tidal-energy / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

A project started in 2002 by Verdant Power Inc. saw tidal turbines placed 10 metres deep in the East River of New York, taking advantage of the reliable tidal surge of Long Island Sound.  Spinning silently at 35-40 rpms for 18 hours a day in a 4 knot current, tidal turbines eliminate two of the more common complaints a...

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...

One of the biggest drawbacks to renewable energies like wind and solar, is that it is unpredictable. This presents a challenge to grid operators, as they struggle to meet demand while compensating for calm winds or clouds. One method of balancing supply and demand that is garnering some attention lately, is pumped stor...

How to set up a home solar energy system Our future truly depends on us continuing to develop and implement renewable energy systems. In Canada, Ontario is at the forefront of that movement by offering strong financial incentives for homeowners to produce their own energy. Some of the other provinces seem to be lagging...

The first thought of home lighting design should be the orientation of windows for quality of life, but also passive solar heat gain. Not only does the sun offer free heat, but free light as well. Natural and certain types of artificial lighting can reduce the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). Studies s...

Bullfrog’s green electricity comes exclusively from wind and hydro facilities that have been certified as low impact by Environment Canada under its EcoLogoM program. Their natural gas is presently sourced in Quebec by collecting methane escaping from a landfill site. A common question seems to be "How do they ensure t...

The Kenogami Net Zero Energy off-grid house is a virtual energy laboratory, and in constant evolution. Every system of this award-winning home is innovative from the heating and ventilation systems to the production of domestic hot water. Energy systems as advanced as this have never been seen together before, and coll...

District heating and district energy systems: What they are and how they work District heating, also known as district energy (DE), is a large-scale, efficient, and increasingly popular method of heating and cooling buildings from a single, centralized source. For homeowners, it means reliable, low-carbon heat without ...

Representatives from 18 communities across Canada attended three week-long intensive sessions last summer as part of the clean energy capacity-building 20/20 Catalysts Program, sharing knowledge and experience in the development of clean energy infrastructure. Riding on that success, this summer the focus will be on en...

This is the fifth piece in a blog series written by Craig Anderson as he documents the design and construction of an off-grid LEED Gold passively-heated home. See post 1 of the off-grid homes blog here, the overview . or post 2 in the off-grid homes blog here covering design and construction choices. or here see post 3...

Drain water heat recovery: a homeowner's & pro's guide Drain water heat recovery (DWHR) is a passive energy-saving technology that captures heat from gray water before it disappears down the sewer. In a typical home, heating water is often the second largest energy expense after space heating. By using a heat exch...