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Introduction to Efficient Heating and Cooling
The choice of building blocks for a home is tempered by history, culture and climate. It is not a simple choice.
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Geothermal Heat Pump Guide
It really shouldn't be called Geothermal; that should be reserved for volcanoes and geysers. But that is what everyone is doing these days. It is popular and efficient because it moves heat instead of making it, which is a lot more efficient. Really, it is a form of solar power, picking up energy that has been stored in the ground after being warmed by the sun.
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Natural Gas Heating Guide
Natural Gas is the most common heating fuel in urban areas of North America; it is the cleanest fossil fuel (50% less CO2 produced per unit of heat than coal). But is it a green way to heat?
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Heating with Biomass: Pellet and Wood Stoves Guide
When energy prices were really high a few years ago, many people switched to wood and pellet stoves. Some even say they are carbon neutral. But are they really?
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Solar Heating Guide
Solar is the low-hanging fruit of home heating; there is lots of it, the technology is getting cheaper every day and you can even do it yourself.
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The Passive House Guide
You really can't talk about heating and cooling a house independently from talking about the house itself; they work together as a system. The best example of this is the Passive House: It is designed so that it barely needs any heat at all.
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Low-Tech Air Conditioning: The Best AC is No AC
In the world before air conditioning, there were lots of things people did to keep cool. Unfortunately we seem to have forgotten most of them.
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Solar Air Conditioning Guide
Solar powered air conditioning is the holy grail of cooling; you need it most when it is hot and sunny.
