Category Archives: Buildings

Sustainable brick made from sand, bacteria, and pee

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Douglas W. Marcille, Energy Industry Leader

It seems like pee, or more specifically urea, is becoming quite the sustainable ingredient.  Beyond being tapped as a good source of hydrogen, it’s powering batteries and is now being used to make sustainable bricks. Architect Ginger Krieg Dosier has … Continue reading →

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The Passive House Guide

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Douglas W. Marcille, Energy Industry Leader

You really can’t talk about heating and cooling a house independently from talking about the house itself; they work together as a system. The best example of this is the Passive House: It is designed so that it barely needs … Continue reading →

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Would You Consider Installing a Cool Roof?

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Energy Savers

On Monday, Erin discussed cool roof technologies and how they can improve the comfort of buildings while reducing energy costs.
Would you consider installing a cool roof? Why or why not?
Each Thursday, you have the chance to share your thoughts on a qu… Continue reading →

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Cool Roofs: An Introduction

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Energy Savers

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about cool roof technologies, so I welcomed the chance to learn more at a recent seminar. Cool roofs, also referred to as white roofs, have special coatings that reflect sunlight and emit heat more efficiently than tradi… Continue reading →

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Thermostat Wars

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Andrew Bittner

The other day, I was visiting a friend’s office and noticed something you may have noticed yourself: his building had a variety of micro-climates, ranging from the furnace hot to the freezing cold. The offices with windows that faced south and west wer… Continue reading →

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Passive Solar Home Design

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Douglas W. Marcille, Energy Industry Leader

Your home’s windows, walls, and floors can be designed to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. This is called passive solar design or climatic design. … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Efficiency, Electricity, Energy Efficiency, energy retrofits, Energy retrofits for houses, energy savings, home energy efficiency, home energy savings | Tagged | Leave a comment

What Changes Are You Willing to Make to Save Energy at Work? What Aren’t You Willing to Change?

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Energy Savers

On Tuesday, you read about some of the innovative features that make the new Research Support Facility at the National Renewable Energy Lab highly energy efficient. Some of the features require employees to change how they work and collaborate on a dai… Continue reading →

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