Just that — it's big and it's green, and it's our home for the summer. After several years on the road with our faithful '96 International school bus, we've decided it's time for an upgrade, so we purchased this 1989 MCI motorcoach to retrofit for our 2009 summer tour.

In the eight weeks leading up to the trip, we completely rebuilt the bus, inside and out. In addition to a new paint job, we remodeled the inside — complete with all the essentials of home including tables, couches, a kitchen, and bunks in the back. We have interactive displays and showcase energy saving and environmentally friendly improvements you can implement at home, such as:

• Solar Panels — we have been donated four brand new SunPower 315 solar panels to provide all the energy we need, enough to power our computers, refrigerator, projector, lighting, television, air conditioning and veggie pumps. You can check out SunPower's technology at www.sunpowercorp.com
  
  
• Deep Cycle Batteries — In one of the luggage bays of the bus, we have 10 Group 8D AGM 12-volt batteries. They are wired in a series parallel combination to make a 24-volt system that will meet all our electrical demands. The electricity generated by our panels that we don't use right away is stored here. With over 2500 amp hours of capacity, we'll have two days of autonomy without discharging the batteries more than 60%. Our batteries were provided by EcoDirect in Claremont, CA.
  
  
• Inverter — Our 4000-watt Xantrex XW series inverter takes 24 volt Direct Current (DC) from the deep-cycle batteries and converts it into 110 volt Alternating Current (AC) that powers all our onboard appliances. Our inverter was donated to us by EcoDirect.

  
  
• Floor — We were given a bamboo floor from EcoTimber that is sustainably harvested in accordance with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. The wood comes from a well-managed forest and is documented from forest to customer. In addition to that, we have used the leftover EcoTimber flooring from our old bus to build cabinets and other items in the new bus.
  
  
• Grease Filters — These filters purify the vegetable oil we receive from restaurants. The first filter is a cleanable stainless steel screen that strains out any larger particles. The second filter captures any particles larger than ten microns. Finally, the oil goes through a half micron absolute rated filter. From here, the oil goes into our tanks, where it is dewatered and heated before it is ready to be sent to the engine. The filters are generously provided by Rosedale Products, a leader in filtering technology. You can check them out at www.rosedaleproducts.com
  
  
• Flat Screen — We enjoy the comforts of our current technologies with an environmentally conscious perspective. We can "veg out" on the play station or watch a DVD at any time with a guilt-free conscience, as these appliances are powered exclusively by our solar panels. Our flat screen is an LCD (liquid crystal display) as opposed to a CRT (cathode ray tube) or a plasma screen. LCD screens typically use 57% less power than an equally sized CRT. Plasma screens are also relatively efficient, but because we buy increasingly large screens and tend to leave them on for extended periods of time, plasma TVs have become one of the larger energy draws in the American household.
  
  
• Heating and Cooling — While we'd like to get away without air conditioning, the windows in our bus aren't designed to be opened the way they were in our old bus. So, we're installing a Klimaire split air conditioning system that will be powered by the solar panels while we're parked. With a SEER rating of 16, this air conditioning unit is one of the more efficient systems on the market.
  
  
• Computer Cases — Our computer cases were generously donated to us by Act 2Greensmart. The cases are made from 100% recycled materials. Each case is made from 12 PET plastic bottles, which saves the user 7,598 BTUs of energy, enough to power a laptop for 89 hours. act2greensmart.com.