This new Disney film is amazingly on point when it comes to depicting how the BlackOps control advanced technologies via off-budget, huge projects, in cahoots with certain elements within the U.S. government, often in blatant disregard for the large picture in favor of some myopic agenda. (PESWiki; May 25, 2009)
Source:Race to Witch Mountain — a Metaphor
The primary goal of thermal insulation is to reduce heat loss and gain. Insulation is rated with an R-value, a number quantifying the
material?s resistance to heat transfer. Traditional fiberglass can actually achieve the same R-value as most of the newer products and techniques
out there. Homeowners often ask what the best insulation is. The answer to that question is complicated. No insulation is, on face value,
better than any other. Each material has advantages to specific situations. It?s not a matter of choosing the best insulation, but choosing the
best insulation for the circumstances. Homeowner?s are often confused by marketers that promise the world from whatever form of insulation they
are selling. The following is a brief list of some of the more common materials and the realistic advantages they offer.
Structural Insulated Panels (SIP?s) - These are usually two pieces of oriented strand board (OSB) sandwiched around expanded foam insulation.
These panels are the insulation as well as the structural members of a home. SIP?s can cut in half the construction time for simple buildings with
exposed wire conduit and pipes. Complicated structures and the difficulty of running utilities through these panels can offset the time savings, but
in certain situations SIP?s are a perfect solution. Home?s built on posts above flood planes can use SIP?s to insulate the first floor without a
foundation wall that can wick moisture or be damaged by moving water, and without the added step of insulating the floor. Structural insulated panels
also make quick work of a post and beam cathedral ceiling, as long as you use a roofing material like standing seam metal that doesn?t need an air
space. In short, Structural insulated panels combine framing, sheeting, and insulating into one step, but are only truly helpful when other phases of
construction don?t require access to open walls or the structural surfaces are not complicated shapes.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF?s) ? ICF?s are foam blocks that are used to form concrete walls. ICF?s offer the fire protection and structural
integrity of a concrete wall with up to an R-38 value that is ready for drywall and siding without furring strips. The rising cost of concrete and
the need for an expensive pump truck make this a costly method of constructing all of the walls for your home, but the cost of insulated concrete forms
for foundation walls of a finished basement can actually be lower than the cost of traditional construction methods.
?Blown in? Cellulose ? Cellulose insulation is installed to the wall cavities with a hose and scraped off with a screed board. Cellulose offers
a similar R-value per inch to traditional fiberglass while filling many of the voids that can be left with fiberglass. It is made of largely
environmentally friendly recycled material and is free of formaldehyde that can present mild but quantifiable indoor air quality problems. The largest
drawback of cellulose is its inability to be reused during future renovations.
Spray Foam Insulation ? There are several forms of spray foam insulation from Icynene brand polyicynene to Biobased soy based polyurethane and the
simple spray cans available at any home supply store. Spray foam is applied as a liquid and expands to fill cavities even tighter than other forms of
blown in insulation. The need for specialty contractors makes this an extremely effective, but not always inexpensive means of insulating. The small
cans of spray foam, however, are perfect for the gaps around windows and doors and the use of spray foam for this application is becoming a staple in
the construction industry.
Cotton and other Natural Fibers ? Cotton is installed in the same way as fiberglass with almost identical R-values per inch. The lack of formaldehyde
makes it a hypoallergenic insulation, and the use of renewable fibers and low energy development makes it more environmentally friendly than fiberglass.
No matter what insulation is used, the goal is to achieve an R-value that will enable you to maintain a constant temperature in a cost effective
and energy efficient manner. Some newer materials may have been around long enough to have proven advantages, but the application of each material needs
to be carefully examined to reach the best insulation decision.
On April 2, Jeane Manning, Joel Garbon and Sterling Allan, along with Raphial Morgado gave a presentation to some students at San Jose State University. Raphial demonstrated his Mighty Yet Tiny engine. Sterling’s address included a discussion of Mylow’s All-Magnet Motor. (PESWiki; April 13, 2009)
Source:Video Report: Breakthrough Power Presentation at SJSU
Consider your home’s attic and roof insulation as one of the most important elements in protecting your home’s energy costs. Relate this to the
hat you put on your child as he heads out into the snow. Topping off the top of your home with a warm blanket of insulation helps to keep heat in.
It is one of the best ways to do just that. Heat rises and as it raises it quickly passes through vents and floorboards. The escape route that
it is looking for is through the roof. By placing insulation there, you effectively keep the heat in, trapping the warmth within your home.
Why You Should Insulate Your Roof And Attic
According to the Haringey Council out of the United Kingdom, in a typical home, about one third of the heat produced by your heating system is lost
through your roof or your ceiling. What is even more worrisome is that the process happens quickly. Consider the flow of heat through your home
currently. When your heating system produces heat, it pumps through the vents running throughout the home. Once it reaches the desired location,
the forced heat enters the room. As it enters upper rooms of the home, it quickly moves to the roof and in turn is lost through the roof.
An ideal way to limit the amount of heat that escapes through the roof is by adding or replacing the insulation that you have there. Just as an old
blanket becomes bare over time, so is your insulation over time. Replacing or adding additional insulation under the roof and throughout your attic
will forbid heated air from moving through the walls and out of the home. Because the heat remains within the home, there is less of a need to produce
addition heat. In turn, your heating system works less, reducing the amount of gas and electricity that your home uses regularly.
How To Insulate
There are several methods of insulation available. Each offers benefits in providing your home with a reduction in energy loss. In fact, simply
adding insulation to your home will lower your heating bills significantly. In some situations, you can contact your local energy providers and
determine if they offer any help in reducing the amount of energy used. In some locations, they offer tips and guidance, as well as approved services,
to help lower your usage of gas and electricity.
There are several types of insulation to use depending on your particular situation. Solid wall insulation and cavity wall insulation offer solutions
to consider. In solid wall insulation, which is the most complex type of additional insulation installation, insulation is added underneath current
walls. Internal solid wall insulation adds insulation behind a layer of plasterboard. External solid wall insulation is also a solution. Because of
the invasive nature of this type of insulation, expenses can run high. Often, installers recommend waiting for necessary updates in the cosmetics or
function of the walls prior to taking on this task on its own.
Cavity wall insulation is another option and works in homes build after 1930. In this method, pack the cavities between walls with insulation. It is
a simple method and a less invasive one. Inspectors can determine if the wall is suitable for cavity insulation quickly; because you cannot fill all
walls like this.
Consider the roof within your home. Just how much energy is being lost through it? With these or other methods of insulation, you will save money.
Adding insulation has helped many to save money. In some situations, people lose 1/3 of their heat to the outdoors because of their lack of quality
insulation in the roof and in the attic areas. Reduce this loss and you save substantially.
Alan L. Francoeur describes his generator as a multi-phase, interchangeable, ac/dc, variable, frequency dynamo machine of high efficiency. Due to some “prior art” controversy, in the interest of history, we resurrect this information. (PESWiki; March 9, 2009)
Source:Alan Francoeur Interference Disc Generator
Few of us would build a home without thermal insulation to the exterior walls and attic. If we notice heat loss we know to beef up the
insulation and seal off any cracks, but there is another equally beneficial use of insulation. You may have noticed that insulation at home
supply stores is also sold as ?acoustical? insulation. It?s a relatively newer marketing technique, but insulation has been a major component
of sound control since the beginning of sound proofing techniques. Sound is transferred through materials in much the same way as heat; therefore
insulation is as effective at controlling noise as it is temperature. Temperature may be an important factor in the comfort of your home, but
excessive unwanted noise can be equally as discomforting as a cold or hot home. Consider a home next to an airport or highway. Even a laundry
room or garage can disrupt your enjoyment of a peaceful evening. In the same way that you would insulate around a draughty window, you can reduce
noise infiltration. This may mean increasing exterior insulation for busy urban homes, or adding insulation to interior walls to contain the sound
from noisier rooms. Wherever noise is a problem, insulation is a potential solution.
Exterior acoustical insulation
Insulation codes are developed in relation to the climate. Moderate climates may not require as much thermal insulation, but highways,
airports, and noisy neighbors develop just as much noise regardless of the climate. You may have sufficient insulation for heating and cooling, but
are subject to the musical tastes of everyone with a car stereo that drives by. In these cases homeowners may want to consider exceeding insulation
code requirements to comply with their acoustical insulation needs. While your climate may only require an R-13 for exterior walls, increasing that
to R-19 or better can help keep excess noise out to maintain a more peaceful home environment. Insulation also keeps noise in if you happen to be
the noisy neighbor. In short, sound should be as much a factor in determining a home?s insulation needs as climate. Exterior acoustical insulation
may not save energy, but it can help save your sanity.
Interior acoustical insulation
Homes that are not presented with exterior sound issues can still develop disruptive noise on their own. A laundry room one wall away from a
living room can make it difficult to hear a movie you?re watching. A garage door opener can wake a sleeping baby, and noises from a bathroom can be
embarrassing for everyone involved. Insulating the interior walls that determine the perimeter of these rooms can keep sound inside the room in much
the same way as thermal insulation keeps heat inside your home. There are numerous design elements involved to ?sound proof? a room, but simply adding
as low as R-13 insulation to interior walls will drastically reduce the amount of sound transferred through walls. Some consideration does need to be
made for heating issues like dispersing radiant heat from a fireplace, but in most centrally heated homes acoustical insulation can be added anywhere
it?s desired without any adverse effects on climate control. In fact acoustical insulation can often act as a thermal barrier between separate climate
zones of a home.
Unlike thermal insulation, acoustical insulation will not save you money. Homeowners need to consider how much of a noise problem exists and
how valuable the solution is. Insulation is not expensive, and new home buyers will often find that the peace of mind is by far worth the cost.
Tearing out drywall to add acoustical insulation to existing walls can be costly, especially if you need to hire out the labor. In these cases the
problem may have to be exceptionally severe to warrant the cost. It may be worth considering acoustically insulated wall coverings. Sound control is
not a money saver, but it can greatly improve your enjoyment of your home
DOE was established in 1977 to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil; develop energy efficient technologies; strengthen America’s energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality; and …bring clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace. (Poll) (PESWiki; Feb. 21, 2009)
Source:How Well is U.S. Department of Energy Fulfilling Its Mandate?
As energy prices continue to rise and environmental concerns focus on our consumption of fossil fuels, insulation has become a major topic
due to its obvious effects on energy consumption. One of the many unsung benefits of a well insulated home is the effect it has on another highly
publicized issue. The health effects of mold and mildew have become a growing concern. Efficient insulation is one of the most effective tools
in preventing these moisture related problems. Improving the insulation in a building will not only reduce the proliferation of mold, it can
preserve the appearance of the moisture sensitive materials used for indoor construction. While buildings with high humidity are far more
susceptible to moisture damage, it is the condensation of ambient moisture on to wall surfaces that does the actual damage. Insulating the space
between areas of differing temperatures is the single most effective means of stopping condensation. This article will review some of the issues
raised by moisture, how insulation can prevent moisture damage, and specific problem areas that almost any building can improve.
The problems with moisture
How much damage can a little water cause? Quite a bit actually. Once upon a time the interiors of buildings were finished with plaster,
stucco, brick, and tile. These materials responded well to moisture, and the damage caused by condensation was minimal. Nowadays buildings are
finished with drywall and often pressed wood materials. The paper covering drywall and the porous edges of low grade woods are easily damaged by
moisture. The damage manifests itself in two major ways, aesthetic damage and mold proliferation. It only takes a small amount of moisture to
create bubbles in drywall, peel the tape off joints, and crack the paint. As condensation builds on wood trim, the trim can swell and warp. In
short, condensation can quickly destroy the appearance of your home. Drywall is also extremely susceptible to mold growth. Plaster will only
allow a surface mildew to form, but mold can root itself into the paper beneath paint. Even Moisture resistant drywalls are not capable of
withstanding the direct contact with water caused by condensation. Since mold has become a major health concern, a little condensation can lead
to significant health problems. In worse case scenarios defective insulation and vapor barriers can lead to moisture build up within the wall
cavity and insulation. This not only allows moisture damage to increase undetected, but it deteriorates the insulation, exaggerating a problem
that already exists.
Insulation and moisture
Insulation prevents moisture damage in two ways. It retards heat loss and often includes a vapor barrier that helps prevent the transfer
of moisture through exterior wall cavities. Condensation occurs when air is cooled to a point at which it is 100% saturated, or can no longer
sustain water molecules in gas form. This makes heat loss an important factor in the prevention of condensation. Warmer air has a higher capacity
to hold water vapor. Heat loss near exterior walls in a building can cool the air to a point at which it is 100% saturated without increasing the
actual moisture content. In other words heat loss can cause water to condense on exterior surfaces. A well sealed vapor barrier reduces the amount
of vapor that is pulled through your walls from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. In other words, insulation with a vapor barrier
can prevent the moisture content from increasing which can also lead to condensation.
Common flaws that can cause condensation
Nearly all modern buildings are fitted with some kind of insulation, yet condensation that could be prevented by insulation still occurs.
Here are a few of the most common defects in insulation systems.
Thermal bridges:
While the wall cavities may be insulated, framing members and other materials have a high rate of heat transfer. Providing a solid thermal
envelope around the exterior of a building can reduce the loss due to thermal bridges.
Gaps in or lack of a vapor barrier:
Water vapor can travel through the smallest of cracks in a vapor barrier. Areas around windows and doors present definite problems, and
insulation without a vapor barrier can lead to condensation within the wall cavities and unchecked moisture damage.
Water supply lines and other cold water sources:
The exterior envelope of a building may be well sealed, but the condensation that occurs around cold water sources can also be prevented with
insulation. Pipe sleeves, toilet insulation kits, and other specialty insulations are developed to prevent this type of condensation.
Windows provide a beautiful view out into a wooded backyard or to a view of the skyline. No matter what they show, they are one of the most likely
ways that you are wasting energy in your home. Adding insulation to your windows and replacing drafty, insufficient windows will lower your demand
of heating and cooling for the home, therefore lowering the amount of money you spend on gas and electric year round. Some have seen savings of
several hundred dollars simply by adding insulation to their window surround. Others can improve the efficiency of their rooms even more by
replacing drafty, single pane windows.
Where You’re Losing
According to The American Council For Energy Efficient Economy, about a third of the home’s heat loss comes from the windows and doors throughout
your home. There are many potential problems lurking here that require attention. Here are some reasons that you need to consider upgrading your
windows or adding insulation to the home.
? Windows are single pane and therefore allowing energy to escape through them.
? Windows are damaged, broken or not sealing properly
? Air can flow from the window sills and frames out of the home
? The seals around the windows are not effective, are worn out, or are missing
If you sit by the window and feel a draft in the winter months, there is a leak coming in somehow. By stopping air from coming in, or air from going
out, you will reduce the demand on your heating and cooling units. If they do not need to run constantly, they do not need to use energy, therefore
reducing the amount of energy your home requires.
How To Upgrade To Energy Efficiency
There are several ways to upgrade the quality of your windows to improve their ability to keep air in. One of the fastest and most affordable ways
to do this is to start with the window’s edges. Insulate around them if needed or simply caulk them with proper products. Cracks you can caulk over
if they are minor. Make repairs to anything that is substantial.
Often, the area surrounding the windows lacks any type of insulation product because of removal in order to add the window (or never installed.) There
are several options available in this situation. By adding quality insulation around the window’s frame, air cannot pass through and there is an
increase in efficiency instantly. Have a professional handle adding insulation around the frame whenever possible to get the best results.
You may not need to have this type of work down because there could be other solutions that work. For example, weather stripping can add necessary
protection around many windows. This lining you will place between the window and the frame. Alternatively, for those that have very poor windows,
consider installing newer, thicker paned windows instead. This can add a large amount of energy efficiency even though it is at the highest cost.
Nearly all homeowners see benefits over the course of several years in energy usage by upgrading windows that allow the window improvements to pay
for themselves. Always look for the best quality, Energy Star windows you can find here.
If you are unsure of what your windows require, take into consideration having a professional consultation. Improving your window’s insulation will
drastically improve a home’s ability to keep heat in during the winter months and the cool air in during the summer months. By taking only a few
minutes to consider your window’s insulation needs, you could potentially save thousands of dollars in heating and cooling costs over the time that
you own your home.
Because of its ultra small and light size-to-power relationship, the Massive Yet Tiny engine is an ideal candidate for making personal flight packs, typically called ‘jetpacks’, a practical reality, as well as flying cars. Coming soon? (PESN; Jan. 18, 2009) (PESWiki; Jan. 27, 2009)
Source:Angel Flight Pack to tackle last frontier of aviation
