Smart and Simple Mechanical Room
Hold your hand over a candle, blow out the flame and the heat is immediately lost. Now, boil a pot of water. When you turn off the heat, the water is still hot. In fact, the heat energy in the pot of water can be picked up and transported to another room, it can be stored and used later and its heat is kind and comfortable. Continue reading
Solar Thermal Collectors
With so many tax credits and incentives available with the current stimulus package, many people are looking to the sun for sustainable energy. Solar energy can be harnessed in two ways, Photo-Voltaic (PV) solar is the process of generating electricity from the sun, Solar Thermal converts the sun’s energy into hot water. PV gets a lot of attention; the very simple and less expensive Solar Thermal option is getting a new pulse of popularity. Continue reading
Tankless installed on exterior
The standard 40 or 50 Gallon storage tank water heater is a monster. Operating at around 40% efficiency, 60% of the heat generated from the gas you burn goes out through the flue in the form of carbon emissions. On top of that, you pay for water to stay hot even when you do not need it; when you are at work, when you are asleep, when you go on vacation (do you turn off your water heater when you go away?). There is a pilot light which sucks your money continually like a little blue vampire. Continue reading
Today 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. 1.8 million people will die this year because of waterborne disease.
Water conservation is, arguably, the most important aspect of the “green plumbing” movement. In our area of the world, we open a faucet and bottle quality water flows out in a seemingly endless supply. Unfortunately, it is not endless, it is a limited resource and we use it to flush our toilets!
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 20% of California’s energy use is consumed in the treatment and moving of potable water, saving water is saving energy.
There are many ways to conserve water in the home. A simple home use water audit can indicate many areas where water use can be reduced. Continue reading
More fuel efficiant, quieter and more comfortable than a regular furnace, hydronic air handlers blow air across a heat exchanger of circulated hot water produced by a boiler or water heater.
Air handlers make your home feel more comfortable than air heated by a conventional furnace. This is because hydronically heated air is uniform and temperate, eliminating short blasts of hot air, along with hot and cold temperature spikes. Air flowing from your hot air vents will not feel as hot to the touch as air from a conventional furnace.
High efficiency air handlers qualify for tax credits of up to $1500.
Madeline loves her home in Berkeley with views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. As part of a kitchen and family room remodel it was necessary to relocate and upgrade the furnace and water heater. Madeline, who is concerned about climate change, sought the advice of her General Contractor, Paul Cerami of Cerami Builders and the plumbing contractor, Paul Gerrard of Pipeline Plumbing and Heating, to see which of the many energy efficient systems would be right for her home and her budget.
Madeline told us, “I already utilize solar PV for my electrical needs and I absolutley love it”. She was very interested in solar thermal for her hot water needs. ” I want to be a responsible citizen and reduce my energy costs as much as possible”. Tax credits were another incentive.