Mechanical systems

Lunos wall-insert air exchangers offer alternative to conventional HRV systems. Almost daily, new products come on the market that are more efficient, more effective, and/or more innovative. The ones we are really impressed with will make it here to our product of the month feature. Today we look at a new solution…

A high efficiency mini-split heat pump feeds a heat pump water heater which will take a big bite out of the future energy bill of the Demo House. Our previous update covered aspects of the building envelope, which allowed us to reduce the annual heating requirement to about the Passive House standard of 15 kWh per…

Are you adventurous and ready to increase your access to sustainable energy? This post is for you. The Zoetrope is a vertical-axis wind turbine made from common materials. Many of the materials can be found at your local hardware store and the rest can purchased online or made at home, for the truly industrious…

Powered by foot, this compact and easy to maneuver machine is an excellent alternative to a normal home washing machine or trip to the dreaded laundromat. A typical washing machine can use up to 87 litres of water per load, not to mention its ability to eat up electricity. An efficient Energy Star machine can cut…

Installing a hydronic radiant floor system in a slab-on-grade floor. Here is our DIY video of how to lay down tubing for our radiant floor in the Edelweiss House. We have a 10 zone system, allowing floor temperatures in each room to be controlled independently. HePex tubing was provided by Uponor, who also use…

Transparent laminate solar cells put the fossil fuel industry on notice. When considering solar cells as thin as laminate and completely transparent, the possibilities seem endless. Imagine every glass or laminant surface in our built environment and all of our devices, large and small, harvesting solar energy. In a…

Ecodrain is the first company we've seen to turn greywater heat recovery units on their side, making heat recovery option where it might not have been before. Sustainable construction is on the move! It seems almost every day a new and innovative product shows up on the market that is more efficient, more effective…

What is a heat pump? An energy efficient home heating system that can save you some money. Read on to find out how they work and if it makes sense for you. When it comes to residential heating and cooling systems, few types of systems are as energy efficient as heat pumps. But what exactly are they and how do they…

Recycling gray water is becoming more and more commonplace. It reduces the burden on urban sewage treatment along with protecting a quickly dwindling natural resource. What is gray water? Or indeed grey water! The term “gray water” refers to all domestic waste water that is drained from sinks, showers, bathtubs and…

Micro power generation such as wind turbines and other renewable energy generators are a small step towards stopping climate change. We've seen portable charging devices for personal gadgets, we've seen vertical axis wind turbines and now we have seen a marriage of the two. That's right, appropriate technology…

A modern airtight home needs mechanical ventilation. The choices are Heat Recovery Ventilation or Energy Recovery Ventilation & this page explains the difference between an HRV & ERV to help choose which one you need. All homes need ventilation, whether natural or mechanical with an ERV or HRV system. Buildings and…