Renewable Energy – Maximizing Your Returns

Many utilities across the country have started tapping into renewable sources to help supply electricity to their customers.  CPS Energy in San Antonio, Texas, the utility in my hometown, has committed to renewable energy in a huge way by generating energy from both solar and wind sources.  They have almost 45 MW of solar power available and a high profile project for 400 MW that is in its early stages.  This 45 MW might not be much in supplying the overall needs of its customers daily, but that’s 45 MW that doesn't need to be generated by coal and natural gas power plants.  In addition, the CPS Energy Windtricity program is part of a partnership with wind farms in operation in west Texas, and customers using Windtricity have the added advantage of receiving LEED points for a home or business.

However, home and business owners can take matters into their own hands by setting up renewable energy sources for their own property.  Solar panels mounted on a roof or wind turbines on an open spot on the property can independently help power a home or business and reduce the load on the commercial utility grid.  To power an average sized home, the investment in renewable energy sources could be quite significant.  While the price for solar is now approaching $1 per watt of energy, that still means a 4kW system would still cost $4,000 just for the solar panels alone.  There is other equipment that needs to be purchased, permits, installation, and many other costs associated with going solar but these costs are quickly recouped within the overall lifetime of the panels.  Wind energy can be even more expensive per watt, but in windy areas, can pay off even quicker.  An advantage of purchasing your own solar panels or turbines is the incentives offered by many utility companies.  From the local utility to the federal government, there is the potential for many incentives to help offset the costs of the solar panels or wind turbines.

To make all of this more effective, home or business owners need to make their property more efficient.  There are many ways to help reduce energy use and increase efficiency to make new solar panels or wind turbines more effective.  One of the easiest ways to quickly cut energy in a home or business without major modifications is by replacing lighting with CFLs or LED fixtures.  CFLs reduce energy use by up to 75% over incandescent lighting, and LED fixtures can reduce energy use up to 90% over incandescent lighting.  In addition, the longevity of more efficient lighting means you won’t be replacing bulbs as frequently, offsetting the initial higher costs.  Updating the HVAC system is another quick way to improve home energy efficiency.  Energy Star certified products use very little energy compared to older air conditioning units, and there are incentives available when replacing an old, inefficient air conditioner.  Properly maintaining a home or business also helps improve efficiency and reduce costs.  By plugging leaks, an air conditioner or heater will be more effective and will only cool or heat where that air is needed.  Adding the proper amount of insulation also reduces how much an air conditioner or heater will work, which saves energy, money, and wear and tear on the unit.

When considering investing in a personal renewable energy source, it is more effective for home or business owners to first make sure their property is operating as efficiently as possible.  This reduces the amount of solar panels or wind turbines needed to achieve the desired results.  In the end, you will either end up buying less equipment or getting more equipment for the same price to power your home or business more effectively. 

Living And Working In Sustainable Environments - Introduction

Note - This is a guest blog article by Klaus Bollmann.  Klaus is a 30 year veteran in energy conservation and is the Chairman and CEO of Ringdale, who manufactures our excellent line of ActiveLED Lighting.  We are happy to share his thoughts on our blog.

In 1977 I tried to get into alternative energy, mainly because Uninterruptible Power Supplies were not available and computers did not like frequent power failures, so was considering fuel cells as using hydrogen and oxygen to create electrical energy appeared to me a good way of creating electrical energy without environmental impact. Siemens in Germany held significant patents on that technology so I contacted the patent holder within Siemens only to hear "we are in nuclear energy right now - we have no wish to further develop or make fuel cell technology available to anyone" - that was that. So in 1978 I went on to my city to get planning permission to add Photo Voltaic (PV) solar panels to the roof structure, as I wanted to produce my own electricity, when the local authority came back to say "you can do that but be advised we will also cut you off all other utilities, water, sewer and refuse collection" - and that was that.

Now times have changed but a little of that attitude still persists today. Energy providers that were trusted with the management of federal funds will apply them only to schemes that will keep the dependence on the energy provider. For example, offer re-distribution of federal funds for grid connected Solar PV generation only but not for off-grid solar. Although, both equally save generation requirement, in fact the off-grid solution saves more than the on-grid solution. Also grid connected systems have a separate meter that the electricity company charges you, the supplier, a monthly additional meter rent so they can measure what you have provided. They also control what they are willing to pay to you for the generated energy and their contracts often force you to provide a minimum amount of energy a year keeping you responsible for the upkeep of the solar panels and inverters. So bottom line - using the grid for storage is a raw deal.

Many people I asked believe that a sustainable working environment means sweating in overheated rooms in the summer and chilling in the winter, having dim light and going back to poorly lit neighborhoods. Well, that is no longer the case if you are willing to employ the latest in technology and controls managing your energy use automatically. I found that despite the availability of sustainable technology that assists in achieving sustainable work and living environments the biggest obstacle is that people believe it is too good to be true and the second biggest obstacle is that people do not like change, even is the change is for the better or has no negative qualitative impact.

I am working and living in a super-efficient environment, which has been created in part from components of the company I worked for and from other commonly available goods like high-efficiency insulation of walls and ceilings, painting the roof and walls white on the outside (we live in Texas), 3000 gallon sealed underground water tanks for the air conditioning system, LightSpace Management and Building Automation Controls.

Working in this environment is actually a pleasant surprise as the rooms are adequately cool in the summer and warm in the winter, the lighting is adjustable to the level the people working in the area are comfortable with. This means sometimes a little less and sometimes a little more light depending on the task at hand, the mood and the supplemental daylight available. Conference rooms where you just walk in and the light comes on, the air condition turns on to higher level dealing with additional heat to be removed. Hallways that dim if nobody occupies them. Hot water produces cold in the water loop that can be used by the air conditioning system to cool another room. Cold storage and server farms that heat the buildings in the winter. All this is not utopia but possible today at insignificant extra cost as systems that facilitate such designs have become more developed.

It is easier to plan and build sustainable structures than to convert existing structures to be super-efficient. However, either way it is far easier than getting a man to the moon. Things to consider on a new build are summarized below and detailed in separate articles in this series:

Electrical
Hopefully soon electrical companies will embrace low voltage wiring more than they do today and I have to re-write this paragraph. If you can separate your home or office wiring into three categories, 48V-DC low voltage (LV) for Lighting and 48V-DC Air Conditioning, 120V-AC for computers and wall sockets, 240V-AC for Air Conditioning and Heating. The lighting should be LV wiring to a central point where you can have the power supplies for the lighting, a good lighting technology the LED will never fail but the Power Supply using current available technology eventually will.

Load Balancing
In some environments energy providers offer significantly lower rates at night times if you already have a DC battery system for your PV or Wind generator you may be able to supplement with cheap grid energy. We have compiled the electricity providers in North America allowing such arrangements.

Energy Storage
If you use Solar PV, Wind or both you need to have a space for batteries, preferably accessible from the outside so that you can change and maintain batteries conveniently. There are a number of battery types suitable for short-term storage and repeated discharge and a compromise between cost and performance has to be made.

Mechanical
To be super-efficient means you have to do things differently which, unfortunately today, a run-off-the-mill Air Conditioning Contractor will not subscribe to. To convert an existing system can be challenging, not insurmountable but definitely challenging. The Mechanical Challenges Section is divided into Equatorial Plus/Minus 30 and North and South of 30° as there are different challenges depending on the climate region that the system has to operate in. A third section deals with fresh air and plenum ventilation.

Building Fabric
The fabric of the building matters little to the efficiency and can be metal, artificial materials, or natural products like wood or stone or a combination thereof, whatever is the most cost-effective in your region and for your purpose.

Insulation Materials
The insulation material between your outer fabric and your sheet-rock wall is what matters. The most efficient material available today is called an Aerogel, this is not a brand but the type of material which has extreme durability and heat insulation properties within the likely operating temperatures in any environment on planet Earth. There are water repellant varieties of the material which are best for regions where high humidity and dampness are main features of the local climate.

What Is Right For Your Region
I like to classify the world into two major regions, from the Equator to 30° North and South and the region above 31° North and South. Conventional and sustainable systems do not apply to the sub-arctic or arctic regions of the World.

Return Of Investment
The number of misinformation and the excuses used by propagates of the consume society to obscure or redefine the meaning of Return Of Investment or ROI is mind-boggling. There is only one scientific way for ROI which will be discussed in this article ROI of Sustainable Environments, which clearly shows the payback can be significantly better than any conventional planned obsolescence model.

Klaus Bollmann is a 30 year veteran in energy conservation, resource saving innovative products for a sustainable environment. Click the link If you are interested in Ringdale DC Systems high performance 48V DC products or ActiveLED 48V DC capapable lighting systems.

Not All LED Lights Are Created Equal

One Stop Green Editor's Note:  This article is written by CEO of Ringdale, Klaus Bollmann, whose company manufactures the longest lasting LED lights in the world.

This article is an introduction to the world of LED Lighting and Controls. I will follow up with more articles specific to various lighting and control issues that you may have in your environment. The technology discussed is truly leading to a sustainable lighting environment guiding away from the consumption model.

In 2007 anyone who could put a white LED onto a Printed Circuit Board tried to sell a light bulb replacement. Having been involved with laser diode design and in specific blue lasers in their early stages I had a high curiosity whether those devices could replace the light bulb or fluorescent tube.

Like others we attempted to make a light bulb replacement only to find out that the cost of the technology is still very high and in order to justify that cost the device would have to be more efficient than a fluorescent tube and keep its light output for a very long time to get a return of investment.

Deeply understanding the quantum physics involved I knew that the junction where the light is created, that is deep in the solid state structure, had to be kept rather cool to not get damaged over time by heat and to perform with high efficiency.

When we saw all players not to care about efficiency or keeping their devices cool but to try and develop a light bulb with a slightly longer life but not too much longer, the opportunity arose to make a very long lasting light fixture. We are talking 10 years plus without light degradation or change in color.

Fortunately we also came from the networking arena so we developed a protocol of communication between the light fixtures that allows uniform dimming over an infinite number of devices by one low cost dimming device.

Imagine that in future a supermarket does not have to change its light fixtures every 3 years but can leave them in place for 15 years or more, no more light bulbs or tubes to be replaced.

Oh by the way, LEDs do not have Mercury like fluorescent tubes and "Energy Saving" lamps. The wattage on the fixture is the actual wattage consumed unlike your "Energy Saver" bulb that consumes 30..50% more than advertised.

To further cement commitment to the environment manufacturers should recycle all their product as long as the user finds a way to get it to a recycling centre and guarantee to pay back to the customer a recycling value on return. All parts of our light fixtures are 100% recyclable and in fact the aluminium in our lights is 100% recycled aluminium.

However, it is difficult for the non-specialist person to understand that not all LED devices are created equal and to recognize what is marketing hype and what is real. The DOE or Energy Star are not helping as they lag years behind technology and generally support the consumption model brands rather than lasting and really efficient technology to the point of being hostile to new and better technologies.

Our struggle is to educate that LED is not always better but good LED product like ActiveLED are better than any other LED or conventional lighting product in the market today. In conclusion, not all LED light fixtures are created equal and only very few have a non-consumption model. Our brand ActiveLED has all light fixtures guaranteed to be designed to last more than 10 years while maintaining their light output and efficiency of its power supply also known as drivers.

Klaus Bollmann is a 30 year veteran in energy conservation, resource saving and innovative products for a sustainable environment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7104043

Greening My Apartment

I recently had the pleasure of moving into a new apartment and my goal has become to make it as green as possible. One of the first elements I look to address is the lighting. Why lighting first?  Lighting is one of the easiest ways to cut energy use in a home.  There are 2 ceiling fans with 3 light sockets each on them, and the apartment came with 60W incandescent bulbs in each socket, equaling 180W of total lighting per fixture!  I simply replaced those 60W incandescent bulbs with 13W CFLs.  The 3 CFLs in the fixture equal less energy use than one of the incandescent bulbs, which means I get nearly instant savings.  Even more attractive was my utility company’ offer to cover some of the cost. You see, my local utility company offers rebate program for switching to CFLs, so I get money back for making my apartment more energy efficient. Everyone, including the environment and perhaps most importantly my pocket books, win in this scenario.

Obviously lighting is the first choice, but what other ways can I make my apartment more efficient?  Well, your AC use plays a big part of that.  Living in Texas means it’s HOT, and I mean HOT! So you can imagine it’s hard to ever want to lay off my AC, but I generally try to manage my air conditioner use to when I am actually in the apartment. Now I like it COLD, but when I am leaving the apartment, I turn off of change the AC setting to Auto so as to limit the amount of time its in operation.  In addition, I use ceiling fans and other fans to help move air around the house and keep it cooler.

Another way to keep my energy bills down is to take advantage of natural light.  I specifically chose an apartment that has ample light so I can just open the blinds and naturally light my room. This contributes to the energy savings I already generate when I switched to CFL bulbs as they are only on in the evening.

Finally and perhaps the most literal way to make my apartment ‘green’ is to bring in some plant life. Plants offer a natural filtration system and the fresh air does wonders for my indoor air quality. A few plants not only add to the décor, but bring in some much needed freshness to my apartment!

What are some ways you make your home more Green and efficient?  Tell me, maybe I’ll borrow some of your ideas and adapt them to my own apartment.  I’m going to try and blog more, so are there any topics you would like me to write about?  Let me know in the comments below!

Making Recycling Easy…

Remember back in the day when you had to sort out all your recyclables? Paper, Glass, Metal, and Plastic - all had to be sorted and arranged before that day of the week when it finally got picked up. Welcome to 2012 - where many municipalities have switched to the concept of single stream recycling. A fancy term meaning that everything goes into one bin because it greatly increases the likelihood that people will actually recycle. According to a recent study, US Households are almost 90% more likely to recycle if they don't have to put the effort into separating their trash. These numbers were convincing enough to municipalities in California who began implementing single stream recycling in the late 1990s. Since then, single stream programs have been popping up all over the nation moving its way eastward. Today, an estimated 220 city and regional single stream programs are in operation in 27 states serving about 72 million people; this is compared with 11 states and 16 million people in 2005, according to Government Advisory Associates (CBS, 2011). Once picked up, these comingled materials are separated at the single-stream Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) through the use of various magnets, screens, optical scanners and manual sorting techniques. As a result of waste processors handling the separation of these materials, consumers and municipalities alike are seeing the value of this technology, enabling it to become a more widespread recycling solution in the U.S. that creates jobs and helps our environment.

How it Works…

So your mixed recyclables container is picked up once or twice a week and taken to a single-stream recycling facility. Depending on your region, it will be taken to your local plant that processes recyclables on an hourly basis. The incoming materials start the journey on a conveyor belt where workers remove trash, large objects, and plastic bags, anything that can clog the machinery or be removed from the recycling process at its beginning stages. The conveyor belt then leads into something called a ‘disk screen’ where rows of spinning disks push large pieces of cardboard up and out of the stream as the smaller recyclables fall below.

The remaining materials are then dropped on to another conveyor belt where more workers are separating trash and leftover cardboard that may cross their path. This belt the leads into another disk screen – a double decker that separates out lighter paper products such as newspapers so that soda cans and water bottles fall below. The remaining enclosures enter an enclosure where a magnet removes any steel objects from the stream. At this point glass bottles and jars are screened out and shattered into small pieces by large disks as their shards fall below. Aluminum cans pass through an eddy current which imparts an electrical charge so another magnet can repel them onto a separate belt. The items remaining in the stream, plastics and some trash pass through a device that uses an ultra-violet light to scan each items composition. When a plastic item is scanned, its position is registered on the belt and then reaches its precipice before the moment the item plunges below it is sucked up into the appropriate receptacle above while everything else falls to the seemingly pit-less dark depths below.

Case Study

The City of Madison, Wisconsin began single stream recycling with automated collection in September of 2005, following two years of planning. The time was perfect for this transition since recycling trucks needed to be replaced, the transfer station needed redesign, and the recycling contract was up for renewal. According to the Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center who conducted the case study, 2006 was the first full year of implementation of the single stream recycling system and Madison experienced a significant increase in tonnages. The City increased overall recycling by 25% from the year before. Additionally, the City achieved over $103,000 in landfill tipping fees savings in 2006 as compared to 2005.

Single stream recycling is gaining popularity across the United States because many residents prefer it because of convenience in terms of not having to sort materials. Municipalities and collectors also prefer the method due to increased ease and efficiency of collection with mechanized lifting of carts, associated cost savings, reduced injuries on the job, and increased overall participation and tonnage collected. However, it must be warned, Single stream systems are not always cheaper alternative. Cost increases can come in the form of new carts/bins, new trucks, education of residents, and the construction or renovation of a MRF or recycling center. Single stream recycling systems should be targeted towards areas where there is lack of recycling centers or dramatically increase tonnage the amount of tonnage collected. Communities really need to analyze their specific situations in order to decide which type of program is the best fit for them.  Implementing this type of process requires the coordinating of Municipalities, collectors, processors, and manufacturers who must all work together to organize the logistics to share costs equally figure out the highest amount and percentage of quality recyclables that can potentially be recovered.

One Stop Green, LLC facilitates environmentally friendly improvements to residential and commercial properties through distribution of green, energy efficient products and services. They offer every product needed for sustainable energy independence enabling homeowners, businesses and commercial property owners to master their usage by reducing waste and implementing efficient energy consumption methods. Their goal is to provide user friendly and practical long-term solutions to existing inefficiencies and their carefully selected products and professional installers offer a higher level of satisfaction and service for their customers.

Green Trivia

By Nathan Kaufman

This blog post comes from a response to a HARO request (HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out).  I haven’t heard back from the reporter about my feedback, but maybe, just maybe, my questions made a news article somewhere.  The questions took a little bit of time to research, and I feel like some answers may surprise you.  So, let’s test your Green Knowledge!  Answers will be at the bottom of the post (no cheating!).

      1.       What's the most fuel-efficient speed to drive?  And should I use cruise control?

A) 40-50

B) 50-60

C) 60-70

D) Speed does not matter

      2.       What is most eco-friendly for book lovers?

A) Buying new books

B) Buying secondhand books

C) Borrowing books

D) Buying books on an e-reader or tablet

      3.       What is more efficient, hand-washing a car or taking it to a car wash?

A) Hand-washing

B) Car Wash

C) Who washes cars?

      4.       When is the best time of day to fill up a car?

A) Morning

B) Afternoon

C) Evening

D) When I'm out of gas

      5.       What is the most efficient temperature for thermostats in the summer and winter?

A) 78 and 68

B) 70 and 70

C) 70 and 80

D) Whatever is comfortable

      6.       How much can a leaky faucet waste in a year?

A) 100 gallons

B) 500 gallons

C) 1000 gallons

D) A drip can't use that much water

      7.       How much energy can a CFL save versus an incandescent bulb?

A) 25%

B) 50%

C) 75%

D) I don't trust CFLs

      8.       How long does gum stay after you stick it under a bench?

A) 1 year

B) 5 years

C) A long time

D) Until someone scrapes it off

      1.       This is actually a tough one, mostly because it depends on the vehicle itself.  Common answers run from as little as 40 and as high as 60.  The EPA calculated the best speed to be 55mph.  Using your cruise control for longer, relatively flat drives can also save a lot of fuel since the car will not run the engine on high RPMs to speed up as the vehicle's speed decreases.  For more ways to save fuel while driving, research "hypermiling" for some conservation techniques.

      2.       Surprisingly, borrowing books or buying them secondhand is the most eco-friendly reading method for book lovers.  The books borrowed or bought secondhand do not use more trees and ink to make them, they are already in existence.  Using an e-reader or tablet may seem better, however some parts inside them may use hazardous materials in the electronics.  As long as an e-reader or tablet is disposed of correctly at the end of its lifetime, it will not harm the environment, challenging borrowing or buying secondhand books as the most eco-friendly solution for book lovers.

      3.       Like fuel conservation, this depends on the situation.  If I hand wash my car, I do it on the lawn so the runoff water also waters the grass instead of running down the street into a storm drain.  Many commercial car washes have water retention technology that recycles water back into the car washing system.  However, due to the chemicals in the soap and other treatments from the car wash, hand-washing is the more efficient option, plus it saves a ton of money over the course of a year!

      4.       The morning is best to fill up a tank of gas.  While some may argue that warmer temperatures during the day increases the volume of the gas and decrease the amount of liquid entering your tank, the storage tanks at a gas station are underground and are negligibly affected by temperature.  As the gas approaches the nozzle, the temperature can vaporize some gas, and those fumes can be harmful if breathed in.  So, why morning instead of evening?  Most gas stations change prices in the early afternoon when the lunch rush dies down, so most gasoline prices on the way home from work will be higher than when you left in the morning.  In addition, partially filling up, and filling up really close to empty, are less efficient.  Partially filling up and running your tank dry forces the fuel pump to work harder and in turn, sucks more air in.  This can also damage your fuel pump.

      5.       78 and 68 is probably the best answer.  During the summer, you may want your property cooler than 78, however there are other tricks to use.  Fans, whether in box, tower, or ceiling form, move the air around and carry the heat away from you as the moving air hits your skin.  Using fans in conjunction with the air conditioner can save quite a bit.  By lowering your thermostat from 78 to 72 degrees, you can increase your cooling costs up to 50%!  In the winter, 68 may seem kind of cold, but like in the summer, by using your heater to fight the outside temperature, you use more energy.  A small space heater for a room or heated blankets for the bed are more energy conscious methods for staying warm in the winter.

      6.       When you start thinking about how water drips constantly for days, you will be surprised at how much is actually being wasted. A single faucet dripping 30 drops per minute wastes 3 gallons a day, which is the equivalent of about 27 baths a year.  Depending on the size of the leak obviously depends on how much water is wasted, but the above example would make 1000 gallons correct.  Multiply that by your water rate, and you could be watching your green go down the drain.

      7.       The answer is 75%.  A CFL replacement for an incandescent bulb is anywhere from 70-80% more efficient than the incandescent counterpart.  For a 60W incandescent bulb, a 15W CFL have the same brightness.  Plus, CFLs last longer, meaning you do not have to replace them as much as incandescent bulbs, resulting in even more savings.

      8.       The answer is either C or D.  Chewing gum does not break down and will remain stuck to the bench for a really long time.  Some lucky benches may have maintenance people nearby who are nice enough to periodically scrape the gum off.

So, what do you think?  Do you agree with my answers, or would you like to propose other answers?  Do you have any trivia questions of your own?

One Stop Green is looking towards a Greener Future, sharing the latest and greatest ideas in green living and Green Technology with you through our staff written blogs. Going Green is no longer a choice, it's our responsibility, that's why it's so important to try and do the small things that can help change the outlook of the planet - and this is essentially the purpose of One Stop Green. We believe even the little things like recycling or using less water helps the environment out in a big way, and that's why our various solutions seek to nurture and edify your home or business in an eco-friendly manner.

Visit our website at www.onestopgreen.com or download the mobile app at http://fwd4.me/01gP

Product Reviews: Celadon Road Laundry Detergent

Celadon Road Makes Green Products for a Green Home

By Nathan Kaufman

So, I would like to start this by saying that I am about to have a “first” moment.  I have never written a product review for a blog before, whether for a product carried by One Stop Green, or anyone else.  I would like to thank those in the blogosphere for trusting in my writing abilities and knowledge to give a fair and balanced product review.  So, here we go!

Things have been very busy with One Stop Green, and networking has been a huge part.  I found this networking site called Ozoshare for the green community (www.ozoshare.com) and created an account.  It was like joining Facebook all over again, I had tons of people wanting to be my Partner and I gladly accepted all of them.  Since I work for One Stop Green, I tried highlighting them on my Ozoshare page as well.  I got caught up in setting up the profile and remembered this was for networking purposes, and proceeded to start telling everyone hello and recommending the check out One Stop Green.  One of those people who I talked to was Amanda Arkans, an Independent Senior Manager for Celadon Road, and that’s where the basis for this product review comes from.

Celadon Road is a great company that was founded to promote a greener and healthier lifestyle.  Its products are all high quality and eco-friendly and are many products we use every day.  When I saw what some of their products were, I wanted to see about carrying them through One Stop Green, however Celadon Road markets its products through Independent Consultants.  Still, I like what they do and what they have, so Amanda asked if I could test a couple of products and review them.  Since I love new content to write about, of course I agreed!

The product I tested was the Celadon Road Laundry Detergent.  As a young twenty-something, I admit I have quite a bit of laundry I leave lying around my apartment.  While I am adept at using a washer and dryer, my apartment does not have them so I enlisted the help of my girlfriend, Stephanie.  The Lavender Celadon Road Laundry Detergent (item #020-006) came in a small sample Ziploc bag and is a light colored powder.  “There’s no way this little bag can do a load of laundry,” I said to Stephanie.  It actually ended up doing two large loads, living up to my statement (though not the way I meant it).  Celadon Road says their detergent can do a load of laundry with 1 to 2 tablespoons.  That’s much less than the name brand stuff I use, whether it’s liquid or powder detergent.  The Celadon Road website advertises their laundry detergent can also be used to clean floors and walls when dissolved in water.  The clothes came out smelling clean and feeling soft as ever, and that’s without fabric softener (another thing you don’t have to buy)!  The Celadon Road online catalog states that the laundry detergent was developed in response to “a child with eczema aggravated by commercial laundry products” which, as far as I’m concerned is a great reason to make a new type of laundry detergent.

I must say, I was very impressed with the Celadon Road Laundry Detergent.  It got my clothes clean, which is definitely to be expected from a laundry detergent, but the amount of detergent needed, or lack of detergent needed, was amazing.  When I first heard from Amanda, I asked if it were possible to carry their products on our website.  While that is not the case, I hope this review of their products will help Celadon Road because they definitely have a fan.  Overall, the detergent had a good smell and I loved that so little detergent could do so much laundry.  The clothes came out smelling clean and fresh as well.  Connect with Amanda and check out their other products at http://www.myceladonroad.com/amanda/ so you can get great products like their laundry detergent.  Or, help make the world a Greener place by becoming a Celadon Road Independent Consultant with Amanda’s great startup deal through Celadon Road!

Celadon Road is dedicated to promoting greener, healthier and more socially responsible living by offering our customers the highest quality natural, eco-friendly products for their everyday needs.  In following our mission, we inspire individuals to discover and explore their shade of green and to purchase with a purpose.  We strongly believe if we all make small changes toward a greener lifestyle, collectively we can have a profound impact on our world.

One Stop Green is looking towards a Greener Future, sharing the latest and greatest ideas in green living and Green Technology with you through our staff written blogs. Going Green is no longer a choice, it's our responsibility, that's why it's so important to try and do the small things that can help change the outlook of the planet - and this is essentially the purpose of One Stop Green. We believe even the little things like recycling or using less water helps the environment out in a big way, and that's why our various solutions seek to nurture and edify your home or business in an eco-friendly manner.

Visit our website at www.onestopgreen.com or download the mobile app at http://fwd4.me/01gP

See the Light with CFLs

By Nathan Kaufman

Lighting is one of the least expensive ways to go green in your home and business.  It also generally takes the least amount of work, just unscrewing the old bulb and screwing in the new one.  Standard incandescent light bulbs for home lighting are 60 watt bulbs and cost $.50-1.00 each.  By spending a couple dollars more, you can save 75% on your lighting energy expenses by using compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs.

75% is a huge reduction, but that is the average ratio of energy savings when switching from incandescent light bulbs to CFLs.  If you keep a brighter home, 100 watt incandescents translate to a 25 watt CFL and so on.  Another energy saving fact, calculated by ENERGY STAR, states “if every American home replaced just one light bulb with a light bulb that's earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to those from about 800,000 cars.”  Think of all the energy (and yes, read that as money) we would save!

So, CFLs do have their fair share of myths and controversies surrounding them.  One of the biggest legitimate concerns is the mercury in CFLs, which although a very small amount, is important for the functionality of the CFL.  CFLs contain about 5 milligrams of mercury, which in comparison, is less than that of old mercury thermometers.  However, they do require special care when being disposed of.  Mercury disposal guidelines vary by city, so check with your local officials when yours burns out.  Another common complaint is the color of the light emitted by CFLs.  Like their straight-tubed cousins, CFLs come in a variety of colors, called the Correlated Color Temperature.  Without getting into technical details, to get the best results when comparing the light to incandescent bulbs, get bulbs with a 2700K to 3000K Correlated Color Temperature.  CFL packaging should soon be displaying this detail, along with better explanations, on packaging, since it will be required to receive ENERGY STAR certification.  Gone will be confusing color names, like “natural white” or “soft white,” because that does not help any.

In addition to energy savings, I pose a question: how many times do you change your bulbs over the course of a year?  Typical incandescent bulbs are designed to last between 750 and 1000 hours, or about 100 to 200 days when using the light 8 to 12 hours per day.  CFLs are generally rated between 6000 and 15000 hours.  At the high end of things, CFLs can last up to 15 times longer than incandescent bulbs.  At a 100 to 200 day lifespan, incandescent bulbs are almost guaranteed to need at least one replacement during the year.  Even a 6000 hour CFL, running 12 hours per day lasts almost 2 years, the span that between 4 and 6 incandescent bulbs would be running in the one CFL’s place.

An unexpected advantage of CFLs that is rarely touched upon is the heat reduction.  After an incandescent light has been on for a while and you put your hand up to it, how does it feel?  It is pretty hot, right?  Take that 60 watt incandescent bulb and try the same thing with its 15 watt CFL replacement.  The CFL is much cooler after being on all day than the incandescent!  If your home has a lot of lighting, think of all the heat those incandescent bulbs are adding to the air, and how much the air conditioner is running to cool things back down.  While the added heat may be great in the winter (well, where I live we don’t believe in winter!), the amount of energy saved by keeping your home cooler can surprise you, all because of light bulbs.

CFLs are one of the easiest, cheapest ways to make your home more green.  I will admit, there is a surprising amount of negative press surrounding these funky looking bulbs, but if you do research, you will see there are answers and solutions to every problem that people seem to find.  Through energy savings, lower replacement frequency, and even the heat reduction, CFLs can help save costs across the board and can be a way to jumpstart your path to a greener future.

One Stop Green is looking towards a Greener Future, sharing the latest and greatest ideas in green living and Green Technology with you through our staff written blogs. Going Green is no longer a choice, it's our responsibility, that's why it's so important to try and do the small things that can help change the outlook of the planet - and this is essentially the purpose of One Stop Green. We believe even the little things like recycling or using less water helps the environment out in a big way, and that's why our various solutions seek to nurture and edify your home or business in an eco-friendly manner.

Visit our website at www.onestopgreen.com or download the mobile app at http://fwd4.me/01gP

Power on the Go

Keeping Charged in College

By Nathan Kaufman

As a college student, I am always on the go and always within arm’s reach of some piece of technology.  Whether I am checking emails on my smartphone or taking notes on my new tablet, the batteries in them are constantly running and draining.  I needed a way to keep them running without bringing cords to class and having to find a seat where I could plug in when needed.

I came across a functional set of bags called Powerbags that can help me with my problem while wandering campus.  Powerbags may look like your average backpack, messenger bags, or briefcases, but these appropriately named totes have a powerful rechargeable battery inside that allows me to charge my electronics while I walk from class to class and even in while listening to lectures in class.  It gives me the flexibility to sit anywhere and not potentially trip classmates when my cord runs across the aisle.

Now, Powerbag has a variety of bags to choose from, so the hardest work was finding the one that fits me.  With my long class days, I needed one of the more powerful bags, which rock a 6000 mAh rechargeable battery that can charge my Blackberry four times over (not that I’ve killed my Blackberry that much in a day).  I needed something large enough to carry all my class materials (3 classes per day) including binders, books, and other essentials.  It needs to be light enough to spend a day with and not cause any back pain.  I limited my choice to Powerbag backpacks.  I was never a messenger bag kind of guy, and briefcases and wheeled bags don’t suit college campuses well.  I also have a laptop (which unfortunately can’t be charged in a Powerbag) so I needed something that would fit that as well.  I went with the Deluxe Backpack because it was comparable to the only other large bag in size (the Business Class Pack) but was a little bit cheaper.  My laptop is also kind of big, so the extra-large laptop compartment was a definite plus.

The Powerbag has definitely served its purpose, keeping my phone and tablet alive while saving me from having to bring a bunch of cords.  When its battery is running low, I just plug it into the wall to recharge overnight.  The Powerbags are also pretty stylish for those that are concerned about their image, and are exclusively designed by fūl.

One Stop Green is looking towards a Greener Future, sharing the latest and greatest ideas in green living and Green Technology with you through our staff written blogs. Going Green is no longer a choice, it's our responsibility, that's why it's so important to try and do the small things that can help change the outlook of the planet - and this is essentially the purpose of One Stop Green. We believe even the little things like recycling or using less water helps the environment out in a big way, and that's why our various solutions seek to nurture and edify your home or business in an eco-friendly manner.

Visit our website at www.onestopgreen.com or download the mobile app at http://fwd4.me/01gP

Going Green in 2012

Green New Year’s Resolutions and Outlooks

By Nathan Kaufman

The New Year is a time to make resolutions, start changing yourself for the better, and create ideas to become a better person.  By Going Green and adopting a Greener Lifestyle, you can greatly reduce the impact on the environment and help promote a cleaner way of living.  So here are some hand-picked Green New Year Resolutions and notable news for 2012

1.       Going Green, like any resolution, starts with baby steps.  In your home, Going Green can have a profound effect on your lifestyle.  Switching over to environmentally friendly products can save so much money in the long run, but sometimes the initial investment is a turnoff.  So start small!  Find one, easy part of your lifestyle to change.  At home, one of the simplest is using energy efficient lighting.  CFL and LED lighting can last many years beyond the life of an incandescent bulb and the energy saved from incandescent to CFL is around 75% (60W incandescent to 13W CFL).  From CFL to LED, it is another approximately 75% energy reduction (13W CFL to a 4W LED).  Some CFL bulbs have been reported to last 5 years, and many LEDs advertise they last 10 years, so you will not be changing bulbs as often.  In addition, existing incandescent bulbs are going to be phased out by newer, more efficient versions, however they still do not come close to the efficiency of CFL and LED bulbs.

If switching your light bulbs out for more efficient ones is still out of your budget, try simply turning the lights off and opening windows during the day.  Natural sunlight is the perfect light source for much of the work you do, and best of all, it’s free!  Opening windows to let in a cool breeze can also save from running your air conditioner, and bundling up while inside can save you from running your heater.  The heating, ventilation, and cooling system in the home is one of the largest energy users.

While roof mounted photovoltaic systems and efficient Energy Star rated appliances would be a big help, those are something you can put your energy savings towards from simply switching your light bulbs.

2.       The Electric Vehicle field expands, and other Green Transportation ideas.  What started in the United States with the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf has exploded as the next great thing in personal vehicles.  The issues with the Volt’s battery should be resolved shortly since Chevy has found a fix, and many well-known brands are rolling out electric vehicles of their own to compete with the Volt and Leaf.  Something to note, not all the cars are straight electrics, some are Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles, including the already mentioned Volt.  Ford has started production on a straight electric Focus as part of Ford’s plan to Green their product line.  Mitsubishi’s much-hyped MiEV is also going to be available for sale starting in 2012 and is especially noted for being the most affordable mass produced electric vehicle in the US.  Toyota has its popular RAV 4 SUV ready to launch as an electric vehicle, the only all-electric SUV available in the US as well, marking a big change from all the currently produced small cars.  Toyota is also coming out with a Plug-In Hybrid Electric version of its extremely popular Prius.  Not to be outdone, Honda is releasing its popular Fit as an Electric Vehicle with an outstanding range of 123 miles between charges.  For higher-end clientele, Tesla is coming out with its Model S sedan with many upgradable features that extend range and increase comfort, and the sporty Fisker Karma is also ramping up production.

Not in the market for an Electric Vehicle?  That’s still ok, all the major manufacturers are seeking ways to increase fuel efficiency across the board, even SUVs and pickup trucks are getting the Green treatment and becoming more efficient, and more and more Hybrid Vehicles are coming out every year.  With new fuel standards mandated by the US Government fast approaching, now is a great time to find a fuel efficient ride.

A much cheaper option would to find alternate transportation to your current car.  As a college student in a college town, I ride my bike to and from campus frequently, as well as between classes.  Living close to campus helps, because going to class all sweaty after a long bike ride is unappealing, but the couple miles I do ride are refreshing and a great way to wake up in the morning.  Taking public transportation is also an option in many locations.  My university has a very busy bus system that sometimes fills up with students going to and from campus, and many cities have their own transit agencies.  Leave your car parked and let someone else do the driving for you and many others.  Many times, transit agencies have passes that allow unlimited use for a monthly payment that will be far less than your average monthly gasoline bill.

3.       Try to find ways to get out and do things that do not consume.  I am even guilty of not doing this, I sit on my couch, writing blogs for you and watching the TV all day.  But Going Green is a Lifestyle, and part of that is being active.  Going outside is free, and you can do nearly anything.  Just going on a walk, whether down the street or on a park trail, gets you active and uses energy you have been consuming in the form of calories instead of using energy generated from a power plant.  Being active not only promotes a Green Lifestyle but also a Healthy Lifestyle.  Many resolutions revolve around improving appearances, and this Green Resolution definitely falls in line with that.  Instead of driving, using gas, bike.  Instead of playing Madden 12 on your Xbox 360, get some friends and play touch football at a local park.

Going Green and adopting a more environmentally lifestyle should be a part of everyone’s New Year Resolutions.  Simple lifestyle changes can generate impressive results when Going Green and every little bit pays off.  Also, as illustrated, your Green Resolutions do not have to be expensive to be successful.  So go out and help make the world a Greener place, one Resolution at a time.

One Stop Green is looking towards a Greener Future, sharing the latest and greatest ideas in green living and Green Technology with you through our staff written blogs. Going Green is no longer a choice, it's our responsibility, that's why it's so important to try and do the small things that can help change the outlook of the planet - and this is essentially the purpose of One Stop Green. We believe even the little things like recycling or using less water helps the environment out in a big way, and that's why our various solutions seek to nurture and edify your home or business in an eco-friendly manner.

Visit our website at www.onestopgreen.com or download the mobile app at http://fwd4.me/01gP