Category: Going Green

Going Green, Technology

Green Dry Cleaning

Almost everyone owns clothes with that “dry-clean only” label. But traditional dry cleaning requires toxic chemicals that can be environmentally harmful, and we often have to choose between a clean suit and a clean environment. Luckily, there are green alternatives that can reduce the impact of dry cleaning chemicals and other materials. All you need to help mother nature, and yourself, is a few hints and tips.

Here’s how to dry clean your clothes without damaging the environment:

Chemicals.
Traditional dry cleaning machines use a chemical called perchlorethlyene, which contains chlorine and may be harmful to both humans and the environment. Modern machines use less of this chemical, but it is still present.

Alternatives.
“Green” dry cleaners use a newer process that makes use of non-toxic solvents. According to Davis, having your clothes cleaned at these eco-friendly cleaners costs no more than having it done the old toxic way.

Ask questions.
The best way to find and environmentally safe dry-cleaner, says Davis, is to call your local dry cleaning association.

Air out clothes.
If you must use a traditional dry cleaner, make sure to lessen your chances of breathing toxic fumes. When you get home, remove the clothes from the plastic bags and let them air out.

Make requests.
You can also help out the environment by asking your dry cleaner to put more than one garment in a bag, thus reducing your consumption of plastic. Ask if there is a recycling program for the bags, and recycle whenever you can.

Think green.
Don’t be afraid to talk to your dry cleaner about eco-friendly options, and to take your business elsewhere if you aren’t satisfied. Small actions and decisions add up, and by striving to protect the environment with all our daily choices, we can keep the world healthy for ourselves and for future generations.

Going Green, Solar, Technology

Solar Power Sources

Any time we start to believe that fossil fuels are running out or we see their costs going way up, renewable sources of power, such as solar, come to the forefront of people’s minds—including mine. So I started thinking about the feasibility of the sun providing the primary source of power for companies.
How It Works
There are different types of solar-powered systems. Two such systems, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic, use solar panels to convert the sun’s energy. Solar thermal uses the sun’s energy to heat water, which then is converted to electricity. Solar photovoltaic uses the sun’s energy to “knock loose” electrons and then convert the created energy into electricity.
Solar-generated electricity can be used directly, stored in a battery for later use, or put back into the public power/utility grid and drawn back out when insufficient electricity is being produced to meet the user’s needs. (When solar energy is put into a public-utility grid, the user/producer’s utility meter will actually spin backward.) Power companies in 40 states have programs that will buy the electricity that you produce through solar.
Weighing Our Options
My colleagues and I tried to figure out if enough energy could be produced by the sun to power our collocation facility, which serves about 200 corporate customers and houses all of our Internet equipment—mail servers, Web servers and other customers’ servers. A lengthy research effort revealed that there is not a lot of information available about the viability of converting offices to solar power.
As an alternative, our VP of finance used a proven residential-based model and estimated the cost of installing solar photovoltaic panels that will provide 24/7 power would be around $600,000. We also got a quote from a roofing company that installs solar photovoltaic panels. Its estimated price is $375,000 for a system that produces only enough power for the facility during the day. We would have to tap into commercial power at night.
Another concern was whether we would have enough roof-top space to accommodate all the solar panels we would need. This was not an issue, since it was determined that we would only need to use 50 percent of our 5,000-square-foot rooftop.
The good news: It appears that a large facility like ours can be powered with solar. The bad news (at least for my company): The current 20- to 30-year payback makes installing panels to power our collocation facility cost-prohibitive.
Looking Ahead
Solar technology is improving, and the cost of creating solar panels continues to decline. It’s already dropped 90 percent over the past 20 years, according to a representative of the Solar Energy Industries Association (www.seia.org). One exciting development comes from SUNRGI, a company that recently announced its proprietary technology could reduce the wholesale cost of producing solar energy to five cents per kilowatt hour. That’s competitive with the wholesale cost of producing energy from fossil fuels.
Going Green

5 Easy Steps to Greening Your Kitchen

While going green in the kitchen will save you money on energy costs, eco-friendly products have a reputation for being expensive, frumpy and difficult to find.
The good news:  Earth-friendly products are available in a wider range of styles and costs than ever before, letting you go any shade of green you desire.
According to Good Green Kitchens author Jennifer Roberts, when you’re contemplating how to make your kitchen eco-friendly, don’t assume you need to spend big bucks. Ask yourself, “‘What environmental problem am I trying to solve, and what are some easy steps to take for maximum impact?'” Roberts says. Here are her recommendations:
1. EAT SUSTAINABLY
“This is easily the most important step,” Roberts says. “If you grow some of your own food or buy as much locally grown produce as you can, you’re more than halfway there in terms of having a green kitchen.” When you eat from your own garden, you eliminate the need to use fossil fuels to transport vegetables from a faraway farmer’s field to your plate. Even growing your own herbs on the windowsill helps; when you buy fresh herbs at the grocery store, you usually end up wasting leftovers and throwing away the plastic package.
2. WORK WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE
“People think making a kitchen ‘green’ means you have to go out and buy new stuff and throw out what you’ve got,” Roberts says, “but the greenest approach is actually to try to work as much as possible with what you already have.” Think “refresh,” not “remodel.” New paint and updated hardware for cabinets can give you a new look without producing the landfill waste that a remodeling project generates.
Most major paint manufacturers now make zero- or low-VOC paint, which means they emit fewer volatile organic compounds. VOCs are linked to health problems and are considered greenhouse gases; the fewer in your home, the better.
3. REMODEL WITH RECYCLED MATERIALS
Buy lightly used cabinetry at a building salvage shop, find countertops and backsplashes made of recycled aluminum or glass and purchase locally made new materials. Purchasing local products reaps great environmental savings in fuel and other transportation costs.
4. CHOOSE ENERGY-SAVING APPLIANCES
“At the top of this list is the refrigerator,” Roberts says. “If it’s more than 10 or 12 years old, it’s time to replace it with an energy efficient model. These days you can get a really great refrigerator that will consume less than 400 kilowatt-hours per year, which is low.” (Older fridges consume as much as 1200 kilowatt-hours per year.)
Dishwashers can also be a great place to save energy. If you’re purchasing a new one, compare labels to find those that use the least energy and water (even appliances that meet government Energy Star requirements vary in energy savings), and if you already have one with water-miser and heat-free dryer settings, use them. Small households that don’t use many dishes can cut energy use with drawer-sized dishwashers, Roberts says, “but if you create a lot of dirty dishes, one big model is best. I’ve seen some luxury homes that have two or three of the drawer-sized models, and that’s not saving energy.”
5. WHEN COOKING, THINK SMALL
“Use smaller appliances whenever possible,” Roberts says. “If you can cook in the microwave rather than the full-size oven, it saves energy. You’re also producing less heat in the kitchen, which is great in the summer because your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard.” Even small things make a difference, such as using lids on pots to bring them to a boil faster and using as few burners as possible.
Going Green

Eco Unclogging

BB90365C-EB20-4C24-9731-083F58012EA3
Ditch the Harsh Chemicals
 Earth Enzymes
$8.39, ecos.com
Mix the sand-like granules from the bottle with warm water and pour it down the problem pipe. After 24 hours, flush with water and voila—a cleared drain. It’s biodegradable, non-toxic, and works pretty well to unclog that pesky plug.
Bio-Flow
$19.50 (1 gallon), greenchem.com
Total Solutions’ Bio-Flow contains enzymes and bacteria that help break down grease and food in your drain. It works well on clogged sinks while deodorizing the area with a minty scent. The ingredients can irritate your eyes and skin, though, so make sure to avoid splashing it as you pour.
CLR
$9.99, jelmar.com
This liquid is the result of a partnership between CLR and the EPA’s Design for the Environment program, meaning it’s an eco-friendlier option than most commercial products. It seems to be the best bet for more serious clogs, plus it comes with a money-back guarantee.
Liquid-Plumr: Power Jet
$6.29, liquid-plumr.com
This drain cleaner is also free of harsh chemicals because it uses a jet of liquid and air to blast out clogs It works surprisingly well for minor clogs that cause slow drainage. Take note: The container can be difficult to recycle, depending on local regulations.
Drainbo Natural Drain Cleaner
$7.99, drainbo.com
We love the pun-y name of this non-toxic liquid, which contains only natural ingredients. Its eco appeal makes it worth a shot for slow drains, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t work very well for serious blockages.
Going Green

Eco Friendly Kitchen Ideas

Environmentally-friendly options for your kitchen are everywhere. Here are some good places to start looking:
  • Bamboo. According to housewares expert Gus Dallas, the latest in environmentally-friendly kitchens includes fast-growing bamboo. The material makes great cutting boards and it can also be used for backsplashes and flooring.
  • Scrap wood. IKEA kitchen designer Martha Saldumbide says, “Where we can spare the environment, we do. We use a lot of scrap wood in cabinets. It’s the wood that nobody else wants but it’s still really good hard wood.”
  • Lighting. To cut down on lighting costs, try using fluorescents. They cut energy use by 50 percent. Whenever possible use natural light to brighten up your kitchen and bring down your electrical bill.
  • Cork. This renewable resource is made from the bark off a tree. It’s also sound-absorbing, hypoallergenic and resistant to mold and mildew, making it an excellent choice for kitchens.
  • Recycled stone-chipped composite countertops. These countertops resemble granite and are just as durable.
  • Top and bottom freezer/refrigerator units. These are more energy-efficient than side-by-side models because not as much cold air escapes. Not sure if your fridge can pass the eco-friendly test? Shut the door on a dollar bill — if it slides out easily then it’s a sign the seal needs to be replaced.
  • Recycling stations. Handy recycling stations pull out for easy access. Other recycling cabinets are set on wheels so they can be moved wherever needed.
  • Convection ovens. This type of oven uses a fan to drive heat rapidly from source to food so it cooks it 25 percent faster than a conventional oven.
  • Natural fabrics. Choose cotton or wool for your dining chairs and window dressings since man-made fabrics are made with chemicals that harm the environment.
Going Green

A Green Gaggle

Simple Steps to Decreasing Your Environmental Footprint

1)  Packaging a Punch:
Cut Online purchasing.  I know, I know with one click of the mouse  your item(s) seem to show up nearly the next day.  It’s soooo convenient, I get it!   Well here’s the but, there is plenty of entropy (packaging material) that’s walloped in that box – and the box too, not to mention the delivery truck fuel/manpower.  The eco-cost is high,  if you plan your trip to get an item with other necessities you’ll drop your footprint, and you won’t have to wrap up all that cardboard for recycling day.   

2)  Chopping the Logs: 
Cancel the Catalogs :   Still getting catalogs from a store that you no longer have an interest in?  Surf the net instead  to find the store your cute pair of shoes are at, and cancel the catalogs.  Recycle the ones you do have, American’s throw out up to 1,300 lbs of catalogs (each) every year. 

3)  Trash the Bags
Paper or Plastic – how about fabric?  Most plastic and paper bags from the grocery store have a sprinter pace life of 54 seconds or less.  Get one of those nifty canvas bags for your shopping trips, and clean out the corner cabinet where you stash your trash bags.

4 )  This hot coffee is HOT !
Burning cardboard, or paper produces particulate matter in the air that we breathe.  Wood is a better choice, or now there are JAVA logs.  Which are made out of wood particles and you guessed it COFFEE.  This reduces the particulate matter in the air too. 

5)  Hang Out 
Use a multi-tiered system to cool your house.  Have a 2 foot roof overhang so there’s more shade.  Install a Radiant Barrier under the plywood for your roof (looks like aluminum foil) this can deflect up to 30% of the heat sun during the day, and doesn’t cost much more than the foil in your kitchen already.  This will send the heat from the sun back out through the roof instead of being absorbed into you attic air space.  Install whole house fans that pull the hot air out through the attic 

6)  Run Hot and Cold
Hydronic Air Handler – Heat Recovery Ventilation – purifies the air then pumps it heated through the house.  Can allow you to create a true hybrid system utilizing a boiler as the central heat source.  In many retrofit or new building construction applications, various types of heating are desired, such as radiant, baseboard, or warm air along with the need to provide cooling to the structure.  Utilizing separate equipment for each application is costly and requires more space than allotted for the various mechanical equipment.  In an integrated hybrid system a boiler is utilized as the heat source for all heating requirements, including radiant for hard surfaces such as tile, driveway snow melt, a loop of hot water baseboard or a ducted system for warm air via the air handler. Versatility is unlimited.

Since the boiler is being used as the heat source, various supporting equipment, including an indirect water heater, pool or spa heater can easily be integrated with this type of system.

Another use for air handlers is to provide supplemental heat to a radiant system. There are several reasons why the contractor may want to provide supplemental heat. If a system is designed as an on/off system then it takes time to drive up the temperature in the slab. Using a two stage thermostat, the air handler will provide heat to make the space comfortable until the radiant has ramped up and can then take over.

7)  It’s Soy Good!
Soy Based Foam Insulation  – Saves on energy bills and has no VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds).  Until recently, most polyurethane products utilized only petroleum or petroleum derivatives; now you have a choice … an environmentally friendly alternative.  The foam is manufactured from renewable soy beans. Among its best features is that it expands to 100 times its volume to completely fill every space and void creating a barrier and thermal seal. The thermal seal keeps your heating and cooling costs low. The barrier keeps pollutants out of your home and greatly reduces noise pollution. As an inert substance Soy-Based Spray Foam Insulation retains its structural integrity for the life of your home. It is not effected by moisture, mold, insects or rodents.

8)  I got an E?
Install Efficient Windows :  Low-E and solar control low-E (also called spectrally selective) coatings can be used to boost the energy efficiency of windows. Low-E double pane windows, most common in cold and moderate climates, are more energy efficient than clear windows because the low-E coating reduces heat loss through the window.
Solar control glass, also called Low E2, is a good glass for hot climates because, in addition to improving the insulating ability of windows, it also limits solar heat gain by blocking passage of infrared and some ultraviolet rays. Solar control glass allows a higher level of visible light to pass through a window with less solar heat gain reduction than tinted window coatings.
An NFRC label on the window will contain the information regarding the glazing features of a window – U-value, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), and Visible Light Transmittance (VT). Generally, the lower the U-value, the better the window performs at preventing heat loss (or gain in hot climates). U-value is equal to the inverse of R-value. SHGC is the fraction of sunlight which is admitted through a window and released as heat indoors. It is expressed as a number between 0 and 1– the higher the number, the more solar heat the window transmits. VT is the portion (between 0 and 1) of the sun’s visible light that is transmitted through a window. 

9)  Beating the Heater…
Install an On-demand Water Heater  –  Tank less hot water heaters reduce energy use while making hot water available whenever you turn on the tap.  Most water heaters heat 30 to 70 gallons of water and keep it hot until it’s needed. When you open the tap, hot water flows through the pipes and cold water enters the tank to be heated. But when you’re not using hot water, it’s being maintained at 120 degrees Fahrenheit (or more) — all day and all night, increasing your energy bills but not contributing to your comfort. Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to keep a tank of hot water available to use the next time you open the hot water tap? A tank less or on-demand water heater makes it possible.

10)  It’s not just shiny it’s Radiant!
Radiant barriers are materials that are installed in homes/ buildings to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and hence to reduce building heating and cooling energy usage. The potential benefit of attic radiant barriers is primarily in reducing air-conditioning cooling loads in warm or hot climates. Radiant barriers usually consist of a thin sheet or coating of a highly reflective material, usually aluminum  (actually it looks like thick aluminum foil) , applied to one or both sides of a number of substrate materials. These substrates include kraft paper, plastic films, cardboard, plywood sheathing, and air infiltration barrier material. Some products are fiber reinforced to increase the durability and ease of handling.  

11)  Raindrops keep falling in my barrel
 Harvest Rainwater – Collect the rainwater from your down spout.  The water can easily be put to use watering your lawn or garden.  One 55 gallon barrel can save up to 2,500 gallons a year for “regular” rainfall.  There are simple systems out there that are already assembled.  Or if you’re handy, save a even more money, buy a barrel and the parts and assemble yourself.  There are dozens of websites on how to assemble your own barrel.  Make sure you get a barrel from a local vendor so you can be even more green.  Worried about the overflow?  There are diverters, and inchworms to the rescue so you won’t be soaking your foundation. 

 12)  I see the LED at the end of the tunnel
 Use LED lights  – they cost more initially but some are guaranteed to last for up to 24 years.   CFL’s cut down on carbon emissions too, but the light from LED’s is more natural looking.