Image credit: Microgrid Energy

As St Louis Cardinals baseball fans, we have a lot to be proud of-a World Champion Team, Willie McGee, and the fact that our home team is one of the teams in the MLB that is one of the leaders in sustainable operations. In addition to the ball club’s efforts in recycling and reducing energy usage, they have recently stepped up their game and made a massive energy overhaul by becoming the sixth team in the MLB to install solar panels in their park.

“St. Louis Cardinals’ fans may not taste the difference, but the next hot dog they consume at Busch Stadium could be cooked with power from solar energy,” said Microgrid Energy’s website. According to an recent post on Microgrid’s site, the team worked with Microgrid Energy, Electrical Connection, and Sachs Electric to install 106 solar modules on the roof of the ticketing building and a concession area canopy in the Ford Family Plaza that has the capacity to produce 25,000 Watts (W) total power, and around 32,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually.

The power collected from the panels is mixed with traditional energy in the stadium’s system and though it might just be a small percentage of the stadium’s overall energy usage, when looked at over the life of the stadium and combined with all of the other green and sustainable efforts the club has tackled, the St Louis Cardinals are hitting a home run for the environment.

And this weekend, when the Brewers come to town, they will be celebrating the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day and teaching fans about solar energy and recycling during their 3rd annual Green Series, April 27-29.

With 2012 Earth Day festivities just around the corner many homeowners are either starting a new push towards a more sustainable lifestyle, while others are taking the opportunity to reinvigorate their eco-friendly home and lifestyle. In the spirit of the coming celebrations we have three items for your home that look great and making living a green lifestyle a little bit easier…

Simple Human Recycling Trash Can-Separating your recycling can be a pain if you don’t have a proper set up inside. If you have limited space but want to install a recycling center in your home, Simple Human has a series of recycling trash cans that have double liners perfect for separating your waste from your recycleables – and they even have specially sized liners that will fit perfectly in the smaller can.

Algreen 50 Gallon Rain Barrel with Top Planter – An increasingly popular fixture in backyards and home gardens, and great way to conserve and reduce your water usage, are rain barrels. These barrels affix to your gutter down spout to capture runoff, which can then be used to water gardens and landscaping. Though many are simply designed to look, well more or less like a barrel, this urn shaped rain barrel looks like a garden decoration and even doubles as a planter.

Solar Powered iPad Charging Case – Electronics and their chargers are notorious for being power vampires.We recommend unplugging unused charging cords and appliances, or even better you can start using the natural energy of the sun to charge your iPad-straight form the case. The leather material makes for a great looking case, and the innovative solar panel saves electricity while keeping your battery from running on empty.

Going green can still be gorgeous…and with these great green home products convenient too!

Image credit: constructionweekonline.in

Like many industries, innovations in green home building have become mired in speculation and myths. The heavy use, and often misuse, of  “green” messages across many industries has fostered a cynicism for some. While others are holding on to the early price tags or associations with the word.

However, like many industries, the building industry is always evolving. As we discover new information, technologies and products we have learned that green home building is not as much a type of building as it is the next evolution in building. Green and energy efficient homes are what have resulted from research and innovation, and with that understanding are gaining a much wider acceptance.

Here are a few of the top myths about green home building that we hope won’t be around much longer…

Green homes are no longer more expensive to build.
When energy efficient building products first came on the market they were leading edge, and tended to be more pricey that their traditional alternatives. We see this trend in every industry from electronics to clothing. However, as companies begin adopting sustainable, eco-friendly and energy efficient models in their design and practice the cost continues to come down. And most importantly, the cost of living and maintenance during the lifetime of the home is reduced with more durable construction and materials over traditionally built homes.

Remodeling a home is not always more “green” than building new.
Homes that were built 50 or 60 years ago were built with very different tools and specifications. For instance, some homes weren’t built with insulation at all and did not take into consideration environmental factors such as the home’s orientation on the lot to take advantage of natural sunlight and warmth. But as we learn more about how the environment around the home impacts everything from energy bills to the health of the homeowners, we are now building homes that are more efficient and comfortable when a remodel could not possibly meet these needs.

Green homes are not just for environmentalists.
Since we began building green homes in 2006 we have incorporated energy efficient and sustainable practices into projects for so many clients for so many different reasons. The top reason, however, comes down to increased durability, less maintenance problems and lowered utility bills. While there are environmental benefits to all of these factors, at the end of the day these homes are also better investments for our clients because of these same reasons.

As time passes and people begin to understand the benefits of using green practices when building their new home we suspect that there will also be a better understanding that green building is more about innovation than a movement.