EPA just came out with an 80 page report to disseminate the scientific information on Climate change to the public in a understandable and clearly presented format. Please educate yourself and then those around you about human induced climate change and what are the signs that the Earth’s climate is changing rapidly.
Archive for the ‘Green Building’ Category
EPA Climate Change Indicators Report
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010Jaga Radiators
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
How would you like your radiators to look like this in your home? Do you live in a home with old style cast iron radiators and a non condensing boiler to heat them up. Well here is an alternative if you are thinking of upgrading your heating system to something much more efficient. Jaga has come up with a new type of radiator that is engineered to give off more heat at lower temperatures. This increases the efficiency of you heating system while providing the same kind of comfort. Check out their many cool designs and models of radiators that will really spice up your interior.
Viessmann Boilers
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
Just attended a training on Viessmann Boilers and controls at local distributor here in Bozeman and it was really great to see such an amazing product coming to market. Their 200 series boilers actually sense incoming air and gas to the combustion chamber and then fine tune them to the conditions that are present. This means that gas quality and air pressure can change and the system adjusts both to get the most efficient burn. Their 200 series boilers also has an internal card that can be changed for high altitude installations so that you don’t have to derate their boilers like other manufacturers. Meaning that the btus on the boiler are the same at any altitude unlike most boilers that lose efficiency at higher altitudes above 5000 ft. Check out their great products which also include solar hot water systems.
Sunburst Unlimited’s Gardens from Garbage
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Mike and MJ from Great Falls, MT have started a revolution in their hometown of getting schools, grocery stores, and neighborhoods to begin turning garbage into gardens. Through their nonprofit Sunburst Unlimited, they have begun a quiet revolution to starve their landfill and use that organic waste for much better purposes. Not only are they diverting alot of waste from the landfill but once it is composted using bokashi and effective microbes, the waste will be ready in 3-4 months to be applied to gardens to enrich the soil. So not only are they saving companies, their city and their neighbors money but also providing them with an easy way to create compost for community and backyard gardens through out the city. Maybe even with the idea of selling this compost to make the program revenue neutral.
Check out their cause and read the article that I have provided a link to below.
Sunnovations Pumpless Solar Hot Water System
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Solar hot water systems without pumps and controls could really make installing and using the sun to heat water much more simple. Sunnovations has developed a new product using a passive geyser pump that generates pumping action using just the heat of the sun. This is a closed pressurized system to regulates its own flow rate and automatically shuts down when temperatures get too hot. Would love to try this system out here in Montana when it becomes available and hope that their real world testing goes well. Check them out and I will let you know when the product becomes available.
Cold Composting with Effective Microbes
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
For those of you looking for a super easy way to compost your kitchen and yard waste. Then it is time to look at effective microbes to do all of the work for you. In this cold composting system, which works anaerobically (without oxygen), there is no turning of the compost to cause decomposition. You just apply the effective microbes to the organic waste from your household and then let the microbes do the work for you. I have set up plastic lined compost bins in my yard using discarded pallets. I just screw 4 pallets together into a box and line it with either weed cloth or in my case some left over tarps I had from building my house. Then I found some 5 gallon buckets with tightly sealing lids to start my compost from the kitchen in. As I add organic waste the bucket, I spray a little activated EM1 or bokashi to the bucket. Once full, I let it sit for 21 days to let it ferment in the tightly sealed bucket, then I dump it into the outdoor pallet compost site. I usually keep adding waste from the yard and other neighbors for 3 months. I keep the pile covered with carpet or a tarp to decrease oxygen to the pile and let it sit for 90 to 120 days after my last deposit to the pile. Then I start a new compost pile in another pallet constructed bin. After the time is up, I take the front off the bin and wheel the waste to my garden beds as really rich dark compost. No turning just have to wait. If you get enough material from neighbors, you can produce all the compost that you need for your gardens. Check out their website and videos and Youtube.
Triangle Tube Boilers
Friday, March 26th, 2010
Prestige excellence boilers by Triangle Tube are excellent wall mounted hot water radiant and domestic hot water boilers made in the USA. They are excellent well built heating systems that are over 95% efficient and will be able to handle most heating loads and all of your hot water demands at the same time. You also won’t need to install a costly water maker like most boilers since there is a 14 gallon tank built into the unit already. We have installed these boilers and like them for the their ease of installation and they take up very little space on the wall of the mechanical room. Check out their products.
What went wrong with weatherization?
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
Great interview about the benefits of weatherization programs funded by the stimulus package. Why aren’t we taking advantage of these programs to save not only money for people with inefficient homes, but also the energy savings that could be attained by just doing some basic sealing of leaks and installing more insulation. Check out the article in Popular Mechanics.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/4347294.html
Neuton Cordless Electric Lawn Mowers
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
These Neuton cordless electric mowers are really great and we used to have one that we shared with 2 of our neighbors. They are super quiet and do a great job of cutting the grass without the fumes. We actually got 2 extra batteries and chargers so that each neighbor had their own battery that they kept charged at their respective homes. We stored the mower in one shed and just went over to grab it when it was time. So you just slid your battery in and started mowing. The mower is very light and made out of plastic so it will never rust. I highly recommend this product and their other products I am sure are equally well designed and practical for yard work. Check them out.
LEHR Environmentally Friendly Technology for the yard
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
Every hated taking care of your yard because of the fumes from your 2 or 4 stroke engines. Trimmers, lawn mowers and leaf blowers all tend to be really loud and give off lots of air pollution, actually much more pollution than a vehicle. Check out their new lawn mower that just uses a propane bottle to run off of and much cleaner than your current lawn mower.