SanJoseGreenHome.com

How to Tap into Renewable Financing for Energy Upgrades Without PACE

Guest Author — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:11:20 +0000

So you’ve heard about it, with the passing of PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) , many homeowners, municipalities and home performance contractors had great expectations of easy and accessible financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy installations. However, something happened… Call it a glitch but PACE, as of today, is still not available. There is a [...]

New Green Home in Menlo Park 15 Percent More Expensive?

Tadas — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:30:58 +0000

So do green homes cost more? When comparing construction costs of green homes there seem to be all sorts of figures floating around. Some builders say it does not cost much more to build sustainably, and some say it could cost anywhere from 5-20% more to build a truly green home. Much of those added costs [...]

Are you an Economizer, Idealist or Eco-Chic?

Tadas — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:49:31 +0000

Imagine you’ve hit it big or you’ve finally saved up enough towards a decent down payment towards purchasing your own home and you have one major requirement – you want it to be a truly sustainable place to live, a green home so to speak. What’s important for you about the green home? What matters? How [...]

The 10 Rules For Being Human and More

Tadas — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:15:33 +0000

These days it’s easy to feel that worldly worries have sucked the winds from under our sails. Everything from the economy imposed stress at work (or no work) to the most meaningless shows on TV produced to numb our minds can feel like eroding our soul and spontaneous joy. And while it’s true that there [...]

Three Tips for Buying Used Solar Panels for Pennies on the Dollar

Tadas — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:46:30 +0000

OK you tech geeks out there who like to build your own stuff, you must have considered building your own or shopping for used solar panels by now…. Why buy used solar panels? If you are trying to save money on your residential solar electricity project, used solar panels may be a good investment. Not [...]

Random Thoughts on Finding Your Own Place on the Planet

Tadas — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 04:22:23 +0000

Don’t try to tackle all the issues, pick the closest to your heart, where you’re most likely to make a decent impact. Most importantly – be brave, don’t be politically correct, have courage, be the change you want others to be. Mean what you say and don’t be mean when you say it. Don’t fall in [...]

Artist’s Eichler Home Goes Green with Solar Energy and Foam Roof

Tadas — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:41:07 +0000

This was fun. A beautiful day on a roof of an Eichler home in San Jose (off Meridian and Curtner). I met up with my friend Jarom Ferriante and learned a few cool things about solar panels and foam roofs. This is a home of a crafty clay artist – Harriet, who’s art is shortly [...]

In Perspective: Gulf Oil Spill vs. Home Energy Retrofits

Guest Author — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:26:29 +0000

Did we even need to drill the Deepwater Horizon oil well to begin with? Actually, no. There are over 100 million homes in the U.S. Most of them use energy inefficiently because they’re not well insulated, sealed and set up. The energy contained in the biggest oil spill in U.S. history is equal to the [...]

What can PACE Do for You? Affordable Financing for Green Projects

Guest Author — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:41:55 +0000

First off, a few burning questions… Have high upfront costs derailed your renewable energy or energy efficiency projects? Would receiving positive cash flow from day one make your clean energy project more attractive? Are you worried that it may be difficult to recoup your investment in clean energy if you sell your property? To resolve these [...]

3 Money Saving Tips Before You Invest in Solar Energy

Tadas — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:59:21 +0000

These are the tips that keep coming up from a few solar pros in the community. They can be common sense but tend to be overlooked by most folks who are pondering installing a solar panel system: 1. You can save money by learning about solar energy yourself Now that solar panel parts are readily available for purchase [...]