This summary provides the key details about a design project by University of Calgary engineering students to create a safer home heating system for families in Guatemala:
- Families in rural Guatemala commonly use open fires on dirt floors for cooking and heating, exposing them to toxic smoke that causes respiratory illnesses. A non-profit called Help for the Highlands installed efficient stoves called ecoplanchas, but they did not provide enough heat.
- Engineering students were tasked with designing a retrofit heat exchanger that could attach to ecoplancha flues to capture waste heat and warm homes. Their final design was a simple, inexpensive flat plate exchanger made of sheet metal.
- Testing showed the design
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
The document discusses a tankless water heater called the Glow Brand T180 that saves energy and space. It has an energy factor of 99.2% and on-board storage of one gallon of hot water. The article provides details on the product's technology, energy efficiency, and sizing capabilities.
This article discusses how more home builders are incorporating sustainable and energy-efficient features into new home construction. It provides several examples:
- Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte has become a leader in building LEED-certified homes in the area, with its 100th home pursuing silver certification. This adds $7,500 to the home cost.
- Other builders like Banister Homes are also building LEED-certified homes, noting it provides assurances to homeowners and significantly reduces operating costs.
- While some builders do not pursue formal certification due to costs, they still include some green features. Overall, the market for green homes has grown from 2% to 23% in recent years and is
How climate change may affect local (S. California) gardens & what you can do to prepare. This lecture is part of the 'Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden' native plant gardening series (2014).
This article summarizes a presentation by Gene Myers of Thrive Home Builders at the 2019 Building Science Spring Training Camp. Gene shared how his company was able to navigate the 2007 housing crash by becoming the "low-cost producer of high-performance homes." He did this by winning over the hearts of his employees, trade partners, and customers - in that order. With his employees, Gene cited research showing low worker engagement and high turnover in the home building industry. He asked staff to help build a financially strong company through a commitment to high-performance, energy-efficient homes. This unified Thrive's employees and helped the company survive the housing downturn.
The Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions promotes lifestyle changes in the areas of food, housing and transportation to address the twin challenges of Peak Oil and climate change.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
The document discusses a tankless water heater called the Glow Brand T180 that saves energy and space. It has an energy factor of 99.2% and on-board storage of one gallon of hot water. The article provides details on the product's technology, energy efficiency, and sizing capabilities.
This article discusses how more home builders are incorporating sustainable and energy-efficient features into new home construction. It provides several examples:
- Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte has become a leader in building LEED-certified homes in the area, with its 100th home pursuing silver certification. This adds $7,500 to the home cost.
- Other builders like Banister Homes are also building LEED-certified homes, noting it provides assurances to homeowners and significantly reduces operating costs.
- While some builders do not pursue formal certification due to costs, they still include some green features. Overall, the market for green homes has grown from 2% to 23% in recent years and is
How climate change may affect local (S. California) gardens & what you can do to prepare. This lecture is part of the 'Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden' native plant gardening series (2014).
This article summarizes a presentation by Gene Myers of Thrive Home Builders at the 2019 Building Science Spring Training Camp. Gene shared how his company was able to navigate the 2007 housing crash by becoming the "low-cost producer of high-performance homes." He did this by winning over the hearts of his employees, trade partners, and customers - in that order. With his employees, Gene cited research showing low worker engagement and high turnover in the home building industry. He asked staff to help build a financially strong company through a commitment to high-performance, energy-efficient homes. This unified Thrive's employees and helped the company survive the housing downturn.
The Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions promotes lifestyle changes in the areas of food, housing and transportation to address the twin challenges of Peak Oil and climate change.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine, the Builder's choice is issued 6 times a year and promotes green energy choices in the construction industry. New design, technology and products are featured.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
This document discusses strategies for designing carbon neutral buildings, beginning with an introduction to sustainable design versus carbon neutral design. It then outlines four key steps for designing buildings in a radical way: 1) start by unplugging the building, 2) heat only with the sun, 3) cool only with the wind and shade, and 4) light only with daylight. The document emphasizes that passive design strategies like natural ventilation, daylighting, and solar heating/cooling can drastically reduce energy needs before mechanical systems are introduced. Specific passive design techniques are also described.
The document proposes developing a new building efficiency standard called 90EE Building DesignTec that would achieve 90% better energy efficiency than the IECC minimum standard. It summarizes existing standards like Energy Star, LEED, and Passivhaus, which achieve 15-30%, 15%, and 90% efficiency improvements respectively. The proposed standard would examine each IECC category and assign an efficiency value 10% of the energy use minimum. A report would analyze methods to meet this standard at economic feasibility. The goal is to create a uniquely American passive house-like standard tailored to U.S. construction variations.
Rocky Mountain Green - Thermal Comfort, Radiant Energy and RegionalismPete Jefferson
An exploration into the history or architecture and mechanical engineering. The presentation explores trends that led to deep floor plate buildings, and a HVAC reliant approach to architectural design. Given the increasing focus on sustainability in the built environment, what steps are required to truly achieve greater levels of sustainability?
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
This document summarizes a project by Reid's Heritage Homes to build affordable net-zero energy homes in Guelph, Ontario. As part of a national demonstration project, Reid's is building five net-zero energy homes that produce as much energy as they consume over the course of a year through features like solar panels and efficient heating/cooling systems. The goal is to prove that net-zero homes can be built affordably at scale to mainstream buyers. One home has been completed as a showcase home, and the remaining four will be available for purchase this spring. The project aims to educate homebuilders on net-zero construction techniques and products.
Brown Roofs, Blue Dorms and Platinum Condos: emerging Trends in Green Building.
Bryn Nelson is a freelance science writer and editor with a special interest in technology, biomedicine, and ecology. Formerly an award-winning science writer for Newsday and a weekly columnist for MSNBC.com. Nelson spoke at Covering the Green Economy in June 2010.
This document discusses the urgent need to address climate change through reducing carbon emissions, especially from information and communication technologies (ICT). It notes that ICT carbon emissions are growing rapidly and will account for 40% of energy use by 2030 if unchecked. Transitioning to renewable energy powered "green" networks and data centers is essential to achieving necessary emissions reductions. The document advocates building smart systems that can adapt to the intermittent availability of renewable power sources like wind and solar.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
This article discusses Denim Homes' approach to building efficient home envelopes in Nova Scotia. Owner Caleb Howden focuses on building tight, well-insulated envelopes to minimize energy usage and costs. Key aspects of Denim Homes' approach include using staggered double stud walls insulated with spray foam, which provides R40 walls. Spray foam is also used in floor joists, rim joints, basements and perimeter walls to eliminate air leakage and moisture issues. Howden aims to identify and address major heat loss points like between footings and foundations, and around joists and window headers. The goal is to build an efficient airtight envelope so the heating system works less and homeowners save on energy costs.
The document describes a new efficient shower water heater design that uses a novel heat transfer method. Key points:
- The design aims to significantly reduce power consumption compared to conventional electric water heaters by heating water in small volumes directly in the shower head rather than a large reservoir.
- Coiled heating elements housed in small tubes are placed inside the shower head openings so that only a few milliliters of water pass through and are heated at a time.
- This micro heating approach is expected to exponentially reduce the power needed compared to traditional systems that heat larger volumes of water at once.
- Other benefits may include lower hazards, portability, lighter weight, and enabling the use of small renewable power
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine, the Builder's choice is issued 6 times a year and promotes green energy choices in the construction industry. New design, technology and products are featured.
The document describes a new method of achieving nuclear fusion called cavitation-induced fusion (CIF). CIF uses cavitation bubbles collapsing in liquid to heat gases inside and induce fusion of hydrogen isotopes. The researchers claim to have theoretical models, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental evidence supporting CIF. They outline plans to further validate CIF through experiments and engineering, develop commercial fusion generators by 2015, and eventually replace fossil fuels with fusion power. CIF is presented as a potentially safe, inexpensive, and abundant new source of clean energy.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine, the Builder's choice is issued 6 times a year and promotes green energy choices in the construction industry. New design, technology and products are featured.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
This document discusses strategies for designing carbon neutral buildings, beginning with an introduction to sustainable design versus carbon neutral design. It then outlines four key steps for designing buildings in a radical way: 1) start by unplugging the building, 2) heat only with the sun, 3) cool only with the wind and shade, and 4) light only with daylight. The document emphasizes that passive design strategies like natural ventilation, daylighting, and solar heating/cooling can drastically reduce energy needs before mechanical systems are introduced. Specific passive design techniques are also described.
The document proposes developing a new building efficiency standard called 90EE Building DesignTec that would achieve 90% better energy efficiency than the IECC minimum standard. It summarizes existing standards like Energy Star, LEED, and Passivhaus, which achieve 15-30%, 15%, and 90% efficiency improvements respectively. The proposed standard would examine each IECC category and assign an efficiency value 10% of the energy use minimum. A report would analyze methods to meet this standard at economic feasibility. The goal is to create a uniquely American passive house-like standard tailored to U.S. construction variations.
Rocky Mountain Green - Thermal Comfort, Radiant Energy and RegionalismPete Jefferson
An exploration into the history or architecture and mechanical engineering. The presentation explores trends that led to deep floor plate buildings, and a HVAC reliant approach to architectural design. Given the increasing focus on sustainability in the built environment, what steps are required to truly achieve greater levels of sustainability?
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
This document summarizes a project by Reid's Heritage Homes to build affordable net-zero energy homes in Guelph, Ontario. As part of a national demonstration project, Reid's is building five net-zero energy homes that produce as much energy as they consume over the course of a year through features like solar panels and efficient heating/cooling systems. The goal is to prove that net-zero homes can be built affordably at scale to mainstream buyers. One home has been completed as a showcase home, and the remaining four will be available for purchase this spring. The project aims to educate homebuilders on net-zero construction techniques and products.
Brown Roofs, Blue Dorms and Platinum Condos: emerging Trends in Green Building.
Bryn Nelson is a freelance science writer and editor with a special interest in technology, biomedicine, and ecology. Formerly an award-winning science writer for Newsday and a weekly columnist for MSNBC.com. Nelson spoke at Covering the Green Economy in June 2010.
This document discusses the urgent need to address climate change through reducing carbon emissions, especially from information and communication technologies (ICT). It notes that ICT carbon emissions are growing rapidly and will account for 40% of energy use by 2030 if unchecked. Transitioning to renewable energy powered "green" networks and data centers is essential to achieving necessary emissions reductions. The document advocates building smart systems that can adapt to the intermittent availability of renewable power sources like wind and solar.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
This article discusses Denim Homes' approach to building efficient home envelopes in Nova Scotia. Owner Caleb Howden focuses on building tight, well-insulated envelopes to minimize energy usage and costs. Key aspects of Denim Homes' approach include using staggered double stud walls insulated with spray foam, which provides R40 walls. Spray foam is also used in floor joists, rim joints, basements and perimeter walls to eliminate air leakage and moisture issues. Howden aims to identify and address major heat loss points like between footings and foundations, and around joists and window headers. The goal is to build an efficient airtight envelope so the heating system works less and homeowners save on energy costs.
The document describes a new efficient shower water heater design that uses a novel heat transfer method. Key points:
- The design aims to significantly reduce power consumption compared to conventional electric water heaters by heating water in small volumes directly in the shower head rather than a large reservoir.
- Coiled heating elements housed in small tubes are placed inside the shower head openings so that only a few milliliters of water pass through and are heated at a time.
- This micro heating approach is expected to exponentially reduce the power needed compared to traditional systems that heat larger volumes of water at once.
- Other benefits may include lower hazards, portability, lighter weight, and enabling the use of small renewable power
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine, the Builder's choice is issued 6 times a year and promotes green energy choices in the construction industry. New design, technology and products are featured.
The document describes a new method of achieving nuclear fusion called cavitation-induced fusion (CIF). CIF uses cavitation bubbles collapsing in liquid to heat gases inside and induce fusion of hydrogen isotopes. The researchers claim to have theoretical models, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental evidence supporting CIF. They outline plans to further validate CIF through experiments and engineering, develop commercial fusion generators by 2015, and eventually replace fossil fuels with fusion power. CIF is presented as a potentially safe, inexpensive, and abundant new source of clean energy.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
Better Builder Magazine brings together premium product manufactures and leading builders to create better differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment. The magazine is published four times a year.
The document outlines objectives for a lesson on photosynthesis. Students will learn to: identify organelles involved in photosynthesis like chloroplasts and thylakoids; describe the two main processes of light reaction and dark reaction; understand the importance of photosynthesis in daily life; and create a song/poem/jingle about photosynthesis. It then provides details about the light reaction and dark reaction phases, including that photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to produce sugar and oxygen through the chloroplasts in plant cells.
O documento discute a origem do cosmos e do universo, assim como a evolução da matéria e dos planos de existência segundo a Teosofia. Explica que a matéria primordial é uma "bolha no espaço primordial" e como os Logos Solares criam as bolhas de matéria nos diferentes planos. Também descreve os sete planos de existência e a evolução da consciência através dos reinos da natureza.
The document is a resume for a character rigger with over 6 years of experience seeking a position in game or digital imaging. It summarizes the candidate's objective, background, technical skills, work experiences, education, and languages. The candidate has a master's degree in animation and extensive experience rigging characters in Maya and Softimage for projects at video game and animation studios.
An expression meta-analysis of predicted microRNA targets identifies a diagno...Yu Liang
This study identifies a 17-gene expression signature that can accurately classify lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, the two major histological subtypes of lung cancer. The signature was developed by predicting microRNA target genes, filtering them based on gene ontology terms and ability to classify cancers, and analyzing gene expression data from multiple datasets. When validated in independent datasets, the signature correctly classified 87% of adenocarcinoma and 82% of squamous cell carcinoma samples on average. Expression of the signature also showed potential for early lung cancer detection in bronchial epithelial cells from smokers.
This document is the September 2013 issue of PEG, the magazine of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). It contains articles on the 2013 Alberta floods, including a special report on the floods and their impacts. It also includes the president's message about APEGA members' response to the floods and considerations for rebuilding. The CEO's message discusses APEGA's role in responding to natural disasters like the floods and examining its role in serving the public and membership. The issue also features the regular sections about APEGA news, events, members, and chapters.
The document discusses the history of energy use and different energy sources. It notes that while people originally relied on sunlight, wind, and water power, the Industrial Revolution led to widespread use of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. These fossil fuels formed over millions of years but are being depleted. The text advocates for conserving energy and exploring renewable alternatives to fossil fuels such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass. It also suggests individual actions people can take to reduce their energy use.
NewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al Awadi_compress...Khaled Al Awadi
NewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al AwadiNewBase 26-January-2023 Energy News issue - 1587 by Khaled Al Awadi
This document discusses the design of eco-technologies and appropriate technologies. It covers heating, cooking, drying, cooling, and watering technologies. For drying technologies, it explores open-air solar drying, indoor drying racks, smoking methods, and solar dehydrators. For cooling, it discusses techniques using evaporation, air currents, cooler air intake, and ice storage. It also discusses water harvesting methods like fog catchers, solar stills, pumps, and gray water systems. The document emphasizes applying scientific understanding of topics like heat, flows, optics, and materials to best design technologies for permaculture.
John Barrie: The Appropriate Technology Collaborative - How to end poverty us...ignitea2
The Appropriate Technology Collaborative (ATC) is a nonprofit organization that designs affordable and sustainable technology solutions to meet basic human needs in developing countries. ATC focuses on designs that are energy efficient, promote health, create economic opportunities, and improve the environment. Some of ATC's award-winning designs include a solar-powered vaccine refrigerator for Nicaragua and Guatemala, a simple water disinfection system, and a solar LED replacement for kerosene lamps. ATC works with local partners and universities to develop and implement these projects.
The document discusses various types of renewable energy sources including solar energy, hydro power, and biomass. It provides details on how hydro power works by using dams to collect water and turbines to convert the kinetic energy of flowing water into electricity. It also explains the basic process of generating electricity from solar energy by using photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity. Biomass energy is obtained from burning organic matter like wood and agricultural waste to produce heat or electricity. These renewable sources can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels.
The document provides a final report on a project to design a rooftop greenhouse and bio-diesel processing plant for an elementary school. Key details include:
1) The greenhouse will be heated using bio-diesel produced on-site from used vegetable oil obtained locally. A bio-diesel processing plant and boiler will be built to produce heat for the greenhouse.
2) Safety is a top priority given the school setting. Dangerous chemicals will be locked away and exhaust vented properly. The design accommodates 10-15 students.
3) The 20' x 50' greenhouse and 332 sq ft processing plant will fit on the school roof. Students will help maintain the greenhouse and learn about renewable
The document discusses the transition from the Fire Age to a new era driven by electricity. It notes that while fire has been essential to human progress and remains important in some areas like cooking and transportation, it is also dangerous and a major contributor to pollution and climate change. Electricity offers advantages as it is more efficient, produces less waste, and can replace fire for many applications. The roles of fire and electricity in human activities are rapidly evolving, with electricity increasingly supplanting fire.
This document proposes converting Northeast Wisconsin Technical College's hot water system to a solar heated system. Rising electricity and natural gas costs are cited as the main problem. Solar energy offers many financial and environmental benefits, including reduced operating costs compared to traditional water heating methods. The proposal suggests installing a solar hot water system at the smaller Niagara campus first as a test, with the goal of expanding it to the larger Green Bay campus if successful.
The document discusses energy conservation and different sources of energy. It notes that people originally relied on the sun, their own bodies, or animals for energy but now heavily depend on fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. However, these are non-renewable resources that contribute to issues like global warming. The document then outlines various renewable energy sources like hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal and biomass as alternatives. It emphasizes the importance of energy conservation through individual actions like using appliances efficiently and transportation alternatives to limit energy use and environmental impact.
This document is an assignment submission on "Future of Renewable Energy" submitted by M. Afzal Rana and M. Bilal Ilyas to their lecturer Sir Fareed Ahmad. It includes their roll numbers, session, and university college affiliation.
This document discusses heat and energy conversion, biomass energy, and biogas production through anaerobic digestion. It notes that biomass is one of the most commonly used renewable energy sources, accounting for 15% of the world's total energy supply. The experiment described found that combining cow manure with mashed bananas produced more biogas than combining manure with vegetable peelings, contrary to the hypothesis. Intermittency is a challenge for wind power integration due to fluctuating wind speeds. Energy storage can help address this issue and provide more stable grid integration of intermittent renewable resources.
Clean energies and their uses in technologyPaola HT
The document discusses various types of clean and renewable energies including solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, and others. It provides details on how each technology works and notes their environmental and economic benefits over fossil fuels. These benefits include lower greenhouse gas emissions, improved public health by reducing pollution, and greater energy independence and job creation at local levels compared to fossil fuels which import energy and send money overseas. Overall the document promotes clean energy as having significant advantages over fossil fuels.
This document compares an Indian innovation, the solar cooker, to a foreign innovation, the induction cooker. It provides background on each type of cooker, including how they work, their history, advantages, and disadvantages. The solar cooker uses sunlight to cook and heat food, while the induction cooker uses electromagnetic induction to directly heat cookware on the stove. The document concludes by comparing and contrasting the key aspects of both cooking methods.
The document discusses global warming and climate change. It asks whether the world is getting warmer, if human activity is causing rising temperatures, and what can be done about these issues. It defines global warming as the long-term rise in Earth's average temperature due to greenhouse gases. Suggested solutions include using public transport and renewable energy, planting trees, and upgrading industrial equipment to reduce emissions. Individual actions like using fans instead of AC and dressing for the weather are also recommended. There needs to be both international cooperation to mitigate global warming and local adaptation to impacts.
The document discusses several examples of "fake eco-propaganda" in architecture and urban planning. It analyzes buildings like the Strata Tower in London that touted green features like wind turbines but failed to deliver on energy savings. It also examines the 2012 London Olympics that promised to be the "greenest Olympics ever" but ultimately emitted over 3 million tons of carbon dioxide. The document argues that while sustainability efforts can achieve reductions, high-profile projects often overstate their green credentials and end up producing more emissions than projected due to issues in design and implementation.
Any time a home or building is constructed, it’s important to understand how the structure works as a complete system. It is much easier to build a green home once
familiar with some key principles, such as how heat and cold are transferred and the reasons why moisture and air move throughout our homes. If you properly direct the
system that is the structural house, it saves on energy losses through both air leaks and added moisture.
Make sure you watch free video inside this eBook that shows you a very simple DIY method for slashing your power bill to pieces.
Here are the key points about how the US has converted to the metric system:
- The US is one of the only remaining countries that does not use the metric system as its primary system of measurement. Most other countries adopted the metric system in the late 18th/early 19th century.
- In 1866, Congress passed a Joint Resolution stating that the metric system of measurement should be introduced into the United States "as soon as the same can be done without causing detriment to its business interests." However, no serious action was taken at that time.
- In 1975, the Metric Conversion Act was passed, declaring metric as the preferred system for trade and commerce in the US. It established the US Metric Board to coordinate the
1. 100 | PEG SEPTEMBER 2013
GOODWORKS
For most Albertans, keeping warm during the evening is as simple
as turning up the thermostat. Not so in the Guatemalan Highlands,
2,600 metres above sea level, where an open fire on a dirt floor is a
common choice. Even if the flames don’t hurt family members, the
toxic smoke they breathe probably will.
It’s a serious health and safety problem in Guatemala and many
other developing nations. A group of University of Calgary engineer-
ing students, however, came up with a simple and inexpensive solu-
tion, working in collaboration with a small not-for-profit in Calgary
called Help for the Highlands of Guatemala, or HFHG.
The students’ creation is a heat exchanger called the Chinook.
Existing high-efficiency stoves get smoke out, but on their own they
don’t do much actual heating of a home. Add the Chinook and the
problem is solved.
How did the students get to this point? Rewind to 2007. Two
Calgary professionals are looking for a way to use their skills
and experience to improve the living conditions of impoverished
families in Central America. Together they form HFHG, which
works to supply clean water, sanitation and high-efficiency stoves
— ecoplanchas — to families in the mountainous Mayan village of
Quiacquix, population 1,300.
Over the past three years, volunteers with Help for the High-
lands have installed ecoplanchas in 150 Quiacquix homes, replacing
the traditional — and unvented — three-rock cooking fires used in
three-quarters of the region’s homes.
“We were initially focused on water, but when we went there,
we quickly realized there is really a need for stoves because of the
respiratory deaths that were being caused by the open fires. It’s one
of the leading causes of death for the Mayan women and children,”
says Alan Sitter, P.Eng., cofounder of HFHG.
It’s a problem not only in Guatemala but in millions of homes
across the developing world. The World Health Organization esti-
mates that smoke from indoor cooking fires — which creates car-
bon monoxide and other noxious fumes — works out to two packs
of cigarettes smoked a day per person and causes numerous health
problems. Women and children are more likely to breathe the smoke
and are especially vulnerable to chronic respiratory illness, tubercu-
losis, eye infections, pneumonia and burns.
Student Design Addresses Deadly Heating System
Sitting around a fire for tea or a meal might seem like a foundation of happiness, but in some developing
countries the technology people use to stay warm — open fires on a dirt floor — is literally a killer. A design
project by six University of Calgary engineering students, however, creates a safer, healthier heating system
for families than one that poisons the air they breathe
BY CORINNE LUTTER
Member & Internal Communications
Coordinator
Each concrete ecoplancha has an oven core made of brick, a
flat-iron top and a steel chimney, and removes 99 per cent of smoke
from the house. As an added benefit, ecoplanchas burn 70 per cent
less wood than an open fire, saving families money in fuel costs
while reducing air pollution and deforestation.
Problem solved, right? Not so fast.
Upon return visits to see how the stoves were working, Help
for the Highlands volunteers discovered a perplexing conundrum.
“The ecoplancha stoves are really designed to be used in a
warm climate. But it’s cold up there in the highlands and the people
have no heat in their homes,” says Mr. Sitter. Nighttime tempera-
tures can drop to around 5 C.
“Because the stove we install is so efficient, it does not heat
up their homes. So people continue to build three-rock fires to
heat their homes — even after the vented ecoplancha stoves have
been installed,” he says.
A retrofit was in order. “What we were looking for was a heat
exchanger to go onto the flue pipe so families can sit around the
stove and stay warm at night,” says Mr. Sitter.
But even though thousands of the ecoplancha stoves are in-
stalled by not-for-profit organizations each year, he could find no
existing products on the market that fit the bill. “Why hadn’t some-
body already built something? Because with non-governmental
organizations, you don’t have money and you don’t have time.”
REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS
A mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Calgary’s
Schulich School of Engineering, Mr. Sitter started mulling over the
involvement of his alma mater. How might creative young minds
in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
approach the problem?
Each year, fourth-year students put their skills to the test by
working on real-world design challenges. Local organizations are
invited to submit proposals, so that’s just what Mr. Sitter did.
Many students, including Jane Leung, now an E.I.T., applied to
work on the retrofit.
“I think we had around 30 projects to choose from,” says Ms.
Leung. “I ranked the heat exchanger project as my first choice
2. SEPTEMBER 2013 PEG | 101
GOODWORKS
and I was lucky enough to get it. I thought
it would be great to help out a non-profit
organization and make an impact.”
So did fellow students Sean Connors,
E.I.T., Asad Dandia, E.I.T., Brian Kemball,
E.I.T., Nishant Patel and Maulin Trivedi.
They all put their names forward and were
selected for the unique opportunity.
Says Mr. Dandia: “As a soon-to-be-
engineer, I think it’s important to use our
knowledge to develop innovative ideas, while
providing sustainable products for individu-
als who need it most. The ecoplancha heat
exchanger that we designed does both.”
For Ms. Leung, who had just finished
a 16-month internship working on the
installation of a gas plant heat exchanger,
it was also a chance to apply her skills in a
completely new setting. “That’s part of the
challenge that I love about engineering —
that’s it applicable outside of your industry.
You can look at Third World issues and
apply what you know to help organizations
like Help for the Highlands.”
DOWN TO WORK
Work on the project began last September.
The students had two semesters to design
and build a working prototype. They started
by consulting with their sponsor to get a
handle on the issue and find out their design
parameters.
Their objective: design an economical,
efficient and safe heat exchanger capable of
using heat escaping through the ecoplancha
flue to provide warmth to the occupants of
the house.
To be successful, the heat exchanger
had to
• cost about $15 to build
• be retrofittable to existing stoves
• be easy to operate
• not inhibit cooking
• not leak smoke into the home
• operate under repeated use with mini-
mal maintenance
• prevent accidental burns or cuts
• be quickly installable using conventional
tools
• be built and sourced locally with minimal
materials.
The environment the heat exchanger
is used in was also an important consider-
ation: it would need to heat a home about
FROM FIRE TO STOVE — PART OF THE SOLUTION
Many families in the Highlands of Guatemala cook meals using traditional three-rock fires (left), which leads to respiratory illness and burns. High-efficiency ecoplancha stoves
installed by Help for the Highlands of Guatemala (right) reduce health and safety problems, but don’t provide enough heat to keep families warm at night.
-photos by Alan Sitter, P.Eng.
“There’s a whole bunch of these stoves all over the
world and they all have the same problem in locations that get quite
cold during the evening. This could have a global impact if it is
successful, so that’s pretty amazing — I didn’t think a fourth-year
project could have that big of a potential impact” JANE LEUNG, E.I.T. Team Leader
3. 102 | PEG SEPTEMBER 2013
GOODWORKS
4.5 by six metres in size, made of adobe bricks with a clay roof.
It was assumed that some heat would be lost through leaky win-
dows and doors, and that the average outside temperature was
12 C. The goal was not to heat the whole home but to warm oc-
cupants as they gathered around the stove for their meals or for
evening tea.
After several meetings and much emailing with Mr. Sitter, the
team got down to the business of brainstorming.
“We had a lot of goals originally. We considered using solar
powered fans — we really wanted that forced convection, a lot more
typical for heat exchangers,” says Mr. Kemball. “We tried to find out
if other NGOs would provide solar panels, so we could have fans
driving air, but that increased costs a little too much.”
Shell-and-tube, flat-plate and air-to-water heat exchangers
were also considered — even heat-retaining bean bags.
After meeting with their project adviser, Dr. Abdulmajeed
Mohamad, P.Eng. — a heat-and-mass transfer expert — the team
opted to simplify their design into a thin, flat-plate exchanger that
uses natural convection to maximize surface radiation.
Rectangular and cylindrical designs were considered, but
several drawings and three prototypes later, the rectangle won
out. The cylindrical design took up too much space and was
too expensive to build; while the rectangular design was more
affordable and created a larger surface area to radiate the heat.
“One of the big things on reducing costs is to make sure
that the heat exchanger can be cut economically from the four-
by-six-foot sheet metal they use in Antigua, where the stoves
are manufactured. They have simple machines that can just cut a
straight edge, and hand tools to cut all of the detailed tabs,” explains
Mr. Kemball. (Antigua is a city within the highlands.)
The team refined the design through a series of experiments
testing various hypotheses. What effect would circular or staggered
baffles have? Would black paint help increase external surface
temperatures?
The students didn’t have an actual ecoplancha stove to work
with, but they did have a lab with a heater.
Says Ms. Leung, the team’s leader: “We tried different
configurations of flue pipes on a heater in the engineering building’s
testing facility. We simulated smoke, basically, coming out of the
ecoplancha stove with hot air with the same temperature and
flow rate. We did a series of tests, and in the end our experiments
showed us that a flat-plate exchanger would be the best and would
meet our design parameters,” says Ms. Leung.
During experimentation, the temperature of the inlet and outlet
flows was measured. The flat-plate heat exchanger captured about
29 per cent of the heat entering the flue, or about 522 watts.
The final product is a thin duct that replaces the stove’s
four-inch flue pipe and connects to an existing cylindrical elbow.
“This was not an easy project —
their professors really pushed
them. They had to do a lot of
research because there’s not a lot
of published data on this. I think
it’s fantastic that a group of young,
future engineers took this task to
heart. They could have taken on
projects for large companies that
would most likely have helped
further their careers. However,
they chose to spend their time on a
project for NGOs, to help the native
people in a developing country.”
ALAN SITTER, P.ENG.
Cofounder
Help for the Highlands of Guatemala
4. SEPTEMBER 2013 PEG | 103
GOODWORKS
THE MISSING LINK
From left, Jane Leung, E.I.T., Maulin Trivedi, Brian
Kemball, E.I.T., Nishant Patel, Asad Dandia, E.I.T., and
Sean Connors, E.I.T., pose with their flat-plate heat
exchanger, the Chinook, at an April design fair. When
ecoplanchas are retrofitted with the Chinook, they can
be used as heaters as well as stoves.
-photo by Alan Sitter, P.Eng.
MORE INFO
hfhguatemala.wordpress.com.
The only installation requirements are
to remove the current flue pipe from the
elbow up, then exchange it with the new
design.
“It takes the heat from the smoke and
basically radiates it out of this metal box —
the heat exchanger,” says Ms. Leung.
Each unit is built using
• sheet metal for the main body of the flue
• ventilation adapters
• black spray paint to increase thermal
radiation
• silicon sealant to prevent smoke leakage
• sheet metal screws to hold down
flanges
• chicken wire to prevent users from
touching the hot surface.
The final product meets all the original
design requirements — except cost. Per
unit, the total ended up being $20.65, but
the team is hopeful that materials will be
cheaper in Antigua and that bulk buying will
help drive the price down.
WARM WINDS OF CHANGE
In mid-April, the students presented their
finished product at a student design fair.
The symbolic name of their creation is
Chinook, for those famous Rocky Mountain
winds that sweep across the Prairies and
cause a rapid rise in temperatures.
“This warm rise in local temperature
is exactly what we want to happen with
the heat exchanger when it is used in the
Highlands of Guatemala,” says Mr. Sitter.
He travelled to Guatemala over the summer
to retrofit eight stoves for a six-month pilot
project, working with several local partners
on manufacturing and installation.
He’s especially pleased with the
students’ hard work and enthusiasm, and
the support from their professors and the
Schulich School of Engineering.
“This was not an easy project — their
professors really pushed them. They had
to do a lot of research because there’s not
a lot of published data on this,” says Mr.
Sitter. “I think it’s fantastic that a group of
young, future engineers took this task to
heart. They could have taken on projects for
large companies that would most likely have
helped further their careers. However, they
chose to spend their time on a project for
NGOs, to help the native people in a devel-
oping country.”
If the pilot project is successful, Help
for the Highlands will share the design with
other NGOs, especially those operating
in cooler climates. “It will be free, open-
sourced to anybody in the world who wants
to use it,” says Mr. Sitter.
In the Highlands, thousands of stoves
could be upgraded, and new stoves every-
where could be manufactured with the heat
exchanger built right in.
“There’s a whole bunch of these stoves
all over the world and they all have the
same problem in locations that get quite
cold during the evening. This could have a
global impact if it is successful, so that’s
pretty amazing — I didn’t think a fourth-year
project could have that big of a potential
impact,” says Ms. Leung.
All six students who worked on the
heat exchanger graduated in April and are
embarking on new careers with various
engineering companies, but their experience
with Help for the Highlands won’t soon be
forgotten.
“We’re all going to be staying in
contact with Alan (Sitter) long after we’ve
graduated to see how this turns out,” says
Mr. Kemball. “It’s pretty exciting to be able
to see this project through all the way to
completion.”