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By Annabelle Smyth

2013 has arrived, and to most people, a new year means a new beginning of sorts, a fresh start and a new chance at life. If you are looking to make a resolution this year about reducing your carbon footprint, consider getting a few of these environmentally friendly gadgets, which you can find at Vivint.

A Solar Powered Charger

There are a few solar powered chargers on the market and getting one would not only lower your energy bill and lessen your footprint, but it may as well be what keeps you connected in the event of an emergency. These chargers can charge anything from a laptop or a tablet to a few cell phones at once. If there was an emergency, and your power was cut, you would be able to use this charger to keep your electronics on and keep you connected with the outside world and able to make contact with people. It also is simply an eco friendly way to charge your phone, and gets that energy sucking phone charger out of your outlet.

Occupancy Sensing Light Switch

This amazing light switch is designed to turn on only when necessary. It detects if someone is in the room, and automatically turns on when someone enters. It also will shut the lights off after a period of inactivity. And, a super cool bonus, it has a sensor that determines the amount of natural light in the room and will turn the lights off accordingly, so they are only on when absolutely needed. Most people will leave their lights on when they leave the room, or even the house, and this handy little light switch will definitely lower their light bills and lessen their impact on our environment!

Shower Timer and Alarm

Wasting water is probably the most common bad habit among people who are trying to reduce their footprint. Whether it is from those long showers we insist on taking or running the water when we brush our pearly whites, most of us can admit to being careless when it comes to our water use. When you run the shower, you use about 5-8 gallons of water per minute, meaning that 30 minute shower could fill a small pool or an inflatable hot tub. That is a lot of water. Getting this gadget, which you can use to take shorter showers, will reduce your costs as well as your carbon footprint.

Getting some cool environmentally friendly gadgets can help you turn things around and go green in 2013! If you want more information about solar panels and security systems, you can follow Vivint on Twitter.

By Kevin Vogel

Solar power is a great way to use an alternative, renewable energy source to provide electricity for a home. It is cheap and plentiful, and offers a long term energy solution for the home where the consumer does not have to rely on the utility company to provide their power. Even with tax incentives and rebates, the initial cost to the consumer can be expensive, and this added cost may scare the consumer away from adopting solar power. One way in which the consumer can manage the cost is through a piecemeal adoption of solar power units to target individual appliances in the home. A hot water heating system is often great place to start with solar power because it is a standalone unit and can be modified more easily for a solar hot water heating system.

A solar heating system consists of two main parts. There is the storage tank which holds the water and the solar collectors themselves. Depending on the system they adopt, the consumer may not need to replace their existing water heater with a system that will work with solar power, but this is still much more affordable than installing an entire solar system for the household. Essentially, there are two kinds of solar water heating systems. There is an active system which consists of circulating pumps and controls. There is also a passive system which has none of this added equipment. The storage tank in these systems operates in a very simple way. It can be a standalone solar system that preheats the water before it enters a conventional water heater. Some storage systems are combined into one system, but both require good insulation and additional inlets and outlets from the solar collectors.

The operation of an active solar powered water heating system is relatively easy to understand, and this in turn comes in two types. There is a direct circulation system that uses pumps to circulate household water through the solar collectors. The collectors themselves are what provide the heating element for the water. This kind of system works great in climates that are not prone freezing since the collectors themselves will be outside. The other kind of active system is called an indirect system. In this system pumps circulate a nonfreezing heat transfer fluid through the solar collectors and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger then heats the water that flows into the home. A passive system is useful for climates that are prone to freezing.

For the passive solar powered water heating system, these systems are typically less expensive and less efficient than active systems, but they do last longer. In passive systems, the solar collector is separate from the system, and the hot water and cold water are kept separate and the storage tank is used as a backup. Because the collector tank must be kept elevated, there are some structural concerns that the consumer must keep in mind for installation.

Solar power can be a great way to providing hot water heating for a home. It can replace gas and electric hot water tanks, and provide an entry point for the consumer in adopting solar power.

Kevin Vogel writes for ecofriendly design sites. Check out http://www.exclusiv-home.de/#solarkollektor for solar power ideas for your home.

By Jeanie Barcus

Energy efficiency can help you save money each month on your electric bills, but you will also contribute to the well-being of the environment. Although there are a number of things that you can do to improve your home’s energy consumption, such as installing solar panel systems, some of these investments might turn out to be a little expensive. Moreover, if you can’t afford to take some of these energy-efficient steps or don’t have the time, you don’t need to worry –because you can also do simple things that can make your home more energy efficient.

Fluorescent light bulb

1. Switching from Incandescent to Fluorescent Lighting

This method is probably one of the easiest and most affordable ways to make any home energy-efficient. Even though incandescent lighting might be cheaper at the cash register, in the end, fluorescent lighting will turn out to be much less costly. One of the reasons that fluorescent bulbs are better is that they will last eight to twelve times longer than incandescent light bulbs.

2. Planting a Tree

A tree can help you save money on your electricity bill each month. Planting a tree will also contribute to the well-being of the environment. When it comes to your home, planting a tree will give you shade in those hot summer months, which will help to keep your home cool. During winter, the tree will end up bare and will allow the appropriate amount of sunshine to come into your home and keep it warmer.

3. Air Conditioners and the Home

The last thing that can do to keep your home more energy-efficient is to keep your AC running at optimal performance. You can change out the air filter of your AC unit once a month. By doing this, you will keep your AC running smoothly, which will keep your home nice and cool in the summer months. You will also avoid any malfunctions that may occur because of dirty air filters and prevent expensive maintenance or repairs that you may otherwise need done to the unit.

These three simple steps that can get you started on having that energy-efficient home you have always wanted. You can do your part in the world’s mission to have a cleaner environment while cutting down your energy costs on a monthly basis. Once you begin your journey on energy efficiency, you will not be able to stop: you are certain to see great results in both the short term and the long term.

Jeanie is a writer and a stay-at-home mom. In her spare time, she loves to find new blogs to follow and spend time with her family.

Related posts:

Go green by killing vampires

Passive houses will rock you green

Gothenburg: future sustainable ecotopia destination

Check it out, it's George W. Bush! Wiki Commons doesn't have many cool Halloween photos.

This post was supposed to be part two of an October celebrations series, but it turns out all the fun days came early this month – except for Halloween and one other day, so I’m going to skip the other October celebrations and focus on these two.

It turns out that you can take a National Tour of Solar Homes every October throughout the United States. Not as fun as Halloween, but it’s a start! Click here to find a tour near you, U.S. denizens!

Now, on to the fun stuff. I’m a fat kid at heart, so anything related to candy rocks in my eyes. Of course, I pretty much stick to vegan candy these days, so it’s not so easy to a) eat everything I steal from trick-or-treaters, or b) raid the candy shelves at Walgreens and CVS on November 1^st. Really, if it weren’t for costumes and alcohol, Halloween would suck for adults.

So scary. Where's the pumpkin vodka?

I’ll leave the alcohol to you. Meanwhile, here are some eco costume ideas so you can get ready to party with stuff you can find in your own home, borrow, and/or buy for very cheap:

• Murder victim: wear a white shirt with ketchup or corn syrup dyed red. Smear red on your face, wear your hair messy hair, and have your kid put grey makeup on your eyes and lips and white or pale powder on face.
• Static Cling: Wear one single color from head to toe. Use safety pins to pin socks, underwear, bounce sheets, etc., to your clothes. Optional: spray your hair straight up in the air.
• Black-eyed Pea: This one’s to encourage healthy eating. Paint one of your eyes black (as if you’d gotten punched in the face) and paint a big “P” on your shirt (or cut it out of construction paper and pin it to your shirt).
• Laundry basket – full of clean or dirty clothes: Wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt or perhaps tights and a turtleneck depending on the weather/where you’ll be. Cut a hole in the bottom of a thin plastic laundry basket that you can fit through. Cut the hole small enough so it will rest on your hips after you pull it over your head. Fill the basket with laundry (clean? Dirty? Clean and dirty? There are so many choices!) and use safety pins to pin a few dryer softener sheets to your shirt.
• Partly cloudy with a chance of showers: Wear sky blue clothes (maybe snag some surgical scrubs from a thrift store), glue cotton to yourself in patches and carry a squirt gun filled with pumpkin vodka. Okay, I’ve never seen pumpkin vodka but I would totally drink it if it existed. Pumpkin vodka!!
• Grapes: Dress in all green or with green pants and a brown top. Blow up purple balloons and pin them to yourself.

For more ideas, check out Eco Fabulous. They even tell you about a nifty black cat flashlight that’s useful when trick-or-treating!

Also, if a costume swap sounds cool to you, go here!

Even if the vampire is sexy, you need to kill her or him to save money.

Going green is cheap and it can even save you money. (So even if you don’t care about the environment, you have some robust motivation to get you going!)

One way to go green is to kill all your electricity vampires. Just wear necklaces made from raw garlic. All day.

All right, I’m only kidding — there are certainly more efficient ways to fend off vampires!

Vampire power, and how to pound a stake through its heart

You see those little red lights flashing after you turn your TV, cell phone, computer, etc., off? That’s electricity being used up! This is called “standby power” or “vampire power” and it sucks up a yearly 5% of household electricity use in the U.S. (read: $10 billion) and 10-15% in Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands, according to the EPA. A real – and fully preventable! – shame.

Turn off and unplug all electronics when not in use. To simplify this task, you can plug all cords into a switchable power strip and turn it off to get all appliances in one go.

Track your energy vampires:

• Power supplies and transformers
• VCR/DVD players and certain audio systems
• Some home video game consoles
• TVs and set-top boxes
• Microwaves
• Computers, digital monitors, fax machines, and printers
• Remote-operated AC systems
• Devices featuring “instant on” functions
• Devices with a stand-by light or clock, e.g., alarms you have to plug into the wall (you might only want to unplug these when you’re going away for a few days)
• Power adapters/battery chargers, regardless of whether they are powering a device (used for digital cameras, cell phones, etc. – always unplug them when you’re finished charging your device!)

Read more about which appliances suck up power here.

When available, always do your best to replace energy suckers such as dishwashers, electric ovens, AC, and water heaters with energy efficient alternatives.

And don’t be fooled by computer screen savers – they aren’t saving you any power!

Bikes aplenty in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Apart from the ubiquitous bikers spotted across the city, Amsterdam may not appear to be one of the greenest cities of tomorrow (or today). But it is quickly becoming increasingly energy-efficient.

Dutch energy company Nuon, IBM and Cisco last year jointly launched a pioneering energy management scheme in 500 households that is reducing their energy usage by 14% and CO2 emissions considerably.

Thus far, also, certain Dutch banks have given money to some 700 household to purchase energy-saving appliances ranging from light bulbs to roof insulation. The city plans to lower its CO2 emissions by a hefty 40% by 2025.

Another factor making Amsterdam one of the greenest cities of tomorrow is its intent to install several hundred power hookups within the next few years to allow electric car drivers to recharge their vehicles, and to set up solar panels on townhouses. EUR 100 million will be spent each year during the next 6 years to upgrade the electric networks to smart grids that will cut energy use.

Victoria Harbor, BC, Canada

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Victoria is boosting its efforts toward green public transport and building, energy-cutting developments, recycling and decreasing overall waste. It has also set a goal to go carbon neutral by 2012! Swift action’s where it’s at—don’t give me 2025, folks, because 15 years isn’t nearly soon enough…

Insofar as city planning, it supports the creation of a Civic Green Building Policy, which will mandate that the building of all new civic facilities meet the LEED Silver standard. In other words, they must lower energy use by 31% and water use by 22%.

In terms of waste reduction, Victoria has been implementing a program for several years destined to lower and recycle organic materials on a mass scale.

More reasons why Victoria is one of the greenest cities of tomorrow:  it has introduced the first hybrid double-decker buses in all of North America. Plus, the city is covered with so many bike routes it has become known as the “Cycling Capital of Canada.”

More: Victoria’s traffic lights are now energy-saving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and the lighting in its buildings now feature more energy efficient lights.

Other greenest cities of tomorrow:

Malmö, Sweden
Gothenberg, Sweden
Vancouver, Canada
Reykjavík, Iceland
Portland, OR, USA

Robin at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve

Sometimes it’s the little things that matter. Whether you consider yourself an eco expert or a newbie, skim this list in case there’s something new in there for you! And please feel free to add to it in the comments section.

This planet is yours, mine, and everyone else’s – this includes non-human animals. It is not anyone’s to trash. It is our home. Let’s humbly bow and thank our Mother Earth for sustaining us, and offer our efforts to be sustainable in return. Join in the cycle of life, not of destruction.

A 35-acre cay off the island of Eleuthera is preparing to become private, completely eco-friendly digs to be called S.T.A.R., as in Sustainable Terrain and Resources.

The developers claim commitment “to making Star Island sustainable and earth-friendly at every level.” All energy to power the bungalows, residences, and the hotel will be harnessed from wind, sun, and water.

The cay, in its pre-S.T.A.R. existence, is currently an uncivilized (read: perfect) slab of land that developer David Sklar and a fellow developer friend decided they ought to buy and transform into a luxurious hub of ecotourism – for those who can afford it. The first building will supposedly be launched this year.

photo from NYT

All waste will be recycled, composted, and used as fertilizer; rain water will be harvested and heated via solar power; mini wind turbines will harness energy; geothermal heat pumps will produce heating and cooling capabilities “by tapping into the stability of underground temperatures that average between 65 to 70 degrees”; and lots more. Read about the island’s green technology here.

The website’s Products page remains under construction. I wonder what will go there. Will it feature the biodegradable products they will use to upkeep the development? Organic cotton bed sheets? Maybe organic marihuana. Just kidding. Hmm. The Green Activities page also remains a mystery, but the model on the page’s photo appears to be longline fishing. Well, I guess that’s sustainable, although not eating fish at all would be the best option, of course.

Other ridiculously rich folk, such as CEOs Sir Richard Branson and Alan Worden and Leonardo DiCaprio, are also keeping busy with similar projects. You might read about them in future posts.

And, you know, I think this is really cool. The Bahamas + no pollution = awesome, right? Gorgeous. Clean. Absolutely dreamy.

Well, hang tight because soon I will post regarding why this whole deal really grinds my gears.

Bicyclists and a bike counter in Malmo - photo by 2headedturtle

What a surprise – we’re again looking at Scandinavia! This post focuses on Malmö, the home of almost 300,000 Swedes in the southern province of Skane, Sweden.

Oh, Malmö, let me count the ways that you are green:

• Between 2008 and 2012, you are cutting your CO2 emissions by 25% (!), essentially giving the Kyoto Protocol the finger as you obscenely surpass the Protocol’s meager 5% goal
• You lead the way in green electricity practices
• You consist of eco-friendly neighborhoods that contain hundreds of smart energy homes!
• Western Harbour runs on 100% renewable energy (solar, wind, hydropower, and biofuels from organic waste)
• Your buildings are energy-efficient and were built with sustainable, recyclable materials
• Your streets encourage walking and cycling instead of driving – and it works: about 35% of the population travels by bike
• The restoration of Sege Park will power the neighborhood with solar (photovoltaics*), wind, and biofuels power
• Malmö, you renovate shipyards and industrial areas, transforming them into green residential communities
• Your district known as Augustenborg uses green roofing that reduces runoff and insulates buildings
• Augustenborg has the first-ever emissions-free electric steel trains (swank!)
• Another one for Augustenborg: more than a dozen recycling houses process 70% of collected waste

Brilliant.

The largest photovoltaic project in Scandinavia in Malmö's Sege Park

Malmö, oh, Malmö – your vibrant dedication, your grass-stained fingers, your cool, clean breath, your practical ingenuity – you are so wonderful I would give up certain sweets for you.

Oh, Malmö, with your canals, beaches, parks, and your harbor you remind me of the aesthetics of the Middle Ages and the distant future in spirit.

My love, oh, Malmö, is yours.

And I’m not the only one raving about this city: check out this BBC article on Sweden’s eco-awesomeness.

* What the hell are photovoltaics? I’m glad you asked. Why, they’re a solar energy technology. Photovoltaics cells transform solar light directly into electricity. Learn more here.

The gorgeous prefabricated WeberHaus Passive House

This is one of the most amazing things I have ever known about – if you live in Germany or Scandinavia, you could be living in a house that keeps you comfortable without heat or AC, no matter the temperature. You’d be saving more energy (and money) than you’d know what to do with!

Passive houses, as they are called, adjust to temperature. These homes use one-twentieth the heating energy of typical German homes. While architects outside of Germany and Scandinavia are working to achieve something similarly spectacular, barely any passive houses have been built in other countries. So far, these houses cost just 5-7% more to build than typical ones. This system is also being implemented in Frankfurt schools. I am swooning.

The key to the amazingness of passive houses is ultra-thick insulation and doors and windows with complex airtight mechanisms that keep cold and heat from entering and exiting the structure. The house heats up via sunlight, the use of appliances, and bodies! The central ventilation system keeps mold and stagnant air out.

Passive house in Ireland

“The European Commission is promoting passive-house building, and the European Parliament has proposed that new buildings meet passive-house standards by 2011,” the New York Times reports.

Sweet. And the U.S. Army might build passive house barracks. Who would’ve thought the army would be this progressive? Not me, that’s for sure.

Hey, Obama! Turn the White House into a passive house!

More:

Passive Houses FAQ

Check out passive houses resources and builders around the world

The Passive House Institute US

Promotion of European Passive Houses

Passive House (Passivhaus) Standard for Energy Efficient Design

How to design a passive house in a specific climate

Photos of beautiful passive houses!

More photos (Weberhaus)!!

And more still!