Looking for an affordable and eco-friendly solution to keeping your home or office cool in the summer and warm in the winter? The All Climate Heat Pump (ACHP) from Hallowell may be the perfect solution for you. When you install an ACHP, you won’t need any other system to heat or cool your property. There’s no need for fuel lines, storage tanks, chimneys, oil trucks or potentially dangerous and harmful fuel no matter how cold the outside temperature becomes.

Unlike typical heat pumps, there is no need for supplemental heat when the temperatures dip below freezing. Instead, the ACHP utilizes patented Opti-Cycle™ Technology which  uses a second compressor in series with the main or primary compressor to increase the performance of the system. When temperatures fall below 30°F, there is a significant jump in the heat output that still allows the unit to maintain operating efficiencies of almost 300%. 
When temperatures soar during the hottest months of the year, the ACHP is an effective, efficient, and affordable cooling solution. The sytem’s compressor has the unique ability to run at half or full capacity, giving multi-staged cooling. The energy efficient system reads the thermostat to find out how far the indoor temperature is away from set-point,  automatically engaging the most efficient mode necessary for maintaining the desired temperature. This results in comfortable temperatures with reasonable energy expenses.
For more information, see Hallowell.com.

Using environmentally responsible products throughout your home is just as important as making sure that your living environment utilizes with energy-saving appliances and other green technologies to lessen environmental impact.

Arzu Rugs are the perfect practical flooring solution for environmentally responsible consumers. These organic, 100% handmade rugs are both eco-friendly and socially conscious. Each Arzu rug is hand crafted from hand-carded, handspun wool from Ghazni in central Afghanistan.

The rugs’ vibrant hues come from natural dyes derived from plants and fruits, including as madder root for red, pomegranate for yellow and walnut for beige. In the tradition of natural dyemaking, all elements are hand crushed and mixed into heated vats of water.

The rugs themselves are made in the home by Afghan women following centuries old traditions that involve separating individual strands of wool by hand to keep the fibers long. Raw materials are transported to the weavers using traditional methods, mainly via animals.

The proceeds from Arzu rug sales are reinvested in the weavers’ home communities, providing medical care and educational resources to the women, their children and the community as a whole. For more information, see ArzuRugs.org.

Participating companies simply turn their unwanted equipment over to
AnythingIT and its Recycle Tomorrow program. Anything IT removes all sensitive data from the hard drives in compliance with applicable government regulations. The organization then either refurbishes and resells the equipment, or disposes of it in an environmentally responsible manner that is in compliance with appropriate regulations.

This progress provides  a great way to extend the usable life of equipment that is still serviceable, while also allowing companies to dispose of computer equipment that is no longer useful in a manner that is both legal and eco-friendly.

Are you looking for a way to improve the environmentally friendly qualities of your current home? Wouldn’t it be great to make your home more eco-friendly while also finding a way to save money on your energy bill? It might be simpler than you think to do just that. The simple, and affordable, addition of awnings to your current home can help cool your home naturally during even the hottest months of summer.

According to a study conducted by the Center for Sustainable Building Research at the University of Minnesota and the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA), awnings can have a significant reduction on cooling energy. When used in conjunction with an air conditioner, awnings can reduce the amount of cooling energy used by homes by as much as 33 percent, depending on the climate in which the home is located. Awnings have such a powerful impact on cooling energy because they keep solar radiation from entering the home through the glass.

To learn more about how awnings can improve your home’s energy efficiency and save money on your cooling bill, see Awnings Today. 

When you’re looking for an environmentally responsible and energy efficient home that is affordable to build, and earth sheltered home from Earth Sheltered Technology might be exactly what you need.

Earth sheltered homes are among the most energy efficient of all structures. They can be heated with passive solar heat combined with natural heat from the ground, and never drop below 55 degrees, no matter how cold it gets outside. They are also among the safest dwellings available, and are not likely to experience damage from natural disasters such as tornadoes, fire, or lightning.

Earth Sheltered Technology has been building these types of homes since the 1980’s, and has won a variety of national awards for design and construction in recognition of it’s innovative work. You can see the designs available for construction at the Earth Sheltered Technology Website, and the company can also provide a list of homes it has built that you may be able to tour. 

Timber framing has been used as a construction technique for hundreds of years. This building technique provides a means of reducing the amount of lumber needed to build beautiful and environmentally friendly homes. Homes designed and constructed by Riverbend Timber Framing are constructed using the same techniques utilized in old fashioned barn raisings from centuries ago.

The process of manufacturing a timber framed home also utilizes significantly less energy than modern building techniques. For example, there is less need for cutting, fabricating, and kiln drying — each of which requires significant energy usage. There is also less waste from sawdust and lumber fragments.

Homes built by Riverbend Timber Framing are energy efficient, structurally sound, and naturally beautiful. For more information, see www.riverbendtf.com.
 

Straw bale home construction providing homeowners with an opportunity to create beautiful and environmentally friendly homes from sustainable materials with maximum energy efficiency. Straw bale home design has become the latest trend in green home design, utilizing organic waste materials to craft strong, safe, and incredibly well insulated living spaces.

Straw bales for home design are fashioned from the straw that is left over after grains are removed from grain plants such as wheat and rye. These by-products are bundled together to form bales. When they are stacked together to form walls, the result is a structure that is extremely well insulated from sound and temperature extremes, with a continuous insulation rating ranging between R30 and R40. This results in a significant savings when it comes to heating and cooling the home.

The exterior of a finished straw bale home is covered in stucco, and the interior walls are plaster. Straw bale walls end up being up to two feet thick, and they are extraordinarily strong. They are actually more fire safe than traditional wood frame construction. If you’re interested in learning more about building your own straw bale home, contact Thorne Design & Build for more information.  

Autobytel Inc.’s MyRide.com provides consumers with great ideas for how to “go green” on the highway. You’ll find all kinds of ideas for updating your current vehicle to be more earth-friendly, as well as learn about new options in energy saving vehicles. You can view reviews and information about a wide variety of hybrid vehicles on MyRide.com.

One of the biggest ways consumers can have a positive impact on the environment is to adopt more environmentally responsible driving habits. Updating your current vehicle or switching to a model designed specifically to reduce environmental impact can reduce CO2 emissions and decrease energy consumption.

Some of MyRide.com’s tips for making your current driving habits more energy friendly include:
1. Keeping your tires properly inflated will increase gas mileage.
2. Regular oil changes and proper powertrain maintenance will maximize your vehicles’ fuel efficiency.
3. Reduce fuel consumption by avoiding driving at high rates of speed.
4. Turn off your car if you plan to be stopped for more than a minute, because idling uses more fuel than restarting the car.
5. Avoid carrying excess weight in the interior of your vehicle or your trunk to maximize fuel efficiency.

For more great tips and ideas about making automobile transportation more earth friendly, see MyRide.com.

One of the most significant conservation actions any homeowner can take is installing high efficiency toilets. More than 25 percent of the water used on most households is accounted for by flushing the toilet. In homes with traditional toilets, the average water usage for a family of four is approximately 400 gallons daily. Switching to high energy commodes is likely to have a significant impact on home water usage.

Choosing to install high-energy EcoLogic™ toilets from Niagra Conservation, can really reduce the water usage in your home. Thse toilets are certified to carry the EPA WaterSense label, and use at least 20 percent less water than regular commodes. They are also attractive additions to any home, and have been featured on NouveauBathrooms.com. Replacing even one toilet in the home can result in a significant water bill savings, as well as have positive environmental impact. For more information, see NiagraConservation.com.

The Rustic Zero Energy Home pictured here was custom designed by Independence Energy Homes (IEH), a U.S.  firm specializing in zero energy architectural design.  This 2400 square foot home is aesthetically appealing, site appropriate, and environmentally sound.

Green features incorporated into the design of this custom home include a solar thermal system, with on-demand hot water, a permeable driveway, system for rain water reuse,  fixtures designed specifically to conserve water, and an air exchange system that utilizes low to no volatile organic compounds.

The IEG team focuses on creating healthy, green homes that maximize energy efficiency, water conservation, and air quality. For more information and to view additional zero energy home designs, see ZeroEnergy.com.