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Category Electrical

Electrical, Miscellaneous

Why LED Lighting Deserves More Thought Than It Gets: Layers, Colour, Dimming and the Fixtures That Last

Every LED now uses a fraction of the power and lasts 25,000 hours or more, so the saving is settled; what still goes wrong is the design. Give each room three layers (general, task, accent) on separate dimmable switches; pick one colour temperature per area (2700 K living, 3000 K kitchens and baths,

Harvey
April 27, 2018
7 Comments

Electrical, Green Building, Miscellaneous

CFL Bulbs in 2026: The Health Questions, the Mercury, and Why the Answer Is Now Just LED

engineering of compact flurescent light bulbs

Health Canada tested compact fluorescent lamps and found the ultraviolet and electromagnetic emissions well below any level of concern at normal distances (keep any bulb 30 cm from your skin for long periods), and the mercury inside, a few milligrams, is a risk only when a bulb breaks and the cleanu

Harvey
November 13, 2015

Electrical

How to Wire a New House for the Next 30 Years: Panel, Circuits, Low Voltage and the Things You Cannot Add Later

Plan the electrical for the house you will have in 2040, not the one you move into: a 200 amp panel (or a load-managed 200 with room for an EV, a heat pump and a future suite), an EV charger circuit to the garage, a generator or battery transfer provision, Cat6 home-run to every TV, desk and access

Harvey
March 17, 2014
1 Comment

Electrical, Portfolio

Buying LED Fixtures for a New House: The Six Specifications That Separate a Good Light From a Cheap One

Check six things: CRI of 90 or better where it matters (80 is the cheap default and makes food and faces grey); colour consistency across fixtures (buy one brand, one batch, and look for a tight binning spec); beam angle that matches the job (wide for general, narrow for accent); a real heat sink, b

Harvey
February 16, 2014
1 Comment

Electrical, Green Building, Miscellaneous

A Wind Turbine in Your Back Yard: What It Costs in Ontario, What It Makes, and Why Solar Usually Wins

A residential wind turbine of 5 to 10 kW installed on a proper tower costs roughly $40,000 to $90,000 in Ontario, needs an acre or more of open land, a tower of 25 to 35 metres, a municipal permit (height, setbacks, noise) and an ESA inspection, and produces useful power only where the annual averag

Harvey
January 4, 2014
11 Comments

Green Building, Electrical, HVAC and Radiant Floor Heating

Cost of Geothermal Heating in Ontario (2026 Guide): Is It Still Worth It?

Ontario 2026 update Ground-source heat pump Real pricing + rebates Cost of Geothermal Heating in Ontario (2026): Real Pricing, Rebates, and the Don’t-Get-Surprised Checklist You’re not here for a brochure. You want a real number, a real rebate answer, and…

Harvey
December 17, 2013
4 Comments

Green Building, Electrical

100 or 200 Amp Electrical Service?

Stop guessing EV and heat pumps 100 vs 200 amp – Ontario 100 or 200 Amp Electrical Service? The Ontario Future-Proof Answer (Without Overpaying) If you’re building, renovating, or adding loads – an EV charger, heat pump, basement suite, or…

Harvey
December 9, 2013
9 Comments