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ReVision Energy Newsletter - April | |||
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Space Heating with Solar Power in Richmond, Maine
Randy Lane, proud owner of a ReVision Energy solar hot water system, is going to be opening up his home at 8 Abby Lane in Richmond, Maine on Thursday April 16th from 6-7:30pm. This will be ReVision Energy's first 'sponsored' Solar House Party event and we hope you consider joining in the fun! Randy, a 30 year veteran of the building trades, designed and built his home with both active and passive solar applications in mind. The passive solar system is a solarium / greenhouse designed by Lane to provide supplemental space heating. The active solar application was designed and installed by ReVision Energy. There are 90 evacuated tubes installed on the south facing roof, mounted on a stainless steel racking system at 45 degrees to optimize year round performance. These collectors heat a 160 gallon, super-insulated dual coil storage tank. Hot water from the storage tank supplies both domestic use and supplemental space heating. The system is backed by a high efficiency propane boiler. Lane has been monitoring the energy his systems produce and reports that his savings are quite impressive. Randy has taken the information he has learned from his own experience and applied it to his building practices. Randy is the founder of New Earth Solutions, Inc., a green general contracting company whose goal is to bring energy efficient solutions to new construction or remodeling clients at an affordable price. The open house is a chance for those interested or curious about passive or active solar design to come and see it for themselves. There will be a representative from ReVision Energy present to describe how the solar hot water system works. There will be a tour of the systems and plenty of time for questions and answers. The event is free and all are welcome. Please plan to meet at 8 Abby Lane in Richmond by 6pm. If you have questions please contact Jen at (207) 221-6342 or email jen@revisionenergy.com. | |||
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NEWAIM Fiber Mill Goes Green in Waldoboro
Last winter Al & Nancy decided to make energy efficient upgrades to their operation. They started by sealing air leaks and improving insulation. Next they decided to tackle their fossil fuel consumption. On energy they say their “biggest use is the propane used to heat the water required to wash your fiber.” To address this problem, they contracted with ReVision Energy to design and install a 90 tube solar hot water system that acts to preheat the water that enters their propane fired water heater.
Solar Hot Water System Operation - Propylene glycol, the heat exchange fluid in the system, gets hot in the rooftop collectors. Whenever the temperature of the collector fluid is hotter than the temperature of the water in the 160 gallon solar storage tank, the hot glycol circulates through a closed loop system from rooftop to heat exchange coil located at the bottom of the tank. The solar heated water then feeds into the propane water heater. The system is designed such that if the sun has made the water hot enough, the propane boiler will not fire. You can learn more about NEWAIM solar installation as well as the products they serve by visiting www.newaimfibermill.com. | |||
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Rhoades Building Products recently partnered with ReVision Energy ReVision Energy and Rhoades Building Products formed a partnership earlier this year to offer renewable energy systems to builders, contractors and homeowners in the Downeast Region. ReVision Energy plans to open an office within Rhoades' Holden location. The expansion into Downeast Maine is being led by co-owner Lee Landry. Of the recent partnership Lee says “We are excited by the opportunity to merge our renewable energy expertise with Rhoades Building Products to offer the people of Downeast Maine the latest green building materials and practices. I am confident that our partnership with Rhoades Building Products will help us in our goal to transition Maine families away from fossil fuels to clean, efficient, renewable energy sources; to power our lives and heat our homes.” | |||
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Getting to Know Lee Landry  Lee was born in Bristol Connecticut but his family moved soon after to Northern Aroostook County where he spent most of his childhood. His father designed and manufactured wood boilers sparking his interest in renewable energy early on. After graduating from Bangor High School, Lee joined the Marine Corps, where he served with distinction for eight years earning the Navy Achievement Medal on two occasions. After returning home Lee worked in the transportation industry doing everything from driving trucks to managing a trucking terminal. When he learned that his father was starting his own business, he left his job in transportation to begin a career in home heating with him. “I wanted to learn the trade from my Dad, help him get the business off the ground and help bring us closer together.” During the next ten years Lee went from Apprentice, to Journeyman and finally Master Oil and Solid Fuel Technician working with his father and others in the home heating trades honing his skills. In 2006 Lee was approached by Pat Coon of then Energyworks with an opportunity to join forces and install gasifying wood boilers. Impressed by the gasifying technology and with the level of organization that the company displayed, Lee decided to explore his opportunities with ReVision Energy. In January of 2008 Lee invested in the business to become part owner of ReVision Energy along side Pat, Bill Behrens, Phil Coupe and Fortunat Mueller. Lee is currently transitioning from Solid Fuel Projects Supervisor in Liberty to Operations Manager of the new Downeast Branch to be located in Holden. Outside of work Lee enjoys hunting with his son and father; snowmobiling with his wife Barbara, spending time with his family and friends and motorcycling. | |||
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ReVision Energy currently carries 5 of BioHeat's products. We have the Solo Plus, our most popular boiler option burning at 75-80% efficiencies. The Solo can be purchased with or without thermal storage, a great option if thermal storage is not right for you at this time. The Innova has superior heat transfer efficiencies, is easy to light, and has a smoke extraction passage to keep smoke from entering your home when opening its door; this boiler requires thermal storage. The Froling Turbo has unmatched efficiency of over 91%. It has a unique second ash removal door and ignition port for easy lighting. The Froling Turbo's advanced gasification technology makes it the most efficient way to burn cord wood; this boiler requires thermal storage. If you have to replace your boiler, or do not have a flue readily available the Excel Multi-Fuel may be your option. The Excel is a wood and either oil or gas boiler combined. When you are heating with wood the oil or gas will remain off. Only one flue is needed for this heating system; thermal storage is required. For a pellet boiler option, we are carrying BioHeat's Multi-Heat boiler. The Multi-Heat burns at 91% efficiencies and with its integrated hopper it can run for days on a single load of fuel. Look online at our wood boiler pages to get more information about these systems. Please call Bub at (207) 899-6856 to place your wood boiler order today! Want more? You can get a FREE Termovar Loading Unit, a $595 value, just by paying for your boiler in full! Deliveries must be made by June 15, 2009. | |||
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April 16 - Solar House Party! Join us April 16th from 6-7:30pm for our first solar house party! The event will be located at 8 Abby Lane in Richmond, Maine. This home is super insulated, has radiant concrete floors, and is designed to utilize both active and passive solar techniques. The solar house party is a chance for people to view the solar designs used in this home and mingle with the homeowner as well as a ReVision Energy representative to talk about the feasibility of solar and green design. The event is free and all are welcome. Call (207) 221-6342 or email jen@revisionenergy.com with questions.  April 17-18th - Midcoast Sustainable Living Expo - Make sure not to miss the third annual energy Expo in Damariscotta. This year's Sustainable Living Expo will be held April 17 and 18 at the Central Lincoln County YMCA. This is an opportunity for consumers to learn about energy saving and affordable options for a more environmentally responsible lifestyle. ReVision Energy will be there both days. We will have a booth set up inside displaying our solar hot water and solar electric technologies. Outside we will have a wood boiler displayed with experts on hand to answer all of your questions. To learn more about this visit Midcoast Green Collaborative
May 9th - Smart Energy Expo Maine Partners for Cool Communities is hosting the Smart Energy Expo at the Kennebunk High School from 12-5pm. The Expo aims to bring together people who are marketing or designing renewable, sustainable, efficient energy products and services. The event is free to the public, food and beverage will be sold. Any funds raised from this event will go into a 'green' fund that has been created to support sustainability projects at the Kennebunk High School. Contact Jennifer Niese with questions (207) 294-2961.
May 9th - Portsmouth Sustainability Fair located at the Portsmouth Middle School. Portsmouth City Council voted to make its city an “Eco-municipality,” a community that is committed to being guided by a set of sustainability objectives for its entire decision making. This fair will be promoting ways to reduce fossil fuel dependence, reduce use of chemicals and synthetic substances, reduce our encroachment upon nature, and how to meet human needs fairly and efficiently. The fair hours are from 10-2pm, there is no charge for the public. Contact Jeffrey Cooper with questions (603) 436-7945. Thank You! | |||
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Chris Rhoades, CEO and founder of Rhoades Building Products, is making a huge commitment to sustainability throughout his company. With five locations: Holden, Blue Hill, Ellsworth, Milbridge, and Machias, the company is well positioned to lead the Downeast building industry into the 21st century. “We believe it is time for the building industry to evolve with a much stronger emphasis on sustainability and 'green' construction practices,” said Rhoades.
Bioheat is getting ready to run its annual Spring sale! From April 15th through May 15th you can save $500 on a BioHeat boiler. Or you can save $1,000 by purchasing a boiler with thermal storage mass.
