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Uncommonly Sensible

Keeping the "anal" in analytical... (While trying to remain civilized)

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Monday, March 16, 2009

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?

10 Comments:

Blogger Bunny said...

OK, algore...come clean. What have you done with Jack? "Environmental footprint?" "Capturing rainwater/greywater?" "Wind turbines?" Look out, Jack. I think algore has hacked into your computer. ;-)

[All in jest, my friend. Interesting reading here.]

March 17, 2009 12:26 AM  
Blogger boberin said...

Some darned fine ideas. I can't wait to see what we come up with now we seem to be truly "putting our minds" to it...so to speak.
I'm betting we can do without foreign oil completely, these ideas seem to be a fine start down that path!
Interesting and informative as ever Mr. Camo!
Thanks!

March 17, 2009 8:48 AM  
Blogger Just call me Shelly said...

Mother Earth catalog personified. Shoot, after years of religiously reading the magazine in my "back to earth" days in the 60's and early 70's--this info would make us so excited that peeing ones pants would likely happen

March 17, 2009 9:18 AM  
Blogger benning said...

Very clever ideas! I wonder how long until they're outlawed because they don't comply with some Obamabot's diversity plans?

The only one I question is the wind turbine. You may make electricity, but you make a lot of dead birds, too! ;)

March 17, 2009 3:01 PM  
Blogger mig said...

Grey water is illegal in some states... from ghettocottage.com: Some of these things that we do to keep our cost of living down are, according to current California laws, illegal. For example, using gray water, which is basically taking the water that runs down your sink drain and diverting it into your garden to water your plants. Sounds harmless right? Well, it is, but it is also against the law. It's illegal in most states.

Stephen and I had talked about using grey water to water flower beds and vegetable gardens during our drought years only to find it was illegal.

March 17, 2009 3:45 PM  
Blogger camojack said...

Bunny:
Heh. Those "blurbs" came from the respective websites for those items.

My primary concern is saving $$$; free electricity and water are ways to do it.

boberin:
I think many people have been putting their minds to it for quite some time now, and doing without foreign oil sounds great to me.

Ms RightWing:
I've never seen a Mother Earth catalog, but I have heard of them.

I'd bet that if they're still in existence, they'd be online now, though. Save the trees!!! ;-)

benning:
I guess those birds should watch where they're going, if they're not already doing so.

But seriously, I don't think small home-based windmills are as much of a concern in that regard as the huge commercial ones.

mig:
I'm not so much interested in capturing grey water as storing rainwater, since I'll be retiring to a desert region without public water piped in.

The more I can save, the less I'll have to pay to have delivered, although I'm sure I'll need more water than whatever falls as rain.

March 17, 2009 10:01 PM  
Blogger Hawkeye® said...

Reminds me of the game "Clue"...

Mr. "Green" did it in the SG Block house with a Big Ass Fan...?

Seriously though, sounds cool.

(:D) Best regards...

March 18, 2009 8:05 AM  
Blogger Bunny said...

Hawkeye...LOL!! ;-)

March 18, 2009 1:56 PM  
Blogger Beerme said...

Many people have been working on these ideas for a long time and will continue to do so, without the government mandating it.

In fact, without such government interference it will be done smarter and better. I believe I've read that some gray water storage systems, for instance, violate rules put into place by government agencies and would be difficult to install in many states because of idiotic environmental regulations.

I just read an article in Popular Science about the Big Ass Fan, too!
Cool!

March 21, 2009 9:13 AM  
Blogger camojack said...

Hawkeye®:
Pretty clever...and funny.

Bunny:
Indeed. ;-)

Beerme:
I found out about all those things from Popular Science, too. Or was it Popular Mechanics?

Well, it was popular, anyway...

March 21, 2009 6:47 PM  

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