Mean Green List takes a look at “tankless” water heater designs to help you decide if they are your best option. Traditional water heaters use a huge insulated water tank full of hot water, allowing you to access hot water in your sink, shower or dishwasher whenever you need it. The draw back is that one typically only uses hot water a couple times a day, so it’s rather inefficient to keep so much water constantly heated. The theory behind tankless water heaters is to heat the water right before you use it, thus sparing all that unutilized energy. Continue reading →
Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500 this year, 2010, for existing homes only as it relates to the following:
• Windows and Doors
• Insulation
• Roofs (Metal and Asphalt)
• HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning)
• Water Heaters (non-solar)
• Biomass Stoves Continue reading →
History
Most people don’t know that windows started out as just holes in the walls of the primitive houses of nomadic tribes. The word window comes from an Icelandic word that means the “wind’s eye”. Windows were first designed as a way to let in the flow of wind and light. Later, as people became less nomadic and spent more time in their houses, windows evolved from a hole-in-the-wall structure to a structure that allowed the inhabitants of a house to be protected from outside elements. Windows made out of paper, cloth, and animal bones were widely used in ancient Asia and Europe. The Romans were the first to use glass for windows, which later became a symbol of wealth all over the world. Continue reading →
