Green Building in Western Massachusetts

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As a homeowner, you may be using renewable energy sources. Let’s look at a few of these important, powerful sources.

If you use solar powered lights to brighten your walkway, a solar cover on your swimming pool or hang your clothes out to dry, you are already making use of the sun’s renewable energy. There are many other renewable energy home options you can take advantage of, and by doing so, help preserve our environment.

The most practical of renewable energy options for the home consist of space heating and domestic hot water. This is over 50% of a household’s energy usage. In using renewable energy we can experience cost saving benefits.

Perhaps the best way to take advantage of renewable energy home options is when designing a new house. A southern wall taking advantage of an appropriate amount of windows can take full use of the low sun in the winter. Adding a roof overhang over these windows allow the higher summer sun to be blocked. Also, on a cool day you can open your windows to let a breeze cool off the house and make use of wind energy. You have achieved adding heat in the winter and coolness in the summer, thereby lowering your heating and cooling costs naturally. This is called passive solar heating since it is integrated with no extra costs. You can also do day lighting by taking full advantage of the sunlight during the day to take care of your daytime lighting needs.

Wood stoves can also be advantageous, if using only dead wood, diseased wood or small pellets made from wood chips, crop waste and other organic material for burning. This is a renewable source of heat through the use of space heating. Modern wood burning stoves are highly efficient, making it a more practical option.

A homeowner can also utilize active solar heating. A solar water heater can use renewable solar energy to heat water for a house. This would use solar collector panels placed on a roof. Water runs through pipes under these panels and is heated by the sun. The water travels to a water tank in your home for your use. Electricity can also be produced for a home using the photovoltaic technology. This runs on the same idea as a solar calculator. Solar electricity is ideal for rural homes where it would be difficult to run an electric line to.

Geothermal heat pumps use the heat from the Earth to move heat from one area to another. This system uses a series of underground pipes to move a heat exchange fluid. The heat pump moves this fluid, heated from the earth and transfers it to buildings for use. Initial installation costs are much the same as traditional heating systems, but operational costs are lower.

If you live in a windy part of the country and have quite a bit of land, wind can power a wind turbine to produce electricity for your household. But your location must be ideal to catch wind and you must be able to capture a certain amount for this to work.

These are some home options for renewable energy sources. By trying to utilize some of them we are preparing for our future by using clean energy that does not affect air quality or harm the environment.

Surely some of you are wondering how on earth green goes with any color scheme and the finicky among you are just cringing at the thought of bright green décor in your well appointed living rooms. Read on…

For those not familiar with the term “green” it refers to a natural, organic, eco-friendly item or product. Hence, the subject of, at least, the first part of this article is how earth friendly décor has a moral and aesthetic place in any room of our home! Green décor may be an item of art or a functional piece that is made from recycled materials or from natural, sustainable resources.

Those already attuned to conservation and the environment are well aware that there are many websites and stores to learn about and purchase green products. These folks also know that one does not have to downgrade the quality and beauty of their décor for it to be eco friendly. We can combine ecology and elegance to both beautify our home and protect the planet at the same time! While we can surely display our children’s crafts made from recycled and natural items we can be assured that there are many other beautiful, green curio, mantle and center pieces available to decorate any room in any style.

No matter the style there are numerous décor options including items made from natural fabrics, stone, renewable sources of wood and other natural growth, so called junk and recycled metals, glass and more.

Now that we have touched upon earth friendly décor that brings pleasure to mankind and shows compassion for the environment there is another type of décor which brings gratification to both the purchaser and the crafter.

Rather than buying the commonly available mass produced décor found in many stores one should consider purchasing handcrafted décor. While handcrafted décor may often be more expensive, its purchase provides needed income to hard working mom and dads. Some handmade décor will be earth friendly as well!

Where to find handcrafted décor:

• Craft fairs and markets

• Local craft shops and galleries

• Shops and websites selling Fair Trade products

• Websites selling country crafts, handmade or handcrafted gifts, décor and collectibles

Visiting markets, fairs and shops are also an enjoyable way of spending a day off. While vacationing, particularly in the countryside or “small town USA”, you will come across charming shops often in or connected to the homes of the crafters themselves. Pack a lunch and plan a day of visiting local shops, attractions and picnicking. Fall is a particularly beautiful time for craft excursions. The countryside is bursting with color and the Halloween and Christmas crafts are on show! Do not forget your camera!

Another source of crafts are those made by disadvantaged crafters primarily in third world countries. There are many talented crafters whose works are being sold in shops and online. Some are sold via non profit organizations while others are imported and retailed by for profit businesses. Fair Trade organizations provide certification to some organizations and businesses who maintain their rules of fair trade practices. You can visit some of these fair trade organizations online to learn more about them. Many other businesses are not certified but do provide their crafters with fair wages and help to make a true difference in the quality of their crafter’s lives! While overseas be sure to visit the many outdoor craft markets where you can meet the crafters and find some great buys!

When planning to purchase décor, gifts or collectibles be thoughtful of the needs of those around us whether it be a local crafter, a disadvantaged crafter in Africa or the environment. In the end you will more greatly appreciate your purchase and will bring pleasure to others as well.

A remodeling or redecorating project is definitely cause for celebration and you have every right to get excited about it! After all, it isn’t every year that we can splurge and indulge ourselves in a much-needed make-over. Kitchen remodeling projects alone can run into the tens of thousands of dollars by the time you include niceties like flooring, cabinets, and new appliances to make the space look all shiny and new! And though we have saved and sacrificed for years to be able to go out and buy the furnishings and materials we want most-patience is an absolute must during any remodeling project!

No matter which room you are redecorating or giving a makeover, it is in your best interest to take your time when buying supplies, furniture, or selecting contractors. In fact, the first order of business is to decide upon your maximum budget for the project. Now, the key is to only spend 80% of that dollar amount to buy everything you wanted in the project. That way, any unexpected surprises will be covered by your budget and you won’t be caught in a cash crunch if a contractor happens upon an unknown termite colony or something. The last thing you want to do is end up delaying a project because of funding problems so don’t try and blow the whole budget up front-the unexpected will happen when you can afford it least.

In most cases, we simply cannot get everything we wanted in the first big push anyway. Oftentimes, overages and unforeseen events dry up the funds quicker than we anticipated and major aspects of the project may go unfinished for months-even years. That is why you always want to start the budgeting process by knocking down the big ticket items first-especially if you are using a contractor. Let’s use the living room as an example:

The five potential big expenses in a living room include the flooring, windows, fireplace, light fixtures, and the furniture. Whichever aspects of the space positively must be included in the redecorating of the living room-budget first. Flooring will likely top this list unless you happen to have a mammoth fireplace or happen to have a lot of windows. Windows will likely come in second unless you happen to really be decking out the hearth area and buying some really awesome fireplace accessories!

Most people will naturally budget for the flooring, windows, and hearth. Costs will often exceed budgets with these items (especially if contractors are involved) which tends to leave people having to make a choice between the light fixtures and the furniture. As furniture will likely be the more costly (and wanted!) of the two, most people opt for the sofa, coffee table, or perhaps even hearth accessories before deciding to buy the light fixtures-but this is often a mistake more often than not.

Buying the furniture prior to the light fixtures will likely leave you with little to no money left these critical accessories. Your light fixtures should not only be complementary in design-but also in the type of lighting they provide. There are three basic types of lighting:

Ambient: The general or overall illumination in a space
Task: For specific tasks and tends to be more concentrated and provide less ambient illumination-like for reading, homework, or related tasks.
Accent: This is typically the illumination we leave on at the end of the night to prevent us from walking into things; or, small accent lamps used to illuminate keepsakes, bookcases, etc.

Whenever possible, you want to use all three types of lighting to provide a more balanced, well-rounded lighting; thus, a living room might have a flush mounted ceiling fixture for the ambient lighting; a couple of table lamps sitting atop accent tables for task lighting; and maybe some wall sconces or accent lamps for the accent lighting. Remember to also buy light fixtures that are of similar design (like Traditional, Contemporary, Mission, Arts & Crafts, etc.) as this gives the space a more sophisticated and unified look.

As for the furniture, always begin with the big items-including things that must be bought in matching pairs, like sofa, love seat, chair-or perhaps a coffee table and a pair of matching accent tables. It is entirely possible that you will end up running out of money before buying everything you envisioned in your dream room. However, it is better to invest in high quality furniture rather than spread the money to thin and wind up with a bunch of mismatched, poorly made furnishings. In the long run, you will end up saving money, being happier, and winding up with a much more complete, sophisticated, and relaxing space-so be patient!

I have a condo that I am going to rent out and need to replace the kitchen cabinets. Where should I go to get the best deal on stock cabinets that look good, are durable, and are reasonably priced?

Since you are definitely out to make money not loose it, don't go to any place like a home center to buy them. Find a wholesale distributor to buy them from all you usually need is a company name(just make one up they will give you a cash account)and a pulse to buy them. That's where the pros buy them and you can get about 10-20% discount on them also and if you set your account up right you may not have to pay taxes if you can justify to them you are a contractor of some sort. Hope this helps.

One of the Earth’s great renewable energy sources is actually the energy that can be found in all the waves of the ocean. Let’s look at this further.

If you have ever been to the ocean, you were probably fascinated by the phenomena of the waves crashing against the shorelines as the tides came in. The ocean’s tides are the product of gravitational pull of the sun and the moon, as well as, the Earth’s rotation. It causes the ocean waters to be raised and lowered from time to time. The tides have cycles of twelve and one half hours, twice per day, and are easily predictable.

The use of tidal power is seen as early as the twelfth century where tidal mills used the force of the tides to grind grain and corn. The eighteenth century brought competition from windmills and waterwheels. Tidal mills pretty much became extinct with the invention of cheap steam engines. In 1967, France became the first to be able to put tidal wave power to work on a large scale to produce electricity.

The generation of electricity from tidal waves is similar to that of hydroelectric power generation. Bigger dams, known as barrages, are built on the bottom of a tidal basin. Gates on the barrage allow the tidal basin to fill during incoming high tides. Likewise, the basin will empty through a turbine during the outgoing tide. This would turn an electric generator for the production of electricity. There are also systems that generate electricity from incoming and outgoing tides. This system can have a negative effect on plants and animals in the area.

Tidal fences are also used to generate electricity. Vertical axis turbines are mounted on fences. Passing water is forced through the turbines. Ideal locations for these are channels between two landmasses. Tidal fences are cheaper than tidal barrages and cause less of an environmental impact on large marine life.

Tidal turbines are a new technology used for tidal energy. They are similar to wind turbines and are arranged underwater in rows. They work best in areas with strong tides. Although they are heavier and costlier to build, they also are capable of capturing more energy. They are also the least environmentally damaging of all the tidal power technologies, since they do not interfere with migration paths.

In order for tidal power to work successfully it requires a tide difference of at least sixteen feet. Unfortunately there are only a few places where this occurs. This means tidal power plants cannot just be constructed anywhere. There are only a handful of sites on Earth with this type of tidal range. At present, France is the only country that has been successful in using tidal power. It is hoped developments in technology, through research, will be made to allow better use of this, what is now, wasted energy. The future of tidal energy seems hopeful. Tidal power has great potential and hopefully we can make better use of it in the future in our quest to find a replacement for fossil fuels.

Financial Benefits of Environmental Responsibility

Up until approximately 6 months ago, I was of the impression that being conscious of the environment was strictly for the benefit of the environment itself, and that I would derive nothing from it; the ultimate beneficiary of any recycling/waste reduction would be future generations, and the greater effect of my efforts would occur long after I was gone.

Thanks to Dr. Anthony Watanabe and my work as the web developer for the Toronto Regional Green Building Festival website, I have come to the realization that there are reasons beyond the ecological benefits mentioned above.

In speaking with Anthony, I noticed that he uses the word “sustainability” and the phrase “sustainable growth” quite frequently when describing his business. He even went so far as to conceive the Sustainable Business Resource Centre (SBRC), a network of for-profit and not-for-profit businesses whose collective mission is to grow while maintaining a sense of social responsibility and ensuring that they use the minimal amount of environmental resources

It was in speaking to the owners of the other members at the SBRC launch party that I discovered the direct financial benefits of sustainable growth:

Lower energy/utility bills. By using energy-efficient appliances and renewable sources of energy (e.g. solar), consumption of energy resources decreases and, in turn, utility costs decrease.

Increased productivity. A cleaner office environment will keep employees happier and consequentially more productive.

Government rebates and incentives. Depending on where you live, there may be municipal, provincial/state-wide, or federal incentives designed to reward environmental responsibility.

For example, Natural Resources Canada offers an ongoing series of rebates and incentives for both homeowners and businesses.

Another site worth checking out if you’re interested in rebates and incentives is http://incentivesandrebates.ca/.

Lower costs on goods, both in the short and long term. Reduced use of goods and recycling provide an increased supply of goods as well as a decreased demand for said goods. Simple economic theory teaches us that this increased supply and/or decreased demand leads to lower costs for goods.

Ways To Go Green and Save Money

Some of these ways may seem obvious, but bear repeating in order to ensure that as many of us as possible are contributing to our own sustainable growth:

Purchase energy-efficient products for use in the office. Look for consumption ratings on products that make use of hydro and gas. Another positive sign that a product is energy efficient is the Energy Star logo.

Don’t print/photocopy unless absolutely necessary. I’ve seen many people print non-necessary documents, web pages, and even personal pictures on the office printer and distribute them to friends and colleagues.

A good rule of thumb when it pertains to paperwork is, “if you don’t need a permanent record of it, don’t print it.”

Turn off all electrical devices and adjust the thermostat to match the outside conditions when no one is in the office. If you don’t want to adjust your thermostat manually, consider investing in an electronic programmable thermostat. These thermostats can be programmed within 10-15 minutes of installation and very rarely need to be adjusted.

Choose environmentally responsible companies for your commercial needs. Companies such as Diamond + Schmitt Architects Inc. that show a commitment toward sustainable growth will help ensure that your needs are met while making minimal use of natural resources.

Transmit mass-consumption documents electronically where and when possible. Besides being far less expensive to do so than to mail out said documents, paper use is also minimized.

Consider features for your fax line such as Call Screen and Privacy Guard. Companies such as Primus offer features for any phone line that will allow the owner of the line to filter out and eliminate needless and unnecessary calls.

In the case of a fax line, activating filtering features will allow you to block known mass fax senders from tying up your fax line, shortening the lifespan of your fax, and wasting ink and paper an on unsolicited commercial faxing. These features are typically minimal in cost (usually no more than $5.00 per feature per month) and can be considered a wise investment on the basis of avoiding unsolicited commercial materials alone.

These are just a few examples. If you examine your own business environment, you will likely find many other ways to contribute in a positive manner to both the environment and your company’s bottom line.

The modern lifestyle depends tremendously on the use and existence of fossil fuels. With levels of these fuels constantly decreasing, we should act now to become less dependant on fossil fuels and more dependent on renewable energy sources.

The decreasing levels of fossil fuels isn’t the only reason why we should begin to use renewable energy. Pollution is becoming a huge problem in many countries around the world, especially the developing world. With carbon emissions at an all time high, air quality can be very low in some areas, this can lead to respiratory diseases and cancer.

The main reason to switch to cleaner energy production methods is the global warming aspect. The more carbon dioxide we pump into the atmosphere, the greater the effect becomes. We can’t just stop using fossil fuels thinking that global warming will go away, but we can slow down and dilute the effects of global warming through the wide spread use of renewable energy resources.

There are many natural energy sources out there, but you have to decide which method is best for you, as all of these sources depend on your current environment.

The installation of a solar panel or a wind turbine to boost every homes power supply would be an amazing step forward. Some governments are in the process of supplying solar panels to hundreds of households to test this method of energy saving.

A technology set to be very important in the future is geothermal energy. With geothermal energy, you are able to extract heat from within the earth and transform it either into a hot water system, or if there is plenty of this energy, a geothermal power plant. Huge amounts of money have been flowed into research of this method, especially in recent years, in order to make the current technology more effective.

So there we have the reasons why we should turn to renewable energy resources which are more than likely to play a very vital and important role in our future society.

http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com

Previously engineered solutions required lengthy bid generation processes before the supplier could deliver a strong response to a proposal request. Interaction between engineering and manufacturing was hindered because of the lack of system tools and lack of integration between CAD and ERP systems.

According to Stephen Carson, executive vice-president of Visibility Corporation, “The requirements of each company end product in many environments, especially ETO type of environments, often starts with being able to quickly design and configure custom products for them. If a company is not configuring from a preset mix of common components, the need for a collaborative environment is extremely important to design to the customer specifications”.

Currently the process and system enhancements allow many enterprises to excel in this complex environment. The best designers have a feel for what would be the right answer and utilizing integrated tools dramatically adds value; the speed to respond, innovation in design, competitive pricing based on superior knowledgebase of similar projects offers historical information and where appropriate reusable parts.

Carson asserts, “What end customers want is an end partnership that includes close collaboration for developing new product innovation and extends beyond design and becomes integral to manufacturing and long term supportability.

Visibility Corporation (www.visibility.com) is a leading developer and supplier of business software solutions designed for the unique needs of project-based, engineer-to-order and to-order manufacturers. Visibility’s Enterprise Application solutions help midsize manufacturers of complex products operate their businesses effectively. Visibility has an extensive customer base throughout North America and Europe and has the strongest representation of ERP among complex manufacturers.

VISIBILITY.net is an integrated ERP solution and more. Offering unparalleled functionality and integrated workflow, this browser-based solution cost effectively delivers the power of .NET-based Web services for use with either a Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle® database. Conducting business any place, any time, any where is a reality, deployable with unprecedented flexibility.