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Sustainability begins at home

Regional carbon market developments

Posted on January 25, 2010 by JPierce

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is the first mandatory, market-based effort in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ten Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states haved capped and will reduce CO2 emissions from the [electric] power sector 10% by 2018.
States sell nearly all emission allowances through auctions and invest proceeds in consumer benefits: energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other clean energy technologies. RGGI will spur innovation in the clean energy economy and create green jobs in each state.

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Energy Efficient-from the ground up.

Posted on January 25, 2009 by Anthony Butler

From the Laconia Citizen:

“It was 30 degrees outside but inside a yet-to-be-finished basement of a home being built on Summit Road, the temperature remained above 42 degrees, with no heat.
That’s because the home, which belongs to Cecilia Rai and James Koren of Plymouth, is being built to be energy-efficient from basement to attic.”

Find out more about this couple’s experience in building an energy efficient home in New Hampshire.

Cecilia Rai stand inside her yet to be finished house in Laconia, NH.

Cecilia Rai stands inside her yet to be finished energy efficient house in Laconia, NH.

Note the use of ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms) in the outer walls. This is becoming a popular technique for including insulation in the construction process-particularly as it is independent of material used (stucco, brick, vinyl siding, wood…) for the outer walls.