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Through my formal training in Nautical Mechanical Engineering, I was exposed to sustainable energy and energy efficiency just by the nature of the job. Through my involvement in the arts, and later as head of the art department, I became interested in architecture and subsequently entered the Master's in Architecture program at NC State. It was there that I was introduced to Sustainable Energy in housing and found a way to combine art, physics, engineering, and architecture in one assembly.

For the last 6 years, I have studied the much-involved, complicated, and intertwining system of energy efficiency from several angles and created a system to make sense out of this complicated energy world. I now belong to several "Energy" organizations, subscribe to major Green and Energy magazines, and give presentations and lectures on Sustainable Energy and Passive Solar Design.

Much can be done by any individual to make life more energy efficient. Doing so is not only better for the environment, but also it's simply less expensive. The key is using a combination of more efficient living, energy efficiency, and Passive Solar principles, in order to use less energy overall and thus spend less on energy.

Passive Solar has been used for thousands of years. but since the Industrial Revolution we just "filed away" that knowledge as "old-fashioned" since pushing a button and letting machinery do the work was much easier. However, just common sense and some simple physics can be used to create more efficient buildings by using the sun's energy without any additional mechanical equipment. We have cast aside the age old system of using the sun as our main source of energy and have gone overboard with mechanical, electrical, and energy consuming systems. It's time that we take a hard look at the age-old system that has been available to us for centuries, at least to help us create the energy we seem to need, and use our creativity rather than the easy-way-out, energy-wasting "push-button system".

In order to make sense out of this seemingly confusing world of green living & building, sustainable energy, or whatever term you'd like to use, I have developed a system where all the topics of Energy Efficiency are made visible in one view. On an ongoing basis, I'll build links to pages where the topic is explained and build links to more detailed information if needed. From time to time I plan to add more information to every page and topic, sharing interesting points and include examples. I intend to keep this information accessible to all audiences. It is not the purpose of this site to make an expert out of every reader. I merely hope to provide information about what the general public should know about Energy Efficiency so that each person can decide for himself or herself what reasonable steps can be taken to use less energy, resulting in both environmental and monetary savings benefits. The money saved by taking steps toward Energy Efficiency, coupled with more economic lifestyle choices, can result in a noticeable positive impact on any household. On the left you'll find a link to a checklist for homeowners with tasks or steps that can/should be taken to make a house (and one's life) more Energy Efficient.

Michiel VanderSommen