Energy

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    Who Kissed the Electric Car?

    When GM recalled all of their leased EV1 electric cars in 2002, there was quite a bit of speculation about the conspiracy that killed the electric car.  Many owners begged to keep their vehicles, but had no choice but to surrender them to GM to be crushed or put in a museum. This fall, we’ll…

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    The Power of Solar

    The sun continues to rise in Missouri!  Since 2008, when Missouri voters passed the Renewable Energy Standard by a 2 to 1 margin, the solar industry has been growing rapidly across the state.  This citizen initiative created a rebate program that requires investor-owned utilities like Ameren and KCP&L to pay a $2 per watt rebate…

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    The Gathering of the Green People

    On the eve after April Fool’s Day, all of the green people in St. Louis made a lunar landing on the Moonrise Hotel on The Delmar Loop .  While this sounds like science fiction, the Green Ball was the place to “celebrate the earth under the moon.”  The event raised thousands of dollars for the…

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    Heating (and Cooling) from the Ground Up

    Geothermal heating and cooling systems are becoming increasingly common as a smart way to heat and cool buildings.  The big reason for this is a 30 percent federal tax credit that effectively reduces the cost by that much.  They’re not for everyone, but according to the EPA, geothermal systems are “the most energy efficient, environmentally…

  • Heating your Home with Solar Energy

    Each day, as the sun rises and travels across the sky, an immense amount of energy is lavished on our planet.  An oft-cited statistic is that more solar energy falls on the earth in one hour than what is used by the entire population in a year.  In fact, most (almost half) of this energy…

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    Saving Energy Automatically

    Back in the early 80’s, I wrote a term paper on integrated control systems for the home.  At the time, this was leading edge technology that promised the ability to program thermostats, security, lights and appliances, and control these devices remotely.  Since then, much of this has become an affordable reality. Programmable thermostats are about…