Get Paid to Produce Power "Net metering" allows homeowners with wind turbines, solar panels or other energy-generating devices to sell surplus electricity to the local power grid. The arrangement is available in 44 states, although many programs are restricted to certain types of utilities...
Laundry Hangout Except for refrigerators, the biggest energy hogs in most households are washing machines and clothes dryers. The good news is that it’s easy to dramatically reduce the energy these appliances use...
Brightest Bulb in the Box Most people are now aware that compact fluorescent bulbs are more efficient than incandescents. But how do they stack up against light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the newer kid on the block?... SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, EarthLED
Leading the Chargers Some cell phone chargers draw more power than others when left plugged into the wall but disconnected from the phone. In an effort to conserve energy, the world’s top five cell phone manufacturers (LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson) have launched a common system for rating that silent draw, on a scale of zero to five stars, with five being the least power consumed...
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Bottle Picks Discarded plastic water bottles clog landfills, and bottled water typically is no healthier than tap water. You can avoid wasting materials and energy by carrying your own reusable bottle...
Living Small Thanks to small heating bills and the desire to live simply, compact houses are the next little thing. Some are as small as 65 square feet. Others range in size up to 1,000 square feet...
High on White Roofs Painting your home or office building roof a light color or installing white shingles helps to reflect heat—and reduces cooling costs. According to Hashem Akbari of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, replacing a 1,000-square-foot dark roof with a white one can offset the emission of 11 tons of carbon dioxide annually...
Are Scooters Polluters? Some people are turning to scooters to reduce their transportation costs. But even the cleanest gasoline-powered models typically emit more smog-forming hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides than a car because so little pollution-control equipment fits on them... SOURCES: EPA, U.S. Department of Energy, Ecolane Transport Consultancy
