A great vintage look, reminiscent of Thomas Edison's handmade bulbs but with LED longevity and low energy consumption. What is the difference between LED and Incandescent lightbulbs? At the beginning of the 20th century, light bulbs were handmade, with incandescent filaments painstakingly being placed in tiny glass…

Learn the steps to creating a successful commercial green roof - concept, design and maintenance. Commercial green roof case study AB Canada Nestled in the Oldman River valley in Lethbridge Alberta, the green roof on the Helen Schuler Nature Centre (HSNC) has been attracting local and international attention from…

Are you planning on repainting brick finishes on the exterior or interior of your home? Using standard oil or latex paint can trap moisture & at best may cause the paint to chip or peel. Discover more here. Is painting brick a good idea? Bricks will absorb moisture from the interior of a home and they need to be…

The name Tesla inspires visions of fast cars, rocket ships, high speed trains and now home solar roofs. So far they are big on fanfare but short on hard facts. Tesla is a powerful brand that when riding on its track record of electric vehicles needs to do little but step into a market to get glowing accolades. Some…

How to keep power consumption at a minimum in an off-grid house without affecting quality of life. This is the fifth piece in a blog series written by Craig Anderson as he documents the design and construction of an off-grid LEED Gold passively-heated home. See post 1 of the off-grid homes blog here, the overview…

Just as a regular battery stores electrical energy, a thermal battery stores heat. Solar heat can be collected, stored and distributed later as needed. What is a thermal battery? Thermal mass of any kind can by definition be called a thermal battery, as it has the ability to store heat. In the context of a house…

If you are thinking about going off-grid with solar panels and a battery backup, there are lots of good reasons to do so and ways to do it more affordably. We will outline a few here. Heating when the grid is down: Beyond lighting, cooking and general home operation, the biggest risk to home comfort and security in…

Tips for preparing your house for winter: how to make your house more efficient to save money on heating, more durable to save disasters & maintenance issues & more comfortable to keep the family toasty through the winter. Top Tips for preparing a home for winter Extremely low temperatures over winter can test your…

Aquion Energy's Aqueous Hybrid Ion (AHI ) saltwater batteries offer a safe, clean, non-hazardous and hassle-free solution to storing your own power. Updated: Aquion as a saltwater battery is no longer available in North America having moved to China after being bought out. But we've heard about a Dutch company who…

Post 4 in Craig Anderson's off-grid living blog covers heating systems - what worked, what didn't, and what changes were made. This is the fourth piece in a blog series written by Craig Anderson as he documents the design and construction of an off-grid LEED Gold passively-heated home. See post 1 of the off-grid…

Ever wonder how solar panels actually work? Here is a great explanation of how sun is converted into electricity, and some resources for getting set up with solar panels in Canada. Going solar at home is more straightforward and affordable now than ever before, with areas throughout Canada experiencing a jump in…

Off grid living blog, part 3: This third post by Craig Anderson outlines the energy systems of his off grid house and explains why he chose them. This is the third piece in a blog series written by Craig Anderson as he documents the design and construction of an off-grid LEED Gold passively-heated home. See post 1…

Urban centers are increasing in population, with that comes the challenge of making them a healthy and enjoyable place to live, both in a green home and out. First published in SAB magazine . The way we live is changing. As both an architect and a resident of Vancouver, I am regularly confronted with how our cities…

Learn how to fix Ice dams on your roof before they cause damage - if you look up and see icicles hanging on the gutter then it's probably ok to say "Ice, D@mn!". Ice dams form at the bottom of roofs, letting water penetrate and cause damage to the interior of walls and roofs. When snow melts on a roof it runs down…

Modular Passive House construction replaces hospital staff housing that burned down in 2004. Bella Bella is a small community located on Campbell Island between the northern tip of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii. Approximately 90% of its 1,500 residents belong to the Heiltsuk First Nation. In 2004, a fire…

Ten things to know that will help you get the best value out of a photovoltaic solar panel system. Diligent research is absolutely essential for any homeowner looking to install a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel system on their home. But at some point, you need to hand the reins over to a trustworthy contractor. To…

This is the first in a series of blogs we will post from Craig Anderson about the ups and downs of building an off-grid home. The following is a firsthand account of a building project by Craig Anderson and his wife France-Pascale Ménard who bought a large piece of land in West Quebec overlooking the Gatineau River…

What to look for in a new home and location. For most of us, purchasing or building a home will be the biggest investment of our lives. This section is about knowing what to look for in new homes to get the best value for your dollar, or what to look for in a building lot for the same reasons. What to look for in a…

A roof leak isn't really a roof leak if it’s leaking in on a sunny spring day as the snow finally starts to thaw. It's more likely a build up of frost and ice in your roof space - so how to prevent it. Frost in attics: why is there ice in my roof? When a warm sunny day arrives after a long cold stretch and it seems…