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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

LED Tube Lamps - Advantage to Non-integrated Retrofits?When it comes to linear tube lighting, converting from conventional T12 fluorescents to a T8 LED is not just sensible, it’s necessary. As of July 2010, magnetic ballasts commonly used in the operation of T12 fluorescent lamps are no longer in production for commercial or industrial applications. In July 2012, many T12 lamps themselves were also phased out of production. Even if these lighting dinosaurs were still widely available on the market, the energy savings of switching to T8 LED tube lamps (TLEDs) would make a compelling reason to convert. For those seeking to make the switch there still remains a decision: use an integrated TLED or one that requires a T8 ballast to operate? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

The Invisible Industry--Five Facts About Container ShippingDid you know that nearly 90 percent of everything we purchase, from cars, to food, to clothing, arrives to us via ship? The cargo shipping industry, commonly known as the “invisible industry”, is the lifeline to the international exchange of goods. While many people have seen shipping containers popping up in cities around the globe in different structural uses, most are unaware of the tiny part each of those containers plays in the world’s most important shipping lines. Check out some of these amazing facts about the shipping industry! (more…)

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Letting the Market Control Hate SpeechOccasionally I like to comment on our First Amendment right to free speech and how the marketplace of ideas tends to police itself very well.  This is quite clearly the case with most issues in our society.  While the U.S. Supreme Court has drawn a number of lines concerning the types of speech that are not protected (those that pose a threat to human health and safety), most bad ideas simply disappear on their own. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

Understanding “Baseload Power” and Debunking the Myths that Surround ItHere’s an all-too-typical comment I received recently, which I present here to clarify an important point about variable energy resources, including wind and solar energy, and to clean up a common misunderstanding:

Wind power and solar, produce variable amounts of power, depending upon an unpredictable energy source. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Usually, anyone with $11.9 billion spends most of it on the contents of a Neiman Marcus fantasy gifts catalog. Anyone want a custom $475,000 Paris perfume? Yet in the right hands, in the right mind, $11.9 billion can subsidize a lot of creativity.

Those hands and that mind belong to Elon Musk, a South African-American entrepreneur and legendary founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors, SpaceX and other ventures. Not content with merely re-imagining the electric car and potentially slashing worldwide automobile emissions, Musk has gone on to revolutionize local power generation, space travel, mass transit systems and more. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

How to Maximize Your Home's Energy Efficiency and Comfort LevelsThe average family may not realize just how much energy is wasted in their home every single day. If you have begun to dread opening up your energy bills each month, then take a look at these simple tips to improve your home’s efficiency and comfort. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Starting Green--Eight Ways to Green Your Start-UpStarting a business is now easier than ever. There are many tech tools a savvy entrepreneur can leverage. You can create relationships and market your business via Twitter and Facebook. To handle the financial side, you can take advantage of cloud accounting software for small business. There are also apps like Streak available to help turn Gmail into a sales and marketing tool. But with all these advancements we can’t forget about the priority of going green. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

In the recent past, there has been a lot of support by banks and governments to encourage individuals and business owners to invest in eco-friendly “green” projects.

Lenders have developed attractive loan packages for home owners and businesses alike, and some of them can finance up to 100 percent of the investment cost. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Sustainable Retail Shop Ideas as the Last Word of Modern ArchitectureWith the times passing environmental awareness is becoming a very important part of our society and it’s not a big surprise that eco-friendly structures are gaining more and more popularity as a perfect retail spaces. They are affordable and easier to build than more conventional buildings made of brick-and-mortar and they do a great thing for the community. Putting the economy aside, with a little bit of creativity and imagination you can build a business space that will outshine competition and gain positive feedback from customers. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Keep Down The Cost of Cooling (Infographic)With all the increases in energy costs over the past decade, the financial impact of heating and cooling your home has become of real concern for many people, but our cooler climate hasn’t discouraged more domestic and commercial investment in air conditioning systems. (more…)

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