When asked what is a highly desired feature outside of the house, a good number of people will first select an exterior deck or porch. Here’s why: if done well, it makes an inviting place to visit with family or friends to enjoy summer cookouts, or simply as a great place to sit back, relax,…
Author Archives: Glenn Meyers
11
Jan
Jan
Join me for Part IV of this interview series with John Perlin concerning our forests. Today’s subject: “Fighting for Photons,” a subject about which Perlin knows plenty. He is the author of two diverse and important books which explore this subject: “A Forest Journey: the Story of Wood and Civilization,” and “Let It Shine:…
09
Dec
Dec
When it is cold outside, Freeaire Refrigeration is busy helping customers save money on electricity use. As spokesman Josh Sarnowitz puts it, “Although many despise the frigid cold that comes with a New England winter there is one company embracing it, putting it to work for their customers in order to save thousands of dollars…
04
Dec
Dec
Welcome to Part II of our interview series with John Perlin on forests. Perlin is author of “A Forest Journey: the Story of Wood and Civilization,” an important book that has now come out in its third edition. Our topic? Our forests and our civilization. Perlin details the place of forests and wood in our civilization’s evolution. In…
23
Nov
Nov
Originally published on CleanTechnica Builders seeking a net-zero energy home showcase can look to BuiltGreen’s zHome townhome complex in Issaquah, Washington. White paper released According to a BuiltGreen white paper, the zHome development is the first net-zero energy townhome complex in the US, a project meant to spur the market toward deep green housing for the average…
04
Nov
Nov
Last week San Diego Gas & Electric warned distributed energy enthusiasts it expects to reach caps on net metering in the summer of 2016. According to pv-magazine, SDG&E’s numbers show that existing installations and pending applications take up 74% of available capacity in the program. This opens the door to what “net metering 2.0” might look…
27
Oct
Oct
I received this news and Zimbabwe photo yesterday from Steve Katsaros, founder of Nokero, a pioneering Denver company that makes great solar lights and solar light bulbs that replace poisonous kerosene lamps that are so prevalent where people have no access to electricity. Katsaros had very good news to share: My colleagues and I have…
27
Oct
Oct
Delta, a global specialist in power and thermal management solutions, announced opening its new Americas headquarters in Fremont, California. The facility was designed to meet LEED Platinum and net zero standards. According to press information, this 180,000 square-foot facility is a testament to Delta’s commitment to sustainability. Over 1,000 MWh of electricity is expected to…
09
Oct
Oct
In 1949, when Phillip Johnson designed the world-famous glass house in New Canaan, Connecticut, it is doubtful he thought much about the adage, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” I doubt Mr. Johnson specified much in the way of thermal-pane glass, either. Nor had solar windows yet been invented. Using windows as…
29
Sep
Sep
I am pleased to post this third in a series of SOLAR ENERGY history articles from John Perlin, based on his ground breaking book, Let It Shine: The 6,000-Year Story of Solar Energy. Perlin discusses the major breakthroughs in solar energy throughout the millennia — here the solar heat trap. Third Major Breakthrough – Glass as a Solar Heat Trap Vitruvius,…
26
Sep
Sep
This post is part of the green materials report series. GBE is providing information on various building materials and what makes them green. Each post focuses on one material. We will be looking at the ingredients in the material, how it is used, what makes green materials green, and any green product certifications that it has earned. …
26
Sep
Sep
For those individuals able to attend, I highly recommend this NREL Power Lunch lecture, featuring John Perlin, author of “Let It Shine: The 6,000-Year Story of Solar Energy.” October 1 lecture by John Perlin, author, lecturer, consultant — solar energy & forest preservation John Perlin will present a lecture on his new book, Let It…
24
Sep
Sep
I recently discovered this very affordable prefab house on Gizmag from North Wales author, Adam Williams. I found the house to be attractive and livable, with a story very much worth sharing. Overview: a Vietnam-based firm Vo Trong Nghia Architects recently revealed an affordable prefabricated prototype house to potentially offer Vietnamese people on low incomes…
18
Sep
Sep
This call for wood design nominations is for all lovers of wood! The due date is fast approaching (September 30 deadline) to nominate work for the Wood Design awards. Here is pertinent information from the website: Wood Design Awards celebrate excellence in wood design, engineering and construction, as well as innovative projects that showcase attributes of…
13
Aug
Aug
Introducing a new era in parking garage designs, the “Park ‘N’ Play” in Denmark. About this parking design, JAJA Architects writes: “With the intention of creating a beautiful public space from what is usually one-function building, JAJA architects are redefining what a parking deck can be. Their recent competition entry for a parking garage in the city of Nordhavn, Copenhagen is an inviting structure…
07
Aug
Aug
I recently received word from Kristi McCain promoting a reclaimed 1970s industrial building, located in Sunnyvale, California. The photographs are well worth looking at, plus a case study on the project. This proves you don’t always need to raze the old and build new. The existing structure looks as if it worked quite well, aided…
07
Aug
Aug
We are happy to report the Dow line of solar shingles is now available in two more states. Dow Solar announced today that the availability of DOW POWERHOUSE Solar Shingles, an award-winning residential solar roofing system, is expanding to Delaware and Hawaii. Delaware and Hawaii are among the smaller states in the nation, both in…
04
Aug
Aug
This post on the Arctic Circle Dome Home, called the EconoDome, has been written by Wil Fidroeff. The Arctic Circle is the southernmost latitude in the Northern Hemisphere at which the sun can remain continuously below or above the horizon for 24 hours or more. Barrow, Alaska, located 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle,…