CONSCIENTIOUS LIFE
Going Green:
Home Energy Solutions
What if you could cut your home’s energy
requirements for heating and cooling by
up to 90%? Not only would this positively impact our environment, but also
your personal economy. One relatively
new method to achieve these aims is for
homeowners to build a Passive House.
Other methods might be to add renewable sources of energy to your home, such
as solar power.
According to the U.S. Energy Information
Administration, Indiana produces three
quarters of its energy needs by means
of coal-fired power plants, the “dirtiest”
form of energy production. This is much
higher than the national average of 33%.
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Natural gas, wind and hydroelectric make
up the remaining sources of electricity in
the state. While some may claim natural
gas is a “cleaner” energy source procuring
and burning natural gas has many environmental concerns as well.
According to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commissions 2015 annual report,
Indiana enjoys relatively low-cost electricity. However, because of the requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency, “by the end of 2016 Indiana
will need to retrofit or retire and unprecedented wave of coal-fired generation
units and replace them with a combination of new resources.” It is predicted the
By Candice H. Baggett
primary replacement fuel will be natural
gas but the building of new generators,
decommissioning of outdated coal generators, and retrofitting existing units will
drive the cost of energy to new highs.
As individual citizens our highest energy
usage comes from our homes second only
to our means of transportation. Heating
and cooling being the largest electrical
draw for the average home. Builders and
architects have long been interested in
how to produce a more energy efficient
home. Now there are techniques and
standards for building the most energy
efficient buildings possible and it’s called
the Passive House.
INDIANA & YOGA MAGAZINE ISSUE I