Sustainable North

By CCHRC Staff home life.

ASK A BUILDER

Q: Is there anything I need to be cautious about when plugging in my automobile?Q: I’ve seen that there are now roof shingles that are solar panels.While a wide range of solar technologies work in Alaska and other cold climates, photovoltaic roof shingles are still too new and [...]

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From The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Tuesday, January 19, 2010:
Increasing sunlight has helped improve particulate pollution in Fairbanks, according to borough air quality specialist Jim Conner.
The average particulate pollution level in Fairbanks on Monday was 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air, making the air unhealthy for sensitive groups, Conner said.
Earlier this month, daily averages were [...]

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From The Christian Science Monitor, Tuesday, December 1, 2009:
There are those who love huge outdoor displays of Christmas lights — life-size reindeer up on the roof and all the trees in the yard covered with glowing bulbs — and those who groan at the sight of a weather-proof extension cord.
If you’re in the latter group, [...]

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ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: Why is it beneficial to have south-facing windows on a home?
Because of the orientation with the sun, south-facing windows bring in both [...]

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From the New York Times on Wednesday, March 18, 2009:
Solar cells adorn the roofs of many homes and warehouses across Germany, while the bright white blades of wind turbines are a frequent sight against the sky in Spain.
If one day these machines become as common on the plains and rooftops of the United States as [...]

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From the Los Angeles Times on Friday, January 6, 2009:
When clothes dryers account for at least 6% of the electricity used by U.S. households, is it any wonder that line-drying is coming back? In places where the practice is banned as an unsightly nuisance to neighbors, right-to-dry activists and blogging eco-moms are forming an alliance. [...]

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From www.change.gov, retrieved on Thursday, November 20, 2008:
The energy challenges our country faces are severe and have gone unaddressed for far too long. Our addiction to foreign oil doesn’t just undermine our national security and wreak havoc on our environment — it cripples our economy and strains the budgets of working families all across America. [...]

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BY Adam Wasch, Energy Outreach Consultant at CCHRC
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner November 6th, 2008, Section A3
This is the second of a series of columns exploring how solar energy can be used at home to reduce your energy costs.
Even in winter, enough sunlight peeks over the horizon to make a difference in your home’s comfort [...]

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From reuters.com, on Tuesday, November 4, 2008:
“In our view, too much solar capacity has been added relative to demand, and will lead to oversupply,” Goldman Sachs analysts wrote, adding that the consequences would drive module prices down by about 15 percent next year.
Oversupply and an easing of demand as economies slow will help the cost [...]

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From the New York Times, on Friday, October 31, 2008:
Building a green home, with features like solar panels and top-of-the-line insulation, involves significant up-front costs.
Added onto that is the cost of certifying your home — a stamp of approval that the home meets green standards.
Some architects and builders voice concerns that LEED for Homes — a relatively [...]

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