Greenpeace first released their 'Guide to Greener Electronics' in August 2006; the guide ranks the 17 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TV's and games consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change.

In their 11th edition, HP, Lenovo, and Dell received a penalty for breaking their promises to phase-out toxic chemicals. In fact, of the 5 top PC makers, only Apple is making large strides. Meanwhile, Philips was moved from 15th place to 4th in the list of companies.

1. Nokia –  Keeps top spot with new CO2 emissions reduction targets.
2. Samsung - Up two places with clear support for global climate change cuts.
3. Sony Ericsson – Down one place with more work to do on recycling.
4. Philips - Biggest mover, up 11 places due to big recycling policy improvements.
5. Sony - Up two places with better product energy efficiency reporting.
6. LG Electronics - Loses points for delaying toxics phase out for all products.
7. Toshiba- Loses points for poor CO2 reduction target and missing energy efficiency data.
   
8. Motorola - Down one place, needs to improve on waste and energy.
9. Sharp - Unchanged - gains point for new US recycling scheme, loses one for weaker commitment on global emissions reduction.
10. Apple - Up four places, good on chemicals elimination, improved on recycling but still poor on energy.
11. Acer - Score drops slightly due to poor e-waste scores.
12. Panasonic - Down 3 places due to poor definition of precautionary principle and energy efficiency reporting.
13. Dell - Continues to drop, penalty point for breaking commitment phase out of toxics by end 2009.
14. Lenovo - Penalty point for breaking commitment phase out of toxics by end 2009.
15. Microsoft - Score drops due to bad performance on e-waste.
16. HP - Penalty point for breaking commitment phase out of toxics by end 2009.
17. Nintendo - Remains in last place, unchanged score.

Take a look at the Guide to Greener electronics for more detailed information (including the grading criteria).

 

With the cold weather, it's a good time save money and energy with an Energy Star natural gas heating system.

If you upgrade your furnace or boiler to an Energy Star system, you can save upto $950 in bill credits and rebates. Terasen Gas will provide you with a bill credit of $250 when you upgrade before Dec 31st 2009 and manufacturers will provide $700 in rebates when you upgrade before Jan 31st 2009.

A furnace or boiler that is more than 13 years old is probably a low efficiency model, running at 60 to 70% AFUE (Annual Fuel utilization Efficiency). An Energy Star natural gas furnace can run at 97% while an Energy Star boiler can perform at 85%.

Heating your home accounts for a large portion of your home energy costs so you should have your furnace checked by a licensed natural gas contractor so it is operating efficiently. They do specialized tests on gas pipes as well.

Here are some simple ideas that can help you save energy, the environment and money.

• Turning your thermostat down to 20°C during the day and 17°C at night can save as much as 15 per cent on your heating costs. Afraid you’ll forget? Consider installing a programmable thermostat.
• Keep warm air inside and cold air outside. Caulk or weatherstrip the cracks, gaps and leaks around walls, windows and doors.
• To help keep your furnace at peak efficiency, clean or change the furnace filters regularly

Source: 'Get Comfortable' from Terasen Gas

With the New Year approaching rapidly, people may be thinking about resolution ideas, some of which may be to do something positive for the planet. The majority of us know the basics of carpooling, recycling and using CFL bulbs. Here are a few more from our good friend Chris Whitney of Royal LePage.

Single Serving Kettle

Try the new single serve kettle models that boil water for a single cup. If you need to heat water for yourself for a cup of coffee, tea, or soup, these models save energy. It uses the same technology that makes hot water in a drip cofeemaker.

Solar Powered Roof Ventilator

Install solar-powered fans in the attic which remove the hot air that builds up in the attic. This will keep the home cooler in the summer months and reduce your air-conditioning bill and save energy at the same time.

Biodegradable Party Plates and Cutlery

If you are throwing a party, consider biodegradable cutlery that is compostable. Since they are made from organic materials such as corn and not plastic, they can also be used in the microwave. When you are done with them, simply throw them in the compost bin. If you can't have a compost, it may be a good time to start using compost pick up services; Cherry Hill Coffee has a partnership with a local company that does weekly compost pickup.

 

According to BC Hydro, British Columbia is high on the list in North America in the use of CFL bulbs. 85% have installed the energy-efficient light bulbs which uses 75% less electricity than the regular bulbs.

BC Hydro is offering rebates from now till the end of the year and it's a great time to take advantage of it. They are offering $50 off washers and refrigerators and $25 off of freezers. All appliances must be Energy Star compliant. Retailers are doing their part to support BC Hydro PowerSmart by taking an additional 10% off. In some months, you can save both the PST and GST.

If you are buying a new laundry set, consider a front load washer which uses 35% less energy and 30-50% less water then a top-load. Also, consider using cold water to do your wash. Bypass the dryer by using a clothesline in the hotter months and use racks (get chrome instead of wood) in the laundry room in the colder months. If you are using a clothesline, consider stringing it over a flower garden to get the flowery smell in your clothes.

When you are doing dishes in the dishwasher, run the kitchen tap till the water is hot then turn on the dishwasher. This helps the dishwasher by not needing it to heat the water as much.

Try unplugging electronics or turning off the power bar when they are not in use. Even when they are off and plugged in, they use electricity - phantom electricity.

The quick tips listed above should make a difference in your next electricity bill.

Source: Article by Maggie Calloway in the column "Smart Choices for our Future"

The biggest share of home energy costs is accounted to home heating at 60%. If your boiler or furnace is more than 10 years old, it's probably a low-efficient model having a Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) between 60 to 70%. i.e. It's only producing 60 to 70 cents worth of heat for every dollar you are spending.

There  are Energy Star natural gas equipment that can perform upto 97% AFUE (furnace) and the Energy Start boilers can perform at 85% or more AFUE.

Terasen Gas has 14 leading brand manufacturer rebates that range from $150 to $700 which expire on January 31 2009. Visit terasengas.com to take a look at the offers. Terasen will also give you a $250 credit for replacing your old furnace or boiler with an Energy Star model by December 31 2009.

The Province of BC's LiveSmart program has other incentive for renovating your home with the federal government's ecoENERGY retrofit program. Visit www.LiveSmartBC.ca and click on 'Save on Energy'

Wal-Mart has 3 long term global sustainability goals:

• to produce zero waste
• to operate with 100 per cent renewable energy
• to make environmentally preferable products available

In Canada, to achieve these goals, their new outlets opening in 2009 will be designed to save 30% in energy use. These new stores would be called Wal-Mart HE (high-efficiency). And over 5 years, the HE stores would save Wal-Mart $25 million.

Wal-Mart HE stores would achieve these energy savings by:

• using waste energy from refrigerators to help heat stores
• cutting lighting costs
• covering roofs with white membranes to reflect sunlight and lower summer cooling costs
• reducing the size of the buildings

Wal-Mart also has their sustainability initiatives, partnerships and products showcased at their "For the Greener Good" website. Their products page outlines new eco-friendly products broken down by various categories.

Source: Article from Report on Business titled "Wal-Mart Canada stores aim for energy efficiency"

Preferred Client update from Chris Whitney of Royal LePage.

Managing Rain Runoff

Using rain barrels to collect water for your lawn and garden has the added benefit of keeping water away from your home's foundation and from adding unnecessary strain on municipal systems. Pools of water at groundlevel near the house can be a cause of erosion and long-term damage to the foundation of your home. Public storm sewers may not be equiped to take on heavy rain after a flash storm or long periods of downpour. It may cause backups and flooding in low lying areas.

Roofing Materials

If you are considering replacing your roof in the near future, you want want to research the new technologies and concepts that are now available in roofing.

• energy-saving roofing membranes that help reduce electricity costs during summer and winter months by keeping the heat or cool in.
• sun-reflective roof coatings that can applied on existing roofs to reduce heat absorpotion.
• ashpalt shingles are made of energy-efficient and durable materials.
• solar panels are more thin and use the roof surface area to heat water and provide electricity
• green roofs help insulate homes and use rainwater for the vegetation which absorbs greenhouse gases.

The Interior Health Authority (IHA) received $78,000 from FortisBC recently for their energy efficient lighting upgrades.

They exchanged over 16,000 light fixtures across South and Central Okanagan. The facilities that were upgraded were the Penticton Regional Hospital, Kelowna General Hospital, Cottonwoods Extended Care and Three Links Manor. The lighting upgrades cost $714,000 but will save IHA $100,000 each year. The IHA is commited to reducing energy use and environmental emissions.

The City of Castlegar also received $13,600 in rebates for their upgrades in the Castlegar City Hall project. The energy efficient upgrades will reduce power consumption by 230,000 kWhs each year, enough to power 23 houses. The City Hall also has geothermal heating and cooling, a heat recovery system, energy efficient glazing on the windows and an energy efficient elevator. 

Summer Cooling Tips from FortisBC:

• Close blinds or curtains to block out the sun
• Switch to CFL lights to reduce heat
• Use ceiling and space fans
• Use major appliances early in the morning or after the sun goes down
• Turn off the air conditioner when you go out at night
  

What is the Cool Shops program?

It's a program put together by FortisBC, Terasen Gas, and the City of Kelowna, in partnership with the Clean Air Foundation that helps small businesses conserve energy, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying and implementing in-store energy management measures.

Through their efforts, they've helped 8,000 retailers become more energy efficient and 5,073 megawatt hours and 1,532 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been saved.

Case Study

Olympia Greek Taverna recently switched to a high efficiency pre-rinse spray valve which will reduce their hot water consumption by 2/3s. That’s a saving of between $400—$800 a year.

Also, the owner's found out that through the Cool Shops program that they have the potential to save approximately $1,400 per year if they upgrade their incandescent and fluorescent lights to more efficient lighting.

If you own a business or work for a business you can set up a free no obligation energy audit.
 
What your business is provided with:

•      a non-intrusive 15 minute palm-pilot based energy audit on the lighting
•      compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) that last 10,000 hours (twisty bulbs)
•      LED exit lamp kits for exit signs that last 2 years and use 2.4Watts
•      Other FREE sample energy efficient lighting products such as flood lights, candleabra lights, dimmable floods, MR16 track lights
•      an energy efficient spray valve (for restaurants)
•      energy saving tips and advice
•      Incentives on items that wish to be purchased through FortisBC and Brite-lite (these savings are 50-75% less than what you would pay in a retail store and the incentives are available until June of next year)

If you are interested, please contact:
 
Fawna More
Cool Shops Program Coordinator
coolshops@fortisbc.com
250-469-8107

 

We finally got a chance to test out our front-load Frigidaire Affinity washing machine and dryer set that we bought from the Brick. While removing the shipping components and plugs I noticed that the drain hose was slim and compact; this of course makes sense because front-loaders use less water so there's less water to drain. There will be no more overflowing due to the force and amount of water.

My wife threw in the first load and we were both surprised at how quiet it was; also there were no vibrations and we could see that it wasn't using alot of water through the glass see-through door. We used Sunlight high-efficiency (HE) detergent which limits the excess suds and is made to clean in low water levels; the Sunlight product is 100% phosphate free and contains biodegradable surfactants. The Fridigaire models are also energy star products which will save on our utility bills.

Needless to say we were both very impressed.

Frigidaire also provides a service contract that can extend the 1 year factory warranty to 2 additional years for a total of 3 years with no worries about repair bills. They also have a replacement coverage where you get a brand new washer/dryer if they can't fix yours.

Cool Shops program provides energy efficiency options for small businesses

FortisBC, Terasen Gas, and the City of Kelowna, in partnership with Clean Air Foundation, are testing a program that helps small businesses conserve energy, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Small businesses in Rutland and downtown Kelowna can benefit from the free audits provided from the program. The "Cool Shops" program also provides the businesses with energy efficiency options that can help them save money on their utility bills.

Downtown Kelowna and Rutland based businesses can book an audit by contacting the Cool Shops team via email at coolshops@fortisbc.com or by phone at 250-469-8107

Source: Kelowna Capital News article titled "Cools Shops initiative to help choose energy options"

State-of-the-art green homes can be sold at market price 

Weatherford Place in Roswell Georgia is a green residential community. It's described as a "solar community of net-zero energy homes" built to the greenest building standards.

In fact, each "EcoCraft" home is at a platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) level. The highest level which includes points for such things as reuse of materials, pollution reduction, green power, rapitable renewable resources, etc. It's the first project of it's kind built using "Nature's Code".

The solar power generation in the community is what differentiates this development from the rest. One of the unique features is that each house serves as a power source for the community. The solar energy collected from the houses are put in to the power grid and used by everyone. The specifications show that each home should generate more than it uses thus making each home a net-zero energy home.

The homes also use 2/3 less energy than regular homes and use solar power to heat water, etc. Each home will have monitors and sensors to measure energy consumption and the overall eco-friendliness. The data will be used in energy-efficiency studies.

The prices of these homes are listed at $750,000 USD (for homes between 2500 to 3900 square feet), but have already appraised at $1 million. This project indicates that green homes can be built to LEED standards and can be profitable.

Source: Article in Event Magazine by Maria Saporta titled "Green Homes"

Scotiabank is a financial institution that takes pride in its corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Scotiabank has made strides in it's commitment to its employees, the communities that they are a part of, and the world at large, to work towards positive change.

They have:

• doubled the number of paperless record-keeping
• provided financing of more than $2 billion for the renewable energy sector 
• contributed $43 million to community causes in Canada and around the world
• expanded their children's educational savings programs to 17 countries

In addition, the institution works diligently to reduce their environmental impact by making choices that leave a minimal carbon footprint.

Their efforts include:

• making use of energy-efficient photocopiers
• installing environmentally friendly carpeting
  
• buying furniture made from recycled materials
• participating in programs to recycle paper, toner cartridges, glass and office equipment
• encouraging their clients to buy into paper-less record keeping
• launching the Scotia Global Climate Change Fund to allow investors to invest in companies that are environmentally responsible

To find out more about their efforts towards their corporate social responsibility, visit their CSR page.

We were on a mission last night to find blinds for the home and to get tips on making the windows more energy-efficient.

Our stops included Sears and Home Depot. The staff pointed us towards cellular honeycomb blinds which maximizes energy efficiency and insulates the home fairly well. They come in single, double and triple cell arrangements which provide different levels of insulation and light transmission. Chelsea at Home Depot indicated that depending on the supplier, installation times can range from 12 to 19 days. Both places offer free in-home consultation though. I think we are definately leaning towards these shades.

Other options include bamboo roll-up blinds (as a easily renewable resource) and Home Depot also has energy film that has 99% UV Rejection, 85% Light Transmission, 65% Solar Heat Rejection. It can help you save up to 12-18% of annual energy costs but they are recommended for single pane windows.

The reviews have been good: "This film keeps out drafts and conserves heat in winter, to save money and conserve energy."

We were shopping for washers and dryers for our rental suites and we made our way to the Brick. We were looking for a decent set for our renters without going broke in the process.

The rep in the laundry area directed us towards front-load washers and explained how they could save us money in the long run and at the same time help us be environmentally responsible. He pointed out that front-load washers use 40% less water and if we did warm water washes then we would save on the electricity bill as well. Also, the washer/dryer sets that they carried were energy star products which would lessen our energy consumption. Not only that, apparently the front-load washers are gentler on your clothes so your clothes will last longer. 

Our only concern was that we had heard of stories of mildew problems with front-load washers but the rep told us about special high-efficiency (HE) detergent made specifically for front-load washers which creates less suds.

We were sold on getting the Affinity model from Frigidaire.

Mode offers green inspired systems and materials

The Mission Group, the company that brought us developments such as the Verve and Sheerwater, are working on their eco-friendly project Mode - A smart address. The Mission Group has strived to be unique in their projects and Mode is by all means just that.

The Mode project is inspired green with the following features:

• the building is located in the Landmark neighbourhood so there isn't a need for cars, you can just leave it at home.
• plumbing fixtures, appliances and drought resistant landscaping are all desgined to conserve water
• carpets and paints have been chosen for their low emmisions of VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
• water heaters are powered by solar energy systems
• the homes are fitted with low "e" windows that are superefficient
• the home is heated and cooled using geothermal packaged terminal heat pumps

The project recently won an Mayor's Environmental Achievement Award for Most Sustainable Development.

Since the development is in the heart of the Landmark Centre, it only makes sense that it's equiped with hi-tech features such as iPod docking stations and the Telus Smart Box.

The Development is located at 1620 Dickson Ave and features "loft-style citi-homes with seperate street entry, and a variety of contempory living spaces from studios to two bedroom homes". Prices range from $185,900 to $415,900. 

At the time of this posting, there's only 10 homes left.

Dell is making strides to Go Green

It wasn't long ago that Dell as a company was crucified for its poor environmental efforts. But things have changed. On Earth Day, April 22, Michael Dell got acclaim as being one of the most forward thinking CEOs when it comes to eco-friendliness.

Dell introduced a new energy-efficient computer that will be available later this year. It is constructed from recyclable materials and encased in bamboo. The new coputer will be about 80% smaller but just as powerful as a desktop tower. It will use about 70% less power and it will sell between $500 to $700 USD.

Dell is reducing its own operating costs by cutting energy costs, reducing packaging, and taking other steps to help the environment. Dell's headquarters is powered by 100% renewable energy and the company plans to be carbon neutral by the end of the year. The company is able to reduce the annual cost of running its best-selling corporate desktop from $100 to $22 a year.

E-friendly renovation tips that can increase the value of your investment

• Windows - switch to triple-glazed that are installed properly
• Lighting - use sensor lights, skylights, compact-flourescent bulbs
• Heating - get high-efficiency furnaces, radiant heating, solar panels, solar heated hot water tanks (hot water tanks are 25% of your gas bill)
• Insulation - pack insulation in the walls, basement, attic, around pipes
• Water - install low flow toilets and showerheads, install on-demand hot water heaters
• Paint - use paint that has no VOCs (these cause breathing problems)
• Carpet - install wool carpets that don't pollute the air and are renewable,
• Floors - use renewable resources such as bamboo or cork or recycle old materials
• Surfaces - use products such as PaperStone that is made from recycled paper instead of non-renewable stone

Tips gathered from Joanna Pachner's article titled "Green renos increase a home's value".

The City is developing an urban community at the corner of Richter and Harvey

The City Of Kelowna is spearheading a project to set the standard for sustainable planning and building practices. The project will have a mix of commercial and residential development alongside an extensive park.

Some of the highlights include:

• geothermal energy systems
• solar energy systems
• storm water retention
• natural ventilation
• green roofs
• green businesses

The Central Green project will be developed to the gold standard of LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). LEED™ is the most recognized green building rating system in North America and can achieve energy savings of 50 per cent and reduce water consumption by more than 35 per cent. 

There is a public forum April 30th 2008 7 PM at the Laurel Building, 1304 Ellis Street.

TD allows you to save with a Green Mortgage and HELOC

When making environmentally friendly choices in home ownership or renovations, TD Canada Trust wants to support its customer with a new lineup of green products.

With a green home improvement or purchase, you can get:

• rate discounts - receive 1% off of the posted interest rate on a five-year fixed rate mortgage
• rebates - receive upto 1% of the mortgage for energy star appliance purchases
• flexibility - existing customers can renew or refinance into this offer

Learn more about it at TD's Green Page.

Additional resources to check out when you go green:

The CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance premium refund for Energy-Efficient Homes - Learn more

The Genworth Energy-Efficient Housing Program premium refund - Learn more

A grant to improve the energy efficiency of your home from Natural Resources Canada - Learn more