Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere

Hybrid Wind-Solar System in Nebraska

Pika Energy, of Westbrook, Maine, and GenPro Energy Solutions, of Piedmont, South Dakota, have completed the installation of the first integrated wind-solar hybrid installation at a public school in the United States. The hybrid energy system was installed for the Ravenna Public Schools in Ravenna, Nebraska. It was funded by a private grant.

Micro-Gardening:

Everyone Should Do It

Micro Basil Forest. Photo by Jake Egolf

By Dane O’Leary

A garden limited to a very small space and intensively cultivated is called a “micro-garden.” Urban dwellers have long been growing their own produce in such spaces. However, contemporary micro-gardening can be done in in any type […]

Two Garden Product Reviews

that Make Gardening Fun!

By N. R. Mallery

I love gardening, but when the weed’s get ahead of you, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. It can seem like you are fighting a losing battle against the persistent weeds.

When you grow organically, chemical weed killers are not an option. So in our quest for a […]

Permaculture Principles

Photo courtesy of Kay Cafasso

By Kay Cafasso

Permaculture principles are essentially design guidelines gathered from observing nature. As a permaculture designer, I apply these principles to professional design work with land care, the built environment, food systems, and management of resources. As a permaculture educator, I find that applying them when designing […]

The Three ‘P’s for Permaculture Success

Pollinator lane: if you plant it, they will come…. Photos taken at Elmore Roots Nursery by David Fried.

By David Fried

There are three things that start with a ‘p’ that are good to be thinking about: pollination, pollution and production.

One thing that we can do to make the world better by […]

Emerging Frontiers in Bioenergy

Food versus fuel: Biodiesel as part of sustainable agriculture

By Austin Robert Davis

Nationally, corn-based ethanol and palm oil based biodiesel are gaining negative attention for their impacts on the environment and food security. But here in Vermont, farms are producing on-farm biodiesel to power equipment and operations on the farm and the […]

RenewAire – Powered by Wind

Inside RenewAire’s new 100% wind-powered manufacturing plant. Certified by EnergyStar, LEED, and Green Globes. Photo courtesy of RenewAire.

By George Harvey

RenewAire is a company based in Madison, Wisconsin that manufactures energy recovery ventilation (ERV) Products. Their products bring fresh air into a building, and vent stale air out. In that process, however, […]

Survey Results: Homebuyers Want Energy-Efficiency

Millennials Are Willing to Pay More for an Energy-Efficient Home.

Transformation’s award-winning custom house at 14 Cavite St, Devens Green, MA. Photo courtesy of Transformations, Inc., Townsend, MA.

National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) surveys indicate that energy efficiency and sustainability are among the most-wanted features of home buyers and that builders […]

Deep Energy Retrofit in Montpelier, VT Achieves Net-Positive Results

By George Harvey

A recent retrofit in Montpelier, Vermont is notable, partly because the house was a prime candidate for improving efficiency, and partly because of what the retrofit achieved.

Deep energy renovations by Montpelier Construction have taken this Montpelier, to a net-positive status. They make more energy […]

Moisture Management in Closed Cavities

Exterior vapor open membrane with vertical strapping to create a rain screen.

By Michael Goetinck

About 20 years ago, an old time Yankee master carpenter told me, “Michael, it doesn’t matter if water gets in as long as it can get out.” In one sense he was right, but his experience was largely […]