after the 1st 5000 miles, which is regular interval for all Toyota Hybrid engines, I changed to Synthetic (AMSoil) it has an extended drain interval from at least 7500 miles to 15000 miles. In order to be safe I sample the oil about 10 days before the scheduled interval - so that once I put the car in for just the Oil filter change, I can make the decision to change the oil because there may be a problem reported, or the TBN is getting close to “2″. Otherwise the oil stays in; synthetic makes the engine run MUCH smoother and quieter then the dealer stuff they get out of the Bulk oil drums.

Ralph

Saving the planet and our kid’s future one quart at a time.

www.greeniscalling.com

Great news we have recently teamed up with a local Green Products installer in the Metro Nashville Tennessee area to fill the gap in GreenIsCalling services to install the Solar PV and Hot water system. Choice Mechanical is a Goethermal Heatpump installer and service company with a great reputaion and a reliable servcie team. Please check out there website at:  http://www.choicemechanicalinc.com/ you can also find a link on our Home Page at the top tabs.

…maybe because I was busy on making some impact in the Solar PV development here in Nashville, TN…

About a year ago the writer of this article in the “BusinessWeek” 

Will Demand for Solar Homes Pick Up?

….The appeal of solar homes could grow as the economic outlook worsens. The more utility bills cut into household reserves, “the more consumers recognize the value of efficiency,” says Robert W. Hammon,… And there’s growing consumer awareness that solar homes appreciate faster than ordinary dwellings. They also resell for a premium of up to 5%.

probably was quite conservative on the percentile.

Article here: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_44/b4106088155598.htm

…well that looks like you guys in Charlotte, Grensboro, and Myrtle Beach need to hussel and get with it so we; Americans can claim our spot as #1 in solar power back! Check out this news article:

 New Jersey, California doing their part, but other states are dragging their feet

BY JOE TYRRELL

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

SECOND IN A SERIES

As the United States casts around for clean, domestic sources of energy, New Jersey has become a national leader in solar power, surpassing states with far greater land area and more days of sunshine.

But being a leader in solar energy in America is a little like being the fastest Model T Ford or the best sounding gramophone: the world has moved on. (more…)

This is actually good to know, Radiant Barriers like this: http://greeniscalling.com/aff.php?a=ne&r=http://www.neutralexistence.com/shop/home-energy-savers/C30/%3fID=d5c07f1d&q=yes

Radiant Barrier is a Double-Sided, Tear-Resistant, ENERGY STAR® Qualified, Class A/Class 1 Fire-Rated, Clean and Non-Toxic Aluminum Radiant Barrier

I got a hold of this notifcation today it was published on July 02nd 2009:

Quarter Billion Dollars in Annual Utility Savings for Energy Efficient Homes

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that nearly 17 percent of all single-family homes built nationally in 2008 earned EPA’s Energy Star label, up from 12 percent in 2007. Both home builders and home buyers are continuing to invest in high performing homes that save consumers money on their utility bills and help protect the environment. 

“Every year more Americans decide to cut their energy bills and help keep the air clean in their communities by buying a new home that has earned EPA’s Energy Star.  Features like properly installed insulation, high-performance windows and high efficiency heating and cooling can reduce home energy needs by 20 to 30 percent, saving American families thousands of dollars on their utility bills,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.  “Even in a difficult market, the interest in Energy Star qualified homes keeps rising.  We’re helping builders and homebuyers to protect the environment, safeguard our health, and move the country into a low-carbon energy future.”

In addition, market share for Energy Star qualified homes was 20 percent or greater in 15 states in 2008, including Ariz., Colo., Conn., Hawaii, Iowa, Ky., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Okla., Texas, Utah, and Vt.

Nearly 940,000 Energy Star qualified homes have been built to date, with more than 100,000 of these constructed in 2008.  In 2008 alone, American families living in Energy Star qualified homes locked in annual utility bill savings of more than $250 million — saving over 1.5 billion kWh of electricity and 155 million therms of natural gas while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of nearly 350,000 cars annually. 

To earn the Energy Star label, homes must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by EPA.  Typically they include energy-saving features such as:

•           Effective Insulation Systems
•           High-Performance Windows
•           Tight Construction and Ducts
•           Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment
•           ENERGY STAR Qualified Lighting and Appliances

More information about Energy Star qualified homes: http://www.energystar.gov/HomesMarketIndex

Well we still have our water running out of the fosset, right? And yes it is still cheap, right? But is it a good idea to drink, flush, and waste our Kids, and Grand Kids rights to the same freedom of water usage?

I am afraid the anwser to all the above questions is going to be NO,

…ouch that is bad…

please check out this site: http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Utilities/WaterSmart/conservationlinks.htm

or type in this address in your browser today: http://www.cleangreen789.com it is a great free E-Book no “pipes” attachted

Boone Pickens will be on TV tomorrow July 8 for Energy Independence Day !

In Greensboro-High Point, NC on:
WGHP FOX-TV
Fox 8 Morning News
8:10 AM ET
Please tune in, thanks!

for more info on how to turn back your meter follow

http://www.turnback789.com, and sign up it is totally FREE and no strings attached.

The North Carolina Energy Office reported on June 26th in a Press Release, that Charlotte, NC will be getting:  $6,780,100 in Grants.

Federal Recovery Act Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds will be distributed directly to

designated North Carolina cities, counties and tribes as follows (more…)

I found this very detailed article on WMBF News.com site for Myrtle Beach, it is quite detail on what renewables are available in this area.

Dan Mullin’s electric meter is turning backward, and it gives him immense satisfaction. On a sunny day in his Washington, D.C., neighborhood, the solar panels perched on his roof catch enough rays to power his home and sell electricity back to the utility. A solar-powered fountain burbles in his garden, near the tubes for his solar-powered hot-water heater. “There is no easier way to make money than to sit out here and enjoy the sunshine,” he says.

Read the whole story here: (more…)