Analysis by the Environment California Research & Policy Center shows that rooftop solar panels have surpassed 1 gigawatt (or 1,000 megawatts) or energy production – a new milestone for California, San Diego solar energy, and the United States.  This amount of energy is enough to power about 750,000 residences.

This achievement puts California well on its way to achieving its projected goal of three gigawatts of residential solar by the year 2016.  According to the research, rooftop solar power generation has increased by about 40 percent each year since 2006.  This strong growth reflects California’s commitment to renewable natural resources and finding solutions to the energy crisis.  According to the California Public Utilities Commission, 60 percent of the rooftop solar installations were financed in part by the California Solar Initiative, or CSI, which helps finance solar projects and gives customers of investor-owned utilities an alternative way to power their homes.  This new solar milestone helps encourage Californians who are interested in solar power and reminds the rest of the country how successful renewable energy programs can be.

Fall is one of the most beautiful time for trees. However, according to a Seattle arborist, is is also one of the most important times when it comes to making sure your tree stays healthy throughout the long winter.

1. Prune – Pruning your tree is an important part of your tree’s survival throughout the winter. Dead branches and bark that are touching the ground (or will touch the ground when covered with snow)0 should be removed in addition to any new sprouts, stems or branches at the base of the tree. However, new growth up higher in the tree should be preserved. If you have any large branches that are dead, but too high to reach, or hanging over your house it is a good idea to have a professional arborist Seattle come and prune these parts for you. It is always a good idea to consult with an arborist prior to pruning your trees in order to make sure you are pruning properly and not leaving any of the central hardwood core exposed throughout the long winter.
2. Water – Early on in the fall do not water your trees frequently. You want to prevent new growth which will not have time to harden off before winter. However, once the leaves have fallen from the tree, give it a deep watering (so it reaches the bottom roots). This will help minimize the damage to the tree as it faces the long winter drought.
3. Fertilize – It is a good idea to give your tree extra nutrients during the fall in order to help keep it healthy throughout the winter. A sure sign that your tree probably needs fertilization is yellow or pale leaves, changing leaves earlier than usual during the season, wilting, or reduced growth in branches and leaves. However, you need to be very careful about the balance of nutrients that you tree receives and know when (and how) to go about fertilizing. It is best to hire a professional arborist to do the job.

For a complete arborist report Seattle visit CertifiedArboristTreeCare.com

Further reading: Three Tips for Hiring a Seattle Arborist

Evolution has designed trees to be resilient enough to handle cold winter temperatures, but sometimes it’s prudent to take extra action in case of severe weather.  Winterizing your trees can help prevent damage during a storm or an intense cold spell.

Whether (and to what degree) you need to winterize your trees depends on several factors, and a Redmond arborist can help you decide what measures are necessary.  The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the ISA – the International Society of Arboriculture, the society that certifies arborist Seattle services – also certifies professional inspectors who examine trees for weaknesses that may cause problems in the future.  An arborist can also recommend and help plan a course of action for preventive care.

1. Pruning: Trees should be strategically pruned to avoid branches falling during a storm.  Strategic pruning includes the removal of weak branches, damaged branches, dead limbs or branches, and parts of the tree with dead wood.  These areas of the tree may be brittle and more prone to breaking off.  Trees that are pruned widthwise will also be more streamlined in the event of a storm, preventing breakage from high winds.
2. Root Problems: Have your arborist check your tree’s root system for damage or problems.  Damaged roots mean a tree could simply blow over sideways during a winter storm.
3. Leaning or Off-Balance Trees: Trees that lean to one side, have an odd balance or branches, or one section of the tree that is overgrown compared to the rest are more likely to be damaged in the winter.  An arborist can often prune the tree accordingly.
4. Cracks: Trees with deep cracks that surpass the bark into the soft wood are a bad sign.  Cracks could deepen and cause the tree to split.  They could also indicate structural problems with the branches.
5. Poor Planting: It’s important to plant your trees in the fall or early spring to prevent damage.

To learn more about Seattle and Redmond tree care or ISA-certified arborists, visit the ISA website or Certified Arborist Tree Care online.

Congratulations, you have just installed a solar panel array for your home.  Welcome to a more environmentally friendly and energy cost-effective way of living.  After the san diego solar panel installers leave and your electrical or heating system is good to go, there is very little maintenance to worry about.

Despite being very low-maintenance, solar panels do need some level of care and monitoring.  Photovoltaic panels are made of two wafer-thin slices of silicon sandwiched between plates of glass and surrounded by a metal frame.  Solar energy san diego is made when sunlight hits the plate glass and is absorbed into the silicon.

Panels must be kept clean so the sun can penetrate the glass effectively. Rooftop panel arrays are more prone to collect dust, dirt and debris from trees than panels installed on the side of the house and need to be gently scrubbed and hosed down on a regular basis.  In colder regions, snow should be kept clear of the panels during the winter months.   The panels need to be inspected every few months to check for cracks in the plate glass to prevent water damage to the delicate silicon.  Depending on whether your home is on the municipal power grid or off grid and runs entirely on solar, you will need to check the PV inverter for on-grid and the generator and/or batteries for off-grid every couple of months in order to keep your solar energy system running at optimum level.

Balancing valves are essential to maintaining balanced equilibrium in a water system, but a common troubleshooting complaint is that they are making too much noise.  If the balancing valves in your water system are making an excessive amount of noise, a number of factors could be to blame.  Troubleshooting and solving these problems is simple.

The following three steps cover the most common causes of noisy balancing valves:

1. Check the Delta P pressure indicator to see the pressure across the automatic balancing valve.  Delta pressure, commonly abbreviated as “Delta P,” is the change in pressure of the water after it runs through the balancing valve.  It measures the difference in water pressure before and after the valve.If Delta P is at the max, this indicates that pressure is changing greatly upon passing through the valve – meaning that the downstream side of the balancing valve needs to be throttled to reduce the differential pressure.  This pressure should be below 32 psi.
2. Check to see that air has been purged from the system.  Excess air can cause a clicking noise inside the valve.  If your system uses WB or WS valves, you may need to purge the air from both sides of the mid-plate.
3. Check to see whether you have two automatic balancing valves coupled together very closely.  If two of these kinds of valves are close-coupled together, they can create pulsing and noise.  The only way to solve this issue would be to uncouple them and rework the system.

For more information, visit http://www.flo-pacllc.com.

Think of all the things that have an automatic and a manual version:  Cars can be either stick shift or automatic transmission.  Electric and hand juice squeezers.  Compact discs and vinyl records.  Microwaves and stove ovens.  It can be debated one is clearly better than the other, but then again, if the newer automatic version is far superior, wouldn’t that make the old manual version obsolete?  Even in the advent of the invention of the circuit setter balance valve, the manual balance valve still has its place in the in the HVAC and plumbing industry.  There are noted advantages and disadvantages of both and depending on the hydronic system, the manual can be the more appropriate choice.

Manual Balance Valve

Manual balance valves have a combination of a ball valve and a venturi balancing device.  They also have adjustable stems for valve port opening and used as a flow shut off point.

Pros:

• Suitable for residential homes and small buildings
• Has low turbulence from the venturi device which provides accurate flow readings
• Can read flow as low as .01 GPM
• Has a higher flow range than fixed circuit setters
• Best used on the return side of the hydronic system
• Saves energy with the a lower pressure drop and a smaller pump can be used

Cons:

• Valves must be manually calibrated
• They require constant costly maintenance

Circuit Setter

Circuit setters are calibrated balancing valves with a built in slide rule.  They have predetermined C_v (flow coefficient) values that automatically regulates the flow of water through the terminals.

Pros:

• Suitable for large buildings
• Easy maintenance
• Work on a minimum level of horsepower
• Low setup and initial balance time
• Able to shut down water flow for individual parts of a building but keep water circulating in the rest of the building

Cons:

• High energy usage
• Has limited flow range
• Inaccurate flow readings due to high turbulence at measuring point

When selecting automatic balancing valves or manual balancing valves to balance a water system, some may find the difference in features between the two confusing – and the answer as to which option is the better choice unclear.  Each of these systems has benefits and drawbacks, and which is right for your project will depend on your needs.

It’s important to keep a water system in balance, meaning that the water flow throughout the entire system is in line with the exact flow rates specified for the system’s design.  Using manual balancing valves helps balance this system by utilizing manual, adjustable stems so that the system’s installer can set the valves to the perfect specifications.  With features like circular slide rules to calculate circuit flow based on pressure readout differences, other fittings designed to aid in the reading of differential pressure, and rising or nonrising stems to adjust, choosing the right settings and adjusting all valves properly is quite an acheivable task.

An automatic balancing valve, however, utilizes a moving element within the measuring orifice of the valve to read pressure differences and regulates the flow of water to a preset value.  The obvious benefit of this is that the installer does not need to perfectly calibrate each valve to the exact settings necessary to regulate flow.  While an automatic balancing valve system is generally more expensive than a manual system, the time saved and reduced pumping cost of an automatic system can – in many cases – make up for the extra cost of the parts.

Each engineer may have a preference and choose valves based on the project or a preferred method.  For more information on pipe and valve options from leading provider Flo-Pac LLC, visit www.flopacllc.com.

After having selected a circuit setter rather than manual or automatic balancing valves as part of your water system, installing the device is rather straightforward and usually causes no trouble.  However, keeping a few simple hints in mind during installation can help prevent leaks and keep your home’s entire water system in working order.

1. Use a torch with a precise, pointed, and sharp flame. Do not use a broad blow torch, as precision in soldering the circuit setter is key.
2. Clean thoroughly. Especially at the ends of the tube and the connections, dirt can gather and must be removed before installation.
3. Select the right solder for the job. Tin-antimony solder (number 95-5) will provide optimum results.  A high quality flux will is also important.
4. Protect the circuit setter from excessive heat while soldering. Wrap the body of the device in a cool rag to keep it from overheating, and carefully aim the flame away from the body while soldering.  Do not install the Model Readout Valves until the body has cooled to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Check for leaks. Always check the newly soldered connection for leaks before moving on to the next steps.  This will save time, money, and a great deal of frustration if any installation work needs to be redone.

Did you know that trees experience a growth spurt at the beginning of the spring season?  When warm weather begins to replace colder winter temperatures, trees use stored nutrients to make up for their lack of winter growth and grow significantly during a period of a few months.  By the end of the spring, when these stored nutrients are used up, trees begin to make a new supply of nutrients via photosynthesis.

This growth spurt is part of the tree’s yearly cycle, and knowing this cycle can help facilitate proper tree maintenance and care.  It can also help homeowners – and tree care specialists like a certified arborist seattle – better care for the plant life on their property.  Employing a specialist to look after your property is the best way to ensure healthy trees; armed with an expert level of knowledge, a Bellevue tree removal and tree care company like Certified Arborist Tree Care will be able to tune your tree’s care to the seasons and the weather.

Here are the major changes trees undergo during the seasons.

• Spring: Trees experience a growth spurt as warm weather approaches, using up stored nutrients.  New leaves begin to form and plants may blossom.  By the end of spring, these nutrients are used up and plants must rely on photosynthesis to produce energy.
• Summer: Trees continue to produce and use nutrients from the soil and from photosynthesis.  Trees will continue to grow during the summer, and different plants will bloom at different times during the season.  Trees may also start to bear fruit and store nutrients in preparation of the colder months.
• Fall: Plants begin to lose their leaves, and photosynthesis comes to a slow period.  Trees may begin to rely on stored nutrients as they go dormant.
• Winter: The tree’s food-producing capabilities come to a stop and the tree “hibernates” for the winter.  Come spring, it will produce new leaves and begin to use up its food reserves.

Making the right selection when it comes to your serious plumbing projects can be simple and straightforward with the right knowledge.  It’s important to know your circuit setter and other valve options, and while choosing the wrong valve won’t necessarily render the system useless (or dangerous), choosing the right valve can make an enormous difference in energy costs and water use.

In a pipe system, many plumbing experts are faced with the decision of which type of valve to use to gauge water flow and help keep the system under control.  A circuit setter – made famous by plumbing production giant Bell & Wesson, famous for high quality and durability – is a special type of valve used in an HVAC system that regulates the flow of hot water and cold water.  This allows for comfortable use of hot and cold water in one part of the system without disturbing the flow of water in another part – and without wasting energy.

For example, if a shower int he system is running with both hot and cold water ot produce a warm temperature and someone flushes a toilet in the system, the water temperature in the shower will shoot up.  This is because the system is redirecting cold water away from the shower and into the toilet, causing the temperature in the shower to rise.  A circuit setter regulates the hot water, allowing ti to balance with the cold water and keep the optimal shower temperature.

Here are the top three features to look for when selecting a circuit setter:

• The valve’s adjustment range.  It should turn 360 degrees if you need precision.
• Both temperature and pressure test ports.
• The ability to have positive shutdown.

Top pipe and valve provider Flo-Pac offers a range of pipes, automatic balancing valves, manual balancing valves, and more.  Visit them online for more information on their product lineup and options.