Journal of Light Construction: Solar

Maine Passive House Builder Tweaks His Package

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 08:13:19 EST

Chris Corson is working on another Passive House — this time, with a more ample budget, and a more complex design.

When to Use a Heat-Pump Water Heater

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 11:45:44 EST

Q: A customer wants me to install one of the new heat-pump water heaters in the ground-floor utility room of a house built on a slab. I don't have any direct experience with them, but since they work by drawing heat from the surrounding air, won't any energy savings in the winter be at least partly offset by the cost of heating that indoor air to begin with? And could the outflow of cool air from the utility room cause comfort problems?

Maine Passive House: How Low Can He Go?

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 04:46:05 EST

Builder's Guide to Windows

Fri, 6 Jul 2012 05:07:50 EST

There are more than 100 million homes and approximately 20 billion square feet of clear-glass residential windows in the U.S. Most of those homes are more than 30 years old, and as a result, the market is growing for replacement windows with energy-efficient insulating glass.

Bekaert Specialty Films Solar Gard Silver AG 50 Low-E Window Film

Fri, 6 Jul 2012 03:47:09 EST

Instead of replacing a sound single-pane window, consider adding Solar Gard Silver AG 50 Low-E Window Film.

Maine Passive House: Transition Details ~

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 04:42:02 EST

Building a Simple Passive House

Fri, 6 Jul 2012 05:05:35 EST

In September 2009 I completed a deep energy retrofit on a small house in Point Reyes Station, Calif., some 50 miles north of San Francisco.

Hydronic Heating for Low-Load Houses

Fri, 6 Jul 2012 05:05:48 EST

With the right hardware and layout, hot-water heating saves energy and makes ideal use of the sun.

JLC Report

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 11:47:18 EST

Passive House seeks broader appeal; proposed code changes stir controversy in North Carolina; more

Solar Tankless Water Heating Backup From Rinnai

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:07:33 EST

Rinnai. The RH360 solar reheat kit provides efficient, consistent tankless backup for solar water heating. Previous other solar tankless backup solutions fed the hot line from the solar tank directly to the tankless backup unit, which would heat water when the temperature started to drop, which could lead to temperature fluctuations, the firm says. The RH360 kicks in only when the water temperature in the solar storage tank drops below a pre-set point, drawing the coldest water from the bottom of the solar storage tank to the tankless unit and returning it to the top of the tank, helping to maintain consistent-temperature hot water delivery, the maker says; minimal tank mixing allows for optimization of solar gain, and the elimination of off-cycle thermal circulation decreases heat loss. 866.746.6241. www.rinnai.us.

Super-Insulated Tank for Heating Fluid Storage

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 04:19:53 EST

Wouldn't it be nice to store excess heat generated by solar panels and biomass boilers in summer for heating during the winter? Here's a stab at a tank designed for the purpose.

TVA-ORNL Project Provides a Window on the Payback of Energy Upgrades

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 04:56:15 EST

Study finds that modest upgrades in insualtion and HVAC equipment dramatically reduce energy use in warm, humid climates.

The 2010 Readers' Choice Green Finalists

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 07:33:53 EST

Developers: First Community Housing and The John Stewart Co.

Architect: Rob Quigley Architects, FAIA

Major Funders: U.S. Bank; Enterprise Community Investment; California Department of Housing and Community Development; City of San Jose; Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

Retrofitting a High-Tech Heating System

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 05:41:29 EST

This design uses a gas boiler and solar thermal collectors as heat inputs, and incorporates an HRV into the air handler.

Innovative Products 2009

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 01:16:21 EST

A roundup of tools and materials found on the floor at JLC Live in Providence, R.I .

Products

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 01:12:22 EST

Anti-sweat valve for toilets; cold-weather spray foam; solar-powered dimmer for tubular skylights; standard-width high-performance range; faux slate roofing; more

Products

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 01:11:03 EST

Noise-muffling floor underlayment; dramatic roof windows; natural-looking composite siding; manufactured moment frame; more

Letters

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 01:08:52 EST

Drywall back-blocking in action; A-frame appreciation; hard workers in California; more

Products

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 01:08:57 EST

Windows; energy conservation

Installing a Vacuum-Tube Solar Collector

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 01:06:13 EST

These highly efficient systems are a good choice in cloudy or cold climates.