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Biomass Fuels
Biomass fuels are organic materials—often industrial byproducts—that can be used as fuel for heating. The definition of a biomass fuel varies from state to state, but in general, it is an organic matter generated on a reoccurring basis that can be used for fuel.
Tight, super-insulated houses need some kind of mechanical ventilation to keep indoor air healthy. Installing exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms is the simplest option. More often, energy-efficient builders install either a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV) or an energy-recovery ventilator (ERV). Both systems incorporate a heat exchanger that moderates the temperature of incoming air, which helps ease the energy penalty in both summer and winter. But ERVs also are designed to transfer some of the humidity in the air stream.
This is the year. If you’ve been sitting on home fixes, waiting for the right time, it’s 2010. Lucrative federal tax incentives are set to expire at the end of 2010, meaning these projects will never be more affordable. The government will cover 30% of the costs, in most cases, and investments in energy efficiency generally pay for themselves over time, since you’ll be paying for less wasted energy year after year. (Except where noted, taxpayers can qualify for no more than $1,500, regardless of the total cost of multiple qualifying projects were performed in 2009 and 2010.)
Reducing your home energy use is the best of win-win deals — not only does it reduce your carbon footprint, it also saves you big bucks on your energy bills. That’s especially exciting when you consider that many home energy improvements are fast, easy and inexpensive. Often, the savings from an individual project are small, but when you start putting them together they add up quickly.
Radiant heat can provide a warm, even heat for your home. The floor radiant heat system consists of a series of plastic piping. This under floor radiant heat can be divided into zones so you can control the heat in various sections of your home.
Warm-floor radiant heat is nothing new. Archaeological excavation years ago uncovered evidence that Romans used radiant floor heat to keep the stone floors toasty warm in the large Roman hot baths. They discovered that stone retains heat for a long time and that it distributes the heat uniformly. It only makes sense that we’d utilize this time-tested technology with our own artificial stone – concrete!
All walls need some kind of insulation otherwise you’re risking a loss of heat in your home through cool drafts, thermal leakage, or actual condensation and damage along the inside of the wall itself. By adding this barrier between your walls, you will be able to reduce drafting, dust build-up, noise pollution, and the temperature on your thermostat, creating savings on your utility bill. However, if you live in an older house with no pre-existing form of interior padding, then your best option is blown-in insulation. Unlike the common batting which is often installed in walls as the original construction is being performed, this loose fill material is literally pumped into the pre-existing wall through a small opening made by your contractor.
Water flowing in pipes can cause all kinds of weird noises. We all know what water running through a pipe sounds like, but what about some of those other plumbing sounds – like creaks or cracking sounds, rattling, whistling and the most annoying or scary of them all, that loud banging noise? Let’s look at what causes those sounds and how you can fix them.
Creaks or a cracking sound
These are usually caused by the expansion and contraction of the water pipes themselves. As hot water runs through a pipe, it naturally heats the pipe, causing it to expand slightly. Once the water stops flowing, the pipe cools and the metal contracts, resulting in the creaking or cracking sound. The easiest way to fix this is to put some insulation around the pipe, or if the pipe is running through a tight fitting hole in the wood framing, cut a notch in the framing so the pipe can expand and then contract without that creaking sound.
These 19 tips, from easiest (and cheapest) to hardest, will help you save money by going green, this year and for years to come. Don’t delay: Winter’s coming, and lucrative federal tax incentives won’t last forever.
1. Dodge the Draft(s)
2. Change Furnace Filters
3. Run Fans in Reverse
4. Winterize Your A/C and Water Lines
5. Turn Down Your Water Heater
6. Install Storm Doors and Windows
7. Give Your Heating System a Tune-Up
8. Mind That Thermostat
9. Put Up Some Plastic
10. Use an Energy Monitor
11. Use Caulking and Weatherstriping
12. Put on a Sweater
13. Boost Insulation
14. Insulate Your Pipes
15. Seal Those Ducts
16. Take Advantage of Tax Credits
17. Choose the Right Contractor
18. Get Creative and Go Alternative
19. Upgrade to an Efficient Furnace
Electric heaters are the most popular way to warm rooms not only in United States, but across the globe. People use electric heaters to warm their homes and offices because they are convenient and efficient; all you need to do is plug it into an electric outlet and it will start providing you instant warmth. The ample varieties in design as well as capacities offer plenty of options to a buyer. However if they are not used correctly, they may be unsafe and not efficient. Here are a few tips on how to use electric heaters wisely.
Don’t leave an electric heater unattended while in use. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, electric heaters account for 40% of the deaths and 30% of the injuries each year in the United States that are heating related. Even with safety features, electric heaters may catch fire if used for long hours without supervision, or something near heater may catch fire after long exposure to the heat.
Use only as directed. Place the electric heater on a level, flat surface. Use the heater on a tabletop, only if the manufacturer permits it. If you place it on furniture, it could fall and be damaged or cause fire or injury. Do not use electric heater in a damp or wet area unless designed for use in bathrooms or the outdoors.
Keep children and pets away from an electric heater. Children may put their hand on a hot electric heater and can burn themselves. Pets could knock the unit over or could also be injured.
Use it when you need it. Electric heaters take less time to warm an area, so when you don’t need it on, turn it off. Some electric heaters include a thermostat that maintains the temperature you set. By keeping this tip in mind, you will not only save on electric bills but will also save energy.
Get it inspected by an expert regularly. This ensures that all electricity points are working correctly and helps prevent any injuries or fires. Get the electric heater repaired if there is a problem.
These suggestions will not only help you use electric heaters safely but will also reduce the costs on your electric bill.
Being passive isn’t always a bad thing, especially when it’s passive solar heating and cooling. The idea behind passive solar is to design buildings that take advantage of natural heat from the sun in winter; and shade and wind and in the summer. Although the concept has been used in many cultures for centuries, passive solar design principles recently have been refined a great deal, even since the 1970s.
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