All Posts Tagged With: "energy efficiency"

Aurora Energy, Inc. is a Columbia, Maryland-based solar-energy company specializing in solar thermal and solar electric installations. Its website includes an extensive photo gallery of previous projects, detailing the construction of solar water-heating systems, solar paneling, and solar signage at various residential and commercial sites, both locally and nationally.

The musician owners of a 1960s-era house are planning extensive renovations to the living spaces on the first floor. They are committed to using low-impact, non-toxic, sustainable materials. They also desire to wean themselves off fossil fuels, so energy efficiency is a high priority.

As part of a long-range master plan by Gabrielli Design Studio , the first phase was a small addition to the kitchen. Built by Greenbuilders on the existing foundation of a dilapidated screened porch, the structure is post-and-beam with infill strawbale walls and fiberglass-clad windows . The green (planted) roof drains to a chain drain and a rain barrel.

The new room brings daylight deep into the kitchen, while sweeping views upwards along a steep hillside to the sky. The straw walls are clad in lime plaster, the floor is the existing concrete, finished with a natural, plant-based stain and beeswax.

The next phase was going to be a kitchen renovation. But the new room has changed the character of the existing kitchen so dramatically, the owners may not need to renovate it for a long time.

Working with this family has been an inspiration. During the year we worked together on this project, they also chipped away at wasteful practices all around the house. Using tips from friends and from green websites such as Lime , they reduced their electricity use by 64%! What a difference a little curiosity and a lot of motivation can make in a household’s budget, as well as the health of our planet.

Sun Mar specializes in self-contained waterless garden and toilet composing units. Baltimore has a Sun Mar dealer located off the Avenue in Hamden at 3313 Elm Ave. As fresh water becomes more scarce due to over-consumption, our treatment facilities will not be able to support the amount of water we flush everyday. Our waste is 90% water and becomes a health hazard because bacteria grows in water. By relieving that moisture through ventilation it can be returned to the earth as much needed fertilizer.

Elysian Energy LLC, which specializes in energy-use assessment, helps homeowners determine their home’s carbon footprint, gauge its amount of energy-use, and take cost-cutting and eco-friendly steps to curtail wasteful energy practices. With the mantra “Lower bills, lower impact, higher value”, Elysian Energy particulary seeks to offer renewable energy technologies to its clients, as well as carbon impact mitigation. Utilizing their services both reduces local pollution from the energy supply sector and supports a local small business focuses on sustainability.

Solar Panels Plus is a Apricus solar systems distributor located in Chesapeake, VA. Apricus is a global dealer with it’s U.S. branch in Branford, CT and it’s manufacturing plant in Nanjing, China. Solar Panel Plus offers extensive heating and cooling options, as if purchasing panels just to heat your home wasn’t enough you can also consider a solar pool heater, fancy!

The owner of Thermal Loop Corporation has been in the well drilling business for almost thirty years and has extensive experience with pump installation and geothermal technologies. Geothermal technologies is a renewable energy resource that uses heat emitted from the earth’s core as energy for heating and cooling residential or commercial buildings. To those unaware of the potential economic and environmental benefits of geothermal energy, Thermal Loop Corporation, based out of Bel Air, will be happy to guide you.

Glory Energy Solutions LLC is a woman-owned business formed in 2007 that focuses on lowering home-energy costs. They are based out of Boonsboro, Maryland and offer an Energy Conservation Program that increases a home’s energy efficiency, reduces waste energy and minimizes costs through a comprehensive Home Energy Performance Audit. Glory Energy also offers consulting and technical assistance in solar electric systems that decrease a home’s dependence on the local grid and allow for a potential surplus of energy.