Green Alternative Energy

Are you fighting Icicles and Ice Dams this winter?

2011-02-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

By John Haithcock, Adros Energy

You may have noticed long icicles hanging from your gutters and not realize the significance of the damage that may be occurring behind them. Icicles are usually one of the first warning signs of possible ice dams on your roof. This article will explain what ice dams are, how they form and the best methods for removing them safely.

An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof, usually at the gutters or soffit. When it forms the water then backs up behind the ice dam and creates a pool of water. This pool of water can leak into your home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas

Ice dams are usually caused when we have heavy snowfall and improper ventilation in the attic, warm air leaking into the attic area and improper insulation. The warm air finds holes in the thermal boundary between the living space and the attic. This warm air starts to melt the snow, even when the outside temperature is well below freezing. When the accumulated snow on your roof starts melting, it runs down your roof underneath the snow until it reaches a "colder" section like the soffits, valleys or rain gutters. The melted snow then begins to freeze again in the colder areas of your roof. This process of thawing and refreezing is what causes an ice dam. In the case of cathedral ceilings, the warm air stacks in the highest areas, gets transferred to the sheeting, and then starts the melting process.

Cleaning the gutters on your home can help prevent ice dams from occurring as quickly, but they can still occur if the conditions are right. The gutters will be as cold as it is outside, and in some cases, full of frozen debris. So even if you don't have a soffit for the water to refreeze in, the melted water will most likely refreeze when flowing into the gutters.

Properly removing an ice dam can be quite dangerous if you don't know how. In the past, some members of the media suggested hiring a contractor to pull the gutters off your home suggesting the ice dam process would be solved. This suggestion was well intended but wrong. Removing gutters can cause significant damage to roofing and gutter system. And if removed and you have melting snow or rainfall, the water is dropped next to the foundation of the home causing basement flooding and other problems.

Performing ice dam removal without a professional could cause severe personal injury and damage to the roof if not done properly. Never walk on a snow covered roof and make sure if you’re using a ladder you follow the proper safety procedures. I highly suggest contacting professionals with the proper equipment and roofing experience to carry out this job. If you have dams now, it’s best to rake the roof from the ground if possible or hire a professional to clear the roof. Do not attempt to break up the dam. It would be better to wait until spring and fix it the correct way. Of course if you have water entering the home, the dam will have to be removed.

The goal should be preventing ice dams! An energy audit is the best way to pinpoint the cause of the melting snow. Properly ventilating, air sealing the thermal boundary, and insulating the attic is usually the best way to prevent ice dams. The most important of these is air sealing, followed by proper levels of insulation and proper ventilation if possible.

John Haithcock is co-owner of Adros Energy and is a building analyst and building envelope specialist.

What is an Energy Audit and do I really need one.

2010-11-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

What is an Energy Audit and do I really need one.
I have put some additional insulation in the attic and my home is only 6 years old. My windows are good and I weather stripped the doors.
I‟m spending about $3,000.00 a year for oil and my electric bill is about $150.00 a month. I‟m good to go right?

Not necessarily. If you want to learn how to save money and increase comfort, you need to get a professional Energy Audit. The Energy Audit should be done by a trained, experienced professional with a Building Performance Institute (BPI) or similar certification. This will help ensure you get a comprehensive audit done to the BPI standards. Check the ID of the person performing the Audit and make note of it.

A comprehensive Energy Audit will provide you with an Energy Game Plan, that will focus on conservation, building performance, ventilation, lighting, mechanical equipment, appliances, and renewable energy solutions.

A safety inspection of all combustion appliances must be completed. This includes carbon monoxide testing, draft measurement, spillage evaluation and worst case depressurization of the combustion appliance zone. If natural or propane gas is used it also includes checking for leaks.

Building airflow and leakage is the next check and is done with a blower door test. The home is put under negative pressure and each area of the home is checked for air leakage. By knowing the volume of the building we can compare it to ASHRAE standards to see if you have the proper ventilation. Too little can make you sick and too much is wasting energy.

The next area is to check all appliances and lighting for energy usage and year of manufacture. Any old appliances should be exchanged for Energy Star appliances. Most lights should have energy saving bulbs such as compact florescence and pin based lighting.

We then measure R-values of insulation in the walls and ceiling
and determine if any is missing or out of place. An inferred gun is helpful to determine missing insulation or leakage in areas of poor or no insulation, as in around windows and outlets.

A report is generated to identify the tests performed, the results and a ranked list of improvements to lower operating costs. Armed with all this information, the Energy Auditor develops an Energy Plan for your home and living habits. This plan is comprehensive and shows which actions should be taken and how to phase in improvements over time. This plan may take years to implement depending on condition of the building and budget.

By John Haithcock
Adros Energy Sr. Auditor
John is a Build Green NH Member

More information is available at http://www.adrosenergy.com/home-owners

Adros Energy and Flying Goose Brew Pub and Grille team up to take resteraunt Green!

2010-11-07T05:21:00.001-08:00

Adros Energy is proud to work with the management and staff to help the brewery and grille lead NH in sustainable business practices.

FROM THE FLYING GOOSE NEWSLETTER:

It's time to be Green!

The modern era of sustainable practice is beginning to emerge as a prominent feature of business worldwide. Owners and members of the management team here at The Flying Goose Brew Pub have decided that is our time to take action! Our project began with an idea of implementing renewable energy to help become more environmentally friendly; however, along the way this project has become much more. Our first stage completed was a "weatherization" of our building that enabled us to become 30% more efficient which significantly reduced our fossil fuel dependence.

Our next focus has been on a customized geothermal and solar photovoltaic (PV) solution to generate heating, cooling, and electricity to alternatively power our establishment. A geothermal unit has the potential to power all the heating and cooling demands of our restaurant, along with the Solar Array powering up to 20% of our annual electricity usage. Along with plans of placing solar PV panels in the field behind the restaurant, we will also be placing solar thermal panels on the roof. Solar thermal energy is used to heat hot water, and is becoming a widely used renewable energy source in breweries and wineries worldwide because of its high efficiency.

We have learned through our research in developing an environmentally friendly restaurant that, not all sustainable practice must come from large investments like a solar array. Therefore, we have begun taking immediate, smaller steps to reduce our impact on the environment, on an equally important scale. Actions taken thus far include replacing our plastic "to go" containers to those made from recycled and biodegradable materials. From this point we would like to continue to take steps such as this, and eventually replace all our disposable products (straws, napkins, menus, etc.) with products that are eco-friendly. We are also planning to replace all of our cleaning products with green cleaners, this will give us more confidence that chemicals that we use in the restaurant are not helping pollute our environment.

We are moving forward with our initiative and encourage you to ask our staff if you have any questions, or would like to hear more. Stay tuned to hear more about our status in our green initiative!

New Website for Adros Energy

2010-11-02T03:43:00.001-07:00

After much hard work, the company has transformed their website to show the many benefits of going green and conserving energy. Take a look at www.adrosenergy.com to see the re-designed site.

Energy Audits save money and the enviorment

2010-10-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

The use of green energy goes hand in hand with energy efficiencies.
Home energy audits by certified professionals are the best way to get started on your energy independence plan.

The Building Performance Institute sets the standards for a thorough energy audit and defines how to evaluate all aspects of energy consumption Make your that the audit is performed by person with many years of construction experience and holds a BPI certification.

An audit should always start with saftey test to make sure the CO levels from combustion appliances are in tolerated levels.
Blower door testing creates a negative pressure in a home to exaggerate both air leakage point that let the cold air in as well as heat loss points that lets hot air escape. Infrared imaging cameras and other special instruments allow the auditor to perform many tests to determine how well your home performs. Evaluation of electrical use is performed to determine how power is being consumed.

The energy audit report shows all tests performed, the results of the tests and a ranked recommendation of energy improvements that should be made to reduce consumption from improved efficiencies. Most home owners can save over 30% of their current energy bills by following the recommendations made by the BPI certified energy auditor.

Once the building is operating efficiently, alternative energy systems like geothermal heating/cooling and solar or wind can be added to drop energy costs and usage even more!

Learn more at http://www.bpi.org/Web%20Download/BPI%20Standards/BPI-101%20Revised%20Home%20Energy%20Auditing%20Standard%20May%205%202010.pdf

Visit Adros at NH Building and Trade Show

2010-10-31T10:13:00.001-07:00

Adros Energy http://www.buildingnh.com/conference
Building NH Conference and Trade Show
Tuesday at 8:30am
BOOTH 21, Grappone Center, Condord NH
October 14 at 12:10pm · Comment · LikeUnlike · Share · Invite guests

Adros Energy speaks at Home Energy Conferrence

2009-10-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

Adros Energy founder, Phil Morano to speak about sustainable energy advances using home hybrid power, a combination of mutliple clean energy technologies.

Where PYLMOUTH STATE COLLEGE
WHEN: November 21, 2009 1PM
Details:

3rd Annual Home Energy Conference
November 21, 2009

Last December, the NH Sustainable Energy Association hosted our Second Annual Home Energy Conference – we brought together dozens of sustainable energy leaders from around the region, and hundreds of New Hampshire homeowners and contractors for an all-day conference featuring over a dozen workshops, two dozen exhibitors, and an amazing amount of human energy and ingenuity. This year we are excited to offer our Home Energy Conference again.

Mark your calendar for Saturday November 21 as NHSEA hosts its Third annual Home Energy Conference, to be held at Plymouth State University in Plymouth. NHSEA will present workshops providing in-depth information about geothermal, wood boilers, wind, pv, and solar thermal, as well as increasing energy efficiency in and around the home, up and coming public policy issues relating to renewable energy, working to promote community-wide energy solutions, and much more.

Worth Every Penny: Invest In “Green” Energy

2009-07-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Worth Every Penny: Invest In “Green” Energy Systems to Save Money in the Long Term
By Phil Morano, CTO, Adros Energy

So there you are again, looking at the gas pump and the rising cost of fossil fuels. Did you really think the price wouldn’t rise again? History has shown what you know to be true – the cost of fuel will continue to rise and with it, all energy costs.

If you feel rising costs are out of your control, I assure you they are not.

Allow me to share an example. If you constantly use a product, you buy it in bulk, or at wholesale price, right? You get a better unit volume cost, less packaging, one trip to the store versus many, and most importantly, a fixed consumption cost. A “no brainer” decision for many of us as we ride through the tough economic times.

Why not apply the same logic to sustainable energy? The bulk cost is the one-time purchase of a “green” energy system. Unlike utility company commodities; the last time I checked, Mother Nature has not charged anything for Solar, Geothermal or Wind power. The delivery fee and distribution costs are zero. There are never rate increases, added costs, or hidden fees associated with sustainable power.

With renewable energy sources, you get a level of independence that will insulate you from global, as well as national fuel cost pressures that come from fluctuating prices.

Equally, if not more importantly, there are no pollutants added to the environment as we use it. The end result is clean, available, renewable and affordable energy. The biggest hurdles are: understanding what sustainable energy is, what it means, and how to acquire and make the best use of it.

Let’s take a look at cost. Yes, there is an initial investment to use sustainable energy. But, it’s a fixed and predicable cost. If you look at the system as an investment, much like buying a car, then it becomes easier to understand. When was the last time you invested in a car, enjoyed driving it for a few years, and then, suddenly, it started to increase in value or pay you back? Investment in renewable energy pays you back in many ways; Energy cost savings, environmental savings, independence from foreign fuels, a better future for our children, increase in your property value, and the list goes on.

Better still, there are federal, state, utility and in some instances, local incentives to encourage use of renewable energy. These incentives and rebates save you upwards of 35% to 60% off the total investment costs. The end result; you decrease your payback time, while achieving fixed cost, free and abundant energy supply!

Contact Adros Energy via email at info@adrosenergy.com or call 603-880-6007 or visit www.adrosenergy.com should you like to learn more about the many benefits of going “green”.

Adros Energy Hybrid-Power

2009-07-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Adros Hybrid Energy Solutions lead the way for Green Technology to bloom in the Clean-Energy Market
Custom Solar, Geothermal and Wind Solutions coupled with Expert Consulting Services to offer Unique Green Energy Conversion Plans for residential and commercial consumers

Nashua, NH – July 15th, 2009 -
Adros Energy; a leading green energy company in New England, sells and installs solar, geothermal and wind turbine solutions to harness free energy from the earth’s renewable resources. The Adros hybrid energy systems generate free, and clean heating, cooling and electricity to counter the soaring cost, and environmental harm that comes from the use of fossil fuels. The company takes a consultative approach to educate clients about recent technology advances, system cost reductions and lucrative financial incentives associated with using green energy. Their energy consultants explore with clients, the many economic and environmental advantages of using renewable energy to power their homes and businesses. This unique approach has helped the company create immediate and significant market demand for their products and services. “The green movement is rapidly expanding use of clean energy from the few early adopters to mainstream deployment of alternative energy systems” says Matt Currier, president of Adros Energy. “The recent passing of the American Clean Energy & Security Act by congress has only increased the rush to deploy our hybrid energy systems. We are inundated with people eager to learn about our systems, how they work and how to leverage the advantages they offer.”

Clean energy systems that produce heat, cooling, and electricity, with a very low carbon foot print, are quickly becoming the accepted and desired practice for government, business, and individual consumers. People are eager to learn about alternative energy technology and how it can improve the profitability of their business or reduce home costs to stretch budgets. “There is a tremendous amount of information about clean energy available that can be outdated or inaccurate. This often mystifies or confuses how the technology works and pays back” says founder Phil Morano, engineering chief at Adros. “We strive to simplify the conversion to green energy for our customers.

Adros offers a breadth of alternative energy solutions that are specifically developed for each customer project. Adros compliments these product offerings, with energy consulting, system design and financial services. The company works with customers to develop a comprehensive green energy conversion plan. Adros installs their solutions in a phased fashion to match the customer’s conversion schedule and budget.

One of the leading growth areas of green technologies is solar energy. There are two types of solar energy systems offered by Adros. The first is photovoltaic (PV), a method for generating electric power from the sun’s radiance. Adros PV systems use photoelectric cells packaged in modules, or solar panels, to create PV arrays that harness the sun’s power and turn it into electricity. A recent customer, Bill Rapf, installed his Adros PV system to generate a large portion of his electrical power needs. “After converting to solar thermal several years ago, I wanted to expand my use of clean energy. Adros provided expert technical and financial consultation to illustrate exactly how my Adros PV array operates, how much my energy costs would drop and how I would quickly recover the entire investment in just a few years of operation. Even on cloud-covered days, the array generates power. It is amazing to watch my electric meter turn backwards! I’m glad I found Adros Energy.”

The second solar energy system is solar thermal. In this system, energy is derived from the sun’s radiant heat and is commonly used to generate hot water for domestic use or radiant floor heating. Solar heating systems are generally composed of solar thermal collectors filled with a glycol fluid that transfers the heat from the collector to storage tanks where it is then made available for use.
A well suited solution for New England is geothermal technology. The Adros geothermal system is an excellent way to combat today’s high heating and cooling bills. Geothermal provides an extremely cost effective alternative to fossil fuel heating. For new construction the payback is immediate and should never be overlooked by the new home builder. Mr. Evans selected Adros Energy to install a geothermal system in the home he is building. “Working with Adros Energy has helped me understand many geothermal design considerations. They simplified the entire geothermal heating and cooling design process. Adros showed me why their design was technically and financially superior to others. After evaluating multiple companies and designs, I selected Adros for their expertise, quality, affordability and customer centric values. This system is the cornerstone of my project and represents a significant reduction in energy expense and carbon footprint that comes from building green.”

Wind Energy is an emerging alternative energy technology in New England Wind turbine deployment is quickly catching solar and geothermal installations. A wind turbine is simply a generator that produces electricity when the wind blows. Large wind farms consist of massive turbines with blades that may span over a hundred feet. These powerful machines are grouped in large numbers to generate power to meet demands of small towns, large rural areas or even entire cities. Adros uses the same concepts to target the smaller sized needs. The Adros wind system can be mounted on a roof or pole to provide power for homes or small businesses. Like their massive cousins, the Adros turbines can be grouped and linked together to power large facilities and company campuses.

Adros Energy designs, installs and maintains each system they sell. All installations are performed by a team of industry certified Adros technicians. “I think I have the most fun at the company” says Adros owner John Haithcock. “I manage installations at the customer’s site. We often work hand in hand with the clients who are thrilled to see their system come together. It is amazing to see their reaction the first time we ‘flip the switch’ on their new Adros system. Most grin knowing they now have their energy for free and have achieved a level of independence from ongoing increased expenses.”

Adros Energy creates unique custom systems by combining several clean energy technologies to compliment one another. The hybrid system of PV with geothermal provides the power to run the circulating pump without incremental electric cost. In systems where PV and Wind combine, power continues to flow at night or on stormy days, or conversely, on windless sunny days. Using solar thermal combined with geothermal increases the amount of free hot water produced with this Adros hybrid system. Creative combination systems can meet the ultimate green goal; complete “off-grid” energy generation. These customers achieve total independence from traditional energy sources and freedom from big oil or utility companies.

Renewable energy sources contribute immensely to our environmental preservation. It reduces our dependencies on fossil fuels and environmental damage other energy technologies. As business expands so too does the need to find new ways to power our efforts. Green technology is an investment in saving energy and money while conserving vital resources and the environment. Adros Energy is the emerging leader in the Clean Energy Market; offering hybrid energy solutions to allow clients the ability to convert from traditional energy methods to renewable green technology.

About Adros Energy
Adros is a Greek word meaning abundant and substantial which reflect perfectly the same quality of renewable energy. The company was founded in January, 2009, and is privately owned by Phil Morano, Matt Currier, and John Haithcock. The 3 principles complement each other to create an exceptional management team. Matt focuses on business strategy and leads sales & marketing; Phil drives the research & design efforts while managing engineering; John leads quality control, construction and onsite installation operations for the company.

The company has quickly found success and established a leading position in the New England area by educating its customers on the value realized from converting to green energy. The Adros Energy team is dedicated to creating the highest level of customer satisfaction. This guiding principle governs all operational aspects of the company to enable the deployment of high value, quality, and affordable, hybrid green energy solutions. Adros Energy is headquartered in Nashua, NH with sales locations through out the greater New England area.
To learn more visit http://www.adrosenergy.com/ or send email to info@adrosenergy.com. You can also stop at their booth during Boston Green Fest 2009 http://www.bostongreenfest.org/ .

Stephanie Checci
Marketing Consultant
info@adrosenergy.com

The POWER of Wind

2009-06-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

I was in Lempster, NH recently, riding the back roads of NH, enjoying the twisty curves....until I rounded a corner and the view opened up to view a field of wind turbines......giant blades slowly spinning against the blue sky.

I had to get closer to these great machines on the hill!
I turned up a tight road climbing up the powerful machines sitting high in the sky, still spinning slowly.
The massive, energy producing field of wind turbines ran along this small dirt road.
I had to continue....to get close to these intriguing machines...

The road turned to trail, but led me directly under each towering turbine….rotating just above my head,.
Three giant blades rotate….taking the energy from the breeze, giving free electricity to the villages and towns below.
I stood in awe as these machines did their work, converting the wind to tremendous POWER.

That, for me, is the power of wind!

 Please consider the environment before printing!

Oil prices soar

2009-06-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here we go again, a repeat of last summer and $5/gal gasoline by fall.
The increase in oil further validates need for renewable energy solutions.
What price will I lock for oil this year???
$4.67 last year
$6 + this year ?????
Time to buy my Geothermal system before they sell out!

This article from Energy and Capital says it all... http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/cleantech-oil-prices/885

Oil Implications for Cleantech Investors
What Cleantech Investors Need to Know About Oil Prices
By Chris Nelder
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

The future price of oil is a vitally important consideration for cleantech and renewable energy investors. When prices are high, it's good for cleantech, and when they're low, it's bad. Yet too few cleantech investors are equipped with the ability to forecast them.

The price of oil is set daily and globally by a complex interaction of many factors, including supply and demand, relative valuations of currency, speculation in oil futures, delayed feedback loops, economic growth rates, money flows of large investors, geological factors, geopolitics, and many more.

Oil shot to $147 in 2008 because of a particular highly leveraged alchemy of those factors, and it fell to the low $40s today as the leverage unwound and global recession took its toll on demand. Such volatility makes for an extremely cloudy investment outlook, particularly when the investment horizon is measured in decades. That volatility is likely to increase in the coming years.

In order for cleantech investors to succeed then, they must have a deep and rigorous understanding of these factors and be able to anticipate oil prices.

Here are a few essential clues to reading the oil markets. (See also my article of last week, "Updated Oil Price Outlook.")

Global Oil Production Has Peaked
The rate of global conventional crude oil production has been stuck at roughly 74 million barrels per day (mbpd) since 2005, despite a tripling of oil prices over that period, ending oil's long history of supply growth. This is predicted by peak oil models, which describe how oil production grows, peaks, and then falls in a rough bell curve shape for any given oil producing region. All increases in "oil" supply since 2005 have come not from regular conventional crude, but from unconventional liquids such as heavy and deepwater oil, oil sands, natural gas liquids, and biofuels, bringing the world supply of "all liquids" to between roughly 84 and 86 mbpd since 2005 (Energy Information Administration, April 2009 International Petroleum Monthly).

Figure 1: World Oil and Gas Production Profiles, 2008 Base Case

Source: Colin Campbell, ASPO Newsletter No. 96, Dec. 2008

A close study of the all liquids peak reveals a bumpy plateau from roughly 2005-2012, after which oil production will go into terminal decline. The absolute peak will likely prove to have been July, 2008.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that under normal circumstances with regular maintenance and investment, simple depletion of mature fields will cut about 5% from the global supply each year, which is far in excess of what new oil projects may hope to offset.

While the world is certainly not "running out of oil," since nearly half of it is yet to produce, the world has definitely run out of cheap and easy oil. From now on the oil we produce will be progressively harder to get, and more expensive. This point has been emphasized in recent years by the CEOs of nearly all major oil companies, as well as the major oil data providers like EIA and IEA.

Top 10 Reasons to go Green?

2009-05-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

1: Save money
2: Save the earth
1: Save money
3: Save the future for our children
1: Save money
4: Save the polar ice cap from melting
1: Save money
5: Save earth from the next ice age?
1: Save Money
6: Save our men in Iraq
1: Save Money
7: Save the position of the USA as leader in all things!
1: Save money
8, 9,Save......... [Fill in the blank].....
Number 10 on the list..........
10: SAVE MONEY

Free Money?? Green Energy Incentives

2009-05-14T15:06:00.001-07:00

Free money for convertion to Green Energy...
I hear 30% rebates from the Fed....
I hear electric companies paying ME for a change......
I hear about free money from grants....
I hear about states and municiple tax releif

Free Money everywhere!!!!

Since my kids are going to being paying for all this free money we print...
I want some !

Solar, Wind or Geothermal

2009-05-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

As I consider alternative energy for use in New England, I struggle to pick the alternative energy that is best suited.

Geothermal?
New England has cold long winters, so Geothermal becomes an easy choice to get my free heat.
Geothermal also gives me cooling to help on those hot, humid July and August days.
The electricy to run that heat pump might cost me....hmmmm, perhaps a solar panel or 2 could cover that?
I could be relieved of all those high bills in the winter. That good oil deak that I locked in at $4.67 a gallon KILLED my budget.....I wonder what I'll pay this year????

Solar:
In addition to my high oil bill, I find my electric bill continues to climb, yet, I yell "shut off the fill in the blank" all day and night long...as my teen leave the room with no less that 2 lights, a computer and the tv on....
Despite that, I still find electric bill going up....and I found out why...my water heater!
I need some solar panels for my heat pump and my water heater!
Better yet, Solar Thermal system for my hot water?

But, does the sun shine enough in New England?
I am told that new solar panels are far more effecient and can generate power far better than the old ones.

WIND:
I find that when the sun don't shine.....the wind certainly blows.....
Should I combine a Wind Turbine with a Solar Panel?

So many questions, But the answer is clear.....Utility bills are skyrocketing...and my paycheck is getting cut....I need to get this under control....and invest in one or more alternative energy solutions