Join My Winged Friends-Plastic Recycling


While attempting to Lead by Example encouraging Plastic Recycling for the StLouis area.  I’ve received a little help from the neighborhood winged friends in recycling the plastic from the community.

While cleaning up the yard from the extreme storms that passed thru Missouri the other night I found this in the bushes in the Front Yard.  Finally another use for Plastic Litter.

Even the Birds are Doing It-Plastic Recycling

Future updates will be forthcoming: Type of Bird, Number of Eggs, etc.  Scotty

Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

 

Gunman meant to shoot the Girl not the Guy


When writing articles and posts about #Construction ,#energyefficiency , and #homerepairservice   the words and sentences I use seem to automatically jump from my fingers and onto the screen.  I’ve found that when I’m writing about this sort of  #GunViolenceTragedy  that hit so close to home I have a very, very difficult time.

#May22    Update with additional details I learned yesterday.  It is very disturbing for me to learn that this Incident involving Guns and Violence started via a #Facebook  post.  Working backwards I’m going to share with you what James told me yesterday, 5/21/13-

**At the time of the Suspects arrest on 5/21/13- the#gunman  told the #StLouisPolice  that: “He didn’t mean to shoot the Guy, he meant to shoot the Girl”.  The Guy who was shot was an innocent bystander who lived next door to the intended Victim.

**The Violence started over a #Facebook  posting between two girls.

**Gunman swore revenge and said he’d be looking for the Girl and then for two days cruised the area searching for the Girl.

**On the day of the shooting the Gunman drove down the street and opened fire, shooting towards the Girls House and mistakenly was shooting up the Houses that were adjacent to the Girls house.

**Victim is at #BarnesHospital , Bullet is lodged in the spine in the neck area, and Doctors are evaluating surgery that would remove the bullet but may leave Victim paralyzed.

**Additional Info on the Victim:  1) He held two jobs at#BuschStadium  and a Hotel chain.  2) Following James (his fathers) advice who encouraged him to get into the computer business-He moon-lighted for Expedia.com as one of the people who brings people the great deals on Airfare and Hotel Stays.  His second job at the Hotel chain he worked in the computer/scheduling/web services IT department.

Over the weekend my Girl +s. wendel and I will be having a BBQ for the Victims Family and I’ll post any additional info about the incident and the status of the Victim.

Articles is cross-post at Google+ and StLouis Renewable Energy
Scotty

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Gun Violence-wrong place at the wrong time


The spine shown here with spinal cord.

The spine shown here with spinal cord. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This past weekend while sitting on a front porch talking with family and friends in the North Side of StLouis one of my Green Teams Members Son was hit by a stray bullet that nicked his Spine.

The 22-year-old is in critical condition and is in the hospital now.  Doctors report that the stray bullet nicked the spinal cord and it is too early to give any diagnosis on recovery.

James the Sons Father was just telling me that his son worked two jobs and was a productive member of Society.  He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In the photo below James, the Sons Father, is learning how to lay Ceramic Tile on a project we did together in Downtown StLouis.

James, Green Team Member and Father to Son who was shot by a stray bullet.
James, Green Team Member and Father to Son who was shot by a stray bullet.

We all have our fingers crossed and praying for a speedy recovery.  Scotty

I’m a little shook-up to say the least and am seriously examining my thoughts on the current Gun Control  Debate.

Energy Star Window Installation


In between the raindrops last week we took a little time away from the Stage2 on the Benton Project and installed these energy star windows by Wilke at the Saloon.Scotty

Shady Jacks Energy Star 4 Window Installation Photos, Build Notes, Presentation

Scotts Contracting – Removing Old Single Pane Sash Windows and Replacing with Energy Strar Dual Pane windows from Wilke. Transit windows on order for opening on top

Energy Star Dual Pane Transit Windows ordered and will be installed in a future project!

Build Diagram for Energy Star Window Installation, CAD by Scotts Contracting


In between the raindrops last week we took a little time away from the Stage2 on the Benton Project and installed these energy star windows by Wilke at the Saloon.Scotty

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Adding an electric car cut the payback point of our solar panel investment in half

Reblogged from GigaOM:

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When we discussed our home solar panel project in mid-2011 with friends, one of the first questions everyone asked was, "What's the payback period before you break-even?" The second question was unsurprisingly, "How much is it costing you?" but the focus always ended up on the payback. After all, if you're going to invest in green technology, you're hoping that at some point in the near future, you get ahead of the game.

Read more… 789 more words

More Proof that solar has many benefits. With a Faster ROI why haven't you gone Solar!

Flat Roof Remodel Stage2 Benton Rehab


Stage 2 Benton Rehab Project-Repairing Warehouse Roof

Hole caused by simple roof leak 20 years ago-Stage 2 Benton Rehab Project

Scotts Contracting Green Team celebrated Earth Day 2013 by starting Stage 2 Benton Rehab Project.  Replacing the water damaged roof on the Benton Warehouse.

Replacing the Benton Warehouse Roof-Stage 2 Benton Rehab Project

Replacing the Benton Warehouse Roof-Stage 2 Benton Rehab Project

We celebrated Earth Day 2013 by starting Stage 2 Benton Rehab Project.

Photos of Day 1:

Prepped ceiling for removal of old damaged lumber and roofing.  We also removed all the old wiring and lighting from the ceiling consisting of 15 shop lights and relocating all the building materials that were stored in the warehouse to another area of the building.

Dumpster will be delivered today and will be centrally located in the bay to save man-hours when removing the roof.

After Old Roof has been removed we will be welding bar joists to the existing Metal Beams covered by pan decking and then a concrete topping.

4 Man Crew will be utilized for this part of the project.

Day 2 Dumpster Delivery -Rain Day Video See Clip on Google Plus

Day 3 Roof Demolition-We estimate the Roof we are removing was 50 years old and was originally a rock ballast roof system with an additional 4-5 layers of patching. 

Tearing Off the Existing Roof-Stage 2 Benton Project
Tearing Off the Existing Roof-Stage 2 Benton Project
Tearing Off the Existing Roof-Stage 2 Benton Project
Tearing Off the Existing Roof-Stage 2 Benton Project
Parking the Dumpster in the Warehouse Bay we estimate will save 1 days worth of  Labor for the Crew and makes our lives much easier for the roof tear off!
Parking the Dumpster in the Warehouse Bay we estimate will save 1 days worth of  Labor for the Crew and makes our lives much easier for the roof tear off!

Despite the Rain the Crew is making good progress with removing the existing roof with 1/4 to 1/3 of the old roof removed.

See additional photos of the project at Google Plus

Day 4:

 

Day 5 Benton Rehab Roof Project uncovered some interesting hidden gems in the roof system.  In the photos below you can view the extensive tree Stump and Root Ball that started out as a sapling years ago and was left to its own accord.

Experiment to see how far a tree root will grow when left unattended for 10 plus years.  Benton Rehab Roof Project

Experiment to see how far a tree root will grow when left unattended for 10 plus years. Benton Rehab Roof Project

Experiment to see how far a tree root will grow when left unattended for 10 plus years.  Benton Rehab Roof Project

The photo is of the tree’s root ball that was growing in the built up roof system.  While this was not the only culprit as to the roofs demise in the past 10 years it has led to the steady degradation of the roof system.

Note: Part of the reason we left this tree and root system intact was so that we could trace the roots to ensure it was removed completely from the wall and roof system-eliminating a tree restarting from its roots.  Its also part of an:

Experiment to see how far a tree root will grow when left unattended for 10 plus years.

damage this little tree was causing to the adjacent 4 Family Unit. Benton Rehab Project
We Haven’t made it to this Tree and Root System yet.  This photo was included to show the damage this little tree was causing to the adjacent 4 Family Unit.

 

Benton Rehab Project-Tree Saplings that will not make it to maturity
Tree Saplings that will not make it to maturity

This last photo was included to show the before tuckpointing the parapet wall.  Required step before installing the new roof system of: Bar Joists, Pan Decking, and Concrete Topping.

Addition Benton Rehab Stage 2 Project Green Blog Postings

Additional Benton Rehab project blog posts:

  1. Benton Rehab Flooring-Custom Floor Patch « Scotts Contracting

    https://scottscontracting.wordpress.com/…/benton-rehab-flooring-custom…

    Jan 10, 2013 – Part 11: Kitchen Framing Tip #36-Benton Rehab Project  Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building 

    You visited this page on 4/22/13.
  2. Kitchen Framing Tip-Benton Gut Rehab Project - MerchantCircle.com

    Scotts Contracting, St Louis Renewable Energy Missouri is located in Saint Louis, MO. Scott’s Contracting is: Affordable, Punctual & Experienced Handy 

  3. Benton Rehab Project Drywall Installation and Tip – Scotts Contracting

    scottscontracting.wordpress.com/…/benton-rehab-project-drywall-installa…

    Dec 12, 2012 – Benton Rehab Project Drywall Installation and Tip: Number 1172  Drywall Installation on Benton Project-Scotts Contracting St Louis MO 

 

Pt1 Spray Foam Insulation-St Louis Brick Buildings


Cost Effective:Energy Conservation for StLouis Brick Buildings

As a provider for Free Green Estimates and Advice in regard to Green Building for St Louis Homes.  I get many requests for my opinion on various construction related home and business requests for: improvements, retrofits, rehabbing buildings, energy conservation, and clean energy resources-by the people of StLouis .

Repairing a Stone or Rock Foundation on Typical StLouis Older Home

Repairing a Stone or Rock Foundation on Typical StLouis Older Home

Since education of Energy Conservation in building science is ignored by many builders in the region and what I feel is what led to a couple of requests for free estimate for: Spray Foam insulation for Interior Brick Walls on St Louis Brick Home.

I strongly urge everyone who is involved in remodeling, retrofitting, weatherizing, or any other construction related project with a StLouis Building review and practice these must do activities when working on the typical StLouis brick or masonry building.

Improper Building or Retrofitting Techniques could lead to: Respiratory Problems, Indoor Pollution, Combustion from Natural Gas Appliances, as well as the further deterioration of your brick building.

View Part 1 of the Spray Foam Insulation Series at these links Spray Foam Insulation StLouis Brick Building or View the Google Cloud Document 

Schedule Scotts Contracting to give you a Free Green Property Evaluation by using the Following Contact Form

DIY Energy Audits and the A-Hah Moment


In the preceding post on-Less Weight Equals More Horsepower I used the comparison on how the US Automakers figured out how to make our Automobiles use less gas by lightening the vehicles weights which increased horsepower which equates into less Petrol needed for operation and how the same principles can be applied to a Buildings Energy Use and Needs. The principles I will be blogging about applies to any building-Residential or Commercial and can be used to give your Bank Account More Horsepower!

Lets start by going room by room and looking around at all the Gadgets/Appliances that are using electricity. Simple DIY Energy Audits -that anyone can perform on your building. Keep in Mind the Following two bullet points when Inspecting the Gadgets and Appliances.

  • What Gadgets or Appliances in your building are always on and consuming energy? This is Vampire Power [i].
  • Rule of Thumb? “ If your appliances are old enough to Vote it needs replaced with a newer Energy Star Appliance. [ii] ”

Here are examples of my energy use for my buildings for my DIY Energy Audit Home Office Location (Home Office).

I performed a Room by Room walk-thru inspecting taking notes of everything that used electricity. (When I’m performing a Computerized Energy Audit using Equest Software I log the information into the program and it does the math for me plus outlines areas for improvement with ROI for all costs involved.) But we’re going Old School on this Energy Audit and you will only need a basic calculator or pen and notepad.

The Benefits of Performing an Old School Energy Audit by hand and figuring things by hand is the A-Hah Moment of Energy Use- you will gain a greater understanding of:

watts of energy, kilo watts, how watts and kilowatts translate into dollars.

Location Time in UseHrs / day Electricity UsedMeasured in watts Vampire PowerYes or No

FORMULA FOR ESTIMATING ENERGY CONSUMPTION

(Wattage × Hours Used Per Day= total watts )

Cost to Operate in St Louis using Ameren UE combined electricity rate plus service fees =.11/w1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 Watts (total watts ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption) x $.11= Amount in $.
Bedroom 1(hours per day spent sleeping 8.7)
Clock Radio 24 10 yes 240 0.26
TV 4 133 yes 532 0.53
VCR DVD 2 20–25 yes 50 0.05
2-Lights- 3 bulbs ave 65 W 4 260 no 1040 1.4
Fan 8.7 65 no 565.5 0.57
Bedroom 2 [which has dual functions in my Residence as Home Office and
Dining Room]
Clock Radio 24 10 yes 240 0.24
Lights-1 overhead with 2 light bulbs-2 desktop lights Ave W of 40×3= 120 w 4 120 no 480 0.48
Computer [i] 1- 200w=800w 4 200 no 800 0.8
Laptop Computer 2 1 60 no 60 0.6
Tablet Computer 0.5 22.5 no 11.25 0.01
Internet Access [ii] 24 1.22 yes 29.28 0.03
Living Room-Lights w/2 Situational Lights 120 w Total 2 240 no 480 0.48
Living Room 1 Overhead w/ 2 light bulbs 120w total 2 120 no 240 0.24
TV 2 133 no 266 0.27
VCR/DVD 2 20-25 yes 50 0.05
Bathroom

  • Over Head Lights
4 100 no 400 0.4
KitchenGas Stove with Pilot light Zero Electricity DemandRefrigerator Number 1 in-use 100%

Wall Clock- Batteries Zero Electricity Demand

Coffee Maker:

Dishwasher:

Lighting-3-100w+1-60w=360w

MicroWave

0 0 no 0 0
24/3=8 725 yes 5800 0.58
0 0 no 0 0
2 1000 no 2000 0.2
1 1500 no 1500 1.5
4 360 no 1440 1.4
1 1000 no 1000 1
Hallway/Stairway

  • Lights
12 100 no 1200 1.20
Laundry Room

  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Lights 2-120w total
2 400 no 800 0.8
4 3000 no 12000 1.32
1 120 no 120 0.12
Mechanical Room:

  • Furnace 50% use 3 hrs / day
  • Water Heater Gas
3 750 No 2250 0.25
0 0 0 0 0
Exterior

  • Lights 2-120w=240w total
10 2400 no 24000 2.4
Totals

TYPICAL WATTAGES OF VARIOUS APPLIANCES

Here are some examples of the range of nameplate wattages for various household appliances

  • Aquarium = 50–1210 Watts
  • Clock radio = 10
  • Coffee maker = 900–1200
  • Clothes washer = 350–500
  • Clothes dryer = 1800–5000
  • Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)
  • Dehumidifier = 785
  • Electric blanket (Single/Double) = 60 / 100
  • Fans
    Ceiling = 65–175
    Window = 55–250
    Furnace = 750
    Whole house = 240–750
  • Hair dryer = 1200–1875
  • Heater (portable) = 750–1500
  • Clothes iron = 1000–1800
  • Microwave oven = 750–1100
  • Personal computer
    CPU – awake / asleep = 120 / 30 or less
    Monitor – awake / asleep = 150 / 30 or less
    Laptop = 50
  • Radio (stereo) = 70–400
  • Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) = 725
  • Televisions (color)
    • 19″ = 65–110
    • 27″ = 113
    • 36″ = 133
    • 53″ – 61″ Projection = 170
    • Flat screen = 120
  • Toaster = 800–1400
  • Toaster oven = 1225
  • VCR/DVD = 17–21 / 20–25
  • Vacuum cleaner = 1000–1440
  • Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500–5500
  • Water pump (deep well) = 250–1100
  • Water bed (with heater, no cover) = 120–380

FORMULA FOR ESTIMATING ENERGY CONSUMPTION-Use this formula to estimate an appliance’s energy use:

  • (Wattage × Hours Used Per Day) ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption

1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 Watts

Multiply this by the number of days you use the appliance during the year for the annual consumption in kWh per year.

ESTIMATING ANNUAL COST TO RUN AN APPLIANCE

Multiply the annual consumption in kWh per year (that you calculated above) by your local utility’s rate per kWh consumed to calculate the annual cost to run an appliance. Note: To estimate the number of hours that a refrigerator actually operates at its maximum wattage, divide the total time the refrigerator is plugged in by three. Refrigerators, although turned “on” all the time, actually cycle on and off as needed to maintain interior temperatures.

EXAMPLES:

Window fan:
(200 Watts × 4 hours/day × 120 days/year) ÷ 1000
= 96 kWh × 11 cents/kWh
= $10.56/year

Personal Computer and Monitor:
[(120
Watts + 150 Watts) × 4 hours/day × 365 days/year] ÷ 1000
= 394 kWh × 11 cents/kWh
= $43.34/year

What is the Best Defense to fight these upcoming high summertime cooling bills? Energy Conservation is the best defense and will provide the Fastest ROI- Return on Investment for your $Money$.

i http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/computers.html

ii446 Kw/ year / 365= 1.22 source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/us/26cable.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=energy-environment&adxnnlx=1309172425-vWWbjwsKwmR0zJvE%20C7U5Q&

i Vampire Power

Certificate of Completion-Residential Energy Auditor Training for Scotty-Scotts Contracting

Certificate of Completion-Residential Energy Auditor Training for Scotty-Scotts Contracting

ii  rules of thumb on Energy Conservation as taught by ICast .

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Less Weight Equals More Horsepower


To use a Building as an example: less weight on your Energy Bills equals more Horsepower for your Bank Account!

and the same principle can be applied to your Home or Business.

Everyone who has driven a car or truck built in the Late 70s or early 80s knows that gas was cheap-car and truck motors were gas guzzling monsters.

I can remember Ford and Chevy Pickups that got a whopping 8 mpg regardless of whether the trucks were loaded down with Farm Goods or NOT.

During the first fossil fuel crunch of the late 70s GM, Ford, and Dodge realized changes were needed and started developing cars that used less gas. They made the transition to lighter cars because:

Less Weight Equals More Horsepower.

This translates into less energy needed to move the vehicles or less Gas. (although I was just an infant in the 70s my Father has told me that this energy efficiency thing is old news to him…and a repeat of old news-by the Politicians and News Reporting Agencies) Thankfully with: Greater Technology mankind has taken these old stories and made them into the-

New Hip Thing To Do-

Energy Conservation and Creating Clean Energy from Renewable Sources.

The same thing is happening all over the World. Many countries are moving to Alternative Energy created from-Wind, Geo-thermal, and Solar. Since Going Green and Living a Sustainable Lifestyle has been adopted by all walks of life in every corner of the World.

More and more Countries have adapted to this new technology and embracing the Sustainable Culture that is shaping our Future.

Whether or not a Country can be called hip or not is left for the Debaters. What is hip to me is that the actual People made up of:

Conservatives, Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, and all the other walks of life-

who make up a country have realized that: Being Green is the Hip thing to do-for numerous reasons!

Here in the St Louis area. One of the most answered question as to why a client wants to join the Clean Energy Revolution is their

Extreme Dislike of Ameren UE-(the Company who provides the St Louis Area with our Electricity).

What surprises me most is that it many times is not because Ameren:

burns coal to generate our electricity-the greatest source of CO2 that is damaging our Climate and Disrupting the Natural Weather Patterns.

Its because of the way they treat the citizens of St Louis. Poor Service, Numerous Power Outages, the Choke Hold they have on the Missouri Lawmakers, and Outrageously High Energy Bills.

So what is the Best Defense to fight these upcoming high summertime cooling bills?

Energy Conservation is the best defense. I’m going to share the main secrets to Energy Conservation in an upcoming Green Blog Post.

What many Energy Auditors charge your for.  I am going to freely share how you can get More Horsepower for your $money$

and the rules of thumb that apply to saving energy in-

any building

any home

and

any business.

We can build a Green and Sustainable USA with American Made Materials for your Building Projects and use American Made Solar PV Systems to power your Building! Scotty

Conserving and Creating Energy has new wings and is coming to places near you.

Scotts Contracting St Louis Renewable Energy supports American Business by Buying American Products

Scotts Contracting St Louis Renewable Energy supports American Business by Buying American Products

Do Squirrels and Rabbits Ravage Your Garden?

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Varmit Garden Screen Protector Designed and Built by Scotts Contracting will protect your precious vegetables from the Vermin.

Garden Screen Protector Available at Scotts Contracting
  1. Sunday March 18, 2012 Planted Back Yard Garden
  2. Gambling on Spring Weather Conditions
  3. First Plants to Germinate March 28
  4. I couldn't find a Functional Garden Screen Protector to suit my liking so I designed this Frame for the Protective Garden Screen.

Read more… 99 more words

Its that time of year! If your like me protecting the vegies in the Garden is top priority then a simple solution such as the Garden Screen Protector can help. It worked for us it can work for you too.
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