High Performance Green Homes

What is a Solar Tariff and Why are they Good? Published Mar. 26, 2010 by Melisa Camp Solar tariffs or feed-in tariffs are when consumers are paid by power companies for generating renewable energy like PV solar power. Unlike net metering where consumers are paid wholesale prices, with feed-in ta...

Published Mar. 25, 2010, edited Oct. 2, 2013 by Melisa Camp Solar Incentives and Costs The cost of a PV solar system will vary depending on the size of your home and energy usage. According to the National Association of Realtor’s 2009 Profile of Buyers and Sellers, “The median size of homes pur...

What is PV solar? by Melisa Camp Photovoltaic or PV solar panels are the roof-mounted units that convert solar radiation into electricity. It is considered clean energy because it is using renewable energy source (the sun) and solar is not emitting green house gasses. The systems are measured by...

by Melisa Camp Published Feb. 26, 2010 All natural, green, eco-friendly, and made sustainably are all buzz words you may have read on packaging or in advertising. The list of green buzz words goes on. How do you know if the product or service is truly green? These companies may be greenwashing, o...

Published Feb. 19, 2010, Edited Oct. 1, 2013 by Melisa Camp When you get home pay close attention to everything that is switched on and using power. There are probably many things in your home that do not need to be on while you are at work or out and about. Additionally, there are things that m...

What is the ReGreen program? How can I make my home more green on my terms? by Melisa Camp Published Feb. 12, 2010 According to Green homeowners top 3 benefits of a Green home are: 1. Healthier place to live. 2. Lower operating costs. 3. Part of a more sustainable lifestyle. (Source: Smart Marke...

Why and How to Eat Organic by Melisa Camp Published Jan. 29, 2010, Edited Oct. 1, 2013 How your food is grown and where it is grown matters. I recently found the freshest, all organically-grown, local produce around at the Phoenix Biltmore Area of Town & Country Farmer’s Market. The prices weren...

What is Zero Net Energy Building? Publshed Feb. 5, 2010, edited Oct. 1, 2013 By Melisa Camp In a nutshell, a net zero building is the mac-daddy of green design and sustainable living. All kidding aside, the zero net energy building is a building that is completely self-sustainable in terms of en...

Published Jan. 22, 2010 by Melisa Camp If you aren’t thinking about your water consumption- well you should be. Americans use 13.6% of the world’s clean water, or 15 trillion gallons per year (U.S. Geological Survey, 2000). It is something we can no longer take for granted because potable (drinka...

Published Jan. 10, 2010 by: Melisa Camp Landfills only have so much room for trash and are filling up at an alarming pace, so why not elminate some trash and try composting? According to the EPA, yard trimmings and food residuals account for 23% of waste in the U.S. alone. Composting is easier an...