text:
In this article we will consider the common stereo and surround sound in Valleyford, WA speaker location and layout types that you will come across for home theater systems.
It is common for people to spend a great deal of time and money buying and installing a large flat screen TV, but then pay little attention to the sound that they hear. They forget that the sound forms a large part of the movie experience, and if it is ignored then they will be missing out on half the fun.
Whilst the audio you get from a modern flat screen TV can be acceptable, it is nothing compared to a dedicated sound system in your room. The extra volume and clarity your will get from an amplifier and speaker setup is far superior to the built-in speakers you get with your television.
One of the important decisions you need to make if you are considering a speaker system, is to decide which speaker configuration you want for your room. Here is a list of the the most common speaker layouts you will come across. They are often given names that refer to the number of speakers in the setup, and these are the terms we will use here:
1. 2.0 Configuration
Otherwise known as good old stereo. This is the most basic setup which will have two speakers either side of your television. surround sound in Valleyford, WA. Although a basic setup, you can still get a much better sound than the speakers on the TV with a good amplifier and pair of speakers.
2. 2.1 Layout
This is similar to the stereo version above. The difference being there is the addition of a subwoofer. A subwoofer is a large speaker dedicated to reproducing the low, bass frequencies and can make a big difference to the sound quality - especially for movies with lots of deep bass sound effects. The '.1' in the name tells us there is a subwoofer.
3. 5.1 Configuration
This is a surround sound in Valleyford, WA setup, which means there are speakers placed all around your listening position to make you feel right in the middle of the action. This configuration has six speakers - front left and right, centre, surround left and right and a subwoofer. This is the most common setup for a home surround sound in Valleyford, WA speaker system.
4. 7.1 Layout
A 7.1 surround sound in Valleyford, WA system has eight speakers. It is the same as the 5.1 layout above, except it has two extra speakers placed behind your seating position. This speaker layout gives an even better feeling of being part of the action.
5. 7.2 Configuration
This is becoming more common and many AV receivers now support this layout. It is the same as the 7.1 configuration above except it has two subwoofers. The main reason to have two subwoofers in your room is to spread the bass frequencies around the room more evenly.
Now that you understand the different stereo and surround sound in Valleyford, WA speaker location configurations you have to choose from, it is easier to make a choice as to the best layout for your room. The one that you choose may depend on the space you have available in your room, or may come down to the budget you have to spend on your system.
The main thing to remember is that any of these will give you a much better sound than you get from your TV.
Once you have decided which layout you want, there are many things to consider regarding the placement of the speakers in your room. For more information on speaker placement, follow the links below.


text:
Zimmerman says he'll appeal NBC lawsuit dismissal
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — George Zimmerman has filed a notice to appeal the dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against NBC Universal and three reporters.
The appeal notice was filed Tuesday with the Seminole County Clerk of Courts. Judge Debra Nelson on June 30 dismissed Zimmerman's lawsuit, saying the former neighborhood watch leader had failed to show the network acted with malice.
Nelson said the malice standard was appropriate because Zimmerman became a public figure after he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, in February 2012. It generated a national conversation about race and self-defense laws. He was acquitted of second-degree murder last year.
In his lawsuit, Zimmerman says NBC's editing of a story on the shooting made it sound as if Zimmerman voluntarily told an operator that Martin was black.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Central Savings Bank invests in LSSU's South Hall project
Lake Superior State University's campaign to renovate South Hall into a state-of-art facility that will house its school of business has received a major gift from Central Savings Bank. The $150,000 donation means the Central Savings Bank Center for Strategic Business will anchor South Hall's second level.
LSSU accepted the check during a meeting of the Central Savings Bank's Board of Directors on Jan. 8. CSB's contribution, from restricted funds, started in 2005, when the Board of Directors first approved the Bank's pledge to the South Hall Project.
The restoration and renovation project, slated to begin in winter 2014, will turn South Hall into a cutting-edge learning environment for students and collaborative space for the community, while preserving an important historic building on campus. When it's completed, the building will house LSSU's School of Business and its Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
"I have always believed there is a need for an identifiable home for the School of Business at Lake Superior State," said Central Savings Bank Chairman of the Board W. W. "Frenchie" LaJoie. "Some of our best employees are graduates of the program and with the combination of talented faculty and an outstanding facility, LSSU can produce a whole lot more."
The CSB/LSSU relationship goes back for more than four decades.
Currently, 14 LSSU graduates are employed at Central Savings Bank, including President and CEO Ronald Meister; Executive Vice President Mark Savoie; Senior Vice Presidents Cathy Mason, Penny Kraft, and Sandee Amble; Vice President Rob Landis; Assistant Vice President Suzette LaJoie; Consumer Loan Representative Erin Albrecht; Bookkeeper Mary Beth O'Neil; Tellers Chrissy Groover, Sharri Kostecki, Dede Gravelle and Josh McCollum; and Marketing Director James Parker. Central Savings Bank Director Dennis Skinner is also a graduate of LSSU.
In addition, the following CSB employees have attended or are currently attending classes at LSSU: Deb Sauro, John Allison, Wil Benoit, Brenna Moher, Morgan Laundy, Allison Walsh, Holly Carroll, Andrea Masters, Audri Maki, Melissa Noble, Erica Gordon, and "Frenchie" LaJoie.
The Central Savings Bank Center for Strategic Business will be located on South Hall's upper level. It consists of two seminar rooms where students will have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and business leaders on business plans, strategies and projects. A third room will be the LaJoie Board Room, which will overlook Shouldice Library, Crawford Hall of Science, and the campus commons.
The board room is named in honor of LaJoie, who served on LSSU's Board of Trustees 2004-2012, including two terms as chair in 2010-2011. The space will offer a premiere location for board and committee meetings, faculty gatherings, and for students to present plans and portfolios in a true corporate boardroom setting.
"Our continued support of LSSU and the School of Business is something we take pride in at the Bank," said CSB President and CEO Ron Meister, who was the inaugural recipient of the LSSU School of Business Outstanding Alumni Award in 2001. "The University is an integral part of the community and its success is important for growth in our area. At CSB, we value the education students achieve in the business school. We are very pleased to see the school being moved into a renovated South Hall."
Central Savings Bank has been a very generous donor to LSSU, supporting enrollment and development initiatives, athletics, artistic and capital projects, and through the Central Savings Bank Scholarship that provides talented LSSU business majors who are pursuing a career in banking with an opportunity to work and stay in the local community. More than 20 students have benefited from the scholarship, an investment of more than $100,000 over the years in local post-secondary education. Three scholarship recipients -- Mark Savoie, Erin Albrecht, and Holly Carroll -- are currently employed at CSB.
The CSB South Hall gift supports an LSSU Foundation campaign to raise $3 million in private donations for the $12 million construction project to renovate South Hall. A 3-to-1 match from the State of Michigan through the capital outlay process will provide the necessary funds to begin construction in 2014 with anticipated completion in 2015. The facility will be a destination point for students in all fields of study, with expansive spaces for gathering and team building, and will connect students to the world with improved technology.
Watch a fly-through animation of the building design by running a Web search on "South Hall opportunity." For information on the South Hall Project, contact the LSSU Foundation at 906-635-2665 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
When you started library school, did you know exactly what kind of librarian you wanted to be? Or — did you have a general idea, but you were open to other possibilities?
That's where I was when I started at SLIS. I knew without a doubt that I wanted to be a librarian, but I also figured out pretty quickly that the traditional library job market is more competitive than ever before. I began to lean toward academic librarianship, specifically reference work, and as an English major I assumed my subject specialties would be in the humanities.
However, a combination of library school experiences in my second year – a great Special Libraries professor and mentor, student jobs and internships, and an amazing Science Reference class – have convinced me that not only are my reference skills transferable to many other jobs, but that a variety of subjects and nontraditional jobs can hold my interest. I currently have a paid internship in an academic military library, something I didn't even know was possible when I started library school.
If you're not really sure what special libraries are, here is a good starter definition – they are essentially libraries or information centers within corporations, private businesses, government agencies, museums, colleges, hospitals, associations and information management consulting firms (and any other institution you can think of – I have a friend who interned at a paranormal library!).
I can't sum up an entire course worth of information on special librarianship for you, but I did want to let you know that amazing jobs in nontraditional library settings are out there, and give you a broad overview of my favorite resources.
If you are even the tiniest bit interested in a nontraditional library job, you should look into a student membership with the Special Libraries Association, or SLA — students only pay $40 for a year membership. It's still a lot of money, but if you're interested in going to the annual conference (as well as gaining access to all of SLA's resources), it is WELL worth it. If your school has an SLA student group, join it. If it doesn't – start one! Here are some of SLA's resources I have found invaluable:
- My SLA annual and MLW conference experiences. At SLA annual, I met librarians who worked for Target, the Department of Transportation, the European Union — you name it. I truly couldn't believe some of these positions existed.
- SLA First Five Years, which aims to be a resource for new librarians
- SLA Future Ready blog
- SLA Divisions — I'm a member of the Military Libraries Division, but as you can see there are so many to choose from! Many of the division pages contain excellent resources, some of which I have used in my reference courses, and browsing these is a great way to get to know some of the unique positions out there. Also, each of the divisions have a special dynamic and many awesome librarians to network with! In SLA, you are not alone, even if you're a solo librarian.
However, lest you think this post is one big advertisement for SLA, here is the blog for ALA's FAFLRT (Federal and Armed Forces) round table, as well as one of my favorite resources, the Careers in Federal Libraries Google Group.
And finally, human resources!
Since my special library experiences have come in the form of academic science and engineering, medical, and military libraries (and I will happily answer any questions about those experiences!), I asked our very own Nicole Fonsh to speak a little bit about how she came to be a research analyst:
I work in the research library at a private equity firm. There are 7 of us and all of my co-workers have MLIS degrees. For many this was their first job out of grad school while others have some background working in law libraries or academic libraries. We also have a part-time intern from Simmons who works on our catalog and ad-hoc requests as necessary. The library provides "global deal and shared resources staff in each business unit with industry, economic, and demographic research as a means to support informed investment decisions. Services also include database training, subscriptions ordering, and archiving."
We are all called "Research Analysts" and are divided by industry coverage. The industries range from metals & mining to healthcare. The idea is that we are all experts in the resources in our industries that we cover.
I love my job. Honestly. When my internship in the library turned into a full-time opportunity last September I was apprehensive but then crazy excited. Because I realized that what I would essentially be doing everyday was Reference. Which I love. I love finding answers for people and learning new things. This is basically what I do each day. It's cliché, but everyday is different. That is not to say that there aren't times when I want to pull my hair out going "um I don't think that information exists" but I love that it is challenging and new and different each day. And when someone writes back "Thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for" there is a sense of accomplishment and joy that you can't put a price on.
And the best part of it all- I didn't even realize this was something I could do with my degree. But it is and I find almost every day that there is some aspect of one of my classes that I get to apply to my research and searching. And that is a great feeling.
So, do you want to be a special librarian? Here is my ultimate tip. After you have done your research about what types of positions interest you, try to find an internship in that kind of position. While it is possible to get a job based on your other library experiences (transferable skills!), having even a little bit of experience in that position will make a world of difference, especially in more difficult to obtain positions. This is where networking can really help you, so don't be afraid to contact special librarians! Being a member of SLA is a huge icebreaker, but there are definitely other ways to get in touch — Twitter, for example.
Do you work in a special library? Please share what you do and how you got there! Do you have any other great resources to add to our list? If you're a student, do you have questions about special libraries, or any of our personal experiences? We're happy to answer whatever we can, and we'll find answers to the questions we don't know!
Categories: Professional Life, Specializations


text:
Image Format
An Image Format describes the way that the images in Textures and renderbuffers store their data. They define the meaning of the image's data.
There are three basic kinds of image formats: color, depth, and depth/stencil. Unless otherwise specified, all formats can be used for textures and renderbuffers equally. Also, unless otherwise specified, all formats can be multisampled equally.
Color formats
Colors in OpenGL are stored in RGBA format. That is, each color has a Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha component. The Alpha value does not have an intrinsic meaning; it only does what the shader that uses it wants to. Usually, Alpha is used as a translucency value, but it depends on what the shader does with that value.
Color formats can be stored in one of 3 ways: normalized integers, floating-point, or integral. Both normalized integer and floating-point formats will resolve, in the shader, to a vector of floating-point values, whereas integral formats will resolve to a vector of integers.
Normalized integer formats themselves are broken down into 2 kinds: unsigned normalized and signed normalized. Unsigned normalized formats store floating-point values between 0 and 1 by converting them into integers on the range [0, MAX_INT], where MAX_INT is the largest integer for the bitdepth of that integers. For example, let's say you have a normalized integer color format that stores each component in 8 bits. If the value of a component is the integer 128, then the value it returns is 128/255, or 0.502.
Signed normalized integer formats store the values [-1, 1], by mapping signed integers on the range [MIN_INT, MAX_INT], where MIN_INT is the largest negative integer for the bitdepth in 2's compliment, while MAX_INT is the largest positive integer for the bitdepth in 2's compliment.
Image formats do not have to store each component. When the shader samples such a texture, it will still resolve to a 4-value RGBA vector. The components not stored by the image format are filled in automatically. Zeros are used if R, G, or B is missing, while a missing Alpha always resolves to 1.
OpenGL has a particular syntax for writing its color format enumerants. It looks like this:
The components field is the list of components that the format stores. OpenGL only allows "RED", "RG", "RGB", or "RGBA"; other combinations are not allowed as internal image formats. The size is the bitdepth for each component. The type indicates which of the 5 types mentioned above the format is stored as. No type at all means normalized unsigned integers. For other types, the following suffixes are used:
- "F": Floating-point. Thus, "GL_RGBA32F" is a floating-point format where each component is a 32-bit IEEE floating-point value.
- "I": Signed integral format. Thus "GL_RGBA8I" gives a signed integer format where each of the four components is an integer on the range [-128, 127].
- "UI": Unsigned integral format.
- "_SNORM": Signed normalized integer format.
If you want a 3-component unsigned integral format, with 8 bits per component, you use GL_RGB8UI. A 1-component floating-point format that uses 16-bits per component is GL_RED16F.
For each type of color format, there is a limit on the available bitdepths per component:
|format type
|bitdepths per component
|unsigned normalized (no suffix)
|2*, 4*, 5*, 8, 16
|signed normalized
|8, 16
|unsigned integral
|8, 16, 32
|signed integral
|8, 16, 32
|floating point
|16, 32
* These values are restricted to "RGB" and "RGBA" only. You cannot say "GL_RG4". In the case of 2, it is restricted to "RGBA" only.
16-bit per-channel floating-point is also called "half-float". There is an article on the specifics of these formats.
The bitdepth can also be omitted as well, but only with unsigned normalized formats. Doing so gives OpenGL the freedom to pick a bitdepth. It is generally best to select one for yourself though.
Special color formats
There are a number of color formats that exist outside of the normal syntax described above.
- GL_R3_G3_B2: Normalized integer, with 3 bits for R and G, but only 2 for B.
- GL_RGB5_A1: 5 bits each for RGB, 1 for Alpha. This format is generally trumped by compressed formats (see below), which give greater than 16-bit quality in much less than 16-bits of color.
- GL_RGB10_A2: 10 bits each for RGB, 2 for Alpha. This can be a useful format for framebuffers, if you do not need a high-precision destination alpha value. It carries more color depth, thus preserving subtle gradations. They can also be used for normals, though there is no signed-normalized version, so you have to do the conversion manually. It is also a required format (see below), so you can count on it being present.
- GL_R11F_G11F_B10F: This uses special 11 and 10-bit floating-point values. An 11-bit float has no sign-bit; it has 6 bits of mantissa and 5 bits of exponent. A 10-bit float has no sign-bit, 5 bits of mantissa and 5 bits of exponent. This is very economical for floating-point values (using only 32-bits per value), so long as your floating-point data will fit.
- GL_RGB9_E5: This one is complicated. It is an RGB format of type floating-point. The 3 color values have 9 bits of precision, and they share a single exponent. The computation for these values is not as simple as for GL_R11F_G11F_B10F, and they aren't appropriate for everything. But they can provide better results than that format if most of the colors in the image have approximately the same exponent, or are too small to be significant. This is a required format, but it is not required for renderbuffers; do not expect to be able to render to these.
sRGB colorspace
Normally, colorspaces are assumed to be linear. However, it is often useful to provide color values in non-linear colorspaces. OpenGL provides support for the sRGB colorspace with two formats:
- GL_SRGB8: sRGB image with no alpha.
- GL_SRGB8_ALPHA8: sRGB image with a linear Alpha.
These are normalized integer formats.
When used as a render target, OpenGL will automatically convert the output colors into the sRGB colorspace. The alpha will be written as given.
Compressed formats
Texture compression is a valuable memory-saving tool, one that you should use whenever it is applicable. There are two kinds of compressed formats in OpenGL: generic and specific.
Generic formats don't have any particular internal representation. OpenGL implementations are free to do whatever it wants to the data, including using a regular uncompressed format if it so desires. You cannot precompute compressed data in generic formats and upload it with the
glCompressedTexSubImage* functions. Instead, these formats rely on the driver to compress the data for you. Because of this uncertainty, it is suggested that you avoid these in favor of compressed formats with a specific compression format.
The generic formats use the following form:
Where type can be "RED", "RG", "RGB", "RGBA", "SRGB" or "SRGB_ALPHA". The last two represent generic colors in the sRGB colorspace.
The specific compressed formats required by OpenGL are of the form:
RGTC is a special compressed format described in Red Green Texture Compression. The valid type values are "RED", "SIGNED_RED", "RG" and "SIGNED_RG". These are all normalized formats, so the difference between signed and not signed is just the difference between unsigned normalized and signed normalized.
Despite being color formats, compressed images are not color-renderable, for obvious reasons. Therefore, attaching a compressed image to a framebuffer object will cause that FBO to be incomplete and thus unusable. For similar reasons, no compressed formats can be used as the internal format of renderbuffers.
The extension GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc covers the popular DXT formats. It is not technically a core feature, but virtually every implementation of OpenGL written in the last 10 years uses it. It is thus a ubiquitous extension.
This extension provides 4 specific compressed formats. It implements what DirectX calls DXT1, 3, and 5. It has two versions of DXT1: one with a single-bit alpha, and one without.
The formats are: GL_COMPRESSED_RGB_S3TC_DXT1_EXT, GL_COMPRESSED_RGBA_S3TC_DXT1_EXT, GL_COMPRESSED_RGBA_S3TC_DXT3_EXT, and GL_COMPRESSED_RGBA_S3TC_DXT5_EXT. Texture compression can be combined with colors in the SRGB colorspace via the EXT_texture_sRGB extension. This defines SRGB versions o the above formats: GL_COMPRESSED_SRGB_S3TC_DXT1_EXT, GL_ COMPRESSED_SRGBA_S3TC_DXT1_EXT, GL_COMPRESSED_SRGBA_S3TC_DXT3_EXT, and {{code}GL_COMPRESSED_SRGBA_S3TC_DXT5_EXT}}.
Depth formats
These image formats store depth information. There are two kinds of depth formats: normalized integer and floating-point. The normalized integer versions work similar to normalized integers for color formats; they may the integer range onto the depth values [0, 1]. The floating-point version can store any 32-bit floating-point value.
What makes the 32-bit float depth texture particularly interesting is that, as a depth texture format, it can be used with the so-called "shadow" texture lookup functions. Color formats cannot be used with these texture functions.
The available formats are: GL_DEPTH_COMPONENT16, GL_DEPTH_COMPONENT24, GL_DEPTH_COMPONENT32 and GL_DEPTH_COMPONENT_32F.
Depth stencil formats
These image formats are combined depth/stencil formats. They allow you to allocate a stencil buffer along with a depth buffer.
This does not mean that you can access stencil values in a shader. Sampling from a depth/stencil texture works exactly as though it were a depth only texture. The stencil buffer is only there as part of the storage.
There are only 2 depth/stencil formats, each providing 8 stencil bits: GL_DEPTH24_STENCIL8 and GL_DEPTH32F_STENCIL8.
Required formats
The OpenGL specification is fairly lenient about what image formats OpenGL implementations provide. It allows implementations to fall-back to other formats transparently, even when doing so would degrade the visual quality of the image due to being at a lower bitdepth.
However, the specification also provides a list of formats that must be supported exactly as is. That is, the implementation must support the number of components, and it must support the bitdepth in question, or a larger one. The implementation is forbidden to lose information from these formats. So, while an implementation may choose to turn GL_RGB4 into GL_R3_G3_B2, it is not permitted to turn GL_RGB8 into GL_RGB4 internally.
These formats should be regarded as perfectly safe for use.
Texture and Renderbuffer
These formats are required for both textures and renderbuffers. Any of the combinations presented in each row is a required format.
|Base format
|Data type
|Bitdepth per component
|unsigned normalized
|8, 16
|16, 32
|signed integral
|8, 16, 32
|unsigned integral
|8, 16, 32
Also, the following other formats must be supported for both textures and renderbuffers:
Texture only
These formats must be supported for textures. They may be supported for renderbuffers, but the OpenGL specification does not require it.
|Base format
|Data type
|Bitdepth per component
|unsigned normalized
|8, 16
|signed normalized
|8, 16
|16, 32
|signed integral
|8, 16, 32
|unsigned integral
|8, 16, 32
|unsigned integral
|Compressed with RGTC
These additional formats are required:
Legacy Image Formats
As with other deprecated functionality, it is advised that you not rely on these features.
Luminance and intensity formats are color formats. They are one or two channel formats like RED or RG, but they specify particular behavior.
When a GL_RED format is sampled in a shader, the resulting vec4 is (Red, 0, 0, 1). When a GL_INTENSITY format is sampled, the resulting vec4 is (I, I, I, I). The single intensity value is read into all four components. For GL_LUMINANCE, the result is (L, L, L, 1). There is also a two-channel GL_LUMINANCE_ALPHA format, which gives (L, L, L, A).
This was more useful in the pre-shader days, when converting a single-channel image into a multi-channel image was harder than doing a swizzle mask like:
Luminance and intensity are not considered color-renderable. Therefore, you cannot bind textures of this format to a FBO.
The extension GL_EXT_texture_swizzle allows you to replicate this functionality, but in a more generic way. You can set a swizzle mask on a per-texture basis.


text:
Virginia's Most Energy-Efficient Home
The project started out as a quest to build a relatively conventional, affordable home with high energy efficiency. The end result was the region's first near net zero energy home and one of the most energy-efficient homes ever built in the state of Virginia. In March of 2011, the green-building program EarthCraft Virginia presented this home with the Most Energy-Efficient Home of the Year award for 2010, choosing it over 302 other EarthCraft-certified homes.
"Part of our thought process was finding out what we could do to have a lower energy bill," says homeowner David Rasmussen, who along with his wife, Jalna, worked on the design of their King George, Virginia, home, incorporating ideas they had researched over the years about green building. "We knew we wanted to have a house constructed in the most environmentally sensitive method possible. Our research led us to EarthCraft Virginia."
EarthCraft Virginia is a 501c3 nonprofit established in 2006 that provides a blueprint for builders to construct healthy, comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment. It is an offshoot of the EarthCraft green-building program founded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1999 by Southface Energy Institute. Since 2006, the efforts of this residential green-building program in Virginia have far surpassed the national average, with EarthCraft certifying its 1,000th home in 2011.
The Rasmussens consulted with EarthCraft representative Dan Dukes to help them locate EarthCraft-certified builders in their area. When they decided on a floor plan, they contacted two builders to bid the job. One builder came back with a stock plan that incorporated their energy efficiency ideas. But Jeff Hall of J. Hall Homes, Incorporated—who built the home—told them he could build the plan they wanted and not only integrate the green features they desired, but go even further to make their house highly energy efficient. "We did not anticipate the idea of near net zero, but Jeff led us to several things that would help us achieve that," says Rasmussen.
Sitting on 2 acres, the single-story home is 3,537 square feet, with a full basement. The first floor is 1,493 square feet. The basement has 959 square feet of finished space and 596 square feet of unfinished space. There is also a 489 ft2 attached garage.
Hall—a graduate of Roger Williams University, in Bristol, Rhode Island, with a BS in industrial technology, a concentration in construction science, and a minor in business—started working in the home-building industry in 1993. He started his own company, J. Hall Homes, Incorporated, in 1999.
"Being involved in green building and energy efficiency is important to me," says Hall, who built his first Energy Star home in 2006. In 2008, he started classes to become an EarthCraft Virginia-certified home builder. The Rasmussen house, completed in 2010, is Hall's second EarthCraft project.
This house was also Hall's first DOE Builder's Challenge home. This voluntary program helps participating home builders make the benefits of energy-efficient building clear to buyers and differentiates their best energy-performing homes from other products in the marketplace. The program provides a framework for continuous improvement to propel the market toward net zero energy performance.
The quest for high energy efficiency on this house starts from the ground up. The footings and basement slab are layered with foam board, which prevents thermal transfer from the ground into the house and also provides a drainage plane. "We used 1-inch closed-cell foam insulation board under the foundation slab, and a 10-mil vapor barrier was taped and sealed over it," says Hall. "We also waterproofed the footers and installed a capillary break over the top, so moisture won't wick up into the house."
The exterior walls are built with 2 x 6 studs and 24-inch-on-center framing. "Twenty-five percent of all walls are made up of studs, and the wood has an R-value of 1 per inch," says Hall. "So we decreased the amount of wood using the 2 x 6, which increases the wall surface area for insulation and is still structurally sound." One-inch-thick structural insulated sheathing (SIS) with an R-value of 5.5 is adhered to the walls and headers, and every penetration of the wall cavity (plumbing, drains, electrical, etc.) is sealed with caulk or foam.
The exterior wall cavities are filled with high-density fiberglass batt insulation. There is R-22 blanket fiberglass insulation on the inside of the basement walls. The main floor has R-21. While standard code dictates a minimum of R-13, the total wall insulation on the first floor (including the 5.5 SIS) is R-26.5. The house is clad in vinyl siding.
Completing the thermal envelope is a truss-built roof system. While code dictates a minimum of R-38 for flat ceilings, this house's attic ceiling insulation is R-50. The roof is sheathed in 50-year Energy Star-rated shingles made of a heat-reflective material. According to the manufacturer, these shingles reflect the sun's rays, reducing energy costs in the home by as much as 20%. Due to the reflection of the rays, the roof's surface temperature can be significantly decreased, thus decreasing the amount of heat transferred into the house. This in turn reduces the amount of air-conditioning needed in the home by as much as 15% during peak cooling demand.
Hall changed the roof design to accommodate Schuuco PV solar panels rated at 3.6 kW. He faced the front of the house due south on the lot and placed solar panels on it for maximum solar gain. He also designed the roof pitch to allow the panels to absorb the maximum amount of sunlight. The local utility supports net metering, and the Rasmussens are getting credit for all the surplus renewable energy they are producing.
An energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system circulates air through the house and is designed to meet the requirements of ASHRAE 62.2. While an average home's natural ACH is around 0.5–0.6, blower door testing revealed that this home has an ACH of 0.06, according to Dukes of EarthCraft. "EarthCraft has never seen a house this tight," he says, adding that mastic used to seal all the ductwork in the HVAC system produced a duct system with virtually no leakage. The increased efficiency of the duct system allowed for a smaller, less expensive heat pump—going from a 3-ton unit to a 2-ton unit. There is also an air purifier system to clean the incoming outdoor air being supplied to the house.
The HVAC is a geothermal heating-and-cooling system with 320 feet of horizontal pipe buried 5 feet deep near the house. The liquid in the geothermal loop runs through a heat exchanger and provides hot water for use in the house before it cycles back through the system. "During the cooling season, when you run your A/C you are getting hot water for free," says Hall.
A standard water heater tank stores the heated water, but the house also has a 98% energy-efficient propane tankless water heater. "The tankless water heater has a circulation pump with a timer built in that runs only when you set it. A circulation pump moves the water into the system and preheats the water. By preheating the water in the loop, it is hot right away and therefore reduces water waste because you do not have to run the water so long to get it hot," says Hall.
The house's passive-solar design also adds to its energy efficiency. Most of the windows are on the south-facing front of the house, with no windows on the north and few on the east and west. Overhangs above the low-e argon windows and the overhang of the wraparound porch deflect the sun in summer when the sun is high, and bring in light and heat in winter when the sun is low. The amount of space cleared around the house was determined by how large a shadow the trees cast on the house. Because three rooms have no windows, sun tubes were installed to provide natural light. The rest of the lights in the house are part of the Energy Star Advanced Lighting Package.
Guidelines for the Energy Star, Builder's Challenge, and EarthCraft programs encourage a HERS rating index of 70, or a home that is 30% more efficient than standard. The Rasmussen house has a HERS index of 21, or about 79% more efficient than standard; this is believed to be the best score ever achieved in the state of Virginia.
"When you can get a home into the 20s, you are very close to zero net energy," says K.C. McGurren, executive director of EarthCraft Virginia. "Such a low home energy index is amazing. Plus they were able to do it for a fairly affordable price per square foot to get the energy efficiency gains that they did."
The house also received an EarthCraft Virginia Platinum certification, which is the highest possible level. An EarthCraft certification requires 150 points; Gold certification requires 200 points; and Platinum requires 230 points. This house received 330 points.
As for cost, Hall says a standard home of similar size would cost about $250,000 (land not included) to build. Adding all these energy upgrades while reducing costs in other areas brought the house total to $320,000. "We tried to spend the money where we got the most for our dollar, utilizing cheaper items where we could to offset the cost," says Hall. The solar panels qualify for a 30% tax credit, as does the geothermal heating-and-cooling system. And because of the energy efficiency of the thermal envelope, the geothermal system allows for a smaller, less expensive heat pump.
Other materials and techniques were trade-offs. "By using the 1-inch structural sheathing on the house, we did not have to buy plywood or Tyvek. Although that sheathing was more costly, we saved by using batt insulation, which is less expensive than foam, and still got the energy efficiency we were looking for," says Hall. "The advanced framing technique used less lumber in the home. By eliminating some of the wood, no Tyvek, no insulating foam—although the structural sheathing cost more—it was a wash. So there was a huge savings in the way the house was assembled."
Having lived in the house for over a year, the Rasmussens have closely watched its energy performance (see Table 1) and have tried to adjust their habits to make it even better. "Some of the correlation of energy usage and the house is about us learning how to live with the system better," says Rasmussen, pointing out that the first two months of 2011 show the highest electricity usage (683 kWh in January and 732 kWh in February). "In January and February it was high, and I realized it was because of how I had set the timer on the water heater and that it works differently in the summer than in the winter. The spike usage was the time it was making new hot water after hot water had been used up. So the bills were higher until we realized how to manage the system better." Average usage for the first nine months of 2011 was 309 kWh per month.
The Rasmussens' power company (Northern Neck Electric Cooperative) has given them an hourly graph of their daily electric usage. The Rasmussens have used this to see where they can reduce their usage further. They now realize that their electric oven is a big energy consumer. "On a normal day you might see 1.2 to 1.4 kWh per hour. When you bake, you are upwards of 2 kWh," says Rasmussen. Now, after turning off the oven from baking, they often use that stored energy and put raw potatoes in the oven to partially bake while the oven is cooling. The next day when they cook the potatoes to eat, they do not have to cook them as long, thereby using less energy. "The reality is that the electric oven and cooktop kills us. Dan told us to get a gas oven, but we did not like them. Had we done that, we would probably be much closer to net zero."
The Rasmussens have also experienced many of the benefits of their super energy-efficient home. "When the air-conditioning was running a lot in the summer, there were times I don't think the water heater was working at all, and we were getting 120°F out of the geothermal," he says.
The electrical co-op's hourly usage report shows that during the winter the solar panels provide 30–40% of the home's daily electrical usage needs. During late spring and through the summer the panels provide upward of 70%, and sometimes 100%. In April of 2010 the house was producing enough energy to run itself, so they actually achieved net zero that month.
Rasmussen says their average monthly electric bill for the first ten months of 2011 was $58.21, with the lowest bill in May at $31.14 and the highest in February at $104.54 (see Table 1). Ironically, in most months the cooperative's monthly distribution service charge is more than the actual energy usage charge.
>> learn more
For more information on EarthCraft Virginia, visit www.ecvirginia.org.
To learn more about DOE's Builder's Challenge, go to http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america/about.html, go to www.aeanyc.org/distancelearning.
Hall recognizes that green-building programs and net zero homes are more common in other areas of the country, and he's proud to bring this technology to Virginia. He realizes that the more consumers know about the technology available, the more it will become commonplace in the home-building industry. "In the state of Virginia, this home is cutting-edge technology," he says. "Once people are better educated and understand it, they will say it is a no-brainer."
"This is my first zero energy home project, which makes it all so interesting," says Dukes. "The most exciting thing about this project all along was that it's not rocket science. What J. Hall Homes has demonstrated with documented verification is that you can take conventional construction, tweak it a little, throw in a few upgrades, and voila."
"Virginia is finally embracing this program," says Chuck Bowles, program technical director for EarthCraft Virginia, who has been with the organization from its inception. He also did the final testing on the Rasmussen home. "When we started, we probably saw about one house a year. This house is reflective of just how far housing has gone between then and now."
- 1
Enter your comments in the box below:
(Please note that all comments are subject to review prior to posting.)
While we will do our best to monitor all comments and blog posts for accuracy and relevancy, Home Energy is not responsible for content posted by our readers or third parties. Home Energy reserves the right to edit or remove comments or blog posts that do not meet our community guidelines.


text:
Preparing to teach the HTML Fundamentals class at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, this summer, I did a quick bit of research on web browsers to check the current status of the browser marketplace. While not surprised, I was rather taken aback at the downfall of Internet Explorer and fast rise of Chrome.
According to StatCounter, from July 2008 to May 2012, while Firefox and Opera have mostly plateaued, Internet Explorer usage has dropped significantly on a steady downhill slope. Chrome has countered it with a steep incline since its release at the end of 2008. According to Wikipedia, Chrome now represents 33% worldwide share of the browser market, closely followed by Internet Explorer and Firefox, leaving the rest in the dust.
Chrome was originally released for Windows only. In 2009 a Mac OS X version was released along with a Linux version. In May 2010, Google released a stable platform for all three operating systems, and the green line on the chart started moving up the mountain to attack its two biggest rivals.
Firefox suffered greatly in 2010 from problems with Adobe Flash causing the browser to crash multiple times a day. It inspired them to create powerful prevention and protection systems to stop crashes due to poorly scripted add-ons and invalid or nasty design elements like Flash. Their faster development release path continues to make it a serious contender in the browser wars. Firefox currently represents 25% of the worldwide market, though 44-67% of the market in Indonesia, Germany, and Poland.
Web designers, developers, WordPress Theme designers and Plugin developers, and expert web users tend to make Firefox their default browser, though Chrome is becoming a solid choice. The wide range of Firefox add-ons for web page testing and development still outweigh Chrome's options.
Don't underestimate Mozilla's ability to turn themselves around. There is a new version of Firefox called Firefox Aurora, which they call the "future of the web browser." It is designed currently for desktop and Android mobile use and embraces all the latest in HTM5 and CSS3 and other experimental web technologies. It hosts a new interface that resembles previous Firefox interfaces with a nod to Chrome-styles of minimalism. If you like living on the cutting edge of web browsing, get Aurora and give them the feedback they need to make it even better.
In another interesting Mozilla twist in marketing, the Epic web browser by Hidden Reflex, made especially to support the diverse culture and languages of India, is run on the back of the open source code of Firefox. It features India flavored skins and Themes, support for 12 different Indian languages, virus and security protection, television viewing, over 1,500 applications from news to games to social media interaction, a word processor (with multiple language support), to do list tool, snippet app, timer, file manager, and much more. It is currently available for Windows only. While I couldn't find a global market share for Epic, it's a great example of how a web browser can be customized for a specific audience.
Safari and Opera for Mac have had an interesting time finding a grip in the browser market. Like Internet Explorer coming with the Windows operating system, Safari is Mac's "default" browser. While Safari usage has grown slightly, especially with the increase in Mac sales since 2009, it represents under 10% of the global market compared to Opera at under 3% worldwide. This stat may change over the next few years as mobile adoption increases.
As of May 2012, Internet access with mobile browsers globally is just over 10%. With the growing sales of iPhones and iPads, Safari and Opera are becoming preferred mobile browsers for many countries worldwide dependent upon mobile access to the web. For the Android market, Firefox and Dolphin Browser are in the top of the global mobile browser market share.
Today, Chrome Android came out of beta and is being fired up on Android phones and devices around the world. First reports are that it is as fast as the desktop version and compares well against Firefox for Android.
For those living in the web design and development world, Amaya continues to rock as a simple and easy to use web browser and web editor. Started by the W3C in 1996, it continues to represent the most popular web standards. The last release in January 2012 didn't bring HTML5 or CSS3 into the core, but don't underestimate this browser for testing web pages.
Other browsers I consider essential for testing web pages and WordPress Themes include Lynx (for the text and simple view of a web page), Konqueror, the one stop do it all file manager/FTP Client/browser/text editor/SVN client/PDF viewer/etc. Is there anything that browser can't do?
While these numbers are estimates in many ways, most web designers and developers find the stats fairly representative of their own website stats and analytics, skewed towards the audience's expertise on the web. Highly technical and technology specific content sites attract users with state-of-the-art browsers, while others may note that some of their users are still using Internet Explorer 6, one of the death traps in browsers left on the web. If you are one of them, please upgrade immediately for your own safety.
If you wish to dig back into the archives of "browsers we have known or glimpsed in passing," check out Evolt's Browser Archive List. You supply the handkerchief.
Web Browsers Currently Kicking
- Mozilla Firefox (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android)
- Mozilla Firefox Aurora (Windows and Android – Experimental)
- Firefox for Android
- Chrome Browser (Windows, Mac, Linux)
- Amaya (Windows, Linux, Mac)
- Lynx (Windows, Mac, Linux)
- Konqueror (Ubuntu, Windows, Linux, Mac)
- Opera (Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile)
- Internet Explorer (Windows)
- Safari (Mac, Windows)
- Dolphin Browser for Mobile
Subscribe Via Feedburner Subscribe by Email


text:
Suboxone Doctors in Huguenot, NY
Medically assisted treatment is proven to be the most effective way to treat addiction. It is becoming more and more popular nationwide as doctors and researchers determine it to be the most likely avenue for a successful recovery. Traditional 28 day programs are beginning to be phased out due to the overwhelming evidence of medically assisted treatment.


text:
Sold Out
Galaxy S7 Edge Adventure Case - Long Walks on the Beach
$ 30.00
SKU: I151VBCGS7EDMT_ti013a18204
This product is sold out
Please Note: This case is NOT compatible with GPEL Real Tempered Glass for S7 Edge. If you are looking compatible case with our S7 Edge tempered glass, please visit our Real Leather Series or Feather Series case.
The Adventure Series case is all the graphical goodiness of the original Feather Series hard outer shell case but with an added layer of shock absorbing TPU if your extreme lifestyle demands the extra protection - or if you're just simply a klutz like we are. We also added a secret compartment to stash a bit of cash or a card or what have you because why not. Pair it with the accompanying Vivid Glass™ screen protector for the perfect combination of chic and protection.


text:
Your cart is empty
K3 Armory is licensed federal firearms FFL dealer located in Chesterfield, Virginia. We offer a full range of firearms and tactical gear with competitive prices and friendly, down home customer service. Our huge selection of products includes AR-15 rifles, handguns, pistols, shotguns, knives, tactical gear, firearm parts and accessories, ammunition, optics, reloading supplies, hunting equipment, Police/Fire/EMS equipment and so much more. We offer FFL Transfer services residents of Chesterfield, VA and the surrounding areas including Midlothian, Richmond, Powhatan, Mechanicville, Amelia, Petersburg, Chester and more. This includes FFL Transfers to Virginia residents for firearms purchased online and then delivered to us from another seller/dealer. We also provide private-party FFL Transfer and background check services for local, person-to-person gun sales and transactions.
Try searching for something else or changing your filters


text:
Schoenhut's Elite Spinet is a musical instrument of the highest quality. Certain to enhance your child's love of music with its endearing melodic tones. Chromatically tuned, the lovely chime-like notes are produced by little hammers striking precision-ground, German steel music rods (versus the conventional taut wires used in full-sized models).
Schoenhut's® patented Learning System, with its play-by-color teaching method, makes playing simple and fun. A removable color strip fits behind the keys to guide small fingers from chord to chord. The chart also works on adult keyboards, since keys on Schoenhut® toy pianos are of corresponding width. This teaches children proper "finger stretch" from the very beginning. The accompanying Songbook contains a collection of familiar tunes. This Learning System has been specially designed to build a child's confidence and develop basic playing skills.
Mobile Site |
Cart | Health
& Fitness Tips & Information | Products
| Contact
Us | Store Policies| Home
| Your
Account | Shipping
Charge Estimator | Site
Fat Measurement | Pro Body Fat Monitors | Heart
Rate Monitors | Bariatric Scales | Blood
Pressure Monitors | Breast
Pumps | Digital
Thermometers | Nebulizers & Peak
Flow Meters | Fitness
Products | Baby
Video Monitors | Baby Strollers | Bathroom
Scales | Smoking
Cessation | Weight
Loss | | Diabetes
Testing / Glucose Meters | Infant/Baby
Care | Medical/Physician's
Scales | Medical
Strength Testing Equipment | Cooking/Diet
Scales | Portable
Personal Massagers | Jogging
| Bicycle Trailers | Stopwatches & Scoreboards| GreatGift
Ideas | POWERBreather Inspiratory
Muscle Strengthener
Copyright ©1997 -2023 HealthCheck Systems, All rights reserved


text:
Prosecutors in Houston, Texas charged a middle school teacher because she gave a full-on lap dance to a boy for his birthday in front of an entire class of no-doubt impressed preteens.
The teacher, Felicia Smith, staged the lap dance in her classroom at Stovall Middle School on February 26, reports local CBS affiliate KHOU.
When police interviewed the unnamed student, he said Smith, 42, had seductively placed a school chair in front of the classroom after the tardy bell rang. Music began to play – from some undisclosed source – and several students in the class began yelling raucously that the birthday boy should sit down in the chair.
Once the kid sat down, the fortysomething teacher gave him what was perhaps his first full-contact lap dance. According to a police report, Smith did the thing where she turned around and swiveled her butt on the middle school student. She rubbed her hands all over his body. She also got down on her knees and stuck her head between the boy's legs.
It's not clear if the kid enjoyed the lap dance. However, he admitted that he did slap Smith's ass a couple times.
The incident lasted a little over three-and-a-half minutes — presumably the duration of the song that was playing. It's not clear which song was chosen for the special occasion.
At the end of the lap dance, Smith hugged the boy and told him, "I love you, baby. Happy birthday," according to KHOU.
When police questioned Smith, she said she provided the lap dance at the urging of students in the class. She noted that she almost fell down a few times while performing the acrobatics required of the lap dance.
Source: The Daily Caller


text:
African American Students in California by Education Level
|Last Updated
List Description
Exact Data African American Students in California by Education Level mailing list includes the most complete, in-depth consumer information for your direct marketing campaign. The consumer records in this list are systematically hygiened on a monthly basis through National Change of Address processing to provide the highest level of deliverability on the market. Including (but not limited to) both geographic and demographic data, this particular mailing list of African American Students in California by Education Level enables marketers to improve their ROI and build valuable relationships with their ideal audience. Note - Exact Data does not provide data on any individuals below the age of 18.
To purchase the African American Students in California by Education Level Mailing List, select "BUY THIS LIST", then choose quantity. Your purchase may qualify for a payment plan. Select "GET COUNT" if you prefer to be contacted by a sales consultant. Fields included in all consumer lists are: name, address, city, state, zip, and email. Phone number is not included.
Advertise on Facebook: Use our Ready-Made Lists to advertise on Facebook. To create a custom audience on Facebook, upload the email list you purchase to match the information within Facebook profiles, helping you target only the Facebook profiles that match the emails uploaded.
Our Data Hygiene Process
Our comprehensive database is routinely run through a rigorous data hygiene process to make certain all selects, new movers, new addresses, and deaths are accurate and up-to-date.
Instant Download
Once you've made your purchase, you'll receive your list within minutes and have the ability to download it instantly as a .csv file. Your list can be integrated into your CRM application quickly and you can get started with making new connections right away.
Leads for Every Market
We provide direct, specific, and detailed information that allows you to make valuable connections with your future business contacts. This includes emails, names, phone numbers, postal addresses, business titles, company/industry information, department information, fax numbers, revenue, and even employee information.
Transparent Usage Rights
Our pricing is always transparent. There are no hidden fees or long term monthly contracts. We charge the same low price regardless of business size or status.


text:
No products
Check out
Our webstore uses cookies to offer a better user experience and we recommend you to accept their use to fully enjoy your navigation.
Reference: 9900000054038
Condition: New product
This product is no longer in stock
Availability date: 0000-00-00
Tweet Share
Adaptateur PS/2, PS/2 sur DIN 5 broches
Recipient :
Name of your friend * :
E-mail address of your friend * :
* Required fields
Send or Cancel
2,42 €
The minimum purchase order quantity for the product is 1
Add to cart
Add to wishlist
No customer reviews for the moment.
* Required fields
Submit or Cancel


text:
James Best
Personality Profile
Who is James Best? He is a male celebrity. He was born on Monday July 26th 1926, in Powderly, Kentucky, USA,.
James Best holds great compassion and seeks to be of service to others. He is a healer, and capable of giving comfort to those in need - he will frequently offer a shoulder for others to cry on. But actually, James' mission in life is to develop the tools that allow him to be truly helpful to others rather than just a sympathetic ear. James Best must find the balance between help and interference, and the delicate art of the counselor who knows when to leave the struggle to others and when to avoid taking away the necessary experiences and lessons of life.
It is in Best's nature to take on responsibility, to fill the void left by others, and to not turn away from personal sacrifice, albeit at times, he may feel overburdened by the travails of others. However, the love others bestow upon him is his well deserved reward.
James seeks marriage and is often a wonderful parent, offering warmth, protection, and understanding to children. However, he must be careful not to choose partners for the wrong reasons, and to not let sentimentality influence his decision, especially those involving the choice of a spouse. James Best needs to be needed, but must learn to discriminate between those he can help and others who are made weaker by his care. After all, it is in James' nature to be attracted to the weaker brothers and sisters among us. The temptation for Best is to think of himself as the savior of the world, carrying the burdens of others on his shoulders.
James Best is blessed with musical talent, as well as in the visual and performing arts, and can be successful in a number of artistic fields - even when experiencing inability to fully recognize his own talents. He also has enormous talent in business, and his great deal of charm and charisma can be used effectively to attract the people and support he needs. More...
More flavors to James' personality
James Best tends to be quite adaptable, and he finds it easy to fit into most social set ups and vocational fields.
There are no particular virtues that can cause an imbalance in James' personality and life, but he has to work hard and persistently to develop those special strengths that he desires to attain.
Learning to be wisely assertive is a major lesson to be taken by James Best throughout his life.
Tour James' menu and gain more insight into his personality traits, relationships, strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, compatibility with you and with others, and much more.
We invite you to create your own free personality profile, in private and for your eyes only!.
January 31st 2023 brings James Best feelings of accomplishment and success, while it is not a good day for travel.
Today presents James with an opportunity for healing mind and body, and understanding that he deserves to pamper himself.


text:
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Line Drawing
During the preliminary drawing stage, the studio fills with clutter.
Near the maquette of the flying machine are model horses, photos of Nantes, books about insects, coffee cups, and audio cassettes with recordings I've made of steam engines and street noises.
I love this photo of the square called Place Royale in Nantes. This is the period I'm trying to evoke. My dream is that a little over a hundred years ago, Nantes had strange visitors who arrived and departed by moonlight in this incredible flying machine. It flew very gently and majestically like a sailing ship, creaking and hissing steam.
Here's the line drawing. This jpeg is a pretty large file, so if you click on it, you can see most of the details. Even though it's just a line drawing, I'm thinking ahead to tone and color, which is coming up next.
Here's a 40-second video showing a little about perspective and how to seal the drawing before painting.
More about the Utopiales Festival
Previous posts on Perspective Grid, Sealing the Surface
Part 1: Initial Sketches
Part 2: Researching Insect Flight
Part 3: Maquette
Part 7: The Painting
33 comments:
- eric said...
wow! the line drawing is awsome! based on your thumbnails i didnt think you were going to go with that much detail, this is really fantastic!
what kind of board/canvas? do you draw and paint on?
cant wait to see more progress this is going to be great!
only disappointing thing is that you took out the guy who was toasting to the great machine in the sky, haha, that was hilarious sad to see it was deleted!?
- July 5, 2009 at 8:24 AM
- Daroo said...
Excellent post.
Besides adding the solid draftsmanship you've clarified the staging and removed any awkward tangents that were present in the small color sketch (i.e the legs and fountain overlap).
I swear I remember a post that talked about setting up the perspective when the vanishing points are way off the page (involving hash marks?) -- but I can't seem to find it. I'd love to see a video about how to set that up.
- July 5, 2009 at 8:35 AM
- Daroo said...
Oh and I get it -- you draw MOS and then go back and add wild sound later.
Thats what my work is missing: audio perspective.
Do you have a big collection of sound FX?
- July 5, 2009 at 8:41 AM
- Roca said...
Love the short video...especially the budgie chewing on your eraser as you draw!!! I often let mine sit with me in my studio, but I have to put him away when I'm doing a serious piece because he's likely to poop on it!
- July 5, 2009 at 8:54 AM
- Steve said...
NOW we know how you actually get your results! At critical moments in the drawing, the budgie (parakeet?), with its superior mental memory of perspective based on hours of aerial views, takes control of the pencil and redirects its path, saving you from errors.
- July 5, 2009 at 8:56 AM
- Unknown said...
I love this series, watching the painting from the beginning to the end! The line drawing has amazing perspective.
The videos are nice too. You did a very good job putting them together (and the parakeet is a nice touch too ;)
- July 5, 2009 at 9:08 AM
- Dan Gurney said...
With the amount of air movement needed to lift something that heavy from the ground, wouldn't the townspeople be grabbing their hats and having their clothes buffeted by strong wind currents? Wouldn't they look approximately like people standing that close to a helicopter?
- July 5, 2009 at 9:22 AM
- Tim said...
Nice on James! You strike me as more of a herpetologist though. No iguanas for you? I kept Leopard Geckos, a green iguana and two Savannah monitors. Awesome pets!
But back to seriousness.
Have you ever been worried about the oil delaminating from the acrylic in the future? Thats one of my big concerns now, to ensure that my sold painitngs dont fall off the support 10 years down the line. Thats a phone call i can live without!
Ive been using plywood that I coat with 2 layers of matte solvent based polyurethane varnish (vapor seal, because the glues used in plywood manufacturing will release acidic gas over time, its also a natural process in the wood) and then putting Galeria gesso on top,about four layers. I'm particularly concerned with having both chemical, not just physical bond, so I eagerly await my batch of W&N Oil primer next week, and I got the tip from W&N that I wouldn't need any sealer, the primer would do both. Shellac might be another option. Any qualms or experiences
- July 5, 2009 at 9:45 AM
- Gregory Becker said...
do you have any tutorials from begining to finish?
This looks terrific.
And was that a parakeet nibbling on your pencil? LOL
- July 5, 2009 at 9:46 AM
- Nita Van Zandt said...
Ah, I, too, think the mini video reveals the hitherto unmentioned, secret artistic power of an eraser-nibbling budgie to create great drawings.
But my cats would doom that plan in a minute!
- July 5, 2009 at 9:47 AM
- Unknown said...
Why do you use Matte Medium instead of a spray fixative? I'm just curious if it works better? I've never thought to use Matte Medium to seal a drawing like this.
- July 5, 2009 at 9:48 AM
- jeff jordan said...
I love what comes out of reference clutter.
What's the size of the drawing, Jim?
- July 5, 2009 at 9:57 AM
- Andrew said...
I imagine the matte medium is a better seal than the spray fixative and doesn't mess with the oils down the line...
This has been a real treat to watch unfold! The lepidopter reminds me of some of the strutters you've designed before...perhaps some Dinotopians found a way back to France?
And budgies do make some great studio partners...mine likes to ride on my wacom pen, or shove my pencils/pens off the desk juuuust as I need them.
- July 5, 2009 at 10:54 AM
- Glendon Mellow said...
Fascinating - I've always loved how you are able to combine architectural elements with something plausible and fantastic.
Concerning the matte medium, I've read that artist Donato Giancola likes to do something similar.
I tried it, and found it didn't work as well for me. It kind of smeared the drawing, perhaps I used too soft a lead.
Instead now I've taken to scanning my pencils and printing them out on Fredrix canvas paper for the oils. Works great.
- July 5, 2009 at 11:15 AM
- Erik Bongers said...
There's suspiciouly much work going into those video's.
The line drawing looks promising.
- July 5, 2009 at 12:04 PM
- Daroo said...
I think the point of the matte medium is to preserve the drawing more than just fix it (I sometimes fix it then use the matte medium). That way you can easily rub back your oil painting to expose the line work of the drawing.
Timpa -- I don't think there would be much of a difference between acrylic matte medium and acrylic gesso (primer) its still not the chemical bond you seek (maybe that's what you meant). The advantage of the transparent medium is that you can draw on a pencil friendly surface (like illustration or museum board) and THEN seal it as opposed to trying to draw on the very rubbery acrylic gesso surface.
I've used both the W&N oil ground and the Gamblin oil ground -- They both take 5-7 days to dry. I was confused about how to seal the panels so I wrote Gamblin and this was the response from Scott Gelaty their product manager:
"I would recommend sealing the bare panels with a mixture of our Galkyd painting medium, thinned with an equal amount of our Gamsol OMS. Apply a liberal mixture to the panel, allow it to absorb in for a few minutes, and then wipe off the excess with a rag. Like any sealers, you want the material to penetrate and seal the substrate, rather than to make a discrete layer on top."
I think both products are alkyd based which is different than just priming a surface with oil paint (which would degrade the substrate).
Supposedly, masonite is less acidic than plywood.
- July 5, 2009 at 2:40 PM
- innisart said...
Beautiful drawing!
- July 5, 2009 at 3:29 PM
- Shawn Escott said...
This whole step by step process is AWESOME!!
- July 5, 2009 at 5:18 PM
- James Gurney said...
Wow, thanks, everybody...Erik, those videos aren't that much work...I just let hand the job off to my large staff of trained macaques.
And yes, my budgie makes a fuss and grabs my pencil when something is getting out of whack.
Dan, you and others have raised a logical point about the amount of downthrust for a real VTOL. But with every fantasy concept there are times when you have to say to heck with realism, and do what feels right according dream logic. I just want this thing to take off like that slo-mo butterfly did.
If you want an explanation, let's say this vehicle was built in Dinotopia with sunstone technology that can lower the Reynold's number and increase viscosity in the vicinity of the wings.
Jeff: the size of the heavyweight acid free illustration board is 20 x 24. I tape off the very outside 1/4 inch (behind the rabbet of the frame) and use that margin for the perspective grid marks for those pesky remote VPs.
I should have pointed out, as Drew and Daroo did, that I first spray Workable Fixative on the drawing before applying the acrylic matte medium. That way it won't smudge the graphite.
Matte medium makes an excellent under layer. It seals the surface of the board to keep the oils from soaking in, and I've never had any problem with adhesion. Matte medium is essentially similar to an acrylic medium. Oil over acrylic paint or gesso is standard practice, but I would be cautious about anything that places an acrylic layer over an oil layer.
I have to lay off the videos until I can get an external hard drive because those files get pretty big. I also should get a decent video camera that does still frame and time lapse. Any recommendations? By the way, the music was right off iMovie and the effects were downloads from those free FX sites.
Hope that answers everybody. Back to another full day of painting tomorrow. It's fun having y'all along.
- July 5, 2009 at 6:32 PM
- Unknown said...
What a privilege to experience this process! Love the insights and the video.
- July 5, 2009 at 7:47 PM
- S. Jones said...
Hey James. I don't comment much but I just wanted to say I am loving this step by step series! I find it interesting just how detailed the lines are, I will have to try that sealing technique next time.
- July 5, 2009 at 9:06 PM
- Matthew Gauvin said...
James, I learned the matte medium trick form one of your earlier posts and started using it a couple months ago and have had great results. As you say it keeps the lines from smudging when oils are applied and it helps to paint to go on easier.
I have been wondering what you find that works best to get smooth straight lines on architechtural elements like thes ebuildings in your drawing. I mean with the painting stage. I've tried mahl sticks, taping edges and such but it seems to take tons of work. Is there an easier method you know of?I think one of the problems I've had is the rough painting surface which I intend to change for my next illustration. Thanks for any help!
- July 5, 2009 at 11:35 PM
- John Calvin said...
Thanks again for showing us the PROCESS, instead of just a finished piece of artwork. This is so educational. Thanks for your time and effort on this.
- July 6, 2009 at 1:14 AM
- James Gurney said...
Matthew, for straight lines, I use a mahl stick made out of a wooden yardstick. It gives a good straight edge for architecture. Check out this post: this post
Gregory, I haven't done any video tutorials other than what you've seen here, but the place to find a detailed explanation of this whole process will be in my new book, Imaginative Realism , coming out in October.
- July 6, 2009 at 3:06 AM
- badbot said...
so you feed your parakeet with... gum? ^^
- July 6, 2009 at 6:03 AM
- ricardo said...
I'm loving this series. I hope you'll keep on doing them in the future!
On the video thing, I think it would be great if you could put those simians to record longer videos. I'm guessing they have to operate some large steam powered apparatus, so if they use it for a longer period of time, it fills the studio with smoke leaving it unusable until all of it is taken out. Give them electricity, James!
Oh, and on the Imaginative Realism book, I simply cannot wait for it. But will it have a paperback edition only?
- July 6, 2009 at 7:00 AM
- Smurfswacker said...
No one else has mentioned this one...I like to draw on the canvas/board with a water-based felt pen like the Flair. This gives me a nice dark line, necessary so it remains visible through my many layers of repainting (we don't all get it right the first--or fiftieth--time). Eventually the black line disappears into the painting. The Flair line isn't affected by the turpentine or mediums, but before painting you can "erase" it with water if necessary.
- July 6, 2009 at 9:46 PM
- MichaelJA said...
This is great! I was able to find a tutor to better learn about painting and art where there's too many holes in my street education. That with this I just found... Man!
I'm in heaven. I don't do well in classroom settings I'm ashamed to say but I now recognize it and have learned to work within that limitation.
Hardest part was finding someone with enough of a background that would take this challenge.
Thank you James for sharing your skills!
- September 17, 2009 at 2:59 PM
- James Gurney said...
Thank you, Michael. I'm a real believer in street educations. Good luck to you.
- September 17, 2009 at 11:49 PM
- Unknown said...
Hey Mr. Gurney!
What kind of spray fixative are you using? Before you seal the drawing. I bought Matte Spray fixative by Krylon. Is that good?
- December 28, 2015 at 3:58 PM
- James Gurney said...
Playalott, I use Krylon Workable Fixative, just a light coat of it. The subsequent layers go on fine after that. Always good to test on a scrap.
- December 28, 2015 at 4:59 PM
- Unknown said...
Okay, I used to have some of that, Amazon really nails one with shipping costs. They didn't have Workable Fixative at Walmart... Also, I wanted to say that you are my Art Hero, and I have multiple videos of your Gumroad series; excellent material! I was also wondering, when you were starting out, what kind of jobs did you have before you finally found yourself in a secure illustration career?
I am just starting out, and I study all of the time. Have you ever experienced some degree of "burnout"? I hold shows here in my local library a lot, and I finally sold a nice Black and White Charcoal drawing of an air regulator. This was great! Although most of the time... I feel like people around here just don't understand art? Have you had this feeling before? Here is a link to my artwork! You are the best!
- December 28, 2015 at 5:58 PM
- James Gurney said...
Alfredo, not long, maybe an hour or so depending on the temperature. It's water-based and it goes on thin.
- January 21, 2017 at 3:08 AM


text:
OSU hands Michigan 1st loss, 56-53
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? Deshaun Thomas had 20 points and scored the first and last baskets in a 16-0 first-half spurt and No. 15 Ohio State beat second-ranked Michigan 56-53 on Sunday, probably denying the Wolverines their first No. 1 ranking in more than 20 years.
After Trey Burke, who led the Wolverines (16-1, 3-1 Big Ten) with 15 points, hit a 3-pointer to open the game, the Buckeyes took the lead for good although there were many nervous moments by the finish.
Burke had a shot to tie the game with 17 seconds left, but it rattled around and out.
Lenzelle Smith Jr. then hit two foul shots with 12.7 seconds left and Aaron Craft added two more to seal the outcome for the Buckeyes (13-3, 2-2).
The loss also prevented Michigan from setting a school mark for fastest start. The 1985-86 team had also opened with 16 wins.
Down 21 in the first half, Michigan kept chipping away. The Wolverines switched defenses, causing the Buckeyes problems with matchup zones.
With just over 11 minutes left, Burke had a chance to cut the lead to six points but Shannon Scott closed fast to block his breakaway layup. At the other end, Thomas made a 3 for an 11-point lead.
But the Wolverines kept applying the pressure.
Tim Hardaway, who had 12 points, scored on two slashes through the lane, Jordan Morgan hit a free throw and Hardaway then hustled back in transition to throw down an alley-oop pass from Burke. After a nice defensive play stopped Smith, Burke pulled up and hit a 15-footer. Hardaway then pumped in a long 3 from the top of the key behind a pick to narrow the gap to 44-43 as the clock ticked under 7 minutes.
Moments later, Glenn Robinson III was open for a 3 from the right wing to tie it at 46.
The Buckeyes regained some momentum when Shannon Scott fed post player Evan Ravenel for a dunk to regain the lead. On the next possession, Ohio State went inside again and Ravenel, averaging 6.3 points a game, bulled his way for another bucket.
After another Michigan missed shot, Thomas took a pass on the left baseline and made a quick spin to the endline before banking in a shot for a 52-46 lead.
The Wolverines missed six straight field-goal attempts in a row down the stretch, going scoreless for more than 4 minutes until Burke hit two free throws with 1:37 left to cut the lead to 52-48.
A steal and dunk by Robinson made it 52-50 with 1:16 left.
Thomas, the Big Ten's leading scorer, missed an off-balance jumper from 15 feet with 50 seconds left. After a timeout to discuss strategy, the Wolverines worked the ball around before Burke's shot with 17 seconds left. It rattled around and then ricocheted out, with Ohio State's Smith rebounding. He was fouled, but the Buckeyes still weren't in the bonus.
Smith was fouled again on the inbounds pass and converted both foul shots with 12.7 seconds left.
After Burke missed a long shot, Craft was fouled with 6.2 seconds remaining and hit two more free throws.
Burke closed the scoring with a banked-in 3 from in front of the Michigan bench.
The Buckeyes played perhaps their best of the season in the opening 15 minutes.
After Burke hit a 3 on Michigan's first trip down the court, the Wolverines went 7:18 without a point. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes were getting to the basket, hitting open perimeter shots, scoring in transition and holding their own under the basket.
Thomas got it going for Ohio State with a shot from the left wing that ignited scoring on seven consecutive possessions. Center Amir Williams followed a miss for a 4-3 lead before Craft ? who had been in a shooting slump most of the year ? popped in a 3. Then Smith blocked a shot by Hardaway and then hit a layup at the other end. Craft then scored on back-to-back drives. Thomas ended the spurt the way he started it, with a shot from the wing, this one a 3, for a 16-3 lead to cap the 16-0 run.
Michigan looked disorganized on offense and had difficulty making any stops on defense.
The Wolverines finally got a surge late in the half, thanks to Albrecht ? who exceeded his career high by a point by scoring seven in the opening half.
He made all four free throw attempts after getting fouled on drives, then hit a 3 during a 14-5 run to close the half.
Ohio State had battled some nagging problems all season. The Buckeyes have struggled to find an offensive and defensive presence in the post after two-time All-American Jared Sullinger departed after last season for the NBA. They have also shot poorly in their biggest games, failing to hit 34 percent of their shots from the field in the losses to Duke, Kansas and Illinois.
The Buckeyes have been at their best against their worst opponents, and vice versa. They came into the game 12-0 vs. unranked teams and 0-3 against those in the Top 25. Their losses included defeats at Duke (ranked No. 1 before losing its first game on Saturday), at home against No. 6 Kansas and a lopsided defeat at No. 12 Illinois on Jan. 5.
The capacity crowd was loud and boisterous from the beginning. Students had camped out for a couple of days on the concrete just outside the side door of Value City Arena. There was a large banner above the tents that read, "Matta-ritaville," in honor of coach Thad Matta and echoing Duke's "Krzyzewskiville."
Matta improved to 17-3 against Michigan.


text:
Dan Brown's new novel, The Lost Symbol, will be published on Sept. 15, 2009, but I'm not poring over the clues its publicists are scattering on the Twitter feed for the novel: I couldn't finish The Da Vinci Code. So I've been looking into other thrillers about fraternal or ecclesiastical conspiracies, trying to answer the question, "Are any of these readable?" I found James Rollins's new Sigma Force novel, The Doomsday Key (Morrow, 431 pp., $27), on a library display of New York Times bestsellers, and the dust-jacket copy said:
"At Princeton University, a famed geneticist dies inside a biohazard lab. In Rome, a Vatican archaeologist is found dead in St. Peter's Basilica. In Africa, a U.S. Senator's son is slain outside a Red Cross camp. The three murders on three continents bear a horrifying connection: all the victims are marked by a Druidic pagan cross burned into their flesh.
"The bizarre murders thrust Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force into a race against time to solve a riddle going back centuries, to a ghastly crime against humanity hidden within a cryptic medieval codex …"
This was not a promising beginning, so I'm sure whether I'll read more of The Doomsday Key than I did of The Da Vinci Code. But here are a few quotes from the book that might help you decide whether it's for you:
1. "Her methods were brutal – like murdering the Venetian curator – but who was he to judge? He had not walked in her shoes."
2. " 'Great. So now we're breaking into a prison and a tomb.' Kowalski sank down and crossed his arms. 'Nothing could possibly go wrong with that plan.'"
3. "'Princeton wouldn't engage in corporate espionage.'"
4. "Gray weighed that information. The Knights Templar were considered to be the keepers of many secrets. Could this be one of them?"
5. "'The priest should have been more careful to whom he made his confession.'"


text:
Women Over 65
Our team of specialists and staff believe that informed patients are better equipped to make decisions regarding their health and well being. For your personal use, we have created an extensive patient library covering an array of educational topics. Browse through these diagnoses and treatments to learn more about topics of interest to you. Or, for a more comprehensive search of our entire Web site, enter your term(s) in the search bar provided.
As always, you can contact our office to answer any questions or concerns.
These are a few of our favorite links that we use often in our offices. Please remember that all information on websites, blogs, and social media is not medical advice. Nothing replaces a visit to your podiatrist.
American Podiatric Medical Association: http://www.apma.org
American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeon's consumer website: http://www.foothealthfacts.org
American Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.org
Older women have more trouble with their feet than younger ones, often because fat pads on the bottom of the feet tend to deteriorate in the aging process. Many foot problems for older women can be alleviated simply by wearing properly fitted, well-constructed shoes that provide cushioning and have a soft, flexible upper that will conform to the shape of their feet. Shoes made of leather that "breathes" can also reduce the possibility of skin irritation.
Soles should be lightweight, with enough flexibility and shock-absorbing quality to provide solid footing and not be slippery. Low-heeled shoes provide greater stability, more protection for the feet, and greater comfort. Because older women often have circulatory problems, they have a special need to keep their feet warm in cold weather, to prevent frostbite or chilblains. Most importantly, keep walking and moving around every day so that all the systems in the legs and feet remain stretched and circulation stays healthy.


text:
Germany's Energy Certificate
As energy prices rise, energy-efficient buildings are becoming ever more attractive. And Germany, spurred by a European Union directive, has taken a major step toward ensuring that its citizens know what they are getting, energy-wise, when they buy or lease real estate. The Energy Performance Certificate (Energieausweis) objectively documents a building's energy performance and provides specific hints for improvement.
The law now requires that an Energy Performance Certificate be available for a property if a potential buyer or tenant requests one. Owners who fail to provide a certificate when asked are subject to a fine of up to 15,000 euros (about $20,000). Prospective buyers or tenants should like the idea, because it makes the real estate transaction more transparent. However, the German Energy Agency (known as dena) complains that the certificate "is still not well known or widely accepted."
The agency, which functions much like RESNET, has launched a major publicity campaign to correct the situation. Heat and hot water account for more than 75% of the average household's energy consumption, so if the property scores badly in this respect, prospects should be able to change their minds and go elsewhere. If they did so, the certificate would motivate owners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their property.
That can, of course, be expensive—which is one reason that owners and real estate agents are less happy about the certificate. The German Tenants Association complains that owners, despite the law, too often fail to provide the certificate if the prospect doesn't request it, or doesn't know about it.
There are two types of certificate: a Demand Certificate (Bedarfsausweis), issued after an expert examines the property, and a Usage Certificate (Verbrauchsausweis), based solely on the fuel bills. The Tenants Association charges that owners greatly prefer the cheaper Usage Certificate. All an inspector has to do with that one is examine the property's fuel bills for the past three years. He doesn't even have to visit the site. A recent survey conducted by the association found that the average charge for a Usage Certificate is 83 euros (about $115). The association complains that it's difficult to calculate heating costs on the basis of the Usage Certificate. Perhaps the previous occupants liked to keep the property cool, or perhaps they went south for the winter.
With a Demand Certificate, a certified expert must examine the property, looking into such aspects of energy efficiency as the walls, roof, windows, and furnace. The dena agency maintains a list of architects, engineers, and other experts, and requires that one of them be used for the inspection. The survey found that they charged an average of 352 euros (about $480). After the inspection is complete, there is usually a blower door test. A calibrated fan measures the airflow rate, and a pressure-sensing device calculates the air pressure created by the fan flow. This determines how airtight the building is, and identifies energy-wasting leaks.
The certificate is easy to read, even for a layman. A color scale rates the energy efficiency of the building from green, on the left end, meaning very good, through yellow to orange to red, on the right end, meaning very poor. On the Usage Certificate, an arrow along this scale shows the kWh of energy needed to heat 1 square meter of the property; 50 or fewer is good, 400 or more is poor. On the Demand Certificate, there are two arrows along the scale. The upper one is the same as the one on the Usage Certificate; it rates heating energy only. The lower one rates the overall energy efficiency of the property, considering such things as heating oil, gas, electricity, and renewable energy.
The Demand Certificate also contains suggestions for improving the property. Here's how this section of the Demand Certificate might read for a specific building:
- Windows. Modernize single-glazed windows on the ground floor.
- Ceilings. Insulate basement ceilings.
- Heating. Replace heating system, install new wood pellet boiler, provide space to store pellets.
- Hot water. Install solar heating for domestic water.
- Exterior walls. Insulate uninsulated north and east facades.
- Roof. Install insulation between and under rafters.
- Ventilation. Install residential ventilation system with heat recovery.
The law doesn't require the owner to make these improvements, or to adjust the rent or sales price on the basis of them. But now that owners must present the certificate, they know that a poor score may make the property hard to sell or rent. There is another incentive, too, if owners choose to go ahead with the improvements. They can get state-supported low-interest loans and other assistance.
New buildings have required a Demand Certificate since 2002, as have buildings that have been extensively renovated. Most other older buildings have required one of the two certificates since 2008. Buildings with four or fewer apartments require a Demand Certificate. Buildings with five or more apartments can get by with a Usage Certificate if they were built after 1977, when stricter building codes were enacted. Buildings built before 1977 require a Demand Certificate.
A survey conducted in mid-2009 found that some 1.87 million energy certificates had been issued to residential buildings; this amounts to about 10% of the German residential-building stock. This low percentage is partly explained by the fact that the certificate is required only when an old building, or part of one, is being sold or newly leased. Existing tenants have no right to demand a certificate, and the owner doesn't need one for property he occupies.
Also, certain buildings are exempted from the requirement. These include buildings that aren't heated regularly (such as vacation homes); buildings erected only for a short time (tents and air halls); special-purpose buildings (stables and greenhouses); buildings with a floor area of less than 50 square meters; and historic buildings.
But the percentage is also low because most prospective buyers or tenants don't know about the certificate requirement, or don't ask for one if they do know. To address this problem, the dena agency is launching a major campaign to make the public aware of the certificate.
Among other things, the agency awards an Efficient House seal to homes that have undergone model renovations, and the public is often invited to inspect these homes and confer with experts on how they too can make improvements. One such inspection took place in September 2010 at the half-century-old home of Karl Schwarzbeck in Penzberg, near Munich. Schwarzbeck boasted that since the renovations were completed, "we save 70% of our heating costs."
The roof of the house had been insulated in 1995, but after consultation with energy advisors, a great deal more insulation was added. The outer walls and basement ceiling were also insulated; the double-glazed windows were replaced with triple-glazed, low-e units; and the 30-year-old oil forced-draft boiler was replaced with a modern oil-condensing unit, with a two-stage burner controlled by a thermostat. A 13 m3 solar heater was installed, to provide both hot water and additional heating.
Annual fuel costs at Penzberg were 2,650 euros (about $3,630) before the renovation, and 690 euros (about $945) afterward. The project was financed primarily through a low-interest loan from a special program designed for just this purpose by the state-run Bank for Reconstruction. (The bank was established right after World War II to help rebuild the devastated country; it is still in business to finance a different kind of rebuilding.) Financing was also provided by the government-run Market Rebate Program for Renewable Energies and the industry-operated Institute for Economic Oil Heating.
Buildings account for around 40% of Germany's energy consumption, so there is substantial potential for saving energy here. The law requiring Energy Performance Certificates stems from the European Union's directive on energy performance, which resulted from a summit in March 2007. By 2020 participants agreed to reduce their countries' primary energy requirements and greenhouse gas emissions, by 20% compared to 1990, by 2020. They also agreed to increase the use of renewable energy to 20% of overall energy consumption. This prompted Germany to enact its Energy Saving Ordinance (Energieeinsparverordnung) in 2007, which established the Energy Performance Certificate requirements.
Ted Shoemaker, an American, first went to Germany as an Army officer, married a German woman and stayed on as a writer/editor. Now retired and based in Frankfurt, he keeps his hand in by acting as a correspondent for a number of American magazines.
For more information:
Full details on the Energy Performance Certificate are available in English at www.dena-energieausweis.de.
- 1
Enter your comments in the box below:
(Please note that all comments are subject to review prior to posting.)
While we will do our best to monitor all comments and blog posts for accuracy and relevancy, Home Energy is not responsible for content posted by our readers or third parties. Home Energy reserves the right to edit or remove comments or blog posts that do not meet our community guidelines.