Energy-wise homeowners looking to eliminate heat loss and unwanted drafts are heating up their hearth by converting their open fireplace into a high-performance heating zones.

According to a recent Chicago Tribune article Get more from your fireplace, “an open-masonry fireplace might be only 15 percent efficient. But if there is no fire and the damper is left open, it can have a negative efficiency as warm air escapes.”

In addition to homes with inefficient open fireplaces, wood-burning inserts and stoves are an excellent option when renovating, building and for houses with wood lots or easy access to local seasoned wood logs.

Craig Shankster, President of Morso USA, reports high demand for the Morso 5660 wood-burning fireplace insert nationwide, “the erratic cold weather patterns, particularly in the southern regions, paired with expensive fossil fuel has motivated homeowners to transform their open fireplace into a high-performance wood heat appliance.”

Homeowners without chimneys or fireplaces are also installing the Morso 5660 wood-burning fireplace insert by using a Morsø Zero Clearance Enclosure. The Morso 5660 Zero-Clearance Enclosure is designed to be framed into the home. This is a popular choice for homeowners looking to update their homes with the advanced technology of a Morso 5660 fireplace insert and class A chimney.

To learn more about wood stove and fireplace insert options, visit http://www.morsona.com or call 866-883-9619.

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Calorique, LLC a West Wareham, MA manufacturer of thin film radiant heating components would like to communicate an opportunity for consumers to qualify for the installation of solar renewable energy for whole house or comfort zone heating.

Michael King of Mattapoisett, MA recently joined the team at Calorique as Director of Renewable Energy Sales and has started the initiative and registered Calorique as an installer with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Mr. King made the following announcement today.

"The combination of Calorique's proprietary thin film radiant heating, when utilized with updated insulation technologies and renewable energy provided from a solar photo voltaic array, will pay itself off within a time frame shorter than the operating life of the equipment and provide the owner with free heat and energy. We want to get the word out that affordable technology is within reach and our products work with these systems.

This program is in large part due to the current federal, state and CEC incentives including SREC income which result in the payback term being much shorter than for conventional heating sources. Consumers should educate themselves about the opportunities for real efficiencies and savings that exist within the Massachusetts marketplace today.

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Boral Roofing, the country's largest provider of complete clay and concrete new roof and re-roofing solutions, has just announced that its Cradle to Cradle Gold certified clay roof tile now may provide builders and architects with an added LEED pilot point under the U.S. Green Building Council's Pilot Credit 43 Program which recognizes sustainable products certified by third parties. Boral's Cradle to Cradle clay tile also applies as a LEED for Homes Environmentally Preferred Product and can be used to garner an Innovation and Design LEED point.

Under the newly released USGBC LEED Pilot Credit 43, Boral's clay tile solution may qualify as a Type 1 Environmental Certified Product. A building project can apply for this pilot credit in any LEED rating system if 10% of the total value of all non-structural materials and products are approved as Type 1 Environmental Certified Products. The added point is designed to establish a more comprehensive and transparent view of sustainability in buildings while recognizing and rewarding the lifecycles of environmentally-sound building materials and further promoting their use.

"Boral has long believed in the value of this Cradle to Cradle clay tile certification," said James Hill, Boral Roofing Sales Manager and LEED AP. "We are thrilled that builders and architects are now able to apply this roofing to reap additional benefits under the U.S. Green Building Council LEED program."

For more information on Boral Roofing and its clay and concrete roof tile systems, visit www.BoralNA.com or call Dave Hager, Marketing Director Boral Roofing 1-800-571-TILE (8453).

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