Let’s quit arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin or the difference between warm air rising and being pushed by cold air.
Recently, I wrote a little article about the stack effect to explain that the flow of air and heat is upward in winter but downward in summer. Turns out, the stack effect is a hot topic. That article has gotten 25 comments so far. When I posted it to the RESNET BPI group on LinkedIn, it got another 22 comments. And John Brooks started a stack effect discussion here at Green Building Advisor that has 61 comments as I write.
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The tortoise is such an interesting creature. These reptiles have been steadfastly plodding their way around warm climates for millions of years. In many cultures they represent wisdom and longevity. Although tortoises don’t appear to be particularly intelligent compared to other animals, they certainly live a long, long time. In fact, some species of tortoises have lived for over 200 years and are thus believed to be the longest-lived animals on Earth.
Harmless, curious, and a sight to behold, tortoises are held in high regard by many people and are believed to bring good fortune to whomever crosses paths with these slow-moving reptiles. Read more…
20 Tortoise, Tortoise
The 19 dwellings that competed in the 2011 DOE Solar Decathlon were confined to floor plans from 600 to 1,000 square feet. These compact footprints had to contain “holistic, safe, functional, convenient, comfortable, and enjoyable” places to live as well as mechanical systems that generated more power than team members consumed during a battery of tests and myriad other sustainable technologies. Several design solutions met this multifaceted challenge by expanding habitable areas with outdoor rooms.
The resulting spaces highlight diverse approaches to outdoor living that work in harmony with adjacent interiors.
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Decathlon, Solar Decathlon
In addition to extensive energy retrofit work, Eamon Ryan and Victoria White commissioned an addition to be built on their 1950s-era brick house in Ireland.
Reprinted with permission from Construct Ireland magazine.
When it came to retrofitting his 1950s red brick house in Clonskeagh, south Dublin, Green Party leader and former energy minister Eamon Ryan walked the talk, giving the dwelling an extensive and ecological energy upgrade. As part of the renovation — designed by Solearth Ecological Architecture — the house was insulated and received a new ecological addition and a variety of new green energy systems, including solar thermal and photovoltaic(PV) Generation of electricity directly from sunlight. A p
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Ireland