Triangle Sustainability Blog

I’ve previously speculated about some ways to calculate a carbon footprint (see post). My methods were pretty basic, but I hope they at least gave some ideas of how we can start tabulating or carbon costs.

While other carbon calculators do exist – such as Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth calculator – they only provide the high level information about what all goes into our carbon footprints – both individually and nationally.

For those who would like to take a more serious look at what comprises your carbon emissions, I highly recommend the book “Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air” by David MacKay.

MacKay, a Physics professor at the University of Cambridge, goes through a thorough investigation of all the direct and indirect carbon emissions that we’re each responsible for. He then tabulates those emissions against theoretical renewable energy alternatives. And I do mean theoretical – MacKay envisions such extreme scenarios as putting wind mills on almost every available acre in the UK or solar panels on every home. He focuses on what’s possible if we all used about as much renewable energy as we could.

The downside is that MacKay lives in Britain, and so his numbers are focused only on what the UK could do and don’t take into account U.S. consumption habits or potential renewable resources. But his book still provides a fantastic overview of the challenge behind actually going to a completely renewable-based energy supply, and he does it in a fun and very readable way for non-technical folks.

Best of all, MacKay gives his book away online for free, so you can download it in chapters or all at once and start reading today.

Fall is in the air. Even in North Carolina, the change in seasons is noticeable with crisp winds, the earlier onset of dusk and chilly morning air. And while cooler weather means looking forward to trick-or-treating, Thanksgiving feasts and the Christmas holidays, it also means it’s time to think about all the cold air that can seep into your home, reducing your coziness factor and overall energy efficiency.

For the average homeowner, a few basic do-it-yourself projects can make a huge difference in terms of comfort and energy savings. One of the best top-to-bottom guides on getting your home’s envelope well sealed is called “Insulate and Weatherize” by Bruce Harley.

Harley does a fantastic job of stepping through some of the most important energy spaces in your home, such as the attic, basement, crawl space, kneewalls and windows, and he makes getting them sealed and insulated understandable for everyone.

Another nice guide to saving energy in your home is the Consumer Reports guide to reducing energy costs. Although this book has a broader scope than Harley’s, it doesn’t have as many great ideas or step you through the work as nicely.

If you’ve already done your best to seal your home and you’re ready to take the next step in pursuing energy efficiency – or if you’re not the do-it-yourself type of person – now is a great time to contact Triangle Sustainability for an energy audit.

An energy audit will help you find places that you missed in your insulating and sealing projects. But it will also provide you information on replacing appliances, solar and other renewable energy possibilities and how an energy management system can help you visualize, understand and reduce your energy usage. So wherever you’re at right now, start making the proper plans to make your home more energy efficient so you can save money and stay warm as the weather gets cooler.