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Energy News: Smaller Homes, Bigger Solar, and More

tiny-home Is bigger really better?

Out with the huge and in with the tiny and efficient! According to a recent survey, luxury McMansions in the suburbs are no longer in style. While an 89-square-foot home may delight this guy, survey respondents opted for something slightly larger, saying their ideal home size is between 1,400 and 2,600 square feet.

Rays the roof!

The New York Times reports that plans are moving ahead for the building of the largest solar power ...

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Green Dorm Tips: How to Save Energy at College

save-energy-in-dorm Even if you don’t live in a LEED-certified dorm, here are a few ideas to get you (or the college kid you know) off to a green start this school year!

Computers

Buying a new computer? Consider a laptop over a typical desktop computer. Laptops use much less energy—up to 80 percent less, according to Energy Star! Check out our recent list of the most energy-efficient laptops on the market.

And keep an eye out for monitors and ...

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How to Buy an Energy Efficient Refrigerator

ice-cubes Refrigerators represent the perfect storm of energy efficiency: It’s easy to notice the energy savings when you get a more efficient model, since they’re one of the top household energy-guzzlers. And unlike, say, insulation, a fridge is a tangible part of your everyday life—one you can even show off to the neighbors. So how do you know when it’s time to buy a more efficient refrigerator?

A good rule of thumb is the 1993 test: If your fridge was ...

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The LEEDing Energy-Efficient Dorms

harvard-dorm Green dorms are popping up on college campuses nationwide—and we aren’t talking mold. Add “LEED-certified buildings” to the ways colleges are increasingly focused on sustainability, in addition to things like green-themed degrees and organic cafeteria food. LEED certification, awarded to buildings meeting U.S. Green Building Council standards, has become the nationally accepted measurement of green design. Take a look at innovative and ecologically creative housing options cropping up on campuses across the country.

Harvard not only has LEED ...

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A Peach of an Energy Code

gas-furnace-water-heater The state of Georgia is breaking new ground when it comes to building codes. A new set of regulations may not sound too exciting on the surface, but consider the potential impacts: Lower energy bills, less energy used, and less pollution emitted into the environment. Read on, no matter what state you’re in.

The new Georgia energy codes, due to take effect on Jan. 1, 2011, are the result of work done by a group called the Georgia ...

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Energy News: Hybrid Bikes, Green Style, and More

Here’s what’s been happening in the energy realm of late:

LED-lightHome Depot’s Downlights

The world’s largest home improvement retailer has begun selling LED downlights through a partnership with Cree. The bulbs will only consume 10.5 watts, compared to an equivalent incandescent bulb’s 65 watts.

I Want to Ride My [Hybrid] Bike

Old and busted: a regular bicycle. New hotness: adding the Copenhagen Wheel to your bike to convert it to a hybrid. A group of MIT students have invented a ...

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Electric Cars: Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

buckeye-bullet-electric-car

Think electric cars are slow? Think again. There’s actually a long history of speedy ones! An electric car called La Jamais Contente (“The Never Satisfied”) was the first vehicle—gas or electric—to go over 60 miles per hour. And that was in 1899!

Last week, the electric car Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5 hit a whopping 320 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah. Its team also garnered a Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) world land speed record for an ...

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Dual Refrigerators of Doom

1802R-1793 Recently my neighbor remodeled her kitchen, and I (as a bit of an energy geek) was secretly happy to see that included a new, energy-efficient refrigerator. Sadly that secret happiness only lasted about 20 minutes. While we were chatting, she stepped into the garage to grab something. To my horror, I noticed her old refrigerator hadn’t been sent off the recycler. Oh no. There it sat in her garage, half full of sodas and cheerfully humming away.

Why ...

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Should You Commute on an Electric Bike?

electric-bike Are you among the estimated 60 percent of Americans whose commute to work is under 10 miles? If so, you may want to consider a slowly growing trend: ditching the car in favor of a battery-assisted or electric bike to get to work.

An electric bike (not to be confused with scooters or electric motorcycles) basically looks a lot like the regular bicycle we all grew up with. The main difference is the addition of a battery pack, often mounted ...

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How to Get Kids to Save Energy

kids-energy-efficiency How can you get your kids to save energy without nagging them? It’s hard enough to get them to do their homework and clean their rooms, much less turning off lights and taking shorter showers! Here’s how to get started.

Many kids (and adults, for that matter) have no idea where their electricity comes from or how their actions affect energy bills. Teach them. Help kids understand each step of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution (based on what they ...

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