Home Actions

by Wendy Gordon

Thanks to President George W. Bush and his positively brilliant idea to sign into law in 2007 a federal energy bill establishing energy-efficiency standards for light bulbs, inventiveness in the lighting sector has been unleashed, and manufacturers are on fire with excitement about all the new products they're bringing to market this year. (The standards go into effect in January.)

All of this has me beaming and it's made this year's gift-giving a whole lot easier: Light bulbs for everyone!

I'm kidding, right?

Actually, I'm quite serious, and given all the great new lighting options -- including halogen incandescents that look and work as well as the ones you're used to, only 30 percent more efficiently; CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights) that give good light quickly; and LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) that now cast light "omni-directionally" -- I'm positively aglow thinking about just how personal these gifts can be.

Lights are the new throw pillows, and the inner interior decorator in you is going to love browsing among all the options. Time was, we'd buy bulbs based on how much light we needed (60 watts, say, or 100). But now it's really all about the quality of the light, as well as its suitability with the colors in the room and the way it gets distributed. (Did someone say feng shui?)

True, confronting all the choices out there can be intimidating, what with considering everything from brightness, warmth, and energy-efficiency to lifespan and EnergyStar standards. But we'll figure it all out eventually, just as we've learned to operate those TV remotes. (Okay, maybe that's not the best example.)

It's going to take some time, admits Konstantinos Papamichael, a director of the California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California, Davis. Speaking with Bob Tedeschi, author of The Pragmatist column in the New York Times, Papamichael suggested that we'll need to do some experimenting "with different light versions" to really appreciate what's available. Having neither the time nor the inclination to do a lot of comparison-shopping, I'm thankful that Tedeschi tested a whole bunch of new bulbs in his home and reported the results in a recent column. EnergySaver.gov is also a terrific resource, as are the information displays at the Home Depot and Lowe's stores, where many of the new bulbs are sold.

It's also worth printing out NRDC's Lightbulb Guide and sticking it in your wallet. It decodes the new "Lighting Facts" label we'll soon be seeing on all light bulb packages. Take it along so that you can choose the best bulbs for your task, whether it's chopping vegetables in your peach-toned kitchen, working long hours at a slick glass desk, or shining some light on a cluttered back hallway.

Anyway, back to the gifts. Here's my list so far:

1. The EcoSmart LED: For my husband, who spends endless hours in the kitchen but like me detests having to climb the ladder to change the bulbs on the ceiling, I am getting the EcoSmart 75-watt-equivalent dimmable LED. The light is soft and diffuse-perfect for reading the paper at the breakfast table. (True, paying $30 for a light bulb will take some getting used to, but I remind myself that LEDs have a very long life -- 25,000 hours, as compared with 6,600 for an equivalent CFL, or 1,000 for an incandescent -- so it could well be 2025 before either of us has to mount that ladder.)
2. GE's $10 Bright: Another good light for the kitchen, especially the food-prep areas, is GE's $10 Bright From the Start Energy Smart CFL, a 75-watt-equivalent in soft white. It has a halogen component that lights up immediately while the fluorescent component is kicking in.
3. Home Depot's Eco-Smart CFL: For my sons, a niece, and a couple of nephews, all of whom work long hours at a desk, I'm thinking of Home Depot's three-way EcoSmart Soft White CFL. EcoSmart also offers an omni-directional LED that casts a nice sharp light for reading. (A definite possibility for the business grad student as well.)
4. EcoSmart G25: For a niece who works in retail and needs to look good on the floor, I'm deciding between the EcoSmart G25, a 40-watt-equivalent, globe-type CFL in soft white ($10 for two), and a standard halogen bulb. Halogens throw off light on the warmer end of the color spectrum and in all directions, qualities that work well in warm-hued bathroom settings.
5. Philips Ambient LED: I've found just the right light for my Dad, who likes to read in his recliner, and my two oldest nephews, whose kids love bedtime stories: the new Philips Ambient LED 75-watt-equivalent, now only $24.95.
6. Sylvania SuperSaver: My brother and sister-in-law entertain endlessly, so they'll get halogen lights for the dining room -- either the Sylvania SuperSaver ($7 for four) or the Philips EcoVantage ($3 for two). Both are 100-watt-equivalents and dimmable.
7. LED headlamps: Working my way down my list, it hits me: What about my school-aged nephews? If I give them each a light bulb, I'll surely soar to the top of their worst-ever-gift-giver lists. But what about LED headlamps? They can read in bed after the lights have been turned out and play spy games under the stars. They'll love them.

So that's it, my holiday gift list. Illuminating, don't you think?

Photo by Dean Jarvey/flickr/Creative Commons

We don't often hear about solar water heating, but it's taking off around the world.

Unlike solar PV, which convert solar radiation into electricity, solar thermal collectors use the sun's energy to heat water, indoor space, or both.

Guess which country leads on solar water installations? Yes, China has nearly two-thirds of the world total, with an estimated 1.8 billion square feet at the end of 2010.

That's the equivalent of 118,000 thermal megawatts of capacity, enough to supply 112 million Chinese households with hot water.

With some 5,000 Chinese companies manufacturing these devices, this relatively simple low-cost technology has leapfrogged into villages that don't yet have electricity.

For as little as $200, villagers can install a rooftop solar collector and take their first hot shower. The technology is sweeping China like wildfire, already approaching market saturation in some communities.

Beijing's goal is to reach 300 million square meters of rooftop solar water heating capacity across the country by 2020, a goal it is likely to exceed.

Other developing countries such as India and Brazil may also soon see millions of households turning to this inexpensive water heating technology.

In Europe, where energy costs are relatively high, rooftop solar water heaters are also spreading fast. In Austria, 15 percent of all households now rely on them for hot water. Germany is also forging ahead. Some 2 million Germans have rooftop solar systems. Roughly 30 percent of the installed solar thermal capacity in these two countries consists of "solar combi-systems" that are engineered to heat both water and space.

The U.S. rooftop solar water heating industry has historically concentrated on a niche market -- selling and marketing more than 9 million square meters of solar water heaters for swimming pools between 1995 and 2005. Given this base, the industry was poised to mass-market residential solar water and space heating systems when federal tax credits were introduced in 2006. Led by Hawaii, California, and Florida, annual U.S. installations of these systems have more than tripled since 2005.

Despite the recent growth in US installations, the country ranks 36th in installed capacity relative to its population, with just 0.01 square meters installed per person.

Cyprus leads the world in solar water heater area on a per capita basis, with 0.79 square meters per person. Israel ranks second with 0.56 square meters per person.

Inspired by the rapid adoption of rooftop water and space heaters in Europe in recent years, the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) established an ambitious goal of one square meter of rooftop collector for every European by 2020. Over the long term, they estimate solar thermal has the potential to meet most of the region's low-temperature heating needs.

Numerous policies promoting renewable energy use for water and space heating exist around the world. Some governments have gone a step further, passing laws requiring solar water heaters in new construction.

For a quarter-century, Israel was the only country to have a national mandate for solar hot water in buildings. Then in 2006, Spain began requiring that solar collectors be installed on all new or renovated buildings. Portugal followed quickly with its own mandate. In the US, Hawaii now requires all new single-family homes have them.

For more data and information on the rapid growth of renewable energy worldwide, see World on the Edge by Lester Brown.

Website: www.earth-policy.org

Photo by gmourits/flickr/Creative Commons

by Vivian Nelson Melle

The gorgeous holiday feast has been planned, but what will you serve your meal on? The holidays are a great time for families and friends to come together and enjoy conversation and good times and your dinnerware can actually spark some great conversations about being eco-conscious.

Here are some great eco-friendly dinnerware choices for those who are avid environmentalists or those just venturing into the world of green living.

1. Traditional Place Setting

There's something so elegant about a traditional place setting, especially one with familial significance. Having Grandma's China grace the holiday table brings an element of comfort that disposable ware will never acquire. The one question becomes how to clean the dishes. If you have an older dishwasher than hand washing is the way to go. Enlist the help of guests and you'll make memories while cleaning up after the big meal. If you have children than your little helper can earn a piece of holiday dessert. Newer dishwashers actually use less water and soap so the the electricity is the only thing you are looking at. To spend time with loved ones, we can let it slide especially after keeping disposable ware off the table.

2. Compostable Dinnerware

There are so many varieties of compostable dinnerware it can become overwhelming. There are those made from corn, fallen leaves, palm leaves and even sugarcane. These are a good choice for those not wanting to deal with dishes after cooking up a holiday meal, but who also realize the hardship of disposable plates on Mother Earth. They are sturdy and hold up well to hearty and even juicy meals. There is still some question regarding how quickly they compost, but they do indeed break down over time. Those with a more fibrous appearance seem to break down more readily and also seem the most interesting in appearance.

3. Chinet Classic White

If you are on a budget and just can't fathom washing the dishes, Chinet Classic White is still on the green spectrum. The company uses 100 percent pre-consumer recycled material. Chinet also suggests their Classic White line actually can help gardens grow when thrown into your home's garden compost bin. Obviously not as green as your traditional dinnerware, these items are a good choice for the person who stills holds an unhealthy addiction with styrofoam dinnerware. Chinet is a way to painlessly wean the average household off of traditional disposable dinnerware.

by Joshua S Hill

Imagine coming home from a long day at work on a summers' day. You left that morning and ensured the blinds were down so you didn't come home to a roasting-oven. You walk in the door and the sun is down outside, but inside, there's a warm gentle light.

Welcome to a house with the Liteon Eco Leaf blind installed.

Replacing traditional blinds the Eco Leaf includes solar cells made into the fabric that recharge during the day while doing the job a blind is designed for; blocking out the sun. Come darkness outside though, the Eco Leaf emits ambient light, using energy it stored during the day and creating a stylish corner of your house.

There's even a little corner on the blind which tells you the current room temperature, and can even allow you to check the weather and time, using E Ink.

Designed by Lim Wan Xuan & Tang Xueling Jane of XentiQ Pte Ltd, a production company.

Based around the idea of a tree leaf the blind allows ambient light to seem into the room during the day, but also gathers energy using photovoltaic cells that are built into the fabric. During the night leaf-shaped OLEDs light up the room.