Archive for the ‘Green Building’ Category

Kohler’s Save Water America Campaign Helps You Save Money

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

For most people here in the Richmond, Virginia area, fresh tap water is just a few feet away at the nearest faucet. Whether we get our water from the Richmond city water system or from a well, it’s unlikely that we have to worry about where our next glass is coming from…yet.

The Earth has a finite supply of fresh water — stored underground, on Earth’s surface, and in the atmosphere. 

Today, less than 3% of the water on Earth is usable for drinking or farming, and desalinization technology is still too costly and takes too much energy to convert salt water into fresh water.

Even though what we have in Richmond seems like enough for us now, as the population grows there will be more and more demand on our water supply.  According to the US Government Accountability Office, 36 states expect to have water shortages by 2013.

Soon, using water-saving technology and adopting water conservation habits will be a necessity for all of us whether we like it or not.

The good news: adopting water-saving plumbing technology now can save the average family hundreds of dollars per year and help increase the supply of water for everyone.

Kohler's Save the Water America Website

Kohler's Save the Water Campaign is helping homeowners save money, while educating people on water conservation and raising money for Habitat for Humanity.

Kohler’s “Save Water America” Campaign is helping to teach Americans how and why they should save water. Its mission is twofold:

  1. Educate Americans on how to save water, and help raise collective awareness about water scarcity.
  2. Donate water-efficient plumbing products to help Habitat for Humanity

The Save Water America campaign has been in place for about a year and has already donated 1.5 million dollars in water-saving plumbing products for Habitat for Humanity

In addition, it has begun to raise awareness about the scarcity of potable water, and provided information about simple technologies that can shave hundreds of dollars per year off the average household’s water bill.

The website is also easy to share with your friends on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, so you can help spread the word about water conservation.

The Save Water America site also provides links to Kohler’s water-saving plumbing products,  such as high-efficiency toilets and faucets that meet guidelines for WaterSense (The Environmental Protection Agency’s water conservation program). 

Installing a high-efficiency toilet can save the average family over 16, 500 gallons of water per year over older, less efficient toilets. 

The savings can add up quickly, making these plumbing fixtures pay for themselves fast. For more information on Kohler’s Save Water America campaign or its green plumbing products, click here. Don’t forget to share it on social media with your friends!

And for help choosing, installing, replacing, or servicing any plumbing fixtures in the Richmond area, give Marshall Mechanical a call today at 804-323-0189. Ross, our Certified Master Plumber, and his professional plumbing technicians will be glad to assist you.  And for more information about our Richmond plumbing services, visit http://marshallmechanical.com/plumbing.

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VIDEO: Lennox Energence Commercial Rooftop Units are Built for Performance

Saturday, April 10th, 2010

The Lennox Energence™ 3-25 Ton (LG/LC) are the most energy-efficient light commercial rooftop units you can buy.

With up to 17.0 SEER and12.8 EER, they exceed the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 minimum standards by more than 30%. And the Prodigy™ control system helps ensure the most accurate setup, reducing startup issues by up to 60%.

To learn more about the new Lennox Energence commercial product line, watch the below video.

You can also find complete product specs at this link:  Lennox Energence Packaged Rooftop Units or simply call Sean Cantrell at locally-owned Marshall Mechanical at 804.323.0189 today.

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HVAC engineers keep you comfortable, no matter the weather.

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
Staying comfy? Thank an HVAC Engineer.

Staying comfy? Thank an HVAC Engineer.

Just ran across this Washington Post article by Roger K. Lewis, an architect and professor at the University of Maryland, talking about the challenges we go through in order to keep indoor climates safe and comfortable.  “Properly conditioning building interiors,” he says, “also means taking care of humidity, unseen condensation, mold and mildew, indoor air quality, acoustics and air drafts, not to mention energy conservation.  Thus, sustainability creating comfortable, healthy interiors entails multiple, often contradictory, demands.”

He’s right.  Temperature regulation is only one small part of what HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling) engineers have to worry about.  Roger goes on to say, “Beyond regulating temperature and humidity, an effective HVAC system helps achieve favorable, year-round air quality by continuously introducing fresh air while keeping out particulate matter and other toxic pollutants.”

Maintaining humidity levels, filtering air, managing noise from system vibrations, and draft levels are all things us HVAC engineers are concerned about.  That’s why when homeowners are in a rush because their air conditioning system isn’t working, for example, we provide an immediate solution like a window air conditioner in order to give us time to take into consideration all the aspects of the environment to engineer and install the right system that will provide lasting comfort for years to come. 

This is especially true these days when energy efficiency and green building technology are so critically important.   Solar and geothermal heat pumps, for example, are being used much more than ever before because of their ability to not only save on monthly energy costs but significantly reduce the carbon footprint for both homes and commercial buildings. 

Designing a home or building and engineering it with the new HVAC energy efficient HVAC technologies requires solar and geothermal expertise.  At Marshall Mechanical, we are your Richmond heating & air conditioning contactor and engineering experts.  We recently installed the first solar assisted heat pump in central Virginia right here in Richmond and we also successfully completed the geothermal installation for the Caroline Family Practice Health Center in Bowling Green, VA.  For all your HVAC engineering needs, both residential and commercial, call professional engineer Sean Cantrell at 804.323.0189.

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All new buildings, starting in 2010, to be 30% more energy efficient, according to Alliance to Save Energy.

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

Historic Preservationists are becoming the true pioneers of the green building movement. The Alliance to Save Energy is calling for all new buildings starting in 2010 to be 30% more efficient.

Take a look at this Green Buildings video from the beta site, Clean Skies, The Energy and Environment Network. A great resource. If you can’t play the video above, here’s the link: Green Buildings cleanskies.com

Brought to you by Marshall Mechanical, your Richmond VA Green Building and Energy Efficiency Experts, for all your residential and commercial building HVAC and plumbing needs.

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