Arctic Circle is a daily cartoon strip by Alex Hallet about three penguins, Oscar, Ed and Gordo, who have emigrated from Antarctica to the Arctic. The comic has an underlying environmental theme and regularly sees the humour in trying to live a more eco-friendly life in a 21st century world.
Posted on 1/7/2010 7:00:00 AM by Arctic Circle
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Categories: solar power
Tags: arctic circle
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Posted on 1/6/2010 6:27:00 AM by Arctic Circle
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Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. installed Kelowna's first solar panel installation on a residential condo building last week. There are 30 panels on the roof what will serve 87 units. The Mode Condos on Dickson Avenue is a new development from the Mission Group that will serve as an example for residential condos looking at alternative energy sources. The solar panels will account for 35 to 40% of the yearly hot water heating needs and 90% over the summer months. This will be a significant reduction in energy costs. There are quite a few grants and offers available to builders to use alternative energy that it becomes very cost effective.
Posted on 6/10/2009 7:50:00 AM by Maizal
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Categories: energy costs | green technologies | solar heating | solar panels | solar power
Tags: swiss solar tech, mode, mission group
The City of Kelowna is promoting several environmental initiatives on their site: Earth Hour - Turn off you lights from 8:30 to 9:30 PM on March 28th
Kelowna 2030 - What will Kelowna be like in 2030? How can we be more sustainable?
Living Greener - Links and information for a sustainable Okanagan Solar BC - Kelowna leading by example with several solar projects LiveSmart BC - Make green choices that save money at home, at work and on the road. Get Water Smart - The City's goal is to reduce city-wide water use by 15% by the year 2012. Regional Waste Reduction Office - For tips on recycling and scheduled pickups
Posted on 3/21/2009 10:03:00 AM by Maizal
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Categories: conservation | pollution | recycle | solar power | sustainability | water conservation | yard waste
Tags: city of kelowna
Posted on 12/8/2008 7:22:00 AM by Maizal
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Categories: solar power | sustainability | green technologies
Tags: sharon shepherd, central green
Why pay for heat when it's available for free? New homes can be designed to take advantage of the sun's energy through a passive solar heating system. The design phase plays the biggest role in getting the most efficient system. Here's a list of the requirements:
The windows allow the sun to radiate it's energy onto a 5 inch thick concrete slab along the inside wall of the home. With the passive solar heating system, a 3,200 square foot house could save as much as 40% over conventional heating systems. And the monthly heating bill can be 50% cheaper. You can reduce the amount of heat you need by using 6 inch thick wall framing which can accomodate an extra 2 inches of insulation. Cellular window shades can also help in insulation and they come in both top-down and bottom-up styles to make adjustments easy. A solar hot water panel installed on the roof can provide 100% of the hot water in the summer months and about 60% for the year.
Source: Article by Mark Erickson titled "Sun provides the largest energy draw for house"
Posted on 11/21/2008 6:39:00 PM by Maizal
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Categories: solar power | solar heating | insulation | cellular blinds
Tags:
With the New Year approaching rapidly, people may be thinking about resolution ideas, some of which may be to do something positive for the planet. The majority of us know the basics of carpooling, recycling and using CFL bulbs. Here are a few more from our good friend Chris Whitney of Royal LePage. Single Serving Kettle Try the new single serve kettle models that boil water for a single cup. If you need to heat water for yourself for a cup of coffee, tea, or soup, these models save energy. It uses the same technology that makes hot water in a drip cofeemaker. Solar Powered Roof Ventilator Install solar-powered fans in the attic which remove the hot air that builds up in the attic. This will keep the home cooler in the summer months and reduce your air-conditioning bill and save energy at the same time. Biodegradable Party Plates and Cutlery If you are throwing a party, consider biodegradable cutlery that is compostable. Since they are made from organic materials such as corn and not plastic, they can also be used in the microwave. When you are done with them, simply throw them in the compost bin. If you can't have a compost, it may be a good time to start using compost pick up services; Cherry Hill Coffee has a partnership with a local company that does weekly compost pickup.
Posted on 11/17/2008 7:28:00 AM by Maizal
Categories: biodegradable | cfls | energy-efficient | environmentally friendly | green reno | organic | solar power
Tags: chris whitney, royal lepage, eco-kettle, cherry hill coffee
Posted on 8/25/2008 7:44:00 AM by Maizal
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Categories: energy costs | energy-efficient | environmentally friendly | green | green roof | home value | solar panels | solar power | water conservation
Tags: royal lepage
Posted on 8/21/2008 7:52:00 AM by Maizal
Categories: geothermal | renewable resource | solar power
Tags: google
Weatherford Place in Roswell Georgia is a green residential community. It's described as a "solar community of net-zero energy homes" built to the greenest building standards.
In fact, each "EcoCraft" home is at a platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) level. The highest level which includes points for such things as reuse of materials, pollution reduction, green power, rapitable renewable resources, etc. It's the first project of it's kind built using "Nature's Code". The solar power generation in the community is what differentiates this development from the rest. One of the unique features is that each house serves as a power source for the community. The solar energy collected from the houses are put in to the power grid and used by everyone. The specifications show that each home should generate more than it uses thus making each home a net-zero energy home.
The homes also use 2/3 less energy than regular homes and use solar power to heat water, etc. Each home will have monitors and sensors to measure energy consumption and the overall eco-friendliness. The data will be used in energy-efficiency studies.
The prices of these homes are listed at $750,000 USD (for homes between 2500 to 3900 square feet), but have already appraised at $1 million. This project indicates that green homes can be built to LEED standards and can be profitable.
Source: Article in Event Magazine by Maria Saporta titled "Green Homes"
Posted on 6/25/2008 7:09:00 AM by Maizal
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Categories: eco-friendly | energy costs | energy-efficient | home value | recycled | renewable resource | solar panels | solar power | net-zero energy | green building standard
Tags: leed, ecocraft
The Mission Group, the company that brought us developments such as the Verve and Sheerwater, are working on their eco-friendly project Mode - A smart address. The Mission Group has strived to be unique in their projects and Mode is by all means just that.
The Mode project is inspired green with the following features:
The project recently won an Mayor's Environmental Achievement Award for Most Sustainable Development.
Since the development is in the heart of the Landmark Centre, it only makes sense that it's equiped with hi-tech features such as iPod docking stations and the Telus Smart Box.
The Development is located at 1620 Dickson Ave and features "loft-style citi-homes with seperate street entry, and a variety of contempory living spaces from studios to two bedroom homes". Prices range from $185,900 to $415,900.
At the time of this posting, there's only 10 homes left.
Posted on 6/13/2008 7:28:00 AM by Maizal
Categories: carbon footprint | clean air | energy-efficient | geothermal | solar power | voc | water conservation
Tags: mission group, mode, verve, sheerwater, landmark centre
IBM Corp's new technology uses lenses to concentrate the power of the sun to increase the amount of energy produced by solar cells. The idea is the same as when kids try to burn leaves using a magnifying glass.
One of the challenges facing IBM was to avoid the photovoltaic cells from becoming a burnt leaf; the heat produced is so high that it can burn stainless steel. Special liquid metal is used as the surface which can reduce temperatures from 3,000 degrees to 185 degrees.
With more power generated, it would take less equipment and less money to build solar electric systems.
Also, while determining ways of cooling down chips, IBM recently unveiled high-end computers that are cooled using water.
Source: Article by Bob Keefe
Posted on 5/26/2008 6:16:00 AM by Maizal
Categories: solar panels | solar power
Tags: ibm
Tips gathered from Joanna Pachner's article titled "Green renos increase a home's value".
Posted on 4/25/2008 6:35:00 AM by Maizal
Categories: bamboo | clean air | cork | eco-friendly | energy costs | energy-efficient | green | green reno | home value | investments | low-flow | radiant heating | recycle | recycled | renewable resource | skylights | solar panels | solar power | voc
The City Of Kelowna is spearheading a project to set the standard for sustainable planning and building practices. The project will have a mix of commercial and residential development alongside an extensive park.
Some of the highlights include:
The Central Green project will be developed to the gold standard of LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). LEED™ is the most recognized green building rating system in North America and can achieve energy savings of 50 per cent and reduce water consumption by more than 35 per cent.
There is a public forum April 30th 2008 7 PM at the Laurel Building, 1304 Ellis Street.
Posted on 4/21/2008 6:32:00 AM by Maizal
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Categories: energy costs | energy-efficient | geothermal | green | green roof | solar panels | solar power | water conservation
Tags: central green, city of kelowna, leed
From Thursday April 17th to Sunday April 27th 2008, you can bring in your existing working or non-working gas lawnmower or trimmer to Home Depot and you can get a $100 instant rebate towards the purchase of a push-reel, electric, rechargable or low emmision gas lawnmower or trimmer.
They also offer a new Solaris 21" self-propelled mower that can be charged with solar power (solar charger extra).
Posted on 4/10/2008 6:21:00 AM by Maizal
Categories: low emmision | solar power
Tags: home depot, solaris