TOOLS, MATERIALS, RESOURCES, LINKS, DEFINITIONS, ETC.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Monte Smith on February 1, 2009 at 2:09pm

So that it won't be eternally buried on the comment wall I am putting the link to Power Save into our in-house makeshift library here i.e., this discussion.

FYI:

A while back on this comment wall Mike Anthony Fernald Sr. made reference to a Power-Save Unit.


"you guys should consider putting a Power save unit onto your Electric Panel It works it will save you up to 25%on your bill, I have had one on mine for about 5 months my I'm seeing about a Fifty dollar difference in my bill." -Mike Anthony Fernald Sr.

To find out more go to Power-Save

Permalink Reply by Monte Smith on February 8, 2009 at 3:04pm

Permalink Reply by Monte Smith on February 8, 2009 at 3:09pm

Consumers Can Now Find 1,500 Certified Green Professionals Nationwide, Reports NAHB (National Association of Home Builders)


November 19, 2008 - The Certified Green Professional™ educational program reached another milestone this week as the number of industry leaders who had achieved their CGP designation grew to 1,500.

Ralph Pagnucco Jr., a builder and remodeler in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is the 1,500th designee, announced Ray Tonjes, chair of the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Subcommittee.

The CGP designation recognizes builders, remodelers and other industry professionals who understand how to incorporate green building principles into homes and provide green-building expertise for consumers.

The designation is part of the NAHB National Green Building Program, which also includes a green home verification and certification service provided through the NAHB Research Center. So far, 69 homes have received National Green Building Certification with another 160 awaiting inspection.

To qualify for the individual designation, applicants must complete 24 hours of green building and business management instruction, have two years’ industry experience, commit to continuing education requirements and sign the CGP code of ethics.

“The CGP designation helps assure home buyers that their builder or remodeler can help them negotiate the path to a green-built home – as green as the home buyer wants it to be,” Tonjes said. Designers, bankers, home sales agents and other industry professionals can also bring additional value to their clients with the CGP designation, he added.

Pagnucco said the classes he took to complete the CGP designation have helped him become a better informed green builder – and stand out from the competition. He’s incorporating more green remodeling practices into his business, including upgraded insulation, energy-efficient windows and doors, and conducting cost analyses on heating and cooling equipment to help his customers determine how much money they may save with a more energy-efficient unit.

Next week, Pagnucco’s company will submit its first new single-family home for green certification from GreenBuilt Michigan, an affiliate of the NAHB National Green Building Program. All of the company’s homes will be green certified from now on, Pagnucco said.

“We’re trying to be the best green builders we can be,” he said.



Link to Article

Permalink Reply by Monte Smith on February 8, 2009 at 3:12pm

Total housing starts fell to a 25-year low in September 2008, falling 6.3 percent from the previous month to an annual rate of 872,000. Compared to one year earlier, starts were down by 31.1 percent. Building permits dropped 8.3 percent in September to 786,000. Construction of single-family homes contracted by 12 percent in September to 544,000, the fewest since February 1982. Work on multifamily units increased 7.5 percent to 273,000.

SOURCE

Permalink Reply by Monte Smith on February 8, 2009 at 3:18pm

GREEN BUILDING

NAHB sponsors the NAHB National Green Building Conference, the NAHB National Green Building Awards, and provides information and education on sustainable home building using renewable materials prudently to conserve energy and environmental resources. In February 2008, NAHB unveiled the NAHB National Green Building Program and the University of Housing Certified Green Professional designation for builders, remodelers and other members of the home building industry. This information is updated regularly, so remember to come back often!

LINK


GREEN BUILDING INFORMATION

Residential green building is no longer a trend, it is the future of building. Find everything you need to know about green building practices, the upcoming National Green Building Standard, as well details on the soon-to-be- launched NAHB National Green Building Program, a member-driven initiative whose primary goal is to facilitate strong, market-driven voluntary green building programs.

LINK


GREEN BUILDING FOR BUILDING PROFESSIONALS (2-day course)

Learn how green homes provide buyers with lower energy costs and higher value. This 2-day course for building professionals discusses strategies for incorporating green-building principles into homes without driving up the cost of construction. You will learn how green homes provide buyers lower maintenance, better indoor air quality and better long-term value. Techniques are also discussed for competitively differentiating your home products with increased indoor environmental quality as well as energy and resource efficiency.


As a graduate of this course, you will be able to:
Locate and design green building development sites.
Control moisture and durability for each component of the building envelope effectively.
Employ resource-efficient materials to achieve comfortable, safe and sustainable buildings.
Strategize ways to meet, exceed and verify green building energy efficiency requirements.
Implement indoor and outdoor water conservation practices.
Achieve indoor air quality.
Consider green building objectives in a remodeling project.
Explain a homeowner’s and builder’s role in effective operation and maintenance of a green home.
Apply successful business management, marketing and sales strategies to sell green.

Designations: CGA, CGB, CGP, GMR
Continuing Education Credit: CAPS, CGA, CGB, CGR, GMB, CSP, Master CSP, CMP, MIRM

LINK

Permalink Reply by Anachronism on September 12, 2009 at 11:42am

The following information sows how to spend 6 hours and a little over $120 to create your own Passive Solar Heating system. I know that it is doable as I have used this exact process for 25 years. Look at the simple system I built in 1984 to heat our first Mini project. I'll bet that 99.9% of people will look/read and simply NEVER do anything. Please try to be that lucky .01% that gets up and actually does something?


FROM ANACHRONISM: Date created: November 15, 2008—Hey everybody the following is direct—SIMPLE- WORKS—and YOU CREATE “Free Heat” forever! I have used the same system for 25 years to heat a commercial building with the same cubic feet of VOLUME of “10”—2000 SQ. FEET HOMES! The daily cost, USING the system defined is $1 per day to maintain 70+ degrees 365 days per YEAR, in other words $365 dollars to heat 10 homes of space in one building with original cost of less then $100 in 1984.
1. Simple math. $100 investment to install my original Passive system
2. After 9125 days we saved $3 per day to totally heat project. (This building volume equals, 10 –2,000 Sq. Ft. (homes)
3. SAVED $27,375 dollars in HEAT COSTS.
4. The return on original investment 27,375 %. What ROI have you received on your $100 you placed in your savings account in 1984?

I'm constantly reading about the need to consider the "application of Solar Panels to create electricity", so the following information maybe irrelevant, BUT it makes since to consider the actual fact that "IF" you have an "ATTIC" in your home "YOU OWN A PERSONAL SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM" and it sure makes sense to use it to "HEAT YOUR LIVING QUARTERS" AND THE MONEY SAVED, which "Anachronism" has proven for "25 Years" will help you save and "Purchase" your SOLAR ARRAY!

"SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR BASEBOARD ELECTRIC HEATING" WITHOUT FURANCE UNIT AND OR "WITH FORCED AIR SYSTEM'S!"
1-When and before you enter your attic space, make sure you have proper light to observe all elements of your attic and the area where you will work.
2-You must use safe working planks to safely span the work area (Your attic is probably the structure that contains the insulation, wiring, heat ducts and other elements of the ceiling structure) so that you.
"DO NOT DAMAGE ANY OF YOUR FINISHED INTERIOR STRUCTURE".
3-If you have a "Downdraft" furnace system with the return air piping going to your current heating system, you want to enter this duct air return as close to the furnace as possible.
4-The closer to the main suction point, more Passive Heat is "Pulled into" your house.
5-Start your upper suction position of the intake pipe at least 24" to 30" to draw from the "Hottest" collection point in the typical pitched roof area inside.
6-If needed, insert a short piece of metal duct work into the new suction pipe to keep the flexible unit from sucking in and blocking the entering position in your attic.
7-Carefully attach to furnace "Suction pipe" and keep it straight and proceed to the position where you enter the "return air line", use suitable adaptor when attaching into the furnace "return air ducting" of your existing furnace system.
8-Pick a location for your "Remote" sensor control inside your home and connect the wiring to the sensor inside your attic located at a distance of 36" to the side of your new intake pipe and level with the pipe opening located in the attic.
9-Follow instruction with the sensor and connect your wiring from the attic remote sensor to the "Sensor" unit.
10-Attach low voltage (dual wire) from the sensor to the connection block of furnace in the same positions your house or current interior thermostat is currently connected.
11-CONSULATE LOCAL ELECTRICAN IF NEEDED TO HOOK UP THESE LOW-VOLTAGE WIRES IF NECESSARY OR ANY WIRING!
12- Make sure to support the new pipe with suitable material and DON'T crush ANY of your air pipes.
13-Make sure the connection into your current intake pipe is airtight and don't damage either piping.
14-NOW you need to close any current ATTIC venting openings in the gable ends to "CREATE YOUR PASSIVE SOLAR HEATER". Understand that this is legal as you have now "CREATED A POSITIVE ATTIC REMOVAL SYSTEM OF HEATED AIR"
15-Go to the, "10", photo's on Anachronism page and notice my designed "Intake" opening are located at the topside of the "attic ceiling structure". This allows the "COMPLETE ATTIC AREA" serve as the solar collector unit.
16-"ATTENTION, ELECTRICAL BASEBOARD METHOD"
Follow steps# 1,2,5,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,
(IF you don't have a forced air furnace and currently use electric baseboard heaters you need to pick a location in your ceiling of the room that allows the most "equalized" location to bring your attic heat into your home or a specific room)
If needed, add a SECOND PIPE AND ANOTHER SUCTION MOTOR "OR" USE A CIRCULATION FAN FROM THE ROOM (to spread the heat) WHERE YOUR PASSIVE SYSTEM DELIVERS YOUR ATTIC HEAT INTO YOUR LIVING SPACE. (YOU WANT "VOLUME" OF AIR INTO YOUR HOME SO DO NOT USE SMALLER INTAKE PIPE.) OPTION--Control volume flow with a "Speed Control" switch.
Understand that you could remove "all the solar heat from your attic", if temperature are cooler and no sun on your roof. "SUN CREATES YOUR HEAT", subject to the conditions that occurred in "BURLINGTON".

"No sun/no heat? " (Read what actually occurred in Burlington on 12/23/1984 on the occasion of first operation, it was snowing with a 3" accumulation of SNOW on roof, cloudy and 22 deg. outside and "SIMPLY" "produced FREE" 65 degree heat!
Look up on Internet (http://push.pickensplan.com/profile/Anachronism)
17-Your pick of a location that equalizes the distribution within the room and, "if needed" use a metal or plastic pipe with holes around the pipe to cause the air to disperse and direct downward to the floor area. You figure out this problem to fit your house. (You can simply direct airflow to floor, you decide)
18. Use the defined "In line Suction Motor" and consult your local electrician to make the electrical connections to this motor and use a suitable electrical switch to the "Remote Sensor" to make automatic or simply use a wall switch to operate this "In line Suction Motor" by hand.
"You decide whether you want automatic or manual control of the passive Solar Heating system?"
19-Trim out the inside "exhaust opening" to a neat and clean appearance to finish the job.
20-You have created "YOUR OWN" Passive Solar Heating System! Remember you "MUST" have outside air movement into the attic space from either the eaves or at the bottom of the gable ends or the vents under the eaves to allow "OUTSIDE" air to enter the attic space to allow your system to function. (NOTICE the specific location on each of my project's "Attic Air intakes" as I designed, built and controlled every aspect to create workable Passive solar projects.)

Part #'s from Lowe's—Dated as 08/19/08 (Parts & Pricing)
ITEM DESCRIPTION Vendor
QTY. Price
82361 8" x 60", GALV Pipe 1-08050 1 9.94
185010 8" Duct Fan (Sun court) DB208 1 29.93
36441 8"x 25' Black Ins. Duct (R4.2) BPC825 1 38.69
77405 6"x 25 Black Ins Duct (R-6) BPC625R6 1 25.98
USE THE SIZE PIPE OR MOTOR YOU WANT TO USE

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