Energy

  • Energy-Efficient Geothermal System has Excellent Payback

    When Rick & Debbie Massimi’s 15-year old air conditioning system began to fail last year, they weighed their options to maintain the aging equipment or invest in a newer, more efficient system.  With an all-electric home, they had high energy bills in the summer and even higher costs in the winter.  “I wanted to reduce…

  • A Bright Idea for Lighting

     The traditional incandescent light bulb has long been a symbol for an idea, as in “when the light goes on.”  Since Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb in 1879, this technology has become the dominant standard for electric lighting.  The filaments in the bulbs are heated to incandescence by an electric current, which is…

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    Earth-friendly Home Saves Money and Environment

    It’s a common misconception that having a “green” home means small, basic and visually unappealing.  Dale and Sharon Becker had long dreamed of the home they built in O’Fallon, Missouri, but wanted to apply green building principles in a comfortable, beautiful home.  They had been fans of Sarah Susanka’s Not So Big House and designed…

  • Sustainable Farm uses Solar Energy

    Twelve years ago Bob and Pat Belshe bought their farm in Cuba, Missouri to have a place to relax in the country.  Over the years they invested in a number of conservation projects to create a more sustainable farm operation, and were awarded the “Farmer of the Year” by the local district of USDA and…

  • The Sun of a German

    With a name like O’Rourke, it was relatively easy to conceal the truth that my mother was a full-blooded German American.  Growing up in the 60’s, I sensed a very subtle stigma about being German, and the association with the crimes of Hitler and Nazi Germany.  I don’t recall any holidays like St. Patrick’s Day…

  • Keys to Energy Independence – Part 1: Conservation

    In order to achieve energy independence in our homes, we need to create a net-zero energy home. In short, this is where we produce as much energy as we consume using any number of renewable forms of energy. To do this, though, we need to use renewable energy conservatively and efficiently. This is the first…