Just think a passive solar hot water heater. No pumps or controllers to break down. And at $4200 including the storage tank, plus install, a relative value. I will be trying this product on my next home. Plus this product qualifies for a 30% federal tax credit.
Stone houses invoke thoughts of dark, cold, and damp places full of creepy creatures. Some cultures have battled these prejudices for centuries, building dwellings deep into rock, and now modern architects are giving it a shot. With all of the warmth and convenience of a suburban home, a cave house is beginning to look a lot more tempting.
‘flushtracker’ is a realtime software program that tracks the movement of waste through sewage systems in the UK, ireland, south africa, poland, and parts of italy. developed by lean mean fighting machine for domestos and the world toilet organization, the project seeks to raise awareness of the fact that 40% of the world population lacks access to even basic sanitation.
It’s tiny and so energy efficient, the estimated cost for electricity is just $100 a year.
For the next few months, the Miniature Bungalow (Mini-B) — one of the first “passive” houses in the state — will sit in the parking lot of Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Center as an example of construction so efficient it uses only 15 percent of the energy needed for a conventionally built house, says the architect and designer, Joseph Giampietro.
Looking for ways to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient this winter? Tax incentives offered by federal and state governments, and local utility companies, can help ease the burden of home improvements that will reduce your monthly bills.
If you’re in the market for new windows, doors, biomass stoves, heating systems, and/or insulation, you can take advantage of the current incentives. Even minor projects like duct sealing, air infiltration reduction and adding window films can qualify.
There are a number of LEED-policy articles floating around the internet these days. Fast Company wrote an article bashing LEED for poor energy performance. Lloyd Alter responded at Treehugger with an article bashing the Fast Company article.
It’s time to move the discourse forward.
How Does the USGBC Intend to Improve Building Performance?
One of the key issues facing the USGBC is addressing buildings that get LEED certification but do not deliver energy savings. Originally, it seemed as if the USGBC was going to propose a decertification system. Here is how USGBC CEO Rick Fedrizzi described it last September:
“Once a LEED plaque is assigned to a building, and there is proof that the building is no longer performing the way that it should, there’s a very good chance that that information will then result in the ability for USGBC to remove the certification from the building — most likely on our website,” he says.
In the current LEED 2012 draft — the proposed new rating system — there is no mention of LEED decertification. But in a November 2010 Greenprints article, Vandana Sinha confirmed that LEED 2012 will include a component to address energy performance:
