To continue on from our last conversation, I would first like to offer a definition as to what I personally believe a “green product” should strive to do.

A green product can generally be defined as a product that, from raw material extraction, to end-of-life disposal, lessens its impact on the environment as thoroughly as possible.

While being mindful of the previously stated definition, I would like to ask each of you to look around right now, where ever you location, and…

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Green is almost undeniably one of the most marketed colors as it relates to the environment, sustainability, and energy. But what exactly does “green” mean in relation to environmental and energy issues?



More importantly, can a modern product or process really be considered green, and if so, by what benchmark? For example, we know that CFLs use less energy than incandescent lights, but does consuming less energy really make a product greener?



To begin, the word green has… Continue

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) puts a great deal of focus and concern into the area of weatherization. An abundant amount of recovery act funding went towards weatherization and in return the reduction of energy consumption. In an attempt to make the auditing and assessing aspect of weatherization readily available and understood by both experts and consumers alike the DOE has created the Home Energy Scoring Tool.

This tool is available online for free and unlike similar…

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TopTen USA is a new non-profit organization that makes it easy for consumers to find the most energy efficient products. World Wildlife Fund is a partner in TopTen USA and blogs about the new website:

Help…

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My cousin Mark is a pretty smart guy who reads widely. (All my cousins are above average.) Here is what Mark sent to me in an e-mail about dogs:…

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By Elisa Wood

A lot of good economic reasons exist to pursue energy efficiency. Still the average person tends not to. This is no surprise. If I cannot see, touch, buy, sell, trade or save efficiency, if it’s invisible, how can I pay it any real attention?

Often on the vanguard, Boston-based Conservation Services Group is working on an…

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We, at Fluke, have always been big advocates for education. As some of you know, we deliver hands-on (yes, hands-on—that means you get to play with the imagers!) training seminars all around the country. These seminars are designed to teach you the fundamentals of thermal imaging, how to troubleshoot faster and find problems using the latest thermal imaging technology, and… Continue

You may have noticed the term 'cloud' or 'cloud computing' circulating around popular media. This has become an increasingly popular term and is used quite frequently by Microsoft in their recent advertising campaigns in order to create buzz. Although it is a widely used term it is not a widely understood concept. What makes cloud computing unique, or how does it work? Is it just a new term that means the internet or online?

According to Wikipedia cloud computing is web-based…

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It is commonly known that heat rises, if you need an example, open your freezer and see where the cold air goes. This same principle applies to hot air balloons; the hot air causes the balloon to rise. Many home performance professionals understand what this means for a home in the winter. Unfortunately, the average consumer may not understand how important this concept is. On average 60% of heat escapes through the roof of a house, attic or roof insulation can go a long way in reducing…

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There is a hot and heavy dialogue taking place in an online group that I belong to, made up mostly of people who are in the business of auditing homes and then making homes more energy efficient, healthy, and comfortable. The main gist of the discussion is, Do we rely on the government to encourage people to make their homes more efficient, or is it up to the market? Does this sound familiar? Tune into any election debate in the…

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