Cool roofs are an effective alternative to bulk attic insulation under roofs in humid tropical and subtropical climates. Bulk insulation can be entirely replaced by roofing systems that both reflect incident solar radiation and provide emission to the sky. Present technology is best obtained with white paint, but U.S. energy-star awards may soon be available [...]
A zero energy building (ZEB) or net zero energy building is a general term applied to a building with a net energy consumption of zero over a typical year. This can be measured in different ways (relating to cost, energy, or carbon emissions) and, irrespective of the definition used, different views are taken on the [...]
A seasonal thermal store (also known as a seasonal heat store or inter-seasonal thermal store) is a store designed to retain heat deposited during the hot summer months for use during colder winter weather. The heat is typically captured using solar collectors, although other energy sources are sometime used separately or in parallel.
Types of seasonal [...]
A windcatcher is a traditional Persian architectural device used for many centuries to create natural ventilation in buildings. It is not known who first invented the windcatcher, but it still can be seen in many countries today. Windcatchers come in various designs, such as the uni-directional, bi-directional, and multi-directional.
An ab anbar with double domes [...]
Passive cooling refers to technologies or design features used to cool buildings naturally, such as those technologies discussed in the Passive house project.
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The U.S. Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory sponsored their most-recent International Buildings Conference December 2-6, 2007. It included a one-day workshop on state-of-the-art Passive Cooling technology and design. The following [...]
The absorption refrigerator is a refrigerator that utilizes a heat (e.g., solar) source to provide the energy needed to drive the cooling system rather than being dependent on electricity to run a compressor. These refrigerators are popular where electricity is unreliable, costly, or unavailable, where noise from the compressor is problematic, or where surplus heat [...]
A solar chimney — often referred to as a thermal chimney — is a way of improving the natural ventilation of buildings by using convection of air heated by passive solar energy. A simple description of a solar chimney is that of a vertical shaft utilizing solar energy to enhance the natural stack ventilation through [...]
Earth sheltering or Earth cooling tubes can take advantage of the ambient temperature of the Earth to reduce or eliminate conventional air conditioning requirements. In many climates where the majority of humans live, they can greatly reduce the build up of undesirable summer heat, and also help remove heat from the interior of the building. [...]
Solar air conditioning refers to any air conditioning (cooling) system that uses solar power. This can be done through passive solar, photovoltaic conversion (sun to electricity), or solar thermal energy conversion. The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 created 2008 through 2012 funding for a new solar air conditioning research and development program, [...]
The solar power tower (also known as ‘Central Tower’ power plants or ‘Heliostat’ power plants or power towers) is a type of solar furnace using a tower to receive the focused sunlight. It uses an array of flat, movable mirrors (called heliostats) to focus the sun’s rays upon a collector tower (the target). The high [...]
A solar furnace is a structure used to harness the rays of the sun in order to produce high temperatures. This is achieved by using a curved mirror (or an array of mirrors) acting as a parabolic reflector to concentrate light (Insolation) on to a focal point. The temperature at the focal point may reach [...]
Central solar heating is the provision of central heating and hot water from solar energy by a system in which the water is heated centrally by arrays of solar thermal collectors (central solar heating plants – CSHPs) and distributed through district heating pipe networks (or ‘block heating’ systems in the case of smaller installations).
For block [...]
The opposite of district heating is district cooling. Working on broadly similar principles to district heating, district cooling delivers chilled water to buildings like offices and factories needing cooling. In winter, the source for the cooling can often be sea water, so it is a cheaper resource than using electricity to run compressors for cooling.
What [...]
District heating (less commonly called teleheating) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating. The heat is often obtained from a cogeneration plant burning fossil fuels but increasingly biomass, although heat-only boiler stations, geothermal heating and central solar heating [...]
Ecological sanitation, also known as ecosan, is a modern alternative to conventional sanitation techniques. The objectives are to offer economically and ecologically sustainable and culturally acceptable systems that aim to close the natural nutrient and water cycle. Unlike most traditional sanitation methods, ecological sanitation processes human waste to recover nutrients that would otherwise be discarded.
Introduction [...]
WASHINGTON: Want to live a more environmental friendly life but don’t know how? Well, all you need to do is follow eight simple steps.
The steps have been detailed by the Environmental News Network, which states that following these really will let you do your bit for the environment.
Below are listed eight easy ways [...]
Anaerobic digestion is a process in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is widely used to treat wastewater sludges and organic wastes because it provides volume and mass reduction of the input material. As part of an integrated waste management system, anaerobic digestion reduces the emission of landfill [...]
Cogeneration (also combined heat and power, CHP) is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat.
Conventional power plants emit the heat created as a byproduct of electricity generation into the environment through cooling towers, as flue gas, or by other means. CHP or a bottoming [...]
Americans produce more and more garbage every year. And even careful recyclers can feel overwhelmed by the amount of household waste that goes beyond what municipal recyclers can handle.
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Co-op American has assembled a handy list of how to recycle items you might right now feel obliged to throw away. Click the link below for [...]
LONDON: World temperatures will cool slightly in 2008, but it will remain among the top 10 hottest years on record, British weather experts predicted on Thursday.
The impact of a strong La Nina climate pattern over the Pacific will help keep temperatures down, according to the annual forecast by the Met Office and the University [...]
STOCKHOLM: A Swedish company plans to harness the body heat generated by thousands of commuters scrambling to catch their trains at Stockholm’s main railway station and use it for heating a nearby office building.
Real estate firm Jernhusen AB believes the system can provide about 15% of the heating needed for a 13-storey building being [...]
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is using less energy to provide the same level of energy service. An example would be insulating a home to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve the same temperature. Another example would be installing fluorescent lights and/or skylights instead of incandescent lights to attain the [...]
To a real estate investor remodeling green may mean the money they are going to make from renovating that ugly house they just bought for a SUCH A DEAL price. To others, it means they want to preserve the earth and not waste energy, building material or resources when they remodel their home. Some homeowners [...]
The Environment Agency has called for more information to be made available on the health and environmental risks posed by low-energy light bulbs.
It says because the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, more information about safe recycling is needed.
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…..Low-energy bulbs contain a small amount of mercury
It also wants health warnings printed on packaging and [...]
Climate change is an issue that is beginning to dominate the headlines. Here, we take a look at how we can all be more environmentally friendly at home.
Having an environmentally friendly home can have many aspects, from the design and building stage right through to our lifestyles. Some green ideas and technologies can be expensive [...]
SCHARWOUDE (NETHERLANDS): If you’ve ever blistered your bare feet on a hot road you know that asphalt absorbs the Sun’s energy. A Dutch company is now siphoning heat from roads and parking lots to heat homes and offices.
As climate change rises on the international agenda, the system built by the civil engineering firm, Ooms [...]
Global climate change is “very likely” to have a human cause, an influential group of scientists has concluded.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said temperatures were probably going to increase by 1.8-4C (3.2-7.2F) by the end of the century.
It also projected that sea levels were most likely to rise by 28-43cm, and [...]
There’s a lot of talk in real estate about green building lately, but the phrase is still a little vague. Here’s a guide to understanding a few key terms, so you can investigate whether or not a potential home is truly eco-friendly.
Insulation and Building: Many new buildings are being insulated [...]
A new type of super-efficient household light bulb is being developed which could spell the end of regular bulbs.
Experts have found a way to make Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) brighter and use less power than energy efficient light bulbs currently on the market.
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LEDs are already used in dozens of household gadgets
The technology, used in gadgets [...]
WASHINGTON: The fourth report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which labelled human activities “the prime cause of global warming,” has been named the topmost revelation of the year.
Scientists behind the report warned that unhindered emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide might lead to catastrophic and unstoppable changes, including droughts, [...]