It’s often repeated that a heat pump works like a refrigerator, and it heats your home like a refrigerator in reverse. But how many people know how a refrigerator works? This is how Dana Fischer, the residential program manager at Efficiency Maine, explains what’s going on. The basis for both devices is to move heat energy from one…
The age of the air source heat pump By Tux Turkel Transformational. That’s a word to describe the heating transition in Maine a half-century ago, when home-owners started saying goodbye to their coal bins and hello to oil tanks. Compared to coal, oil was cleaner, more convenient and more efficient. In 2015, we may be on…
Simple strategies for extending your growing season by Lisa Wolff It’s a Saturday afternoon in July and Eliot Coleman is sitting atop his picnic table under a grape arbor on the terrace of his Harborside, Maine farm. He is sipping port wine, wearing felted slipper boots adorned with bright orange carrots, made for him by his neighbor. The…
Time and technology are changing. What’s the best heat for your house? The numbers are dropping fast, but roughly seven in 10 Maine homes still rely on oil as the primary heating fuel. So the recent sharp drop in wholesale petroleum prices has many homeowners wondering whether it’s worthwhile to convert from heating oil or kerosene to other fuels.…
To celebrate 10th anniversary of the SunriseGuide, we wanted to shine a light on Mainers who are creating real change in their communities. Their efforts have resulted in significant advances in the areas of sustainability, environmental health and wellness in Maine over the past ten years. These champions work tirelessly—often under the radar—improving access to…
An interview with Andy Meyer of Efficiency Maine The SunriseGuide sat down with Efficiency Maine’s Andy Meyer to learn more about heat pump water heaters and why more and more Maine homeowners are making the switch to these new high-efficiency water heating systems. SunriseGuide: Andy, many homeowners have heard about heat pumps. But what is…
By Dale J. Rappaneau, Jr. With more coastline than California, Maine is a worldwide surfing destination, having been visited by such pro surfers as Dion Agius and Warren Smith. But it’s not just the mileage that makes it enjoyable; in the summertime, ocean temperatures range from a refreshing mid-50s in June to low-60s in August.…
By Caitlin Gilmet There’s a good chance that your next blanket or sweater wasn’t just made in Maine—it was born and raised here, too. Take a short drive into farm country, and you might even get to meet the sheep, goat, alpaca, llama or rabbit that produced it. Maine’s diverse and growing fiber production and…
By Bob Keyes Adrienne Grant, the artistic director at the Arundel Barn Playhouse in southern Maine, always thinks of wood when she thinks of summer theater. Old, worn wood that retains the character and heritage of the family that made its livelihood in the rugged barn that now houses the theater, and by the characters…
A comfortable place to lay your head in the great outdoors Looking to get away in nature but perhaps camping is just not the right fit this time around? There are plenty of lodging options in Maine and beyond that provide rustic (and some not-so-rustic) accommodations close to the great outdoors, with the benefit of a…