Earlier this month I was able to interview Jane Melia, founder of Harvest Thermal, a product that has been getting a lot of accolades and the latest product we are bringing to the Small Planet Supply line-up. I was curious about the story behind the product, how the system works and how the product is evolving to benefit both consumers and the environment.
Read MoreThe world of smart technologies is moving forward at an alarming pace. Sometimes it isn’t easy or economical to retrofit an entirely new “smart” system, or maybe you want to install a system that boasts some of the highest efficiency in the market but doesn’t come with “smart” features out of the box. Harvest Thermal can help bridge the gap from a basic hydronic combi system to an optimized smart system poised to harness the most energy from a heat pump water heater and take advantage of the growing implementation of demand/response utilities program. I had the chance to sit down with Pierre Delforge, Head of Operations and Product at Harvest Thermal, and pick his brain on how this new system came about and how it can benefit homeowners.
Read MoreThis year, instead of giving tips about how (our already climate savvy) readers can reduce carbon footprint, we wanted to take the opportunity to encourage people to work with others to address climate change. It makes a difference both emotionally and in scope of impact when we work together. Discovering and focusing on your personal “why” and “who” can make it easier (and even fun) to work on behalf of the planet.
Read MoreLast month was the three year anniversary of Small Planet Supply’s Better Building Coach. Designed as a mobile showroom to allow customers not able to come to our warehouse locations to see Small Planet Supply products. The COVID pandemic definitely shut things down for a while, but the coach is back on the road on a more frequent schedule. I sat down with Eric Fenno, the current Transportation Engineer and Sales Associate in our Tumwater warehouse to talk about his experiences with the Better Building Coach.
Read MoreAs we continue to face the challenges of climate change, one of the most pressing issues is finding ways to reduce our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Small Planet Supply and WaterDrop Systems are tackling this problem head-on by using a revolutionary technology in a new system that has the potential to transform the way we heat and store water in multi-family buildings.
Read MoreAs the evolution of high-performance building evolves, the focus on carbon has increased from not just measuring how much energy a building uses to operate, but also measuring the amount of carbon used in constructing a building as well as end of life carbon cost. Luckily, a product you may already know can help you manage your carb(on)s. That product is ThermaCork.
Read MoreIndoor air quality is a critical aspect of a healthy living environment. In recent years, more attention has been given to the importance of proper ventilation in homes, buildings, and offices. One of the best ways to improve indoor air quality is to install a heat recovery ventilator (HRV). HRVs are designed to bring in fresh air while also conserving energy and reducing moisture buildup. Zehnder, a leading manufacturer of ventilation systems, has made it their mission to make the use of HRVs easy for everyone.
Read MoreIf you’re interested in installing a SANCO2 combi system in your home and schedule a complimentary consultation, Small Planet Supply Sales Engineer Peter Reppe is the person who will be providing you guidance via the phone. A recent interview with Peter shed some light about his experience with these consultations and what potential SANCO2 combi customers can know about the process.
Read MoreIf you’ve explored our Small Planet Supply website a bit, you may have run into our SANCO2 for Space Heating page. If you haven’t, a SANCO2 combi system refers to when a SANCO2 heat pump water heater is also used to heat a home in addition to providing domestic hot water. This innovation of doing this in North America really started here in the Western United States. In fact, the first SANCO2 combi used in a retrofit application in North America was done by Small Planet Supply CEO Albert Rooks in 2015. If you’ve ever wondered about the backstory using a SANCO2 combi system in retrofit construction, this interview is worth a read.
Read MoreAs a homeowner, you might be wondering how you can take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to improve the energy efficiency of your home. People have been talking about different components of the plan individually, so if you’re having problems looking at how the different pieces of the act can fit together, it totally makes sense!
Since the unexpected announcement of the IRA, Small Planet Supply has been following (as well as we can) the features of the act homeowners (and even renters, in the case of the electric vehicle credit) might be most interested in. Here’s a brief summary of what we found exciting in the legislation.
Read MoreThe Inflation Reduction Act contains numerous incentives for multifamily and commercial buildings, whether you’re a manufacturer, developer, architect, designer or a small construction company. Small Planet Supply’s Ben Wong has been researching what some of these benefits are in his latest blog post.
Read MoreSmall Planet Supply has been selling ThermaCork Decorative cork since 2013. While we know how fabulous it is, we forget to share what makes this building/decorative product so special. Here are the top five reasons why we love ThermaCork decorative cork.
Read MoreSANCO2 heat pump water heaters make for a super-efficient domestic hot water system (so great in fact, that they are a key component of the WaterDrop System, learn more here). These heat pumps work in a wide range of climates and are very efficient down to -27*f. Being used in such cold temperatures brings a common issue however, and that is the issue of ice. Read on to learn more about what’s happening to these units in super cold climates, and what ECO2 Systems has done to remedy the problem.
Read MoreProsoco R-Guard products are an excellent choice for an air and water barrier system. They’re a popular product line but not everyone understands why these products are an excellent choice for building. This brief blog post highlights the top five things we love about Prosoco and a little bit about the Prosoco R-Guard products we carry at Small Planet Supply.
Read MoreA lot’s been happening with Small Planet Supply’s WaterDrop systems. We caught up with Small Planet Supply CEO Albert Rooks to learn more about how the WaterDrop and the new Droplets evolved as well as new innovations that are in the works.
Read MoreIn a world where energy prices are rising, power grids are being overtaxed, and evolving building codes are pushing for electrification, a greater need for shifting electricity loads is emerging. Thermal Energy Storage (TES) can help by allowing energy to be stored during off peak hours for later use when it is needed most. Shifting energy loads off peak is a strategy that is being implemented by more utilities. It reduces strain on already burdened power grids and allows for energy demands to be met and paired with greener methods when they are available.
Phase change materials (PCM) are quickly being recognized as a great way to utilize this strategy of storing thermal energy and releasing it on demand. A phase change material has a phase transition temperature that can utilize the absorption and release of energy in practical applications. For buildings, this is usually in the range of temperatures that are comfortable for humans. These materials can be incorporated in different applications within buildings, be it space heating or domestic hot water heating, and are becoming more and more available for use by builders and manufacturers.
Read MoreSpace heating and water heating account for 82% of conventional housing energy use and 46% of net zero energy-ready housing energy consumption. There’s vast potential to improve heating and cooling strategies to be more energy efficient and less fossil fuel reliant. Heat pumps serve both space heating and cooling, and they can be used for domestic water heating as well. As heat pumps don’t generate heat but instead, they move heat from one place to another. That is why heat pumps are so energy efficient, resulting in lower energy bills. It’s also why many building departments are encouraging their use in new builds and renovations.
Read MoreSince Washington increased its energy efficiency credit requirements in the residential building code, I’ve run across a few blog articles that suggest ways to meet using natural gas heating or water heaters. Since a key reason for changing codes is to build homes or multi-family buildings that are better for the environment, I thought I’d take some time to look at the code and see how hard (or easy) it is to meet the code without using natural gas. WSU’s Energy Program was an excellent resource for learning about the code and all the informative graphics (except for the drain water recovery system) are from their PPT presentations.
A quick caveat: these totals are based on Washington State Building Code requirements there may be additional requirements for local building jurisdictions.
In our last blog post about California’s Title 24, we outlined how the new mandatory building code energy credits system works, and how a recovery ventilator can give a massive boost to EDR credits. California’s Title 24 requirements continue to call for improvements to a new building’s energy usage, and we’re back with more data further prove that best-in-class recovery ventilators are the way to go for efficiency, comfort, and meeting regulations. Based on tests done by Build Smart Group and Luke Morton, Mortan Building Group, the following findings display just how beneficial any Recovery Ventilator can be, and especially so for best-in-class, such as the Zehnder systems carried by Small Planet Supply.
Read MoreOkay, we all just experienced it. Summer temperatures in the nineties or low one hundreds. In the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia this used to be an anomaly that happened once every three or four years. Now it is something that seems to be happening a couple times or more every summer. When the hot weather comes, it’s easy to go to the quickest thing that will cool you down whether it be a window air conditioner or dragging out the kiddie pool.
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