P.J. Melton
P.J. Melton
Candace Pearson
Candace Pearson
Testing Pressure-Sensitive Tapes: Rounds Two and Three
Tension and pressure, tears and creeps. The Wingnut Test Facility (WTF) gets dope-slapped in our latest round of experiments.
by Peter Yost
This is part of an ongoing series. Read all the Sticky Business posts here.
Urine Collection Beats Composting Toilets for Nutrient Recycling
Human urine collection and use provides a better way to recycle nutrients than use of composting toilets.
by Alex Wilson
Just when you thought it was safe to enjoy this blog over a cup of coffee here’s an article on…urine?
Really?
Let me explain.
Urine is a largely sterile, nutrient-rich resource that can be used in fertilizing plants. In fact, according to the Rich Earth Institute, the urine from one adult in a year can provide the fertilizer for over 300 pounds of wheat—enough for nearly a loaf of bread per day.
Can This Man Reinvent Concrete?
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A California company, Blue Planet, is reinventing concrete and envisions a world in which the 8 billion tons of concrete used each year sequester billions of tons of carbon dioxide.
Pouring the foundation for our Dummerston Home; someday soon, concrete may be able to sequester huge quantities of carbon.Photo Credit: Alex Wilson
Our Green Home Cost a Lot, But Yours Doesn't Have To
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Our house cost a lot more than I would have liked, but many of the ideas used in it could be implemented more affordably.
We picked up these two salvaged garage doors for $500 total—while new they would have cost $3,500 apiece. Using salvaged materials can save a lot of money.Photo Credit: Alex Wilson
Webcast
Building as an Organism: Understanding the Integrative Process Credit in LEED v4 Projects
What does integrative process mean in practice? In this webcast, John Boecker—a LEED Fellow who was intimately involved in writing LEED ...
Heat Pump Water Heaters in Cold Climates: Pros and Cons
While a heat-pump water heater will save significant energy on a year-round basis, be aware that in a cold climate the net performance (water heating plus space heating) will drop in the winter.
by Alex Wilson
We chose a heat pump water heater for our new house, and as I've recently discussed here, there are a lot of reasons why you might be doing the same.
Using an air-source heat pump, heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) extract heat out of the air where they are located to heat the water.
Picking a Water Heater: Solar vs. Electric or Gas Is Just the Beginning
Why we opted for electric water heating over a solar water heater.
by Alex Wilson
As we build more energy-efficient houses, particularly when we go to extremes with insulation and air tightness, as with Passive House projects, water heating becomes a larger and larger share of overall energy consumption (see Solar Thermal Hot Water, Heating, and Cooling). In fact, with some of these ultra-efficient homes, annual energy use for water heating now exceeds that for space heating—even in cold climates.