This & that...

The following are things I've been reading about recently. I find them of interest, because they're the sort of things I'm thinking of using when I build my retirement home someday. Anyway, read on; each item has a description, a picture and a link to a website.

Swift Wind Turbine:


"Swift is a rooftop mount wind turbine that is quiet. Traditional wind turbines generate some noise as the wind travels the length of the blade. The outer ring on Swift acts as a diffuser as the wind travels down the blades and is dispersed along the outer ring, therefore eliminating the noise and keeping the turbine quiet."

Rainwater HOG:


"The Rainwater HOG is a novel solution to the problem of rainwater or greywater storage in areas where space is at a premium. The Rainwater HOG’s relative small size enables it to fit into many spaced previously not available to water tanks, while its modular design enables it to be extended and capacity increased bit by bit and in multiple locations around your house and property. The Rainwater HOG’s narrow profile makes it the perfect water storage solution along side walls, down narrow passages and underneath decks and house structures. Being able to sit flat, on its side or stand upright on its end the Rainwater HOG is adaptable to almost any situation."

RainTube:


"The patented RainTube material is porous and fits snugly into the body of the gutter keeping debris high up out of the water where it can dry out quickly. Water flows in great volumes around and through the tube via thousands of tiny passageways. In most installations, RainTube "crowns" slightly above the top of the gutter creating a slippery aerodynamic surface that removes most debris with a natual breeze."

Big Ass Fans:


"In hot weather, the fans are operated at the upper range of speed to circulate the air within a facility. The circulation results in an even temperature throughout the area covered by the fans. People are cooled by the breeze, so they are much more comfortable, even though the actual temperature has not been lowered. In cold weather, the fans should be run at slow speeds to slowly push warmer air down to the floor without creating the cooling breeze."

SG Blocks™:


"Using recycled steel shipping containers as the foundation of SG BLOCKS™ coupled with a high tech ceramic insulation make this system a standout in shrinking the environmental footprint. It’s an engineered Safe and Green structural system. It’s the blocks plus the engineering necessary to make it work together. its repeatable, scalable, and so on. We take the container, perform our engineering and fabrication processes, and make it 'Architect and Contractor ready'. It retains its logistic features but becomes a structural building system ready to go. It’s the roughed in, dried in framing package."

Have to plan ahead, right?