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What States and Cities are Doing to Help Small Businesses
While Washington debates how to help the country’s struggling small businesses, states and municipalities have stepped up with an array of initiatives to stanch closings and save jobs.
The local approaches are as varied as subsidizing wages for new hires, running a $100,000 regional business-plan competition and giving out grants to help small manufacturers reposition themselves. Some states and cities are using federal stimulus dollars, and others are mixing federal, state and private dollars. ... Read More
Is Your House Making You Sick?
Adding more insulation without duct sealing and air sealing is like putting icing on a mud pie. A poorly sealed Air Distribution System (ADS) wastes money and contributes to unhealthy air in the home. The lost air due to ADS leakage is from 20% to 50%. Research suggests that 75% of heat pump problems can be attributed to leaky ducts. The remaining 25% can be attributed to poor insulation. Sealing your duct work and air handler not only saves money and conserves energy, but also improves... Read More
Apple Blossom Energy Joins U.S. Department of Energy as partner in new Builders Challenge - National building performance program to feature new E-Scale
Apple Blossom Energy joined today with U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman as part of a new national energy-saving initiativeâ€"the U.S. Department of Energy's Builders Challenge... Read More
Save up to 40% on your energy bill with the latest in energy-efficient, eco-friendly insulation
The technology employed in building and sustaining energy-efficient homes has advanced dramatically during the past few years. Simultaneously, with population and resource consumption numbers at record levels, the demand for environmentally friendly, "green" building materials has increased as homeowners become more educated about the importance of energy conservation and the potential health benefits associated... Read More
The Basics of a Zero Net Energy Home
The basic of a zero net energy home is that its produced energy is equal to or greater than it consumes. The ability of the house to be zero-energy is primarily dependent on three elements: Advanced shell design, Super high efficiency heating system, & Photovoltaic power generation... Read More
Energy Efficiency: Don't "Duct" Your Responsibility
You'd think twice about putting a new engine into an old car, right? Unfortunately, many households don't take this same approach when it comes to their heating and cooling systems. They purchase new, high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment and then attach it to a clunker of a duct system. The equipment may heat and cool the home, but the system never performs at its full potential. The fact is, many forced air duct systems are clunkers. They leak, are poorly-designed and inadequately insulated. This is a big problem since central air conditioners, heat pumps and forced air furnaces rely on these systems to circulate air throughout your home. Poorly-performing ducts can reduce your system's efficiency by ... Read More
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