How to Build a 75% Net Zero Community

What does it take to build a 75% net zero community and the “largest Emerald-rated community” in the world? Tabitha Crawford explains how her team combined solar, HVAC, and sustainable building practices to build 250 net zero homes while keeping construction costs at a 3% premium.

Q: Tell us about your Emerald-rated Community:
Our community is a 250 new […]

June 6th, 2016|Categories: Green Building, Solar, Technology & Engineering, Zero Net Energy Buildings|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Sizing a Pellet-Fueled Boiler

Sizing a Pellet-Fueled Boiler
Bigger is NOT better
There are several types of boilers that can burn wood-based fuels. They include 2- stage wood-gasification boilers, wood chip boilers, and pellet-fueled boilers. Of these, pellet-fuel boilers come closest to mimicking the fully automatic operation of oil and gas- fired boilers. Modern pellet boilers can automatically load their fuel, […]

January 12th, 2016|Categories: Biomass, Hydronic Heating|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Hydronic Heating with Renewable Energy Heat Sources

Hydronic Heating with Renewable Energy Heat Sources
Designing for low water temperatures is critical to good performance
This article focuses on using water-based hydronic distribution systems to distribute heat produced by renewable energy heat sources. It’s based on the premise that good hydronic design is the “glue” that holds together nearly all thermally based renewable energy systems […]

January 12th, 2016|Categories: HVAC Design, Hydronic Heating|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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