Microsoft is discontinuing the Microsoft Hohm service effective May 31, 2012. The service will continue to operate until that time.

The feedback from customers and partners has remained encouraging throughout Microsoft Hohm’s beta period. However, due to the slow overall market adoption of the service, we are instead focusing our efforts on products and solutions more capable of supporting long-standing growth within this evolving market.

At Microsoft, we believe in tackling the incredible energy and environmental challenges of the 21...

I’m a big believer in the notion that knowledge is power. The more I know, especially when it comes to the choices I make as a consumer, the better those choices will be – not only for me and my family, but also for the world around me. Which is why I’m excited to tell you that starting soon you’ll be seeing a whole slew of groovy new labels on some of the products you know and love. Even better, ...

In past posts, other Hohm bloggers have discussed what consumers should expect from a professional home energy audit. There’s no doubt that if you’re looking for comprehensive and evidence-based recommendations on home energy improvements, the professional audit is the cat’s pajamas. Professional auditors have plenty of tools in the old tool belt to help you save energy, from thermal imagery systems that map heat loss to blower door tests that find air leaks.

But all that energy-testing gadgetry isn’t ...

Q: Am I missing the boat by not swapping my storage water heater for the tankless (on demand) type? I’m willing to make the investment but first I need to be convinced: do tankless water heaters really deliver on their promise of saving energy?

A: Thanks for your question—lots of homeowners are curious about tankless water heaters. First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page.

A storage water heater uses natural gas or electricity to keep a tank ...

The Jets are green...and not just their uniforms. The National Football League’s New York Jets just completed a solar power system to power their team headquarters and training center in Florham Park, New Jersey, the largest for an NFL team headquarters.

"The New York Jets are excited to be at the forefront of incorporating solar energy into the NFL. When we decided to add solar energy to the Atlantic Health Training Center, going green was the ...

Lighting uses about 11 to 15 percent of the electricity you use in your home, and costing you as much as $300 a year. Of course this depends on your individual use, the number of lights you’ve turned on, and your utility rate. There are lots of lighting products available that can help you to save money and improve the quality of your home’s lighting.

If you’re building a new home, consider including an experienced lighting designer in ...

A recent post on Grist.org led me to an article in The Independent on air conditioning that contains some truly staggering figures on just how much the United States is paying in energy to keep itself cool. According to The Independent, “air conditioning guzzles 15 per cent of total American energy consumption…using the same amount of fossil fuel as the whole of Africa employs for all its energy needs.” This comparison might be a bit of a ...

Solar technology has made its way into all sorts of electronics. While solar power is a great way to power the needed and ordinary essentials and to have in case of an emergency, inventors' imaginations have taken off to deliver items that you never knew you needed – until now.

Practical for the home:

Outdoor lighting – There are a myriad of options in outdoor lighting to add style to your home, security and peace of mind and for ...

Let’s face it: we all have to get our clean on from time to time. A little home water usage is a just a fact of life, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for conservation and savings. According to the EPA, the largest percentage of indoor water use occurs in the bathroom, with 41 percent used for toilet flushing and 33 percent for bathing. A quick and inexpensive way to reduce your water usage is by installing ...

I love to shower. I can’t hide it. It’s like a little sanctuary where all the best ideas in the world hit my brain. If I could figure out a way to spend all day in the shower and still, you know, get paid, I’d do it. But, as an avid showerer, I also know that showering isn’t exactly environmentally-friendly. My dad constantly reminded me of that growing up when he’d bang on the door and tell me to ...