Question: I've been reading a lot about solar electric PV systems lately, and really would like one for my home. Do you think now is the time to buy, or should I wait for prices to come down and technology to get even better?
Posted - Sunday, October 05, 2008 10:23 AM EDT
Nettles Electric employees fill in ditches for inverters that will convert sunlight into AC power at the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative's new solar array.
The present-day impact on energy use of a new solar array being installed by the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative is akin to a drop in the bucket, but Chief Executive Officer Scott Newberry has a much larger picture in mind.
Posted - Sunday, September 28, 2008 12:33 PM EDT
A first simple step to living greener is using compact fluorescent bulbs, you hear repeatedly. After all, they last for years, saving money and energy.
Posted - Friday, November 21, 2008 08:17 AM EST
Keys Energy customers can now request monthly bills via e-mail and help reduce the environmental impact — and cost — of traditional paper bills.
Posted - Sunday, September 28, 2008 12:38 PM EDT
The solar water heaters are the panels on the left. The single panel on the right is the photovoltaic panel that powers the pump. Proper fastening on the roof is crucial. Photo by LARRY BENVENUTI
Anyone who has been on a roof in the Keys knows how hot it can get. Temperatures of 130 degrees, especially in the summer, are not uncommon.
Posted - Friday, November 21, 2008 08:17 AM EST
Question: We're working with a homebuilder in a large retirement community in Florida, and I see that one of our options is to choose either clear insulated window glass or tinted insulated glass. Any recommendations on our best choice?
Posted - Sunday, September 21, 2008 04:00 AM EDT
When the green team at The Hammocks started doing an in-house inventory in preparation for green lodging certification, they were pleased to learn that a relatively recent resort renovation had added Energy Star-rated appliances throughout.
When The Hammocks, a 58-unit resort in Marathon, started looking for ways to conserve resources last year, it quickly found it was letting about $85,000 go down the drain.
Posted - Sunday, August 24, 2008 10:04 AM EDT
“We were surprised, when we came to the Keys, that no one was using solar power. The sun is banging on the roof all day and we don’t use it.”
Posted - Monday, October 20, 2008 12:42 PM EDT
Angela Byarlay, Tim May and Griffyn May at a community garden workday. Contributed photo
A new word entered the language a few years ago. It struck such a chord that it became word of the year in 2007 in the Oxford American Dictionary. The word? Locavore. It means eating local food.
Posted - Monday, August 11, 2008 09:32 PM EDT
Rich Jones doesn't feel like he's missing anything by living in a small, energy-efficient home.
The 2007 GLEE Expo followed its well-attended festival with a tour of homes that incorporate energy-saving measures ranging from arrays of electricity producing panels to water systems that reuse waste water.
Posted - Friday, October 31, 2008 08:27 AM EDT
