green-blog

Well, there is no real answer for this question yet. It is hard to determine what jobs will fall under this new term being pushed by President Obama and the new stimulus plan. President Obama’s New Energy for America plan would commit $150 billion for the creation of five million “green jobs” over the next ten years. But experts remain split on what makes a job considered a green job.

Is an accountant at a solar panel manufaturing company considered a green job, or maybe a truck driver delivering the solar panels? What about the people who build hybrid cars, do they have green jobs?

It is hard to say what is considered a green job and who will benefit from the stimulus plan at this time. But for those out there that are interested in a green job, starting your education and training now would be a good idea. Although there are not many classes or courses out there right now, it is expected to become pretty popular among community colleges and vocational schools. Most of these green jobs are expected to require not much more than a high school diploma and the newly added green education courses.

One of the centerpieces of President Obama’s agenda has been fulfilling the promise of green jobs,  creating opportunities for Americans to find new careers in a new energy economy that will support healthy communities. At the President’s State of the Union Address, Obama stressed how important it is that America changes the way we create, transport and use energy.

The $787 billion stimulus bill signed by President Obama provides $22.5 billion for green investments, including $500 million for a federal green job training program.

It is expected that this bill will create many new jobs in the green industry, ranging from creating renewable energy to saving energy. As the green industry grows, many Americans will have the opportunity to begin new careers that will better American standards of living. No matter what kind of education someone has, there will be a green job that anyone can pursue. For example, $5 billion of the stimulus will go towards helping homeowners weatherize their homes. This part of the bill will give construction workers jobs to work on, and also require administrative positions at utility companies for processing paperwork and making payments.

President Barack Obama’s new stimulus plan calls for $5.5 billion to be allocated for the General Services Administration (GSA) for green building projects. The GSA’s goal is to provide superior environmentally friendly workplaces for a million federal employees across the United States. The GSA is committed to incorporating principles of sustainable design and energy efficiency into all of its building projects.

The GSA requires that all GSA new construction projects and renovations must be certified through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. LEED consists of a set of prerequisites with specific requirements to become a certified green building.

For green building contractors and green building materials providers, the stimulus package represents an very large opportunity to increase business. It is not yet known when these projects will start, but it will be soon and will create many new green jobs. The stimulus package calls for $4.5 billion to convert federal buildings to high-performance green buildings, $750 million to renovate and construct federal buildings and courthouses and $300 million to renovate and construct land ports of entry.

Incandescent lighting is slowing fading away as new technologies are brought to the lighting world. It will no be long before incandescent light bulbs are outlawed and fluorescent light bulbs will take over as the new standard.

Incandescent light bulbs use a lot of energy, when fluorescent uses about a third of the energy for the same amount of light output. A typical incandescent bulb is anywhere from 60 to 100 watts, when a comparable fluorescent is only about 18 to 30 watts. Many people are starting to see the savings in these new bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFL’s, can be found in just about any hardware or home improvement store today. The most common bulb being the screw in one, that fits in a normal light socket. There are also complete light fixtures that are made to accept only fluorescent bulbs with special ends on them such as 2 or 4 pin plugs.

Changing your normal light bulbs and fixtures to these energy saving fluorescent ones can save you up to around 70 percent on the lighting portion of your energy bill. While these fluorescent bulbs are more expensive that incandescent bulbs, they pay for themselves by the amount of energy they use, and also last up to 13 times longer. They also come in different lumens options so you can choose if you like a more yellow light like an incandescent bulb, or a brighter, whiter light.

source: http://www.ilightingsolutions.net./

There has been not better time than now to get an energy audit on your home. With the economy down, saving money is on everyone’s mind. A good place to start saving money is right at home. Hiring a professional energy auditor can give you insight on how much money you are wasting every month on your utility bills. Wasting energy not only wastes your money, but hurts the environment as well. The more energy you use, the more impact it has on the environment.

An energy auditor can come to your home, and do a thorough inspection to determine where you are wasting energy. Everything from losing heat do to air leaks or insufficient insulation, to over lighting and too much “grey water” waste. A typical energy auditor will charge between $100 and $200 dollars to give you a report on areas where your home is wasting energy, and things you can do to make it more energy efficient.

After consulting with an energy auditor, most homeowners cut there energy use by up to 20 or 30 percent annually. You can usually find a home energy auditor by searching the Internet, or contacting your utility company. Some utility companies will even pay for some of the cost to have your home inspected.

Obama announced on Monday that he will be pushing automakers to make more fuel efficient cars by making a couple steps, one of which is permitting California and other states to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Environmentalists say the President’s move will pave the way to develop a national carbon standard for automobiles. Surprisingly, this law will make the automobile industry happy as well, which has argued that trying to comply with a California greenhouse gas rule in addition to a federal mileage standard would be too costly.

Allowing California and 13 other states to adopt tailpipe rules could lead to a federal greenhouse gas regulation, which would probably be written by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

President Obama also instructed the Department of Transportation to implement new federal fuel economy standards, also noting that part of the $90 billion clean energy portion of the new stimulus bill will go towards federal assistance for the development of super-efficient automobiles.

For California to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, it needs a waiver from the EPA, which the Bush administration refused to grant it in December of 2007, even though the state has received many waivers over the years to regulate pollutants. The news that the Obama administration ordered the EPA to reconsider was warmly received in both Sacramento and Washington.

Many of the nation’s most populous states have embraced the California rule and have been waiting along with California for the waiver.

There are many ways to build a new home that will save you money in the long run. Most builders do not typically choose energy efficient products when building a home because the products are usually a bit more money, which can eat into their profit. But to the homeowner, it is worth it to spend a little more now. to save more later. Most people do not build a house and move a few years later, so you don’t have to worry about getting your money back. Here a some things you can do to build a more energy efficient home.

The standard furnace is the typically the biggest energy sucker in your home. Choose a more energy efficient furnace to start, use one that offers zoned systems so you can choose which areas of the house you need heated and which ones don’t. Also programmable thermostats so you don’t forget to turn the heat down when you go to work everyday.

The next biggest energy user is water heaters. Natural gas is the most efficient way to heat water, and make sure to choose a water heater that is the right size for your home.

Windows and doors can contribute to a lot of heat loss in your home. Make sure to choose high rated energy efficient ones, and make sure they are properly sealed when installed.

When choosing appliances do research and find the most energy efficient ones. Always look for Energy Star labels.

There are many options out there now for lighting. Energy efficient light bulbs and motion sensors are two great ways to cut down on lighting energy costs.

Even landscaping can save energy and you money. By placing a tree in a strategic location, it could shade your house in the summer time and save you on air conditioning costs.

Saving the environment and saving money are 2 very important things these days. Here are some things you can do to save both.

1. Save energy

*Use compact florescent bulbs instead of standard incandescent bulbs

*Set your thermostat a few degrees colder than normal

*Wash clothes in cold water, eliminating the amount of hot water you use

*Unplug electronics when you are not using them, even if its turned off a lot of electronics still use electricity which is known as phantom energy use

2. Save Gas

*Walk, bike, or ride the bus whenever you can

*Carpool to work if possible

3. Save Water

*Take shorter showers and install a “low flow” shower head that does not shoot as much water out

*Install faucet aerators, these will conserve water while keeping water pressure high

*Do not over water your lawns and plants, and never water them in the middle of the day

4. Think About what you Buy

*Look for slightly used items when you can

*Remember that every time you buy something new, think about how much impact it has on the environment, such as packaging and what it took to make the product

5. Buy Smart

*Buy in bulk when possible, it will be cheaper and save on packaging

*Buy high quality products, the longer it lasts the less you have to purchase new ones

6. Borrow

*Share with neighbors whenever you can to keep from buying new products

*Go to libraries for books and rent movies instead of buying new

7. Don’t Drink Bottled Water

*Use a water filter instead of buying bottled water, most plastic bottles end up in a land fill

*Bring a reusable water bottle for work, school, etc.

8. Eat Smart

*Try eating less meat, it is expensive and has a lot of impact on the environment when you consider what it takes to get it to the stores

*Eat healthy foods and don’t endulge so much

*Buy locally grown foods

9. Make your Own Cleaning Supplies

*You can make many non-toxic cleaning products at home with ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon and soap. This saves alot of wasteful packaging

10. Recycle

*Donate things like electronics, or take them to e-waste companies

*Recycle anything you can like paper, plastic, aluminum

This product has been out for a few years now and is a great way to save energy and money. The tankless water heater provides continuous hot water throughout single family homes and can save a homeowner around 35 percent on their water heating bill. Instead of the traditional hot water heater, which heats up water and stores it in a tank, this new one rapidly heats the water whenever there is a demand for it, and then  shuts off when hot water is not needed. The traditional hot water heater has to continue to re-heat the water as it loses its heat sitting in the tank.

With proper sizing, the tankless water heater can deliver hot water to multiple outlets throughout the home, including multiple showers and appliances running at the same time. It also has a temperature gage which allows the homeowner to make the water as hot as they want. And unlike a tank water heater, it never runs out of hot water.

This water heater is very compact compared to standard water heaters, and can be installed in hidden places throughout the house. Some models even come with a remote so the homeowner can change the temperature without getting to the hidden spot in which it was installed. This product can be found at most plumping or home imporvement stores.