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This RMI guide explains how to improve a home's building envelope to reduce energy costs by up to 50%. It details the mechanisms of heat loss and gain and provides specific recommendations for insulation materials, air sealing techniques, and window upgrades to enhance thermal efficiency and indoor comfort.

This briefing from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides guidance on improving home lighting energy efficiency. It advocates for a 'whole-system' approach—combining efficient bulbs like Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and LEDs with dedicated fixtures, lighting controls, and daylighting strategies—to reduce electricity costs and improve lighting quality.

This RMI briefing provides strategies for reducing energy and water consumption in home cleaning appliances. It highlights that heating water is the primary energy driver for washers and dishwashers and recommends high-efficiency models, such as front-loading washers and Heat Pump Clothes Dryers. The document also suggests behavioral changes, such as using cold water and full loads, and discusses the environmental impact of dry cleaning chemicals and detergents.

Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) critiques the March 2004 American Physical Society (APS) report "The Hydrogen Initiative," arguing that it reaches erroneous conclusions regarding hydrogen economics and storage due to outdated assumptions and methodological flaws.

This 2004 guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides homeowners with strategies to reduce space cooling costs and energy use. It advocates for a hierarchical approach: first minimizing heat gain through passive measures, then utilizing low-energy ventilation, and finally selecting the most efficient mechanical cooling systems based on climate and budget.

This 2004 RMI guide outlines strategies for reducing home heating costs, emphasizing that a well-insulated building shell is the primary investment. It compares the efficiency (AFUE), installation costs, and operational expenses of furnaces, boilers, in-space heaters, air-source and geothermal heat pumps, and active solar systems, while providing guidelines for system sizing and replacement timing.

This 2004 guide by RMI provides homeowners with strategies to reduce water heating costs and energy consumption through the use of efficient fixtures, maintenance of existing heaters, and the adoption of advanced heating technologies such as solar thermal, heat pumps, and drain-water heat recovery.

This 2004 guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides strategies for reducing energy consumption and environmental impact associated with home electronics. It emphasizes that changing user habits—such as unplugging devices and enabling power management—is often more effective for saving energy than simply purchasing more efficient hardware.

This 2004 briefing from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides guidance on reducing the energy and environmental impacts of kitchen appliances and food consumption. It details the efficiency gains in refrigerators and freezers, compares various cooking technologies and habits, and addresses the reduction of food-related waste in landfills.

This guide introduces 'whole system design' for residential buildings, emphasizing the integration of passive solar strategies, thermal mass, and reflective roofing to reduce energy consumption. It argues that careful planning can make green homes cost the same or less than conventional ones and highlights financing options like Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs).

Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute provides a rebuttal to a response by Tromp et al. regarding hydrogen leakage rates. Lovins argues that the 10% to 20% leakage rate assumed by Tromp et al. is unsupported by evidence and technically implausible for commercial systems. He specifically disputes the claim that liquid hydrogen (LH2) boiloff from automotive tanks would contribute significantly to atmospheric emissions, asserting that such gases would be used as fuel or catalytically oxidized. Lovins further contends that the automotive industry is moving toward compressed gaseous hydrogen (GH2) over LH2 due to superior economics, safety, and weight, citing a concept SUV as evidence that high-pressure GH2 tanks can meet or exceed range benchmarks.

This research paper, submitted as a 'Brief Communication Arising' to Nature, argues that a United States hydrogen economy is practical and economically viable without the expansion of nuclear power. The author contends that fuel cells will accelerate the decline of nuclear power by providing cheaper energy services and that wind power is a more cost-effective method for hydrogen production via electrolysis than nuclear electricity.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes U.S. energy insecurity, focusing on the risks associated with oil dependence and the potential for energy efficiency to mitigate these threats. Using data primarily from the 2001 EIA Annual Energy Review, the document details the sources and uses of U.S. oil, the economic and security costs of dependence on OPEC and the Persian Gulf, and the technical potential for reducing oil consumption through vehicle efficiency and alternative fuels.

This guide provides an introduction to selecting environmentally sensitive building materials, emphasizing the reduction of embodied energy, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and the impact of industrial manufacturing on global ecosystems.

The North Central Arizona Water Demand Study Phase I Report examines water use, conservation, and alternative supplies for non-reservation communities on the Coconino Plateau. It establishes a baseline of current water demand, evaluates existing conservation efforts, and proposes a detailed methodology for a Phase II study to forecast future potable and nonpotable water needs under various investment scenarios.

This briefing by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides a comprehensive guide for homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint through energy-efficiency measures. It establishes a baseline for the typical American single-family home and outlines a strategic, cost-effective path toward achieving climate neutrality by 2012 through a combination of behavioral changes, equipment upgrades, green power, and carbon offsets.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) presents a scenario analysis to guide the City of San Francisco's energy resource investment strategy through 2012. It evaluates three distinct paths—Central Generation, More Imports, and Distributed Resources—to replace the aging Hunter's Point Power Station while meeting growing electricity demand and reliability requirements.

This guide introduces the concept of 'green building' as a holistic, integrated approach to design and construction aimed at reducing resource consumption and enhancing quality of life. It emphasizes that resource efficiency is achieved through early interdisciplinary collaboration and the optimization of interlinked systems rather than the piecemeal addition of environmental components.

The New Business Climate is a 2002 guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) designed to help corporations and institutions reduce carbon emissions while improving business performance. It argues that climate change presents both risks to asset values and opportunities for innovation, advocating for a transition from incremental thinking to radical resource efficiency and the use of emerging carbon markets to manage costs.

This research paper by Michael Kinsley addresses communities conflicted over local growth and development, proposing a distinction between 'development' (improvements) and 'expansion' (size increase) to better inform community planning.