So great to hear you’re on the path of creatively reducing waste through design inspired by reclaimed materials. There’s so much potential here. I myself have been passionate about material cycling and preventing waste since I was a teenager, and of course my family was always collecting antiques, refinishing them, and buying second hand.

If you’re looking for more resources, definitely check out the page below, specifically the reclaimed material sources tab! And I’d love to hear more about your ideas and designs you come up with in this vein! Perhaps you’d like to submit a guest post to feature it sometime!

http://www.raisingspaces.com/selecting-green-products/

All the best to you.

I am finalising plans to build a passive house in Krakow / Poland. My architect and the heating engineer think I am nuts with all the unconventional ideas I am trying to incorporate into the design and I have quite up hill struggle to make them see my way.

I am strong believer that future for housing and environment lie in energy reduction at household level and that eventually future homes will become low energy consumers or even self sufficient in energy. Believe or not, if I produce electricity in Poland I am not able to sell it – yes, I can but I need to employ full time electrician, apply for a licence …blah… blah. For now I gave up. Hope that European community will impose legislation changes in Poland soon and not spend time on important things like imposing “straight bananas” from exporters )

I want to incorporate things like ground heat exchanger (GHE) for my mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), ground heat accumulator (GHA)- modified to my concept – draw hot air (forced drought by axial fan) from attic to ducting (plastic) buried under insulated (from all sides) floor slab of the basement. GHA will be used to preheat municipal water before it is fed through waste heat recovery (US supplied “Power Pipe” unit) to water heater (tank in a tank design) for domestic hot water (DHW).
GHA will be suplemented by solar panels (vacuum units) – they will primarily heat storage tank of 750L and any excess will be diverted to GHA.

GHE will be buried pipe (Rehau) through which MVHR will draw air before it is distributed into the house.

The 750L tank will be connected to a second tank – similar size that will be heated by pellet stove and backup gas condensing boiler. The second tank will incorporate a built in tank for DHW which will be in circulation.

I will also incorporate grey water (Canadian supply RGW250) unit.

I want to know how your set up is working? Would you change anything from the initial design? Is it working as expected?

Generally I would appreciate you sharing your experience.

Thanks and stress free New Year.

Check out our rebate listing or this page (http://www.ec.gc.ca/financement-funding/default.asp?lang=En&n=A730CEF3-1) to find rebate providers in your area. From there you can check on your eligibility and the process to apply.

All the best and good on you for going water efficient!

Thanks!

Heather Kaschmitter