Each year on Earth Day thousands of us take the time to stop what we are doing and celebrate the planet.  For many, Earth Day also acts as a reminder that we can all take strides toward living a greener, more sustainable lifetsyle. Not only is it easy to make small eco-friendly changes, but the benefits to our planent and wallets can be quite astounding – and embracing intelligent technology is just one of many ways homeowners are helping to reduce both their carbon footprint and monthly utility bills.

Control4 Energy Control & Monitoring Solutions

Control4, a leading innovator in residential and light commercial automation systems, is teaming with more than 280 Magnolia at Best Buy store locations across the U.S. to celebrate Energy Management Month through home automation and control.

During the month of April, customers at these select Magnolia at Best Buy stores will receive a $50 discount with the purchase of any Control4® Controller and a thermostat or lighting device with installation. Designed as the entry way to home automation, the new Control4 HC-250 Controller (available for in-store demos April 22 at select store locations) is ideal for universal remote replacements, home theaters or as a way to deliver on-screen control to any television in the home.

Getting started on the path to a connected home has never been more affordable and saving energy has never been easier. Control4® home control solutions provide a variety of easy, automated ways to help people manage their energy usage, while enjoying the most from their smart homes. And with just days until Earth Day, here are a few inspired ways for consumers to save energy using Control4.

1. Goodbye Button. Touch a single button when leaving the house and the lights automatically turn off, the temperature is set back, and other electronic devices can be powered off.
2. Motion Sensors. The kids work hard to turn all those lights on; motion sensors make sure they go off when a room is vacant for more than five minutes.
3. Limit Light Output. Set lights to 75 percent maximum light output and save on average about 20 percent of the household’s annual energy usage.
4. Extend Light Bulb Life. Setting light output also increases the life of light bulbs by about four times.
5. Smart Thermostats. With heating and cooling accounting for 56 percent of a household’s energy consumption, advanced climate control is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to save energy in a home.
6. Pre-programmed Events. Set it and forget it. Set outdoor lights to go on and off automatically based on time of day and set heating and cooling to automatically adjust for the seasons.
7. Motorized Shades. Automating window treatments to block that afternoon sun reduces cooling bills and increases comfort.
8. Energy Monitoring. With Control4, the MyEragy app and a compatible in-home power sensor, homeowners can save up to 20 percent or more off their monthly electric bills.
9. Energy-efficient Appliances. If you own some of the new “smart” appliances, you can quickly set them to energy-savings mode when you’re heading out of town.
10. Device Energy Management. Energy is wasted on devices that are plugged in but not being used. Use Control4 to shut down electronics that plug into power outlets when they’re not beings actively used.

To find a Magnolia at Best Buy near you, simply select Retail Dealers at www.control4.com/dealers/locator.

With Earth Day 2012 just two weeks away, many of us are making a conscious effort to adopt more sustainable behaviors. Even the littlest changes can have a monumental impact.

From a young age we are taught about the importance of limiting our water usage and making certain to turn off all the lights – but our world has evolved a lot since then. For many of us, it’s not uncommon to feel like our lives are run by electronics. From laptops and DVD players to TVs and our precious smart phones, whether we realize it or not, we are doing a lot of damage to the Earth.

Recently Tracey Samuelson, of WYNC (New York Public Radio), went for a ride along with New York City’s 4th Bin to experience first-hand how the company goes about recycling the electronic waste they collect.

Tracey followed one Gateway desktop tower all the way through the recycling process. She watched as the product was shredded by hand and then stripped by machines to separate all of the plastics and various metals. Throughout her visit, Tracey learned about 4th Bin’s ethical practices, and how their collecting transitions into selling, eventually placing the items into the hands of companies who responsibly melt down the products in order to harvest aspects that can be used again.

4th Bin takes you inside an ethical e-waste recycling plant

New York is one of several states that have passed laws lately in regards to the disposal of electronic waste. Although you may not be aware, manufacturers are required to take back their products if a consumer decides to give them back after their use. Seems fair, right? Where the problem arises is that it is the consumer’s job to bring the products back to the manufacturer – and sadly, many of us probably won’t make the time or effort to do that.

Tracey herself reported that the average household has 24 electronic devices, adding that each year 2.4 million tons of e-waste is generated, yet only 25% of that gets recycled properly. Not all that surprising, since in NYC a great portion of residents do not own a car, which can make transporting their end-of-life electronics a nuisance and something that easily slips their mind.

A good fix to this would be better, more readily available education. Most people do not know the hazards of electronic waste; they don’t know that their computers and cell phones contain elements such as arsenic, beryllium, lead and more. These toxins pollute both the air we breathe and the water we drink. The other half of the equation is that individuals must know where they can bring their aging electronics and more importantly, who they can turn to for ethical e-waste recycling.

That’s where 4th Bin steps in. As proud supporters of e-Stewards Certified Recycling Standards, you can rest assured that your electronics are being handled responsibly. However, what truly makes 4th Bin a great solution is that they are willing to tailor their recycling programs to you and your needs –with no drop off necessary – perfect for busy NYC residents and business owners. Through a simple call you can schedule an on-demand pickup from your doorstep or organize a large-scale e-waste collection event at your office. So this Earth Day, think beyond just water and paper, and consider making ethical e-waste recycling a part of your lifestyle. While you’re at it, join the other 1500+ people who have turned to 4th Bin for their e-waste needs – become a part of the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Yesterday the nations first offshore wind farm project was approved off the coast of our neighbor to the north, Massachusetts. This made my hope of Rhode Island becoming the first state to approve and build such a project a little less bright. BUT!…there is always a but isn’t there. This decision could also be a positive development for those of us who support well planned and constructed wind farms in the (i’m not a fan of single turbines just being plopped anywhere…like over in Middletown and Portsmouth, RI) wind rich areas off of the coast.

For those of you that aren’t up to date with the green economy politics of the smallest state with the largest name, (free hug to any non-resident who knows it off the top of their head…if you had to Google it then I’m sorry but you are disqualified!) we recently had a proposal from Deepwater Wind, a New Jersey company who proposed building two offshore wind farms. One for eight turbines in state waters three  miles southeast of Block Island, and one larger scale project of one hundred turbines, fifteen miles offshore in federal waters. Supporters hopes were blown away on March 30th, when  the cost of usage per kilowatt hour raised questions of feasibility by the state’s Public Utilities Commission. The Commission rejected the contract, stating that the 24.4-cent-per-kilowatt hour starting price was not “commercially reasonable.”

Rhode Island was leading the pack of other East Coast states  including Delaware and New Jersey pursuing offshore wind. While Cape Wind was still entangled in a nine-year struggle for approval, in December of 2009 Deepwater announced that National Grid would  buy power from the Block Island wind farm.  Agreements with a utility like National Grid are crucial for offshore wind developers to obtain financing–it helps when they have contracts with a buyer(s).

Last week our own Governor Carcieri and five other governors from the East coast; Patrick of Massachusetts, Markell of Delaware, O’Malley of Maryland, Christie of New Jersey, Paterson of New York wrote to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in support of Cape Winds controversial project in Nantucket Sound because of the benefits it would have to the industry as a whole.

Rhode Island is not done fighting for the project–the  governor and General Assembly leaders are trying to reach a solution that would allow Deepwater and National Grid to renegotiate a few key elements including the price of renewable energy. The Block Island project was designed and targeted for state waters on purpose–the state permitting process can be more predictable and less cumbersome than the federal version.  If the parties involved can sit down and resolve a few of the impeding issues there is still a tiny chance that Rhode Island could beat out Massachusetts for the first offshore wind-farm.

It is thought that if Deepwater can be the first in our country to build offshore Rhode Island would have the upper hand in attracting the large European turbine manufacturers. Making our state a hub of green manufacturing based out of the Quonset Business Park, where Deepwater is currently leasing 117 acres.  The Cape Wind project could play a part in all of these as representatives from Siemens (German manufacturer of turbines to Cape Wind) have considered Quonset as a potential site for assembling turbines before transporting them east to Nantucket Sound.

As of  now no agreement has been drafted, but there is thinking that if a deal could be reached it could reduce costs for all parties involved, and help to draw manufacturers.

So  my question to you–as we sit here on the cusp of the summer driving season, with gas already rising here more than twelve cents in two weeks…are you willing to pay more for your utility bills if it meant our country wouldn’t be completely reliable on foreign sources of fuel?

I’m a little verklempt myself. Give me a second. Talk amongst yourselves

Posted by Amanda| follow me on Twitter