How to install an EV charger
There is one must-have appliance for any electric vehicle (EV) owner — and anyone intent on getting an EV soon. A home charger is simply the most convenient way to keep your battery topped up. EV charger installation isn’t always straightforward and can even require …
The most sustainable skyscrapers are made out of wood
The world is building high-rises faster than it has ever done before. According to architect and Supertall author Stefan Al, that could be a very good thing for the environment — with the right design approach. Things are looking up — literally. More than 1,500 …
How to save electricity
Already faced with sky-high gasoline prices, many Americans are also feeling the pinch from home energy bills. The average home electricity bill in the United States rose eight percent in January compared to a year earlier, the largest increase in more than a decade. If the …
Four new green hotels that take only reservations, leave only memories
From a Mexican design retreat that runs entirely on solar power to an ambitious culinary destination hidden deep in the almost untouched forests of Montana, here are four of the best (and best-looking) new eco-hotels. Hotel Terrestre Puerto Escondido, Mexico Opened: February 2022 Nestled in …
This Brooklyn brownstone produces more energy than it consumes
A century in the past, a century in the future: that’s the purview Ruth Mandl and Bobby Johnston, married architects who run CO Adaptive Architecture, had when renovating their three-story townhouse in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. “We wanted to celebrate and respect the building’s …
How passive house design can take action against climate change
Twenty years ago, architect Katrin Klingenberg broke ground on the first passive house in the country. By 2009, there were about 10 passive house projects in the US; 250 in 2016. The Passive House Institute US (Phius)—the training and certification non-profit Klingenberg founded in 2002 …
Connected Sustainability: 5 Smart Home Technologies You Should Consider
Last year, humans threw away 63.3 million US tons of e-waste. And that number is on track to grow by 28 percent by the end of the decade, thanks to shorter product lifecycles, limited repair options and an insatiable appetite for electronics. So how do …
Will your new home be ready for the next chapter in clean energy?
Homebuyers in the US are facing a lack of housing supply, a problem that’s been over two decades in the making according to the National Association of Realtors. In 2021, just 15 percent of buyers purchased a newly built home. But the tide may be …
Tower of power: Can transmission pylons be redesigned?
If you’ve ever visited a suburban or rural area, chances are you have come across massive electrical towers. These tall metal structures are the backbone of the electric grid, and we will need to build more of them if we want renewable energy to reach …
Why are power outages increasing in the US, and what can be done about it?
The US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Electric Power Industry report provides some fascinating insight into the duration and frequency of power outages across regions and specific states. According to the latest data, the average American utility customer experienced over eight hours (492 minutes) of …
