ECOstrive: The Conservative Environmentalist

Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE Announces Teams Qualified to Compete for $10 Million & Launch National Student Contest

Automotive X Prize Logo

Automotive X Prize

New York, NY – October 19, 2009 The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, a multimillion dollar competition to inspire a new generation of viable, super fuel-efficient vehicles, today announced the 43 teams— representing 18 states, 10 countries and 6 fuel types, that have passed the competition’s Design Judging phase and will move into the most exciting phase of the competition – performance and safety testing – putting them one step closer to their share of the $10 million prize purse. More »

Design of the Tesla Model S

 

ECOstrive – With deliveries expected to begin in 2012, Tesla is poised to own the luxury sedan market with it’s all-electric Model S car. This seven passenger vehicle is unique because it is built on a flat platform. That is, batteries between the front wheels and motor between the rear. This gives the designers a very open pallet to be creative in both the exterior and interior of the car. More »

Taking Action: Clayton Homes builds the i-house

Clayton iHouse

Clayton iHouse

ECOstrive – Another company taking action is Clayton Homes. They are a manufacturer of houses that is building a new product called the i-home. The i-home is one of the first “Green” manufactured home designs. The i-house comes standard with dual-flush toilets, no VOC paint, tankless water heaters and much more.

Using residential modular construction techniques, the homes come with 2×6 exterior wall studs and an amazing R-21 wall and R-30 Floor and Roof insulation. The roof even includes a “butterfly” rain collection design. These features are all incorporated into an affordable package. The i-house II is a little over 1000 square feet in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath configuration for the low $90′s.

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Sun Screens: Saving energy in warm climates

Sun Screen being installed

Sun Screen being installed

ECOstrive – For those of you that live in warm climates (especially the sunny ones) where you use Air Conditioning to cool your house in the summer months, you probably already know how hot the inside of an unshaded window gets in the peak of the season. This is called “thermal transference”. Transferring all of that heat inside your house makes your AC work a lot harder. Solar screens are an easy way to reduce the amount of heat making its way into your house and keeping it cooler and more comfortable. More »

Happy Earth Day 2009

Happy Earth Day 2009

Happy Earth Day 2009

ECOstrive – Well, its Earth Day again. I can say that I am happy to hear the general attitude this time seems to be action. Action in the form of green building, replacing light bulbs, solar power, electric cars and other things that are available and can be done today. So much better than the global alarming from years past. In fact, it makes it a day of awareness instead of the annual Chicken Little day.  More »