In a secluded corner of Joshua Tree, Calif., a livestock tank painted white, surrounded with cactuses and crowned with black string lights serves as an outdoor tub for ultrahip Airbnb “The Shack Attack,” owned by Kathrin and Brian Smirke. The tub, which the Smirkes dreamed up as a respite from the desert elements, quickly
Small-scale micro hydro power is both an efficient and reliable form of energy, most of the time. However, there are certain disadvantages that should be considered before constructing a small hydro power system. It is crucial to have a grasp of the potential energy benefits as well as the limitations of hydro technology. There
NEED A WAY TO ADD HOT WATER TO YOUR OFF-GRID HOME? This is not your quick 6 minute re-heat option but rather one that given enough time can serve up enough hot water for a nice outdoor shower. How much time it takes depends somewhat upon the season and the climate. It is always
With solar panels, we can use our rooftop space to generate our own electricity. Now, a new kind of panel also allows people to make their own clean drinking water by filtering humidity from the air. A company called Zero Mass Water has developed a “hydropanel” called Source, which uses sunlight and air to collect and filter drinkable water. Curbed explains
Distribute the fresh, potable drinking water through the building at code required pressure. Water from the city, cistern, your well, etc. can all be hooked up to the WOM. Automated systems can manage the connection to multiple water sources to keep the cistern supplied with water. The cisterns elevations are designed to gravity feed
Considering that most disasters can cause serious disruptions in the water supply and the importance of water for survival, putting in a well is a great idea. Of all the possible sources for water, having a well on your own property is the most secure source you can have. Even so, if the grid
An increasing amount of attention is being given to the important role heat exchangers perform in many applications. Heat exchangers have been used in commercial and industrial applications for some time; however, there are many heat streams overlooked, including the huge amount of energy being wasted through the drain plumbing systems. Can we afford
Water has a volumetric heat capacity more than twice that of concrete, three times that of bricks and readily absorbs and releases its heat to the surrounding atmosphere. So we can absorb either twice as much heat as in the same volume of concrete or the same amount in only half the volume. There
