www.firstplacetechnologies.com.  Build your own website or store, and pick your own options.  You decide what you can afford and add more options as you go along.  First Place Techologies provides its own hosting and domain name registration as well.  If it's online, First Place Technologies has it.   Check it out today!

 

www.firstplacetechnologies.com.  Build your own website or store, and pick your own options.  You decide what you can afford and add more options as you go along.  First Place Techologies provides its own hosting and domain name registration as well.  If it's online, First Place Technologies has it.   Check it out today!

Forest Management

 

Forest Management

 

Energy Savings

The best heating source for your home may be Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs).  These pumps convert latent heat from the air into heat for your home.  The condensors for these units can be placed in your basement or other area in your home, allowing you to capitalize on up to 150% efficiencies year round.  Unlike geothermal systems, when the condensors are inside there is no need to have backup fossil fuel systems.  The price is a little more than a typical furnace, but far less than that of a geothermal system.  Call Rick Hataanpa at Heat Mechanical for more information (218-485-8565).

Geothermal systems are now seeing payback periods as short as 10 years.  A 2,000 square foot home can have geothermal installed for about $20,000.  They have efficiencies of 300 percent.  Tired of high energy bills --- Geothermal is the answer.  If you can afford geothermal look into an air source heat pump from K & S heating (320-629-4626).  It's costs a little more than a regular system, but has efficiencies up to 150%.

Replace your 48" fluorescent lighting with T-8 bulbs.  These skinnier fluroscent lights provide just as much light as the others (T-10's) for a lot less energy.

Change lightbulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL's) - they last up to 10 times as long and are just as bright.

Energy Saving Tips

• Check tires for proper inflation.  The right tire pressure can improve mileage by more than 3%.  Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. www.carcare.org/Tires_Wheels/inflation.shtml
• Plant trees.  Trees absorb harm chemicals, give off oxygen, prevent runoff, and trap and filter pollutants.  They also shade and cool, and block the wind.  Visit http://www.arborday.org/
• The power of trees...
• Saving Energy in Your Home...
• Bank snow against your foundation to insulate and seal it against drafts and cold.   Freshly fallen snow is typically 90-95% air, making it a good thermal insulator.
• You can recycle many variations of paper including:  mail; office/school papers; magazines; phone books; cereal boxes; pasta boxes; cake mix boxes; cracker boxes; shoe boxes; gift boxes; electronics boxes; boxes from toothpaste; toilet paper roll ends; paper toweling cardboard; boxes from medications and other toiletries.  Find a complete list at http://www.green-guardian.com/
• Buy recycled napkins - if every U.S. household did we could save a million trees
• Refrigerators with automatic ice dispensers can increase electricity usage by as much as 20% compared to models without.  Save energy by setting the fridge temperature between 38 and 42° F and the the freezer between 0 and 5°.
• Make sure your refrigerator closes soundly.  Do this by making sure it is difficult to pull a $1 bill out from the door when it is closed in between the door gaskets.  If it comes out easily its time to replace the seal.
• Compact fluorescent lights use a quarter of the power of a regular bulb and lasts up to 10 times as long.  Save even more on lighting by install dimmer switches and timers, indoors and out.  See http://www.energystar.gov/ for more information.  If every family switched out five bulbls it would save the equivalent of the energy necessary to run 8 million cars.
• Toilet paper rolls are recyclable.
• Reduce your amount of unwanted mail.  The Financial Services authority says the average American used 10,355 sheets of paper in 2005.  Visit http://www.greendimes.com/, http://www.catalogchoice.org, http://www.reduce.org/, or http://www.41pounds.org/ to find out how you can cut your use of paper.
• Dishwashers that use soil sensors to shorten the washing cycle, saving water and energy.
• Clothes dryers that have moisture sensors, turning off the unit when the clothes are dry.
• Clothes washers that use less water and energy.Wrap your hot water tank in an insulating "blanket" if it feels warm to the touch.
• Use warm or cold water for laundry when possible, rinse in cold, and wash when you have full loads. Today's cold water detergents do a good job.
• Turning off your computer during long periods of non-use cuts costs and improves longevity.

All recycling material must be separated and "clean" when brought in.  Clean means that all recycled articles are pure.  For example, brass fittings must have all metal, plastic, and rubber pieces removed. 

Brass with metal attached will result in a lower scrap iron value, rather than the premium price of brass.

Stainless steel is both ferrous and nonferous metal.  Ferous (metallic) metal, while still worth scrap iron prices, pales in comparison to the value of nonferous stainless steel.

#1 Copper
Pure copper such as stripped copper wiring, some sink parts, and copper piping/fittings.

#2 Copper
Unstripped copper wiring.  Do not burn outer plastic/wrapping off as this is ecologically devastating.  Many recycling/salvage yards will not buy it either.

Brass
Includes door knobs and hinges, pipe fittings, and sink parts.

Aluminum
Aluminum cans

Aluminum Scrap
Includes doors, window frames, shovels, sink parts, etc.

Stainless Steel (non-ferrous/non-metallic)
Includes sink parts, pipe parts, and overhead stove hoods.

Scrap Metal (all ferous/metallic)
This includes ferous containing stainless steel, unclean (mixed types) metal, and all types of metallic steel, including cast iron.

All recycling material must be separated and "clean" when brought in.  Clean means that all recycled articles are pure.  For example, brass fittings must have all metal, plastic, and rubber pieces removed. 

Brass with metal attached will result in a lower scrap iron value, rather than the premium price of brass.

Stainless steel is both ferrous and nonferous metal.  Ferous (metallic) metal, while still worth scrap iron prices, pales in comparison to the value of nonferous stainless steel.

#1 Copper
Pure copper such as stripped copper wiring, some sink parts, and copper piping/fittings.

#2 Copper
Unstripped copper wiring.  Do not burn outer plastic/wrapping off as this is ecologically devastating.  Many recycling/salvage yards will not buy it either.

Brass
Includes door knobs and hinges, pipe fittings, and sink parts.

Aluminum
Aluminum cans

Aluminum Scrap
Includes doors, window frames, shovels, sink parts, etc.

Stainless Steel (non-ferrous/non-metallic)
Includes sink parts, pipe parts, and overhead stove hoods.

Scrap Metal (all ferous/metallic)
This includes ferous containing stainless steel, unclean (mixed types) metal, and all types of metallic steel, including cast iron.