Introduction to Solar Photovoltaics

An easy to understand YouTube video to introduce you to Photovoltaics. How PV cells produce electricity

Fracking and Your Drinking Water

Community Solar Projects

Community Solar Projects

I wrote a post on a the Sabin Coop Co-Housing Community in Portland. This featured 4 homes built on a single inner city lot. The homeowners shared a central courtyard, gardens, honey bees, yard duties as well as storage facilities and the list continues. The homes are positioned so the families can interact with each […]

The Dirty Truth about Recycled Plastics

The Dirty Truth about Recycled Plastics

I was on an island in the middle of the ocean, a few miles outside of Belize, no people for miles, yet there were piles of plastic bottles, bags and other plastic garbage washed up on the shore. This was a few years ago and it really opened my eyes to the amount of “recyclable […]

Passive Solar using a Water Wall

Passive Solar using a Water Wall

I have blogged before on my friend Jack’s passive solar home. He toured us last fall Bellingham, Washington: Passive Solar, PV and Solar Thermal home. Passive solar, combined with a good heat sink (concrete, stone, masonry, water) creates one of the most cost-effective methods to heat and cool your home. With passive solar you have few […]

Touch only Your Camera While Snorkelling or Diving

Touch only Your Camera While Snorkelling or Diving

I live in Calgary, AB, Canada. An area landlocked by mountains on one side and prairie on the other. I have a love of water so when I get a chance to holiday then it is usually somewhere near the ocean. Last March, Mark and I took a trip to Roatan, an island off the […]

Planet Earth Forever

This one of my favourites.

Eco Fables

Eco Fables

I have encountered a couple of stories in the last two days that help simplify and support some of the Eco ideas we have been working with. “A dog lies in the shade in the summer time. He lies in the sun during winter.” unknown author This one seems so simple and obvious. It is […]

Heat Recovery Ventilation

Heat Recovery Ventilation

There are many reasons to install a  HRV system and several of the homeowners we visited included one in their renovation or build. Having a system like this becomes really important when you have a well sealed home and no system of air exchange. Mark and I had one installed when we renovated a log […]

Wind Beer

Wind Beer

In Kamloops, British Columbia we were treated to a beer from the Stanley Park Brewery called 1897 Amber. The reason this is cool, and why it’s on this blog, is because the brewery is wind powered!… And the beer was very good.

Whistler SIPS Panelled Home Pex system

Whistler SIPS Panelled Home Pex system

We saw three sites in Whistler Thursday 16th. A NetZero house with PV, HRV and a solid envelope. A construction site of three Structural Insulated Panel houses in various stages of construction. And a very swanky Rammed Earth home. It was neat to be able to see the houses being constructed using the SIP panels. […]

RV Solar Panel Installation

RV Solar Panel Installation

We are off. The trip is really exciting and in spite of the construction on the road the trip is going really well. Danica and Paul Fletcher of Riverside Energy have graciously set up at homes for us to view on Friday. We enjoyed an evening of conversation centered on renewable energy components and their […]