Contraflow Fireplace by Tulikivi
So what is a contraflow fireplace? Who knows how to build one? Not me as of yet. The idea sounds interesting, though. With a huge pile of bricks in my front yard, I started my research.
Turns out the idea, although it carries a very long and distinguished history, dovetails neatly with today’s green revolution. The northern European countries and Russia have been using masonry stoves for years—since the 17th and 18th centuries, when kings in Prussia and Scandinavia ordered their craftsman and architects to produce better wood stove designs. Continued…
Posted in Heating, Renewable Energy.
Tagged with breadoven, Contraflow Fireplace, fireplace, Masonry Stove, Tulikivi.
By Sam Leppanen
– September 22, 2009
LED Garage Lighting - www.betaLED.com
Garage lighting often gets little attention. An incandescent bulb or two, maybe a fluorescent fixture and it’s considered finished. But a garage can have many uses and lighting is often poorly designed for most of them.
Continued…
Posted in Garage, Lighting.
Tagged with Garage, LED, Lighting.
By Sam Leppanen
– May 11, 2009
A lot of people shop at second-hand furniture and clothing stores to save money and to find interesting items that are no longer available in popular stores. However, the next time you shop at your local second hand shop keep in mind that you are also being an eco-friendly shopper. Furniture manufacturing companies have a huge negative impact on our environment and we would do well to buy less newly manufactured furniture and instead take a look at second-hand shops for alternative choices. On the other hand, there are also several furniture companies who deal with recycled materials, so before you buy your next piece of furniture do your research and look around in second hand stores, you might be surprised by the quality of furniture you’ll find.
Posted in Furniture.
By Lisa Laitinen
– May 10, 2009
Adoption of solar energy has a simple market driving force. If people do not adopt solar energy, the planet will become unfit for human habitation. The fossil fuels are warming the planet at an increasing rate that makes life unsustainable if something does not change.
Global warming drives solar markets. Solar is perceived as the best, perhaps the only widespread solution to global warming. Every large enterprise has adopted a social responsibility strategy that makes a nod toward solving the issues of global warming and embraces renewable energy. Every person in the world is aware of the problems that global warming is bringing.
Continued…
Posted in Renewable Energy.
Tagged with Solar.
By Sam Leppanen
– May 9, 2009
Increasing awareness and concern over global warming is leading many to seek opportunities to do more to improve environmental conditions and be more responsible and careful consumers of our natural resources. Green living is an option that many are turning to. Trish Riley’s book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living, shows readers the steps they can take to make a difference in the world environment and just what it takes to live green.
Continued…
Posted in Green Living.
By Lisa Laitinen
– April 10, 2009
Today I came across another great site on building sustainable homes. The site can be found at www.enertia.com Enertia is a company that specializes in building sustainable homes and on their site they stated just a few of the benefits of building a sustainable home. I thought I would share these benefits with you today.
Continued…
Posted in Green Building.
By Lisa Laitinen
– March 6, 2009
There has been a lot of talk lately about the need to think ahead when building a new home. The climate change issue is just starting to effect the way in which we build our homes. We can no longer rely on the weather patterns of the past to be an indication of the weather in the future.
Continued…
Posted in Green Building.
By Lisa Laitinen
– March 4, 2009
Is America in a recession? Consumers are feeling the pinch. Borrowing in order to spend our way to economic health isn’t an option, say consumer debt management experts at ClearPoint Financial Solutions, Inc. Their advice: Green your lifestyle by spending less and using your tax refund or May stimulus check from Uncle Sam to pay down debt.
Continued…
Posted in Green Living.
By Sam Leppanen
– January 16, 2009
“Smart” Houses Sell In Down Market
Home owners hoping to attract buyers in the midst of a housing slump are “teaching” their homes to save money on energy costs.
“Smart homes can be made even smarter if they are wired to control energy costs as well as water the lawn and arm the alarm system,” says Sheldon Anderson, president of Atlanta Smart Homes Inc.
Continued…
Posted in The Green Home.
By Sam Leppanen
– December 5, 2008
A refrigerator made in 1984 had an average annual energy consumption of 1457 kilowatt-hour (kWh) in a year. A refrigerator made in 2004 has an average annual energy consumption of 411 kWh a year. Thus, many advanced features in newer refrigerators will save you a bundle of money.
Continued…
Posted in Energy Star, Green Building.
Tagged with Energy, fridge.
By Lisa Laitinen
– November 11, 2008
