TimesToCome

‘m starting to dig up some good information on energy savings in Houston homes. The average Houston home uses 7 KwH per sqft per year, a zero energy home uses 4 KwH. Zero energy homes still use energy, but only as much as they can make. The common items in zero energy homes are: Super insulation ( over insulating well beyond current building codes )
Air leaks are minimal
Windows are double paned, low E
Florescent lights are used
Passive solar energy is used.
High efficiency heating and cooling systems
Energy saving appliances
Reflective roofing in warm climates

Other than the windows, most of these things are cheap and easy to do. The high efficiency heat/air and appliances can be done as older ones need replacing.

I’m hoping to slowly retrofit this place to use the same energy as a zero energy home.

Still I’m hunting for a local grocer that sells vegetables that are less than a week old. Today I wandered to a Fiesta supermarket. This chain is aimed at the local South and Central American people here. The vegetables were a bit better than the other markets. Certainly they had a much larger selection, must’ve been 40 different kinds of peppers and fresh herbs. There were also tons of banana leaves, I’m not sure what you do with them? And many things I’ll have to google and see if I can use them. The fish dept. had sole too! I haven’t had that since we left home. I’m going to try either the Asian markets south west of Houston or head downtown to the Whole Foods or Central Market next week.

There is a big to-do here in The Woodlands next weekend. I guess people come from all over Houston and it kicks off the local holiday stuff. They call it the ‘Lighting of the Doves’. ? Me either ? I mean do they have some pagan thing lighting doves on fire? ( not very likely ) or do they set a ton of them lose? I don’t know, just have to wait and see.

I’ve been hunting for an appropriate tree for Xmas here. I came across a new-old thing. It seems in the 12th century the Germans, who we get most of our Xmas traditions from, hung the Yule tree upside down from the ceiling. Several companies are selling them but they are all sold out for this year.

The fake trees in the stores here are pink, purple, and day glo green. I’m not sure how easy it is to get a real tree here?