WaterSense Names First Partners of the Year: Kohler, Ferguson, and more
October 10, 2008
We have talked a lot about Watersense here on GetWithGreen.com. The first WaterSense Partners of the Year are being recognized for encouraging Americans to tap into their water resources wisely over the last year.
“EPA commends these partners for being blue ribbon winners in water efficiency,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for water. “These water stars are helping WaterSense transform the way Americans view and value our most precious liquid asset and, as a result, we are saving more and wasting less for future generations.”
While EPA’s WaterSense program depends on the efforts of more than 1,000 partners, these four exceptional partners earned this special distinction from EPA:
Promotional Partner of the Year: The Saving Water Partnership
Manufacturer Partner of the Year: Kohler Co.
Retailer and Distributor Partner Read more
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Tankless water heater for your remodel? 7 things to consider.
August 31, 2008
So you say you want to go “tankless” for your water heating needs? Let’s get started! There are at least 7 different well marketed tankless water heater manufacturers on the market to choose from, and many more lesser known.
You will quickly find that each manufacturer has at least 7 models (often double that). Tankless water heaters for indoor installation…tankless water heaters for outdoor installation…tankless water heaters for commercial use…tankless water heaters for residential…gas…electric… Before your head explodes while doing research, it is not really that hard. Gary Gudbranson from Cottage on the Edge breaks down 6 Criteria for Selecting a Tankless Water Heater, and we’ve added one more here at GetWithGreen:
7 Criteria for Selecting a Tankless Water Heater
- Determine your Hot Water Requirement (flow rate and simultaneous users)
- Single Application, or supply for the Entire house.
- Powered by Electricity or Gas
- If Gas, Propane or Natural
- Indoor or Outdoor Installation Location (Venting Configuration)
- Venting Location
- Read more about Tankless on GetWithGreen (see links below)
Gary goes into details for all of the above in his article. It’s a quick read that will help you during your investigation. Take a look.
More on Tankless Water Heaters from GetWithGreen.com:
- Velux introdues new tankless water heater
- GE introduces tankless water heater product
- In defense of tankless water heaters
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WATER HEATER: Velux delivers new solar water heater
June 27, 2008
Add Velux (the skylight company you find at The Home Depot) to the list of companies now offering Solar Water Heaters. This week the company announced their plans to start offering the products that have been proven in Europe.
The company worked hard to ensure that the roof collectors aesthetically pleasing and to integrate well with rooflines while delivering exceptional energy collection capabilities. The units also integrate with VELUX roof windows. The collectors are certified by independent testing agencies in Europe (Solar Keymark) and in the United States (SRCC) and installers must have completed advanced training to assure reliable installations.
The cost of installed systems will vary depending upon the volume of heated water required in a home. Two to three rooftop solar collector panels will usually be installed and solar hot water holding tanks are available in 80- and 120-gallon sizes.
Tim Miller, President of VELUX America, says that federal tax credits can help pay 30 percent Read more
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TANKLESS: GE Introduces Tankless Gas Water Heaters
June 27, 2008
Yesterday GE announced their new line of tankless water heaters. The products are available this month. Here is what GE had to say in their announcement:
A hot shower. Few rituals bring as much pleasure as does standing beneath a warm spray. And few things can spoil that ritual as much as finding that the person who showered before you has used up every drop of hot water.
The new line of GE® tankless gas water heaters provides a continuous supply of hot water* when and where you need it. No more dipping the finger into the spray to see if the temperature is just right, or standing in a cold bathroom waiting for hot water that’s been drained from the tank.
Unlike conventional water tanks that heat and store hot water around the clock, GE’s tankless gas water heater only activates when you start to use hot water, and Read more
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TANKLESS WATER HEATERS: In defense of tankless water heaters
May 25, 2008
Some of our most heated emails and comments on GetWithGreen.com have to do with the savings around tankless water heaters. We will continue to bring you all sides of the story, as we install them ourselves, and discover differences of opinions out there in the marketplace.
Just yesterday, the SF Chronicle ran another article on the subject. Take a look as they deliver some pros/cons: In defense of tankless water heaters
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SOLAR WATER HEATER: 10 Misconceptions and Truths
May 23, 2008
Sooooo much buzz continues around solar water heaters. Mati Bishop recently posted to Building Seattle Green highlighting Ten Misconceptions and Truths about these popular talked about products.
His article Top Ten Misconceptions and Truths about Solar Hot Water, to explain that even in Seattle where it rains alot, you can still get hot water from one of these devices. He brushes on topics such as rebates, using hot water from a solar system at night, expense of a system and installation.
For more on solar water heaters, see our recent article on solar water heater manufacturers and rebates.
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SOLAR WATER HEATERS: Significant rebates are close on the horizon
April 29, 2008
Conventional water heaters, tankless water heaters, & solar water heaters.
The solar water heater buzz is rising across the internet, and feeding the frenzy is the emergence of rebates — especially in California where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation last Fall to spend $250 million over the next 10 years on rebates for solar water heaters.
Rebates from your gas utility can be as much as $1,500. Rebates are paid for by everyone who doesn’t have a solar water heater as your monthly bill will see a small increase of less than twenty cents.
The city of Palo Alto, CA this week joins communities such as Sacramento and Austin with an outline to their rebate program. The latter two programs are already live.
The DOE’s Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has some great information on the topic of solar hot water heaters. There are several flavors of solar hot water heaters, and you’ll need to take a small amount of time to see which type is right for you. The DOE includes a cost calculation sheet on their site that you can work the numbers to understand your payback.
Take a look at the following links for more information on suppliers and pricing; AET, Solar Direct, SolarRoofs.com, Heliodyne (images in this article), Sun Ray Solar, Sun Earth Inc., Sun Systems Inc., ThermoTechnologies, and Apricus.
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WATER HEATERS: Do you wait longer for hot water when going tankless?
February 20, 2008
You will most likely go back and forth and debate the benefits of a tankless hot water heater over a conventional one in your remodel - many of us at GetWithGreen.com have during our remodels (we all went tankless ;-)).
The space savings will be a big draw for those of you living in smaller homes, and for some it will be the energy consumption of the tankless vs. a conventional model, or which one pays back faster? Tankless water heaters deliver hot water “on demand”, without storing it. They circulate water through burners or coils which heat the water. Therefore, a tankless unit never runs out of water in theory, but they do have limitations on flow should too many family members try to consume hot water at the same time - although design of your system should limit this.
One debate that rages on across the internet is the time you will be required to wait for hot water. Will a tankless get your hot water faster, or do you get it faster with conventional? The LA Times’ Pardon Our Dust blog posted one perspective on the topic, and we think it is a good quick read. The article is written by Bill Doering, and it outlines a little test he performed on his own to see which type of heater delivered hot water the fastest. On-demand water heaters: A homeowner’s experience
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WATER HEATER: Return on Investment (ROI) on Tankless Water Heaters
December 19, 2007
A payback analysis for a tankless water heater is something that every energy conscious consumer should consider…
There are a lot of tankless water heater manufactures claiming a wide range of savings on your next water heating bill. A quick search on the web will show you a percent reduction of up 80%. However the question still exists: how much would you really save on your water heating bill using a tankless water heater?
Most importantly what is the payback or ROI of the average tankless water heater and how does it compare to a traditional tank hot water system? Let us try to answer these questions:
Annual costs associated with water heaters of any type are divided into (3) categories:
- Energy costs to heat the water from its incoming temperature to the desired temperature.
- Standby energy costs: in the case of traditional tank heaters, standby cost is the cost of the energy to keep the water hot in the tank all day. For a tankless water heater standby cost is the cost of energy when the tankless water heater is running Read more
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ENERGY STAR: New Energy Star “Home Advisor” tool, advises on how to save
October 26, 2007
With winter just around the corner, we now have access to a tool that can help us evaluate and possibly reduce our energy bills up to 25 percent by making some simple improvements around the home, according to the EPA. The new tool from EPA, the Energy Star Home Advisor, provides consumers with customized recommendations for improving energy efficiency and comfort at home. And as we know, using energy more efficiently is also another way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
?Dropping temperatures don?t have to lead to rising energy bills. By making a few energy saving home improvements, Americans can stay warm this winter, while keeping more cold cash in their pockets,? said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.
The average family spends Read more
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