Dehumidifiers and Your Electric Bill in a Humid Summer
Last August, my sister in Charleston texted me a photo of her thermostat set to 68 degrees with a caption that read, "why does this still feel like a swamp?" Her AC…
Last August, my sister in Charleston texted me a photo of her thermostat set to 68 degrees with a caption that read, "why does this still feel like a swamp?" Her AC…
The first estimate on my kitchen table read $14,200 for a new central air system tied into my 1920s craftsman's patched ductwork. The second quote, for four ductless heads and one outdoor…
Last February I crawled into a 1926 attic in Southeast Portland with a flashlight and a tape measure and found about four inches of shredded newspaper insulation, matted flat, with visible joist…
The roof was 27 years old, mostly north-facing, and shaded by a pair of Douglas firs that the owner had no intention of removing. I was helping a friend price a rooftop…
The panels went up on my friend Rina's roof in Southeast Portland on a Tuesday in June. Her system did not produce a single kilowatt-hour until late August. Ten weeks, and only…
A friend forwarded me a solar quote last month for 34 panels on her 1,600 square foot ranch outside Salem. She had asked one installer for a bid, taken what they proposed…
A small wind turbine that suddenly produces less than expected can feel alarming, but most causes are routine and findable. This guide walks through the checks in the order a seasoned tech…
Most energy conversations inside a family go sideways for reasons that have nothing to do with watts or kilowatt-hours. They go sideways because of identity, history, and the small daily friction of…
The phrase "must-have" is almost always a sales pitch, not a recommendation. This guide takes a slower, more skeptical look at the eco lifestyle product world. We separate the categories that genuinely…