• Revenge of the low-flow toilet.
• How to slash building energy use.
• Passive House method has many benefits.
• It makes sense to invest in new technology.
• Couple builds prefab home of the future.
• Energy Star v3 to get more stringent.
• From Passive Haus to our Haus.

If you like what we do, vote for us in the green blog category of JDR’s Industry Blogger Awards or subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates, article summaries, newsworthy links, and other site news.

You’ve probably already seen miniHome – a small, mobile, eco-friendly prefab built with clean lines and modern elements – which has been featured all over the news and television.  Sustain Design Studio, a Toronto firm behind the home, just launched a redesigned miniHome to be built in the company’s newly established factory in Bracebridge, Ontario.  The new miniHome is lighter, better, and more affordable.

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I’m happy to say we’ve been nominated as Best Green Blogger in the 2011 JDR Industry Blogger Awards.  It’s nice to be in the same company with some stiff competition such as the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.  I notice there’s a cash prize for the winner, and if we get that far, the funds will probably go straight to computers, cameras, or event travel.  Voting will remain open through April 15, 2011.  If you like what we do, feel free to vote for Jetson Green in the “green” category today.

Velux makes some great products for drawing natural light indoors.  The company recently introduced a new, low-profile, flat-glass Sun Tunnel skylight at IBS 2011, and it will be available later this year.  Already in use in Europe, the new skylight trades the bulbous, dome-style, roof model for a sleek, more modern, less noticeable look.

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If you’re looking for a back-of-the-envelope assessment of where your project fits in the LEED for Homes green building program, the USGBC just launched a new web-based tool for you.  It’s called the LEED for Homes Scoring Tool, and it includes both a Quick Score (pictured) and a detailed Credit-By-Credit result with specific credit guidance.

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