My Barn Conversion

I can’t believe that April is drawing to a close and I’ve not managed an update since the end of March. On the basis of my laziness I’ll save time a update the whole month in one go. The first fix electrics are now completed and plumbing is to follow over the next couple ofContinue reading Building Progress ~ April 2008

Peak Oil is a notional point in time. It is reached when the rate of global oil production hits its maximum level from which the only way is down. In these terms downs means escalating costs of extraction & production, restricted supply, unfulfilled demand and increasing prices. The foundations of the peak oil concept lieContinue reading Peak Oil ~ what is it & what bearing does it have on green building?

Photo = light & voltaic = electricity Photovoltaics is a technology that utilises light to generate electricity. As such it is an essential tool in the development of more sustainable methods of electricity generation. Simplistically, electricity is generated by the photons from sunlight colliding with electrons within the solar cell. Solar cells are solid stateContinue reading Photovoltaics

Beautiful things electrical cables… especially when they mean that you’re making some progress with the first fix.

Being a fan of lists, we’ve been using one to keep track of those items that we need to specify and decisions we need to make in regard to the detailed design of the conversion ~ attention to detail. This is the current position: Ground or Air Source Heat Pump that is the question. >>Continue reading Attention to detail… April 2008 update

Progress has become a rather abstract term recently. Nothing has physically changed at the barn, but plans are being made and wheels (hopefully) put in motion. I’ve not helped things by changing plans for the heating … hopefully we’ll get things out of the doldrums and moving again in April…

I now organise nearly all my documents for the project using Google Documents. These are mainly letters and the spreadsheets I use to juggle finances and it works well for me. As I access the internet from at least two different places most days the ability to store documents on the web is perfect forContinue reading Project Management ~ Google Documents

Love him or hate him or just find him amusing, I read with interest that Boris Johnson is advocating a positive encouragement to recycling in the environmental manifesto that is a part of his candidature for election as mayor of London. He is inspired by schemes such as that run by RecycleBank in the USAContinue reading Paid to recycle