Al Gore’s New Green Home

Conservative attacks on Al Gore’s home electricity use “make no sense at all,” as Climate Progress has previously argued. Still, the former VP deserves kudos for redesigning his home to be a model green building:

“This plan has been in the works for a long time,” the former vice president said in an interview with The Associated Press. “The only thing that has changed is that we’re more public about it because of the misleading attack by a global-warming denier group.”

Here are his new rooftop solar panels:

Gore’s home will meet the imporant Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council. It will also include these green features:

• A geothermal system that will sharply cut the energy consumed to heat the pool
• More energy-efficient light bulbs and windows
• A rainwater collection system for irrigation and water management

This is the first in an occasional series of posts on green buildings, an important climate solution.

Tip of that hat to Truth and Progress for first highlighting the story — and for pointing out that Gore “won Spain’s most prestigious prize this past Wednesday for his ‘decisive contribution to progress in solving the grave problems of climate change which threaten our planet.’ “