Mechanical systems

Many recent press releases are selling us on using public tax dollars to fund private enterprise in the shape of biomethanization plants to "revalorize" food waste and feacal sludge into biogas - what is Renewable Natural Gas & is RNG even a good idea. Recent articles have praised major public investments in…

Even when turned off, gas stoves & cooktops can be dangerous - leaking harmful chemicals like nitrogen dioxide, methane & cancer-causing benzine into homes. Over 40 million US & Canadian households can mitigate or eliminate the risks from cooking with gas. Gas stoves - are we playing with fire? Fossil fuel gas…

There is little more unnerving that losing heat in our homes during winter. Having a reliable heating system, and even a backup heating system, can help you rest easier at night so if your furnace isn't working, try this. There are a few things that will cause any furnace to either stop running, or only deliver cold…

Natural gas for heating & cooking in homes is so convenient & relatively affordable - so why have governments & local cities across North America & Europe taken the radical decision to phase it out, & when is natural gas going to be banned. So why is natural gas being phased out? Natural gas is being phased out of…

One of the questions we're often asked is about noisy baseboard heaters. They click, they bang, they tick, tick, tick constantly, and most of all, electric baseboard heaters or hot water heated baseboard heaters keep people awake. So, how to fix that. Noisy baseboard heaters -yeah, it's a thing... Over the years…

We were told about the PowerPod compact home wind turbine appearing on a Kickstarter campaign, but having seen a fair few home wind turbines in the past that failed to deliver on their promises, Ecohome decided to investigate. Countless inventors are stepping up to the plate with the latest and greatest green…

If you want to improve your carbon footprint but can't afford your own rooftop solar array, you can purchase clean energy credits and have renewable energy offset your power use. 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…

Smart door locks offer convenience & security, especially when teamed with an optional camera & smart doorbell with siren. Like screening calls on your mobile, unwanted visitors can be filtered out - or open the door remotely. What is a smart lock for a home? Smart door locks are deadbolt front door locks that can…

The Swedish company Azelio has an innovative solution for generating carbon neutral electricity with storage that doesn't need batteries. New technology combines solar power generation & battery free power storage The forever-changing landscape of the green home building industry sees ideas come and go, and on…

BIPV solar roof shingles are poised to take over rooftop solar installations with better durability, pricing and aesthetics announced for the Tesla solar roof - here we look at the competitors in the solar roof market. Rooftop solar-power production is fairly commonplace now, and you always know exactly which roof…

Finding a long-term roofing solution hasn't been the norm in the US & Canada, but the times they are a changing. Sustainable homes are gaining in popularity and the Tesla solar roof tiles are starting to make sense. The Telsa solar roof tiles are in the news again. They now have solar panel shingle installations…