Silentstorm

Solar domestic water heater

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:52:55 +0000

Get your house off oil with a solar domestic water heater via Chelsea Green

A few simple energy-saving moves

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:13:17 +0000

Power strip: As much as 75 percent of electricity use by electronics occurs while the devices are off. Big-screen TVs, stereo systems and computer peripherals are some of the worst offenders. Curtail the loss with power strips that kill power when they sense inactivity. Install a programmable thermostat Install an Energy Star–qualified programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts heating and cooling temperatures based on a daily heating or cooling schedule.
For every degree you push the thermostat beyond your usual set points, you save an additional 2 percent on utility charges. Fit a ceiling fan Ceiling fans circulate the air in a room, evenly distributing the heat, allowing the heating to be reduced by a few degrees. Add humidity Dry air retains less heat and feels cooler against the skin. Increase ambient humidity with a humidifier this winter, and edge the thermostat down a degree or two. Use a low-flow shower head Showers account for 26 percent of a household’s hot-water use. Installing a low-flow shower head can shrink the flow from 3.5 gal. per minute to 1.5 gal. Install tap aerators A tap aerator can save 400 gal. of hot water a year. Translation: less work for the water heater. If the rated flow on your current aerator is visible, and if it’s above 2.75 gal./minute, then replace it with a more efficient model that emits 1.5 gal./minute or less. If the aerator’s flow rate has been scuffed off or it’s too hard to read, just replace it. The new aerator will likely have lower flow. Upgrade old windows Replacing old, single-pane windows with high-performance, double-glazed, low-e windows seems like a good idea, but at a cost of several hundred dollars each you’ll wait a while for the payoff. Inexpensive storm windows offer quick payback, especially for do-it-yourselfers. In testing performed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, exterior storm windows reduced winter heat loss in single-pane windows by 29 percent, whereas double-pane window replacements saved 47 percent.

DIY Batch Solar Water Heater

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:50:05 +0000

If you’re not yet in a carbon-free home, installing a solar hot water heater will save you money and fuel all year round…yes…even in the winter. Here’s a project from The Carbon-Free Home that explains the steps. via Chelsea Green, DIY Batch Solar Water Heater

ThunderGorge - self-build strawbale house videos

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:33:31 +0000

Thundergorge.

Rainhog HOG

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:14:06 +0000

Catch and Store Your RainwaterThe rainwater from your roof represents a valuable commodity: with the Rainwater HOG you can catch and store your rainwater for reuse in your garden and even in your house. The Rainwater HOG is a novel solution to the problem of rainwater or greywater storage in areas where space is at a premium. The Rainwater HOG’s relative small size enables it to fit into many spaced previously not available to water tanks, while its modular design enables it to be extended and capacity increased bit by bit and in multiple locations around your house and property.

Passive solar house plans

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:01:07 +0000

Sun plansPlans, available for download, for various passive-solar houses. Descriptions of solar homes from the owners Descriptions of solar homes from the owners covering design, building and living in good solar homes of all types

Sunrise, sunset in Budapest

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:56:27 +0000

Budapest, Hungary - Sunrise, sunset, dawn and dusk times for the whole year Budapest, Hungary - sunrise, sunset, dawn and dusk times for the whole year in a graph, day length and changes in lengths in a table. Basic information, like local time and the location on a world map, are also featured. Hungary, PomázA little profile information about Pomáz, Hungary.

Strawbale house plans

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:54:32 +0000

50 straw bale house plans straw bale construction, passive solar construction, resource efficient housing, green building, balewatch.com, bailwatch.com, BALEWATCH.COM, alternative energy, cob, rammed earth, earthship, alternative architecture

Underfloor heating

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:58:01 +0000

Invisible Heating SystemsSpecialists in the manufacture, design & supply of underfloor heating, heat pumps & renewable energy systems

DIY solar powered bottle lights

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:49:58 +0000

Interesting project designed to convert empty bottle (or any glass container) into solar powered lights. Six-pack Light beer