For the past 10 years, Troy and I have spent a great deal of our time through our  companies, speaking engagements and non-profit activities educating people on how to live cleaner, greener lives. 

Like most people though, we have had limited funds to spend to make our own living practices environmentally friendly.  We looked for those things that we could do that cost nothing or very little to start with - and then over time, we made small purchases to get closer to our dream of having a "zero-energy" home (one that needs no outside energy from the electric grid to power the home). 

All of the products and suggestions that we make on this site are those that we have purchased, installed at our home or tried ourselves.

The Clean Power Revolution:

In 2004, Troy wrote a book called "The Clean Power Revolution" that defines the Freedom Plan, a 10 year plan that completely eliminates dependence on foreign oil & dirty fossil fuels. 1.

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An "Eco-friendly" home:

We set out to purchase an ordinary home and turn it into an "eco-friendly" energy-efficient, renewable-powered home over the span of 3 years. 

Like most Americans, we have been constrained by a tight budget.   This past winter, we are proud to say that we had zero natural gas bills!


Features of the house:

• Tank less Hot Water Heater installed
• Sustainable Bamboo floors installed on three levels
• Recycled carpet installed on stairs and in finished basement
• Solar Hot Water system with Radiant Floor heating for two levels
• Electricity supplemented by solar PV system
• Infrared portable furnaces used on floors where no radiant heat
• CFLs throughout the house
• EnergyStar ceiling fan for master bedroom
• Programmable thermostat installed
• Low flow showerheads on showers
• Solar outdoor lighting

Simple changes that we made that cost little to nothing:

Replace incandescent light bulbs with CFLs. Typically, CFLs use less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last 6-10 times longer.  Since the primary output of CFLs is light, they also generate significantly less heat. We recommend CFLs that instantly light up versus those that take a few seconds to brighten.  Additionally, these bulbs come in styles that look like incandescents and in a variety of shapes to suit the decor of your home.

Many showerheads are called "water-savers", but are not particularly water efficient.  The best way to compare them is by reading the flow rate, in gallons per minute, which is stamped on the showerhead.  Most new showerheads are rated at 2.5 gpm and older ones are much higher.  By replacing each of your showerheads with a 1.75 showerhead, you get an instant reduction of 3/4 gallon per minute.  Considering an average person takes a 10 minute shower, a family of four with save at least $96 per year. 

Visit the ENERGY STAR website (www.energystar.gov) and take their home energy survey to discover how you can make your home more energy efficient.  Products that earn the ENERGY STAR certification prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Dept of Energy (DOE)."

By installing a programmable thermostat in your home, your home is warm/cool when you are home and you save money by not having your heating/cooling system working while you are away. 







Replace your outdoor lights with solar outdoor lights!




To save on heating and cooling, we recommend adding insulation, sealing air leaks with caulk, and replacing windows with ENERGY STAR windows.  To effectively seal air leaks, focus on the ceilings, outer walls, windows and floors.



Note: most of these products can be purchased at The Home Depot or similar.

Other ideas:

• Make your home carbon neutral - buy green tags - find out more=>
• Recycle cardboard, aluminum, paper, newspapers, glass, plastic - find out more =>
• Use cloth grocery bags instead of plastic bags at the grocery store - find out more=>
• Keep idling to a minimum (if you have a hybrid vehicle, you don't have to worry about idling!)  - find out more=>
• When you buy gas, try an ethanol blend if available (or biodiesel if you drive a diesel vehicle)
• Buy cold water laundry detergent - saves cost to heat water. We like Seventh Generation's product - find out more=>
• Instead of using an air filter to clean your home's air, plant bamboo plants and trees around your house.  Bamboo is an excellent natural air filter!

• For additional energy saving tips, check out the Department of Energy's Energy Savers website.