Energy At Home

They Nailed It

Slideshow: Reinventing the JP Green House 0
Posted 9 hours, 39 minutes ago By Andrée Zaleska, Ken Ward Ken Ward and Andrée Zaleska are turning an old Boston store into a new model of eco-living -- here's a glimpse at the work underway.
Tress for Success

Ask Umbra on shower caps, computers, and junk mail 10
Posted 4 days, 16 hours ago Does anyone make a non-vinyl shower cap? Is it better to turn computers off at night or leave them running? And how, how can you get rid of all that junk mail? Umbra advises.
Placemakers

A surprising sneak peek at the clothesline revolution 31
Posted 1 week, 1 day ago Alexander Lee travels the country evangelizing the merits of clotheslines through his organization, Project Laundry List. He says the humble laundry tool can have a real impact on climate and energy -- he'd even like to see one at the White House. So why are so many people vehemently opposed?
Kids Learn the Darnedest Things

Ask Umbra on climate-skeptic teachers, low-flow toilets, and more 32
Posted 1 week, 4 days ago Umbra addresses crap of the educational and evacuational varieties, as well as helping a reader with New Year's resolutions and revealing another resource for greening your life.
Yeah, we said billion

A $4 billion push to make affordable housing green 0
Posted 1 month ago Today brings news of a major investment in making affordable housing greener, and an ambitious call for an even bigger national conversion. Find out who's behind it.
Stripping for a cause

Weatherization will save us all 6
Posted 1 month ago Despite its terrible name, Joe Biden's Middle Class Task Force has some solid ideas on saving energy and money. Find out what innovations are coming to your neighborhood.
Infrared, Schminfrared

4.5 things I learned at my energy audit 8
Posted 1 month ago I finally took the plunge after years of blithely telling Grist readers to "get an energy audit" -- so what was it like?
We Will All Go Down Together

Ask Umbra on climate weapons 4
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago It's great that some people want to buy carbon offsets, says Umbra -- but it won't get the job done. Here's her advice on making bigger, better change.
Tank and File

Ask Umbra on replacing hot-water heaters 21
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago When the parents of three little boys wonder which hot-water heater makes the most sense for them, Umbra sheds light on the issue.
Let's Make a Seal

Ask Umbra on drafty houses 3
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago When you tighten up a house to save energy, do you lose the benefits of fresh air exchange? A perplexed couple wants to know, and Umbra breezes in with an answer.
Pane in the Glass

Should I suck it up and buy vinyl windows? 30
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago
The more estimates I get, the more despondent I am about being able to afford windows I feel good about. And the more I realize why people think greens operate in another sphere.
Two Prongs Make a Right

Ask Umbra on smarter outlets 9
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago
New Zealand has outlets with on-off switches, as do several other countries. Do these power-saving devices exist in the U.S.? And if not, are there similar alternatives? Umbra plugs in to the smart-outlet scene.
At Fault

Ask Umbra on power-strip alternatives 8
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Hey, so can you use those cute little test-reset buttons on GFCI outlets to turn appliances off and on? Hey, only if you want to risk death, says Umbra.
Heating the JP Green House with a hairdryer

The amazing promise and many challenges of passivhaus construction 4
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Imagine a building so energy-efficient that it actually gets dinged by LEED and Energy Star -- you've just imagined passivhaus, and we're putting it into action at the JP Green House.
Sun in the Fun

Ask Umbra on solar pool heaters 9
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago
A homeowner wonders if it's possible to devise a passive-heating system for her pool, so Umbra dons her water wings and wades in with an answer.
Ask Umbra’s video advice on beating the heat 8
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Blind Faith

Ask Umbra on low-e window films 4
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Can you save energy and money by putting insulative films on your windows? Umbra breezes in with an answer.
Feeling light-headed

Obama announces new efficiency initiatives as part of big clean-energy push 7
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago
President Barack Obama doesn't think he can solve global warming by changing his f**king light bulbs, but he's going to do it anyway. More importantly, he's going to change the light-bulb industry. Get the scoop on energy-efficiency plans the president outlined on Monday.
The House Doctors Are In

Symptom: High utility bills; Diagnosis: Full energy efficiency workup 4
Posted 5 months ago
Meet the "greenup" team from Sustainable Spaces, a four-year-old San Francisco firm that conducts residential energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits to shrink a home's carbon footprint while saving the owner money over the long haul.
Sparkling Wit

Ask Umbra on rinse aids 7
Posted 5 months ago
Your dishwasher requires a rinse aid -- but what the heck is in that thing, and is there an eco-alternative? Umbra offers a cascade of advice.