natural-gas-fireplace / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Natural gas fireplaces, furnaces, boilers and gas water heaters - Green or Not?
Heating with gas and oil

Heating with natural gas furnaces, boilers and fireplaces

The cleaner burning process (than diesel fuel) and price has made heating and cooking with natural gas quite popular in the last couple of decades. However, popularity put a pretty heavy dent in supply, so much so that alternative sources are being explored to meet demand. There are some potentially greener sources of ...

Natural Gas vs Propane
Heating with gas and oil

Natural gas vs propane, what is the difference and which is less harmful?

While Ecohome is a firm advocate of decarbonizing homes by the adoption of electricity as the primary power source, we understand that for some of you, using gas may be the only option that fits your situation or location. We have written this guide to help you differentiate between renewable natural gas, fossil gas, a...

A Renewable Natural Gas refinery built in Quebec with misguided public funding?
Renewable energy

Renewable Natural Gas (or not), RNG or Biogas Under The Microscope...

Recent articles have praised major public investments in biomethanization plants around Canada and North America. These huge chemical plants produce renewable natural gas (RNG) which is a pipeline-quality gas that is fully interchangeable with conventional natural gas and so can also be used in natural gas vehicles. RN...

Natural Gas is being phased out - why & when?
Heating with gas and oil

Why Natural Gas is Being Phased Out of New Home Construction (and When?)

So why is natural gas being phased out?   Natural gas is being phased out of new home construction because burning any fossil fuel releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and contributes to the warming of the planet. The carbon dioxide emissions from burning natural gas are lower than with oil or coal, but there ar...

High efficiency wood burning fireplaces and how to choose the best
Wood stove and biomass heat

Choosing the best wood-burning fireplace inserts or stoves for heat output & the environment

Wood Burning Inserts & Stoves - which are best & which burn cleanest? Reading the specifications to find the best wood burning fireplace inserts or wood stove can be rather complicated, so how do you choose? Let's shake loose the important points from all the technical jargon and make the process a bit more enj...

Gas Cooktops and Stoves causing Asthma and Cancer in Households
Heating with gas and oil

Still cooking with gas? How to reduce the risk of asthma and cancer.

Gas stoves - playing with fire? Fossil gas stoves and gas cooktops, greenwashed as using 'natural' gas, are even more of a problem than most people realize - especially if concerned about the keeping everyone in the family in good health! The Asthma Society of Canada says that the number of asthma cases being diagnosed...

Why Electric Heating Systems are Best for Sustainable Homes
Heating with electricity

Heating with Electricity - The Best Choice for High Efficiency & Zero Energy Homes?

More and more homebuyers are starting to demand energy-efficient new homes and are pushing the building industry towards building better homes with lower fuel costs. Building Zero Net Energy homes is also a trending subject, and they are becoming more common as societies transition away from carbon-based economies and ...

Natural swimming pool design DIY (NSP) for eco homes
Natural swimming pools and ponds

Natural pools and natural swimming pools

Natural swimming pools - what are the origins? Natural pools were inspired by the beauty and joy of swimming in mountain lakes, a team of Austrian researchers are credited with launching a movement back in the 1980's that saw chlorinated swimming pools being replaced by natural swimming pools and swimming ponds. The id...

Renewable energy wind farm
Renewable energy

What is clean energy?

What is the cleanest energy?  Despite how commonly  the term ‘clean energy’ is used, there is actually no such thing. At least not in the power delivery market; there are only various levels of ‘dirty’ energy. Starting with the worst and moving up, that would in general be - coal, oil, natural gas and propane, wood and...

Wood Combustion - How it works and the different stages
Wood stove and biomass heat

Wood Combustion – How Firewood Burns & How to get the best heat while being eco-friendly

Understanding how firewood burns, the technical details Stage 1: The Evaporation of Moisture – otherwise known as “getting the d@mn thing going” If you’ve ever tried to burn wet or unseasoned wood in your fireplace you’ll know how very frustrating this stage can be. Gathering crumpled paper, kindling, an armful of smal...

Swimming Pool Heating - Save energy & money & be Eco-friendly as possible Tips
Natural swimming pools and ponds

Heating a Swimming Pool - Top 10 Cost-Efficient & Eco-friendly ways to heat a pool

Happiness is a warm pool - but how to heat it? Swimming in a warm pool is a wonderful feeling, and while we hear from many pool owners in the cooler states & provinces that they really enjoy the experience of a warm swim from late spring or early summer through to autumn, the cost of heating their pool can be a maj...