Whirlpool Corporation, the parent company of Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana among other brands, was named 78 out of 500 companies in Newsweek’s Green Rankings.
Check out the full story over on KBDN’s Top Headlines here.
Q: What’s hotter than the sun?
A: Why, using the sun to offset electricity costs, of course!
In that spirit, the Valley Electric Authority has selected Rheem to be the exclusive solar supplier for its energy co-op. And, no, that doesn’t mean Rheem will be supplying the sun. What it means is that each member of the 22,000-meter program will have the opportunity to install a Rheem SolPak water heating system in their home/building for an estimated annual savings of $34 million.
That’s a lotta wattage. More about the VEA, Rheem and the energy savings benefits of solar after the jump. (more…)
I received a great answer to the query about radiant heat floor systems from a dear old friend and thought it was worth sharing–let me know what you think!
I did plumbing & heating work for a number of years and installed hundreds of radiant heating systems in homes throughout Long Island. From 20,000 square foot mansions in the Hamptons, to modest everyday houses: existing, new construction and with newly constructed dormers or extensions. Radiant heat is, by and large, not only the most economical form of home heating (in the long run) but it is also the most efficient. The up front cost for Radiant heating compared to traditional forms-such as baseboard or heat exchanging coils- runs in the range of 35-65% above these alternatives base prices.
That may sound steep but due to the high-cost of the specialized parts (mixing valve, manifolds, tubing, talon clips, etc.) the expertise required by the installer, and other additional inputs such as sleepers being laid down where there will be the installation of wood flooring or the cost of Gyp-Crete where there will be tile or rugs laid down. However, in spite of this up-front expenses the heating system itself will begin to return money on your investment, normally within a period of three years from the date of installation. This is an approximate time period, seeing as how the number of zones which were installed, your personal temperature preference during the winter months and other factors such as programmable thermostats will each play an important role in how quickly you will begin to reap the rewards and savings of radiant heating.
The main reason for this savings is a direct result of radiant heats efficiency and placement within a room. Unlike baseboard and hot air which are either placed along the base of a room’s wall or through a vent placed in the ceiling, radiant heat covers the entire square footage of a room, maximizing output and equality that all areas of a room will receive. Moreover, because of the use of a mixing valve, the boiler will fire less often and when it does fire, will only need to heat the water to a certain temperature (recognized by the valve) in order to efficiently heat the space intended. Also, because of the heat loop restriction of 330 ft. (manufacturer’s suggested length) applied to each zone on the radiant heating manifold, each loop independently receives hot water, thereby using less oil/gas for the boiler’s initial firing period and bypassing the continuous pumping of hot-water to a large baseboard loops or hot-air exchangers located in the attic of a home which are typical of conventional heating systems.
As far as drawbacks, there are a few such as the cost and also pesky leaks that can occur underneath flooring after/during construction. However, a simple pressure test on each manifold can overcome such problems and give the homeowner and installer peace of mind that their work and investment are respectively protected. All in all, I can only laud the use of radiant heating, not because I used to install it, but because whenever we performed an installation on a single room of a home, we were inevitably back at that same location a few months later installing it where ever it was possible in the rest of the house and listening to the homeowners not only exalt their new heating system’s wonderful warmth but also how much less their boilers have been firing since the time of installation. In my opinion, radiant heating is definitely worth every penny, but I encourage anyone looking to spend their hard earned money on such an expensive undertaking to do their own research and check the credentials of those they have chosen to install it.
Daniel Bell,
Long Island, NY
…OK, not quite yet, but companies are already capitalizing on the approach of summer’s end to begin plugging radiant heat flooring. In this edition of Monday morning blogging, I’m looking for thoughts on radiant heating–are people requesting it? Are you touting it? And what about installing it? Are there complications, questions, things you’d like to see clarified from the manufacturers of these products?
Leave it in the comments and let’s get a radiant conversation going!
Quick update on something potentially neat: we got a little note this morning about Hakatai tiles being delivered in a reportedly “carbon neutral” state thanks to carbon offsets.
From the company’s public relations rep:
Hakatai Glass Mosaic Tiles are now delivered carbon-neutral in a partnership with GreenShipping.com and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. GreenShipping.com uses a CO2 emissions calculator and to provide a total, and Hakatai purchases carbon offsets from BEF to help fund the development of renewable energy.Neat stuff. How do carbon offsets sit with you? Would you consider buying them if they offset the footprint of a major project like a new home construction or massive addition to/remodel of an existing space?
It’s a controversial topic, an attempt to reconcile those who believe minimalism and the “leave no trace” philosophy of environmentalism with the very carbon un-neutral building industry. Thoughts?
Indoor air quality is clearly a subject growing in importance, if the amount of new legislation is any indication. Teragren, the maker of bamboo flooring, panels and veneers, wants you to know it’s got it covered.
This week, the company announced a number of its products have received FloorScore certification for meeting a set of stringent IAQ standards.
FloorScore is administered by Scientific Certifications Systems. For more information, read the full release after the jump.
The New York Times is reporting this week that researchers have responded to the energy laws written by Congress two years ago that would have put incandescents into the history books, by developing newer, more efficient models.
“The first bulbs to emerge from this push, Philips Lighting’s Halogena Energy Savers, are expensive compared with older incandescents. They sell for $5 apiece and more, compared with as little as 25 cents for standard bulbs.
But they are also 30 percent more efficient than older bulbs. Philips says that a 70-watt Halogena Energy Saver gives off the same amount of light as a traditional 100-watt bulb and lasts about three times as long, eventually paying for itself.”
Edison would be proud. Read the full story here.
CHENG Concrete announced this week that the company will offer a line of concrete countertop products through four Home Depots in the Phoenix, AZ area. This is the first time the company is offering any of its products in a brick-and-mortar location.
The products offered include Fu-Tung Cheng’s Concrete Countertops Made Simple, countertop mixes in four colors, sealers, waxes and a finishing kit. The company also held hands-on clinics in conjunction with the products launch for the public’s benefit at stores in Phoenix, Chandler and Tempe, which were well attended. Read the complete release after the jump.
HGTV is practically required viewing for us scribes here at KBDN. Nobody loves a good floorplan like we do.
But apart from its fix-it shows and the remodeling disaster diaries, HGTV has stepped up to the plate for green and really hit it out of the sustainably managed park, so to speak. From groundbreaking programming to sponsoring an annual Green Home, the network is doing a lot of legwork for the sustainable design cause.
So that’s why I was particularly thrilled to see that the network’s Green Home earn some Brownie points and recognition from the powers-that-be at the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA announced this week that the 2009 Green Home in Port St. Lucie, FL has earned both the Indoor AirPlus and Energy Star labels. Doesn’t hurt that it’s pretty, either–protects viewers from visual pollution!
For more about the 2009 Green Home including product, process and professionals involved, visit HGTV’s Green Home Web site here.
Read the release after the jump, and let me know what you think of the photos in the comments.
