The U.S. market for small wind turbines — those rated 100 kilowatts or less — grew 15% in 2009 with the installation of about 10,000 new units, according to the AWEA Small Wind Turbine Global Market Study in 2010.  In the same report, AWEA found that the largest manufacturer of these turbines in terms of kilowatts sold is Arizona-based Southwest Windpower.  I had the opportunity to email with the company’s marketing director, Miriam Robbins, and she was kind enough to share what’s new with Southwest Windpower.

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I’m going to be honest, I hate my CFLs.  After blowing all sorts of cash on these things, I’ve yet to find one that performs the way I’d like it to.  Plus, since lighting accounts for some 11% of residential energy use on average, it’s an area that deserves attention.  In doing so, I’ve been playing with various options and think LEDs may just be the ticket.

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As with last year, green building consultant Jerry Yudelson published a top-ten list of green building trends for the next year.  Yudelson explains that green building is growing in popularity across the globe — that “more people are going green each year, and there’s nothing on the horizon that will stop this trend.“  I’ve hand-picked some of Yudelson’s trends that will apply in the residential sector below:
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An excellent report by New York-based JWT Intelligence — 100 Things to Watch in 2011 — is bouncing around the internet right now.  The authors seem to have a pulse on key aspects of the internet, including mobile, advertising, media, and technology trends.  But I noticed at least six things to watch that relate directly to building greener homes.  Here’s what JWT says to watch in 2010:

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I’m always surprised by what goes popular, but I can’t necessarily blame readers for liking what they like.  I like these articles, too.  It’s fun to see them shared on Facebook and retweeted through Twitter, giving us an opportunity to refine the material that gets published.  Below you’ll find the top 10 articles as determined by site analytics and five additional favorites.  Enjoy and happy new year!

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