Spotlight Article:
Why Don't We Build Better Houses?
Did you know that the solar house was a popular concept in the 1940s, and that architects like Fred Keck, an American modernist architect based in Chicago, Illinois, could save their clients 30–40% on heating ...
Keep Reading
FILTER ARTICLES
Swimming Pools Soak Up the Sun
archive CONTENT
In nearly every part of the country, solar pool heaters are a practical and economical way to make pools more comfortable and extend the outdoor swimming season. [continue reading]
Building the Suncube
archive CONTENT
Armed with a home equity loan, a contractor's license, and some knowledge of energy-efficient technologies, I built an affordable, passive-solar house in Chico, California. [continue reading]
SMUD Customers Pay a Premium to be PV Pioneers
archive CONTENT
Sacramento residents are signing up in droves to pay a 15% premium (about $3-$7 per month) on their electric bill, in exchange for the pleasure of hosting tiny utility power plants on their roofs. [continue reading]
Manufactured Homes Go Solar
archive CONTENT
A federal program that assists with the development of photovoltaic (PV) products for the U.S. building market has led to commercial development of factory-built modular homes with built-in PV systems. [continue reading]
Solar 1994 Sheds Light on "Sustainability"
archive CONTENT
The sky was appropriately sunny for the Solar '94--the twenty-third annual conference of the American Solar Energy Society and the 19th National Passive Solar Conference--held June 25-30 in San Jose, California. [continue reading]
Making Passive Solar Homes Affordable
archive CONTENT
Paul Neuffer got his start in the passive solar home business almost by accident, 30 years ago. [continue reading]
SMUD'S Solar Water Heating Program
archive CONTENT
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) serves roughly 60,000 residential customers with electric water heaters, each consuming up to 5,500 kWh annually. [continue reading]
A Cheaper Solar Water Heater
archive CONTENT
With an average initial price tag of $2,500, solar water heaters--which are usually designed for households of four or more--have long been expensive. [continue reading]
Travis Weeks
Confessions of an Insulation Installer: What I Love About Wool
Last month, we (the crew at Performance Insulation) completed a project on Bainbridge Island, about a 30-minute ferry ride from ...
Shawna Henderson
RaterFest! Or How I Spent My Summer Vacation
The setting is stunning, 8,000 feet up in the Rockies. Colorado in September, aspen, screaming blue skies, bright clear nights. Who ...
