Category: heating, ventilation and air conditioning

  • Passive solar: insulated exterior shell

    The better the insulation in the walls, roof, foundation, floors, doors, and windows, (the shell of the house), the slower the leakage rate of heat or cold from the inside of the house to the outside, and vice versa.  To be more specific, heat always flows from the higher temperature to the lower temperature — […]

  • Passive solar energy use

    Passive solar technology is simply a set of techniques for using sunlight for useful energy without the use of any active mechanical systems.  These methods convert sunlight into usable heat (passive solar heating — hot water, warm air, and heat stored in thermal mass), cause air-movement for ventilation, and store heat for future use.  Passive […]

  • History of Solar Energy Usage

    We often think that modern societies were the first to use solar energy. Not true! Early cave dwellers preferred caves that had openings facing southeasterly that allowed the morning sun to warm them up without overheating in the warm months.  Native Americans in the Southwest oriented their pueblo dwellings.  So the low winter sun would […]

  • Peak Oil Survival – review

    Today I read the last page of the book Peak Oil Survival: Preparation for Life After Gridcrash, another Amazon purchase. Since I planned to post here every week, it’s a great I have something to write about. The book’s title indicates that it’s about preparing for living after the electrical grid crashes. It’s not a […]

  • Propane vs buthane

    If you need a gas fuel for your home appliances (like gas stove or absorption refrigerator) or home heating but are far away from gas distribution network, you should consider using one of popular liquid gases — propane or LPG. The latter — Liquefied Petroleum Gas — is a mixture of both propane and buthane.