The Green Revolution: Where Fitness Meets Renewable Energy

The Green Revolution retrofits Spin bikes to generate electricity that feeds back into a club's power system, reducing the club's reliance on the grid and reducing the carbon footprint of the club. The Green Revolution is a suburban Philadelphia company. It is also a start-up.

The Green Revolution has been submitted to the GE Ecoimgaination Challenge. If the Challenge generates enough interest, GE may invest in some of these companies. Winning the Ecoimagination Challenge could secure more funding for the Green Revolution and help them continue retrofitting Spin bikes to make the world a cooler place.
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Want to see more videos of The Green Revolution? Here's a starter and there are more on Youtube!

Specific Acts of Weatherization

We've just had our crawl space and basement (cellar, if you're not fancy) treated with foam spray. The foam spray should retain heat and cut our energy usage while reducing our energy bills and delivering a tax credit.

The process did not take long. The contractors showed at about 8 AM as expected. At 11 AM, I asked if they minded if I took the dog for a walk around the block. They replied that they were already done.

Our old house is drafty and rather cold in the winter. Even when wearing slippers and socks, our feet feel cold. We know we suffer immense heat loss. The foam treatment should reduce our heat loss and make us more comfortable.

The best factor is that we get a tax credit for our act of weatherization. We not only hope to see a longterm reduction in our heating costs but we will see additional savings on our tax bill. The money comes later but winter is soon. Hurry to stay warm and save!

Radiator Love or Bounce Back the Heat

Take a minute to look around your house. Where are your heat sources? The fast majority of radiators and heat vents are placed less than optimally for efficiency. Radiators are often placed below windows. Hot air vents are usually placed in the ceiling and baseboards run along external walls. This means that a lot of valuable heat rises up to the ceiling or slowly passes out of our walls and never heats our homes and bodies. Remodeling and moving your heat sources is not my recommendation but we can take some small actions to deflect that heat where we want and need it.

The photo with this post shows tin foil taped to the back of our radiators. The tinfoil deflects heat that would pass into our plaster walls, which probably aren't insulated, and through the stone and stucco to the outdoors. Skeptical? When Mr. Philly Organic added the tinfoil to our radiators, we felt the heat standing further from our radiators than we had previously.

Will this result in large savings? No but for a very small expenditure, you can conserve energy and add up small savings. Plus you can be a little more comfortable at home.

Weatherize Your Windows

Many people use shrink wrap plastic kits to weatherize their windows each fall and winter. In the spring, they rip down the plastic and throw it in the trash. With Plexiglas, you can make reusable shields to weatherize your windows. As an added bonus, this will save even more energy and keep more warmth in your home! Instructions on making your own custom storm windows with easy steps and explanations are available for free.