-
bined in different ways. There are two types of
systems: active, which have circulating pumps
and controls, and passive, which don’t. Most
SWH systems require a well-insulated storage
tank, which has an additional outlet and inlet
connected to and from the collector. SWH sys-
tems are both reliable and economical, usually
paying for themselves in a few years.
Some manufacturers have developed packaged
systems and streamlined installation processes
that make it much easier to incorporate SWH
into your building schedules.

Solar electric (photovoltaic or PV) systems
are made up of modules containing PV cells
that generate direct current (DC) electricity
when exposed to sunlight. An inverter converts
the DC power to the alternating current (AC)
electricity that’s necessary to power the home.
These PV systems have been tested to rigorous
standards by public and private organizations.
They have no moving parts, require almost
no maintenance, and last for decades. A solar
energy system will have nearly the same output
in year 25 as it did on day 1.
Today’s PV systems come in a range of efficien-
cies and configurations. PV systems with mod-
ules that are mounted on top of existing roofing
are still the most common, but building inte-
grated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems are gaining
in popularity. In a BIPV system, the modules do
double duty—they generate electricity AND can
replace traditional building materials such as
roof shingles and window awnings.

Water Efficient Landscaping.

It has been estimated that nearly 50 percent of the water
used by the average household goes for the outdoor land-
scape and turfgrass areas. Any improvements that
homeowners make to conserve water in the home landscape
can result in significant savings.
Reducing outdoor water use doesn’t mean replacing
lawns and trees with plastic and gravel, or turning flower
gardens into cactus gardens. Water conserving landscapes
don’t have to look any different or cost any more than water
wasting ones. A well thought-out design, along with soil
improvement, careful watering, use of mulches, and proper
selection of plants can make a big difference in your water
Even when water is in ample supply, reducing water use
is a good idea. It lessens the demand on rural and municipal
water supplies and treatment plants. It can greatly decrease
your maintenance time and equipment costs. Also, a
landscape with a record of low water bills may add to the
resale value of your home.
Here's 5 easy steps:
1. Make a plan.
2. Improve soil conditions.
3. Choose appropriate quality plants.
4. Water slowly, deeply and infrequently.
5. Make use of mulch.