Efficiency

'The weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've no place to go, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!' Snow is falling and I am nearly giddy. Why? We've just finished sealing and insulating the attic with 15 inches of recycled cellulose insulation and our home is now quite cozy and snug. Let It Snow!

When you think of sustainable architecture, energy efficiency and environmental awareness do you think of your local government? The Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners were thinking ahead to rising energy and building maintenance costs and departmental growth when they requested designs for a new Public Works Facility. The new Santa Fe Public Works Facility is a result of forward-thinking public servants and a sustainable architect coming together to build a campus designed for the long run.

It can be tough to keep a cool head these days, especially if you don't have a cool roof. What's a Cool Roof? A cool roof relects and emits the sun's heat back into the sky instead of sending it down into your home or office. Living in the desert Southwest we certainly know that the sun is a powerful source of light and heat. Yet strangely, the most common roofs around here are flat and covered with black tar and gravel.

I have a cheap, inefficient water heater. Why? When I had the old water heater replaced I wasn't thinking about efficiency. So, the plumber installed an average, natural gas water heater. Buying a new, more efficient water heater can cost at least $500, plus installation. Being a creative and frugal guy (read: cheap) I found a way to upgrade my water heater for only $15.

I love living in the Desert Southwest. We have hundred-mile views, low-humidity and 300 days of sunshine per year. But, the other side of all that sunshine is an average of 14 inches of rain per year. Unfortunately, the rains come mostly during the late summer monsoons, not evenly throughout the year. What little rain we do get is precious and worth saving. The easiest way to harvest our irregular, seasonal rains is with rain barrels.

New Mexico is stuck in the middle, tied for 25th place with Utah, in the ACEEE 2008 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. States were rated on eight factors including: Utility and Public Benefits Efficiency Programs and Policies, Transportation, Building Codes, Heat and Power, and Appliance Standards among others. Unfortunately, New Mexico's score of 15 points falls well behind California's score of 50!