Daniel Linley of Elkhart won Indiana Landmarks’ Servaas Memorial Award for his project proving the superior energy efficiency of vintage windows over modern ones.
A window salesman’s pitch put Daniel Linley on a quest to prove that new windows would be more energy efficient than old windows. But in his six-grade science fair project at Pinewood Elementary the old windows won, and so did Daniel’s project – at the school, local and regional levels. Daniel also took home the Servaas Memorial Award and accompanying $1,000 prize from Indiana Landmarks. Read the rest of this article at the Indiana Landmarks website here.
So do you have the urge to dance to your favorite tunes in the shower, but wearing your earbuds makes it hard to wash your hair? Amerec’s Shower iPod Docking Station could be the answer. This is a waterproof docking station for your iPod or iPhone with speakers, FM radio and a waterproof remote control. Jam to your tunes on your terms.
The Clean Cut Dispenser from Smart Product Innovations, Inc. has created a hands-free paper towel dispenser that dispenses paper towel cut to the length you need using your preferred brand of paper towel.
The dispenser mounts under the counter. It has a light beam on either side. Break the beam on the right and paper towel is dispensed. Allow the length you need to roll out. Remove your hand and the dispenser will stop. Break the beam on the left and the paper is cut. You can then take the cut sheet to use without ever touching the remaining paper. This allows the paper to be used cleanly without contaminating the unused portion of the roll.
At our house we’ve started using the half sheet paper towels. Often that is sufficient for the need. This device would allow you to use quarter sheets, half sheets, three-quarter sheets or however much is sufficient for the task. This is a green option since you only use what is needed.
The device is $126 at Amazon.com. It comes in four finishes including the stainless steel option shown here. It requires a wall outlet to plug in a low voltage power adapter.
The U-Socket from FastMac features built-in USB ports. It is available in Decora style (shown to the right) and standard style. With so many smart phones, iPhones, gaming devices and other items that charge from USB style adapters, you need a place to charge without having to search out your charger or having to turn on your computer. U-Socket provides this.
U-Socket’s built-in smart sensor automatically detects required wattage and only outputs power when it’s needed and shuts off when it’s fully charged. This makes it a green solution as most chargers continue to try and charge when the device is fully charged or even when the device has been disconnected. Stoppng this kind of “Vampire Drain” is an easy energy saving solution.
We’re going to suggest this device for home office locations and for those counters in the kitchen or near the door where everything gets dropped when you enter your home. Personally, I’ve started using my phone as an alarm clock and the duplex I plug into isn’t conveniently accessible. That means I don’t unplug the charger during tthe day. This appears to be a great solution for this everyday problem.
For more about the costs of vampire drain and how to prevent it, check out the article at the Department of Energy site here.
Excessive condensation is an issue in bathrooms, particularly those with showers. The Dewstop Fan Switch by GTR Technologies is designed to prevent this problem. Code requires that all new bathrooms have exhaust fans. Often the fan does not get turned on when it is needed. Conversely, it may get left on and forgotten. The old solutions to this problem are motion sensors and timers, but neither of those solutions actually run the fan for the correct amount of time.
The Dewstop switch has a “Condensation Sentry” which detects condensation on nearby surfaces and automatically activates the exhaust fan, airing out the room until it reaches an acceptable humidity level. The fan then automatically shuts off. This means that the fan runs the correct amount of time and doesn’t waste energy by running too long and doesn’t risk moisture problems by not running long enough. That makes this a green solution to the problem.
The fan can be activated manually as well, so it can be run at other times as well. It is also available in a Fan/Light combination.
What’s missing here is a timer or motion sensor for the light switch. This would make it truly hands-free device. That would enhance it as a green device as well. Possibly that’s something that will be coming down the pike.