 Let’s face it: the humble CFL could use a face lift. Thanks to Plumen, it got one. The fancy new compact fluorescents look cool enough for vintage fixtures but pack an efficient punch. Plumen co-owner Michael-George Hemus told the Los Angeles Times that his new bulb “produces the equivalent of a 55-watt glow, reduces electrical consumption by 80% and can provide 8,000 hours of light.”
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 How much would you pay for a house that produces more energy than it uses? (That means no electricity bills, ever, by the way.) Try $1.8 million. Even in this housing market, it looks like green is a good investment. A new home in the Washington, D.C., area (Glen Echo, Md., to be exact) has earned “net zero distinction, thanks to sustainable design and a host of built-in renewable energy features. (The kitchen is pictured above, via Urban Turf.) Designed by architect Marcie Meditch, the house has four bedrooms and tops out at 3,500 square feet. It may be the first home in its area to receive Platinum LEED certification, the highest rating for environmental standards under the U.S. Green Building Council: From the original choice of a pie-shaped lot that allows for passive site orientation to intelligently harness solar power, to the geothermal heating system and designer low-flow toilets, every aspect of the property is in keeping with the architect’s original vision. Would you plunk down $1.8 million for a net zero house? Let us know in the comments.
 What if farmers could turn livestock waste – a major contributor to global warming – into clean, renewable energy? Turns out they already can. Take Jordan Farm in Rutland, Mass., where Gov. Deval Patrick, above, did ribbon-cutting duty on Tuesday to celebrate the farm’s methane digester: The manure digester sits on 1.5 acres of Mr. Jordan’s farm, with two tanks, a pump and engine, and a separator. Through the digesting process, the smell of the manure is removed and is used to produce gas, which powers an engine that will generate electricity for the farm. Excess electricity will be sold back to National Grid. The owners tell us that they estimate each cow will produce enough electricity to power a single Massachusetts home for a whole year. Read more about the Jordan Digester in SmartPower President Brian F. Keane’s latest column for HuffPost Green.
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