Archives

August 26, 2010

Two Different Seasons, Two Different Energy Bills

Most Maryland homeowners vividly remember the blizzards which kept them inside last winter.  They also remember the energy bills associated with record breaking snowfall.  Those costs carried over to one of the warmest summers on record.  Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) named July’s record breaking heat as the culprit behind higher than normal energy bills.  On the brighter side, researchers have predicted a far warmer winter this year.  What does this mean for energy use in your home?  Read more after the jump.

Read more…

August 20, 2010

Friday Twitter Round Up

There was a lot of news to cover this week in the world of remodeling and home improvement.  Everything from the return on investment of certain projects like replacement windows and replacement doors, to Vanilla Ice getting his own home improvement show – seriously.  Twitter is a great way to stay up to date with interesting subjects and people, locally and around the world.  You can find us here, tweeting away great information from the world of energy efficiency and home improvement.  Here are a few “tweets” that caught our interest.

AARP Maryland (@AARPMaryland)

How does your state compare when it comes to average price of electricity per kilowatt hour for residential customers (AARP)

Green Maryland (@GreenMaryland)

Maryland DNR’s 2010 Photo Contest ends Aug. 31. If you love outdoors & take photos, get your entries in & win prizes (Maryland DNR)

Long Fence and Home (@LFandHome)

Vanilla Ice gets a home improvement show…you read that right. #noreally (The Wrap)

Serious Materials (@GetSerious)

New study comparing energy-saving techniques shows windows give biggest bang for your buck. (Serious Materials)

Baltimore Charm (@BaltimoreCharm)

Maryland among cheapest states to close on a home.  (Baltimore Business Journal)

August 18, 2010

Long Windows: Heat Mirror

One of the biggest hurdles the developers of the Stealth Bomber had to overcome was the question of how to keep the pilot from freezing at such high altitudes.  The solution was to incorporate Heat Mirror ^TM around the cockpit.  This kept the heat generated by the computers, instruments and the human body inside the cockpit, while keeping the cold air out.  In fact, in 1999 Popular Science Magazine named it one of the top 100 inventions of the past millennium.  Like most technology, it eventually finds its way to consumer goods.  Currently, you will find Heat Mirror ^TM technology in Long Windows.

Read more…

August 13, 2010

Scarce Electricity and Smart Grids

Saving energy affects more than our heating and cooling bills. Recently, New York City residents endured extremely high weather temperatures causing an electricity blackout where 52,000 residents lost power during the heat wave.

While pertaining to summer terms only, air conditioning is essential to comfortable living conditions in many areas. Saving energy and energy efficient products will never be fully appreciated by the public until there is no more electricity feeding millions of air conditioners in big cities. The mission to save energy should become a national priority as to prevent, or at least manage, this type of crisis.

Read more…

August 9, 2010

The Difference of Krypton

What is krypton?  If you said Superman’s home planet – you get partial credit.  On earth, krypton is a whitish, largely inert gaseous element used chiefly in gas discharge and fluorescent lamps.  Its atomic number is 36 and you’ll find it on the far right of your favorite Periodic Table. Now with your chemistry lesson behind you, we’ll discuss the benefits of krypton filled windows.

Read more…