Climate Change in Minnesota: An MPR News special report

A farmer in western Minnesota recently installed a new heating and cooling system to keep nearly a thousand sows eating and gaining weight during summers that have grown warmer.

The Minneapolis Health Department established a comprehensive heat-warning system that kicks in during heat waves to protect the vulnerable.

Leaders on the Fond du Lac Indian reservation near Duluth bought a seamless gutter machine after flooding in 2012 with the aim of directing water away from houses during increasingly heavy rains.

Minnesotans have taken a variety of steps that deal with climate change. But, as in each of these instances, those steps often deal less with reducing carbon emissions than with adapting to change that already has arrived in Minnesota.

That's new.

While the argument rages globally over how to reduce the pollution that has generated climate change, individuals and communities have quietly begun embarking upon the practical business of dealing with it, whether or not they call it climate change.

Minnesota is warming faster than the nation as a whole, according to a recent analysis by the non-profit Climate Central. And the character of the rain it receives has changed - more precipitation falls overall and more of it falls in big storms.

Minnesota lawmakers took note as early as 2007, when they passed the Next Generation Energy Act to set renewable energy and conservation goals. It and many other local efforts around climate change have focused on so-called "mitigation" the reduction of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

Cities and counties across the state have mounted solar panels on public buildings and replaced old, inefficient boilers and lighting systems with new ones. Schools and homeowners have installed efficient doors and windows and sent tons of would-be trash to recycling bins.

Excerpt from:
Living with it: Climate change effort shifts

Bristow, Va (PRWEB) January 31, 2015

Never let the problematic issues with heating and air conditioning systems arise to bring further problems in a home or office. There is always a solution for everything and Local HVAC Pros, one of the top HVAC contractors around, has more to offer than what other heating and air conditioning Bristow, Va companies have to offer.

With just one call, Local HVAC Pros can give the finest services whether it is for long term planning or immediate and emergency needs with cooling and heating services. Their crew has advanced heating and air conditioning knowledge and can get their troubled customers the right solutions after a few routine diagnostics and methods. And thats just the tip of the iceberg. They actually have more to offer by talking to them in person or on the phone.

Another great thing about Local HVAC Pros is that they are reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call them anytime and they will fix problems without delay. Just tell them what the problems are and they will give the finest and long term solutions. They believe that their clients dont have to suffer in the cold of winter and the scorching heat of the summer through the express HVAC service they could provide to all Bristow, Virginia residents.

Whether heat or air conditioning is needed, Local HVAC Pros can balance it all out for their customers comfort. Their expert team is fully certified to fix just about any brand or type of HVAC system. They can even give free estimates as to how much it will cost should a client plan to re-install a new HVAC unit.

Get the finest people to work on heat pump systems with Local HVAC Pros. Again, they are good at what they do and a client in need of immediate assistance surely gets served the right way. To get the best results, choose only the best team for the job. Local HVAC Pros can give that assurance.

They are fully licensed and they have certified technicians who are knowledgeable about the latest in HVAC technology. They also cater financing as well as 24/7emergency services and more. Their prices match the quality of their services so theres no wasting money at all. Call them now at 703-348-9740 for inquiries.

Click on the link below for more information. http://youtu.be/C1Ou4ASbNs0

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Heating and Air Conditioning Repair Bristow VA: New Video Release by LocalHVACPros.info

Forgot to lock a door before going on vacation? No need to call the neighbors: theres an app for that.

In just a few years, home security systems have gone from complicated keypads that might lock the doors to comprehensive systems that monitor all types of functions.

A number of local and national companies in the Topeka area offer home security services, equipment and smartphone apps.

As Kansas Audio Videos Aaron Koker notes, its not just about home security anymore but home automation.

The skys the limit as to what can be monitored, Koker said. Its more than just a burglar system.

Koker says you can put sensors on the liquor cabinet to see if the teenagers are sneaking the scotch. According to Koker, almost any door can be monitored.

Even basements prone to flooding can be monitored, according to Koker.

If thats a risk, youre going to want to know if your gone if theres standing water in your basement, Koker said.

Kansas Audio Videos full cellphone, interactive systems start at $40 a month for coverage of three doors, smoke detection, a main touch screen and about $700 worth of equipment. The owner signs a 36-month contract and pays a $99 activation fee. The system is designed to be modular, which Koker says makes the system future-proof.

Koker says homeowners need to talk about how they live and what they want from a system so it isnt left unused.

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At Home Living: Home security, automation systems offer peace of mind

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. (PRWEB) January 30, 2015

Gold Medal Service, an award-winning heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, drain cleaning and waterproofing service company, has announced it now offers Bath Planet bathroom remodels to homeowners throughout the state of New Jersey. Gold Medal joins 100 authorized dealers nationwide to sell Bath Planets quality acrylic bath products.

Bath Planet, which is the fastest growing acrylic bath manufacturer specializing in the one-day bath business, produces high-tech polymer products that are so durable they earned the Good Housekeeping Seal.

Bath Planet is a quick and easy solution for homeowners looking to upgrade their bathroom, without the costly mess of a tear-out remodel, said Mike Agugliaro, co-owner of Gold Medal Service. As a Bath Planet Dealer, Gold Medal Service will install showers and tubs including walk-in tubsto meet our customers home improvement needs. This is a high quality product solution for homeowners who dont want to wait weeks to enjoy a newly remodeled bathroom, and in most cases, are able to enjoy it the same day.

The high quality acrylic bathroom products come in a variety of patterns and styles, and fit seamlessly over existing tubs and showers.

Gold Medal Services commitment to excellence for their customers made them an ideal fit as a Bath Planet Dealer, said Rick Hirschhaut, senior vice president of Bath Planet. Our cost effective and quality bathroom solutions are the perfect complement to Gold Medals highest level of service and products they are renowned for in New Jersey.

For more information about Gold Medal Service and its new Bath Planet services and products, call 800-576-GOLD or visit http://www.goldmedalservice.com.

About Gold Medal Service Gold Medal Service, rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, was founded in New Jersey in 1994 with just two employees. Their vision was to provide homeowners with a reliable and trustworthy home service company customers could count on to fix just about anything that could go wrong in a home. Since then, Gold Medal has grown to include more than 120 employees and technicians solving plumbing, heating, cooling, electric, drain, waterproofing, and sewer issues for homeowners across the state of New Jersey. Gold Medal Service is an Angies List Super Service Award recipient. For more information, call 800-576-GOLD or visit http://www.goldmedalservice.com.

About Bath Planet Based in Palatine, IL, Bath Planet was created by founders Tom Barzantny and Scott Rosenbach who recognized a need for greater consistency between manufacturers and dealers in the tub and shower liner industry. The owners established their one-stop-shop company in 1999. Bath Planet is backed by a privately-held manufacturer with a network of independent dealers throughout the United States and Canada. Bath Planet has earned the coveted Good Housekeeping Seal, recognizing the exceptional quality of its products and services. For more information about Bath Planet, visit our website at http://www.bathplanet.com.

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Gold Medal Introduces Bath Planet to New Jersey Homeowners

Most of us take heating and cooling for granted. We expect our heating systems to keep us warm during the winter, and we depend on air-conditioning to keep us cool during the summer.

When the house is cold in winter or hot in summer, the natural reaction is to call for professional service. Fortunately, there is an alternative. You can cut service costs drastically and keep your heating and cooling systems working efficiently by doing some maintenance and quick fixes yourself. But first, it's important to know how the basics of how heating and cooling systems function.

All climate-control devices or systems have three basic components: a source of warmed or cooled air, a means of distributing the air to the rooms being heated or cooled, and a control used to regulate the system (e.g., thermostat). The sources of warm air, such as a furnace, and cool air, such as an air conditioner, in a house often use the same distribution and control systems. If your house has central air conditioning, cool air probably flows through the same ducts that heat does and is regulated by the same thermostat. When a heating or cooling system malfunctions, any of these three basic components may be causing the problem.

Both heating and air conditioning work on the principle that heat always moves from a warm object to a cooler one, just as water flows from a higher to a lower level. Furnaces and heaters put heat into the air to make your home warmer; air conditioners remove heat to make your home cooler.

All heating and cooling units burn fuel. Air conditioners use electricity. Most home heating systems use gas or fuel oil; other systems use electricity. The heat pump -- an electrically powered climate control unit -- both heats and cools air. In summer it extracts heat from the air inside your home. In winter it pulls heat from the air outside and uses this heat to warm the air inside.

When the furnace is turned on, it consumes the fuel that powers it, whether it be gas, oil, or electricity. As fuel is burned, heat is produced and channeled to the living areas of your home through ducts, pipes, or wires and then is blown out of registers, radiators, or heating panels. Older systems use the heat they produce to heat water, which in turn heats the air in your home. These systems use a boiler to store and heat the water supply, which is then circulated as hot water through pipes embedded in the wall, floor, or ceiling.

When an air conditioner is turned on, electrical power is used to cool a gas in a coil to its liquid state. Warm air in your home is cooled by contact with the cooling coil, and this cooled air is channeled to the rooms of your home through ducts and out registers or -- in the case of room air conditioners -- directly from the unit itself.

In the next section, we'll review the different distribution systems used for heating and cooling the home.

More:
Heating and Cooling System Basics: Tips and Guidelines ...

Fairfax, Va (PRWEB) January 29, 2015

Heating and air conditioning repair in Fairfax, VA can sometimes be daunting in a home. No matter how good a homeowner may be around the house, HVAC systems are better left in the hands of professionals. When a homeowner experiences too much sweat during summer and feels extreme chills during winter, there must be a problem in the HVAC system. Usually, this is unfixable using DIY methods and seeking the help of an expert is still preferable. This should be the time when Local HVAC Pros should come in. Homeowners are assured to be in good hands once Local HVAC Pros take over.

Residents of Fairfax shouldn't let issues with their heating and cooling systems impede on their daily activities. HVAC systems can always be fixed just with the right experts to do the job. With Local HVAC Pros team of experts, the homeowner does not have to suffer the deep cold effect of winter or the melting heat of summer. All it takes is a call and they would do their best to be there immediately. They offer one of the most professional air conditioning and heating repair services in Fairfax, Virginia.

Fairfax, VA residents do not have to look any further as Local HVAC Pros have all the tools, products, and services needed to get HVAC systems up and running. It doesnt matter whether the property is a house or an office. As long as it is in Fairfax or nearby areas, Local HVAC Pros are there to help. They can take a look at it and identify the problem as well as propose a solution. They can even give estimates for free and tell the best places to install heating and air conditioning systems.

Their team has certified members which of course mean that they have been trained and have been readied for any trouble that might come from their clients air conditioning systems. Their local company is also fully licensed, bonded and insured to relieve their customers of much trouble later on should any mishaps occur. Warranties are also being given to assure that our quality of their work is a guarantee. Call them at 703-348-9740 to get more information.

For more information on heating and air conditioning repair Fairfax, Va services please visit the link below:

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Heating and Air Conditioning Repair in Fairfax, VA: New Video Release by LocalHVACPros.info

By Bryan Betts

bbetts@alamogordonews.com @BryanBetts21 on Twitter

The Plaza building, the adobe building on the corner of Tenth Street and White Sands Boulevard, has taken many forms over the years: a tattoo parlor, a flower shop and a bar.

A contractor will began to transform the 76-year-old building Friday yet again, this time into a form that suits its historical importance the Tularosa Basin Museum of History.

The Tularosa Basin Historical Society finished a bidding process last month in which the Otero County Commission selected Las Cruces-based C D General Contractors to renovate the building into the society's new home.

Society Vice President Joe Lewandowski said the renovations will cost $405,000 and will be funded with $525,000 awarded to the historical society by the state legislature about three years ago.

Lewandowski said workers will install a new roof and heating and cooling system, renovate the interiors and bathrooms and redo the parking lot, among other changes.

He said the renovations will also seek to preserve the Plaza Pub, including the building's old doors. Lewandowski said the Plaza Pub was once the center of activity in Alamogordo and is one of the only adobe buildings in town.

"What makes it unique is that it's an adobe building, and Alamogordo's not known for adobe buildings," he said.

The society's plans for the Plaza facility meet state guidelines for renovating buildings on the New Mexico historical register, Lewandowski said. The Plaza building was placed on the State Registry of Cultural Properties in June 2012.

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Plaza building renovations begin Friday

Insteon 5282-242 Connected Kit $380.00

Insteon's Connected Kit is a very inexpensive, but its weak camera and clumsy installation procedures (in some areas, but not others) drag down our opinion of the system as a whole.

For simple, yet flexible home lighting control, Insteons dual-band technology is hard to beat. The company has been in the market longer than just about anyone else (more than 20 years), it has 200 connected-home products in its inventory, it offers great tech support, and it even operates its own online store dedicated to the connected home.

As great as all that is, Insteon still has a ways to go when it comes to effectively integrating its disparate collection of devices with the smartphone app and the web portal that are designed to manage it all. Thats the conclusion I reached after reviewing Insteons 2582-242 Connected Kit plus a couple of connected LED light bulbs that the company recently submitted for review.

The Connected Kit consists of Insteons latest hub, which you hard-wire to your home router/Internet gateway; a standard-definition pan/tilt security camera; motion, door/window, and leak sensors; and a wired thermostat. Insteon also sent a pair of 60-watt-equivalent LED light bulbs (these arevery expensive at $30 eachthats twice the cost of the GE and Cree bulbs recently reviewed).

If you buy an Insteon starter kit, make sure that it comes with the latest Insteon hub, as this kit does.

I wasnt able to test the thermostat, but it represents another weak spot in the Insteon ecosystem. On the one hand, it supports advanced features such as support for two-stage heating and cooling systems, duct dampers, and remote sensors. On the other hand, its aesthetically ugly compared to just about any modern thermostat on the market, it lacks a touchscreen user interface, and it doesnt support heat pumps or three-stage HVAC systems. Fortunately, youre not limited to Insteons thermostat. The company just announced that it has joined the Works with Nest program.

I installed everything besides the thermostat and the IP camera in less than two hours. That includes the time it took to download and install the control app on my iPhone (there are Android and Windows Phone versions available, too) and to program rooms (groups of devices) and scenes (rules for controlling those devices). So far, so good.

Insteon's thermostat is no great shakes, and the only alternative is Nest Learning Thermostat.

My living room is lit by an overhead light and several lamps. I replaced one light bulb with a dimmable Insteon 60-watt-equivalent LED bulb and plugged two other lamps into plug-in dimmer modules (these cost $50 each if you need more than the two that come in the kit). Insteon also offers in-wall dimmers and switches (priced from $50 to $80, depending on their capabilities).

Excerpt from:
Insteon Connected Kit review: Strong lighting controls; weak app integration

CLAYTON -- The city may approve a Property Assessed Clean Energy program allowing homeowners to make energy-efficient home improvements that are financed as a property tax assessment instead of a regular loan.

Homeowners could now take advantage of a program first offered to commercial and multiresidential property owners. Funds for water- and energy-efficient projects such as windows and water pumps requires no credit or income verification because homeowners essentially tax themselves.

Jack Cooper, of Custom Exteriors Inc. explained the Home Energy Renovation Opportunity program to the Clayton council at their Jan. 6 meeting because city approval is required before the program can be authorized by the state in each municipality.

"Everybody benefits," Cooper said later. "It reduces water and energy use, improves home values, and creates jobs. Lower utility bills help cover the cost of the payment and you get a tax deduction."

Community Development director Charlie Mullen said the city staff is researching Cooper's proposal and will likely make a decision soon. HERO and CaliforniaFIRST have been approved in Martinez. Walnut Creek recently approved HERO and San Francisco voted for CaliforniaFIRST on Jan. 5.

"CaliforniaFIRST came to us last fall and has cleared the state validation process. We think HERO will be available in Martinez by summer of 2015," said Michael Chandler, senior management analyst in Martinez.

"We liked the idea that there is a friendly competition between the companies and we can give residents more options. There is a CaliforniaFIRST page on our website (services, sustainability, PACE) and we will put one up for HERO when it is ready."

There is no cost to the cities involved, and Cooper said energy improvements increase home values because trained, certified contractors install energy-saving products.

HERO also helps resolve issues between homeowners and contractors, who are not paid until the customer signs a notice of completion, according HERO's website.

Heating and cooling systems (including solar), lighting upgrades, doors, insulation siding and other improvements can be financed over periods of time from five to 20 years depending on durability and energy/water savings. In other words, the improvement has to outlast the financing.

Read more here:
Clayton: Setting the PACE for energy efficiency

By John R. Delaney

When we reviewed the Nest Learning Thermostatback in 2012, it was the very first digital homethermostat we had tested (not to mention one of the first we had seen). Fast forward to 2015, and there are now numerous smart thermostats out there from companies such as Trane, Ecobee, LockState, and Honeywell. We got our hands on the $279 Honeywell Lyric, a slick Wi-Fi thermostat from the company that invented the puck-shaped thermostat more than 60 years ago. The Lyric is controlled and monitored via an iOS or Android smartphone app, and uses your phone's location services (geofencing) to save energy. Although it doesn't use a conventional scheduling menu to heat your home, it is very easy to configure, and the app is well-designed and colorful. A Web app would be a welcome addition, however, as would detailed heating and cooling usage reports.

Design and Features Measuring 3.7 inches in diameter and 1.3 inches in depth, the Lyric is a tad larger than the Nest (3.2 inches in diameter and 1.3 inches thick). The thermostat's white, glass-covered, touch-sensitive face and shiny chrome trim give it a stylish, Apple-esque look that will work with any dcor. In the center of the Lyric is a round 1.4-inch (diameter) LCD that, by default, displays the current temperature. Pressing the weather cloud icon to the left of the LCD changes the display to a 12-hour weather forecast with the time, expected temperature, and expected humidity levels. Pressing the home icon on the right launches an Away menu that lets you inform the Lyric that you'll be out of the house for X amount of hours (up to 24 hours), which in turn resets the heating or cooling temperature to your specified Away setting. A small motion sensor at the top of the thermostat wakes the Lyric up when you approach; otherwise it remains dimly lit to conserve energy.

Above the main display is a smaller display that shows you the temperature setting and either a sun icon for heating or a snowflake icon for cooling. You can use these icons to turn the system on or off. A halo ring at the rear of the Lyric briefly glows orange when the thermostat goes into heating mode, blue when it goes into cooling mode, and green when it enters energy saving mode. As with the Nest, you can manually raise and lower the temperature setting by turning the Lyric like a dialleft to lower the temperature and right to raise it. An audible tick accompanies each degree mark, making it easy to adjust to an exact temperature.

The Lyric can be controlled from a smartphone using an iOS or Android app, but you can't control it from a PC using a Web browser. The mobile app is colorful and makes it easy to configure the thermostat to fit your schedule. When you launch the app, you're presented with a screen that contains a dial (orange when in heating mode and blue when in cooling mode) that you can swipe to the left or right to change the temperature setting. The Lyric doesn't offer a typical scheduling procedure; instead you set Home and Away temperatures, and create shortcuts with triggers that tell the thermostat what to do. You can create a shortcut with a trigger that has the heat come up and go down at a certain times of the day. You can also create shortcut buttons that reside on your home screen. For example, you can assign a button that turns the heat down five degrees for when you're working out, or have the air conditioning kick in early if you're expecting company. Each button is listed on the main screen to the left of the dial.

Above the dial are the same readings found on the actual thermostat, including the current temperature, the temperature setting, and the icons for the weather forecast and the Away menu. Tapping the settings wheel in the upper right corner takes you to a screen where you can adjust your Home and Away temperature settings, adjust screen brightness, and enable the Fine Tune and Adaptive Recovery features. The Fine Tune feature uses local weather information, indoor conditions, and factors in things like humidity and the temperature outdoors, to make sure your home is heated or cooled correctly. The Adaptive Recovery feature, also found on the Honeywell Prestige IAQ thermostat, will have your heating or cooling start early so that your house is up to temperature at the time you scheduled.

The jewel in the Lyric's crown is its geofencing feature. Geofencing uses your smartphone's location services to automatically trigger the thermostat depending on where you are in relation to your home. For example, you can have the Lyric switch over to Away mode when you leave the geofence perimeter and switch to Home mode when you re-enter the perimeter. You can choose one of four geofence perimeters, including a quater-mile, two miles, four miles, and seven miles. With geofencing you never have to worry about turning off the heat or air conditioning when you leave, and you'll always return to a comfortable home.

The Lyric lacks the comprehensive power usage reports and multiple alert options that you get with the Ecobee3, but it does offer a Smart Cues feature that will send a reminder when it's time to change your filters or when someone has left or entered the geofencing perimeter. Additionally, the Message center keeps a log of activities, including when the thermostat is not responding, has lost its Wi-Fi signal, has lost power, or is offline.

Installation and Performance Installing the Lyric is fairly easy, but if you're not familiar with thermostat wiring, Honeywell provides step-by-step illustrated directions. To start, download the iOS or Android app. You have to create an account which requires your name, email address, and a password. Once you've received the verification email, click the Activation button to complete the account setup.

After you log in using your email address and password you are taken to a setup page that is broken up into four sections: Install, Configure, Connect, and Personalize. The Install section walks you through the process of removing your old thermostat, including cutting power to it. The instructions advise you to take a picture of your current wiring to help you with wiring the Lyric. You are also presented with a list of wires containing common terminals and additional auxiliary connections. Check off a box for each wire so the app knows what your wiring system looks like. Once you've recorded your wiring you can remove the old wall plate from the wall and replace it with the Lyric wall plate and optional trim ring (included). The wall plate has 12 push-in connectors for power, heating, and cooling, a one or two wire selection switch, a switch for heating only or heating and cooling (R, RC), a AAA battery, and a small level to help you mount the wall plate properly.

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Honeywell Lyric