It is always interesting to see how the different agencies view the upcoming winter forecast. In our latest look into the topic, we checked in with the folks over at Accuweather.com to see what they had to say about this winter. Well, suffice to say it disagreed with the Farmer’s Almanac. Rather than mild and […]
Winter Outlook: Part II
Factoid: Northeast Heating Oil Consumption
This factoid comes from the Fall 2010 issue of Northeast Sun from the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. As a region, the Northeast is highly reliant on heating oil. The region consumes 80.3% of all the heating oil in the US. In fact, each year the Northeast consumes about 5.5 billion gallons per year of heating […]
The Anti-Sunscreen
If you are into solar energy, there is some good news on the horizon. According to research by a team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, embedding a small amount of selenium into a mostly zinc-oxide base, dramatically boosts the material’s efficiency in absorbing light. Currently the cost and performance of many photo-voltaic systems is prohibitive […]
Biomass to … Antifreeze and Plastic Bottles?!?
Begin with some wood chips, some solid chemistry, and add a good dose of luck and you get — plastic? Some chemists at Iowa State University uncovered a potentially game-changing method for making antifreeze, polyester and plastic bottles out of biomass rather than petroleum. The conversion process is based on the chemistry of super-critical fluids […]
Google PowerMeter: Personal Energy Use
Warning: This post is for geeks only, but lets be honest, it is pretty cool. Google’s PowerMeter (now on limited trial) shows your home’s real-time energy use on a smart phone or web browser. The energy monitoring software needs hardware–a hook-up to the electrical power system–in order to work, but that is just a detail. […]
Winter 2011 Outlook – The Return of Winter?
Earlier this week, the Maine-based Farmers’ Almanac issued its winter outlook for both the United States and Canada. the almanac. The Farmers’ Almanac, which claims 80 to 85 percent accuracy bases its predictions on a secret mathematical formula using the position of the planets, tidal action of the moon and sunspots. The almanac says that […]
Understanding the “Carbon Dividend” of Woody Biomass Energy
In the past several months, there has been a lot of discussion and attention regarding the use of woody biomass for energy (heat or electricity) and its affect on greenhouse gases. Advocates say that wood for energy is “carbon neutral” and therefore, good for mitigating climate change, while others believe that there is a negative […]
Understanding Your Personal Energy Use
National Geographic has built a pretty interesting online resource for looking at your personal energy consumption compared to your friends and neighbors. The tools are all part of The Great Energy Challenge designed to help you understand your current energy situation. The tools range from easy-to-digest mini-calculators to the more comprehensive personal energy meter. I […]
Let’s Talk Home Energy
Have you ever wondered what uses more energy in your home — heating, cooling, lighting, or powering electronics like TVs, computers, and refrigerators? No surprise it is heating. I bet you are not too surprised, after all, Greenwood is a renewable heating company. However, what may surprise you is to what extent it outpaces other […]