Greening Up with the Joneses: A Host of Tech Solutions Are Coming to a Subdivision Near You
Dennis McCafferty | Date: 03-16-10 | Comments: 4
- Wind-powered turbines, energy-friendly home theater systems, and other tech innovations are helping homeowners discover the green (savings) in going green.
By now, homeowners have figured out that "going green"
isn’t simply a nice way to help Mother Earth -- it significantly saves on
household expenses too. And when money is a motivator, tech companies are eager
to come up with newer, better solutions that promise to reduce consumption more
than ever. With this in mind, here are several new and/or recent tech products
that find new ways to help residential customers do just this:
- Home energy-monitoring solutions are constantly evolving
these days, and the FIDO Home Energy Monitoring System from Vista, Calif.-based
EcoDog sends energy-usage data directly to the homeowner’s computer without
involving utility companies for reporting. It can track consumption patterns at
the circuit or major appliance level (as opposed to an entire room or home) so
the user doesn’t have to make like a gumshoe to figure out which gizmos are the
leading, energy-sapping culprits in the house. For those with alternative
generation capabilities such as wind or solar, FIDO also provides comprehensive
real-time monitoring of input generation with detailed cost-savings data based
on actual utility rates.
- Admit it: You’ve always wanted a wind turbine to
generate your own power. Unfortunately, you don’t live on the 100-plus acres of
farmland that would accommodate the needed size and noise-making capabilities
of a 60-foot tower. In the past, this sort of scenario would have been a
dealbreaker, but no longer. The 1.2-kilowatt Windspire wind turbine, from Reno,
Nev.-based Mariah Power, is better suited for those who live in suburban and
even urban areas because it doesn’t use loud propeller blades that need to be
positioned extremely high in the air. It uses a vertical axis rotor that spins
silently and stands just 30 feet tall, producing 2,000 kilowatt hours per year
in 12-mph average winds. In Spanish Springs, Nev., homes
are now using the Windspire and are projected to cut energy costs in half,
while also qualifying for a $3,000-per-turbine rebate through a state of Nevada
energy-reduction program.
- Home entertainment systems are a constant source of
energy suck, but even this aspect of the electronics industry is starting to
come up with "greener" alternatives. Los Gatos, Calif.-based HDI’s
latest TV provides a 100-inch diagonal display, but weighs 75 percent less than
standard plasma/LCD models. It uses 80 percent less power while also greatly reducing
the emission of chemicals and radioactive components while being used. Also:
Chester Springs, Pa.-based Home Technology Specialists of America’s Guiltless
Green Home Theater is the first such product powered by solar panels, with four
panels capable of powering the theater for 20 hours per week or more.
- Looks like CFL and LED light bulbs are getting
competition. The Ionic Bulb comes equipped with a patented air-purifying
microchip ion emitter that is powered by the bulb’s own energy. Unlike standard
incandescent bulbs, the Ionic Bulb from Stuart, Fla.-based Zevotek silently
emits negative ions that help clear the air of smoke, dust, pet dander, odors,
allergens, and airborne viruses. It also uses 75 percent less energy than traditional
bulbs and lasts up to seven years.
- While you may have considered Indianapolis-based Delta
as an old-school faucet company, that’s a bit of a misimpression. The company
is constantly tinkering in the lab to come up with ways to reduce water
consumption. Its new H20kinetic technology promises to do this in the shower,
where faucets create larger drops of water to better retain heat and a denser
spraying pattern. As a result, 1.5 gallons of water actually feels like 2.5
gallons, and homeowners can cut water consumption by more than one-third.
