Todd and Aubra's Journey #2

Wow, the interest for following step-by-step how to go green has been overwhelming. If I don't respond to your emails it's just simply because I'm behind in answering. Here's the latest update from Todd. Read more »

Power Requirement Calculator

One of the more difficult things to do is figure out exactly how much power your home uses. You need to know this in order to buy the right size inverter. This tool will help give you a good estimate of how much power your home uses. Read more »

Todd and Aubra's Journey #1

One of the greatest things to hear is that you've helped somebody achieve something. One of our newsletter subscribers has decided to take the plunge to off grid living and is going to be sharing his experiences with us. For those who are hesitant of changing to renewable energy this will be a step-by-step guide to doing so.

I'd like to introduce Todd and Aubra M. from Herriman, Utah. Here's what they plan to accomplish starting in 2010:

Read more »

Plug And Play Solar Panels

I haven't heard about anything quite as exciting as plug and play solar panels in quite a long time. The last time we heard about renewable energy that just 'plugs in' was the Jellyfish wind turbine. Sadly, it still isn't availabe yet (to my knowledge), but these new solar panels are!

A company called Andalay developed a solar panel that you can quite literally plug in to your home and be running a grid-tied system. There are no inverters, no expensive wiring, and they say that there are 70% less rooftop parts used in the assembly. Read more »

Solar Christmas Lights

One of the greatest Christmas 'inventions' has been the LED string of Christmas lights. They look and perform exactly the same as a regular strand of Christmas lights, but they use about 2 watts worth of electricity. Read more »

What 'Green' Solution Is Right For You?

 Figuring out what type of renewable energy you want to use, or if you want to be grid-tied or off grid can be very challenging. We're going to explore the different options you have available and try and help you choose what's right for you. Read more »

Winter Energy Savings

 With the recent arrival of snow and temperatures below zero it's time to make sure your house is as efficient as it can be so you can save money. There are several inexpensive and easy ways you can save money on energy this winter. Let's take a look... Read more »

Building Solar Panels Got Cheaper

Wow, I just can't believe how the price of solar cells has come down recently. Two years ago it used to cost around $200 to build a solar panel, 6 months ago it cost ~$150 to build a 72 watt solar panel. I was just checking eBay because I was thinking of building a couple more and it looks like I could build a panel for under $100. Read more »

Insulating Old Windows

Old Windows and the lost heat or air conditioning you lose with them.

When you have an older house and there are drafts around your windows, you'll lose your heating or cooling efficiency.  Sometimes, we cannot replace all our windows with new high efficiency widows and need to find alternative options. Read more »

How You Can Use The 'Smart Grid'

You may at one time or another heard of the new 'Smart Grid'. The utilities solution to allow us to not overtax their systems. It's touted as a must have for electric cars, but for those of us who produce their own energy the smart grid can be utilized in a very different way.

Lately, the majority of people that I talk to are installing grid-tie systems because they can send their extra electricity back into the grid. If you generate enough you could probably just live by the cheques that come in from the electric company. Read more »