From the publishers of Environmental Building News and Fine Homebuilding Home » Community » Energy efficiency and durability Serious Windows vs. Thermotech, Fibertec, Inline, Accurate Dorwin Does anyone have experience with Serious Windows or Canadian fiberglass windows? I'm having a difficult time finding high SHGC windows (with a U-value less than or equal to 0.30) for my passive solar home that are affordable. Looks like the fiberglass windows can give me the performance I'm looking for, but I can't find any local installations to inspect the quality of manufacture. Tags: Energy efficiency and durability Other Questions in Energy efficiency and durability Kingspan Kooltherm - R-8/in? Where to vent the dryer and range hood exhaust? Mini-Split & Generator vs Wood Stove Do pellet stoves generate much creosote?Measuring 90m², the WIDER 150’s beach club is larger than any other boat of its size. It provides a magnificent onboard oasis with splendid relaxation space, easy access to the sea, and plenty room for sunbathing.
The marine experience is further enhanced by an interior 7m seawater swimming pool. The WIDER 150 is powered by a diesel-electric propulsion system combined with Azimuthal pods. Four inline variable speed diesel generators, combined with the state-of-the-art WIDER power management system and the latest battery technology, serve the hotel and propulsion requirements of the vessel. This system reduces consumption while at the same time facilitating unprecedented range. The traditional engine room has been replaced by two separate units; the Power Generator Room in the bow and a Technical Room with LiPo (Lithium polymer) battery pack in the stern. This leaves the heart of the vessel free for larger, more comfortable guest cabins located in the most stable part of the yacht. The overall propulsion system is completely modular, so the WIDER 150 can cruise using only the battery packs, in ZEM (Zero Emission Mode), or with up to four inline diesel generators. This means it can cruise at a higher range of speeds while continuing to enjoy limited specific fuel consumption.
All onboard energy sources are controlled by the WIDER Power Management System, a smart and fully integrated system which controls the power supplied by the shore connection, the gen-set and the battery packs, distributing it between the hotel requirements, the propulsion system and the recharging of batteries, as required. Our special partner in this project, and the supplier of our Power Management system, is the market-leading Emerson Industrial Automation. The WIDER 150 is equipped with an Azimuthal pod propulsion system which affords significant advantages compared to conventional shaft-line propulsion. Large floor-to-ceiling windows run throughout the main lounge area, allowing sunlight to flood in and provide panoramic views of the sea. The upper deck features a saloon and dining area with sliding doors to the outside that can be hidden from view allowing for an indoor-outdoor dining experience.There are two further terrace areas on the upper deck, creating the type of space usually found on yachts over 60m.
The main deck features a stern area with an external cockpit and a spacious interior saloon split into two large living spaces. Forward of the saloon is the 75m² full-beam Owner’s Apartment that also divides into two distinct areas, separated by sliding doors, and boasts a sizeable 5,6m² sea terrace. The generous guest quarters comprise four en-suite cabins, 2 VIP’s and 2 standard, the latter also including a Pullman berth for children. The elegant, contemporary interior includes furniture and leather supplied by Poltrona Frau. Founded in 1912, Poltrona Frau are a supplier to some of the leading car and aviation brands and have earned a reputation for their exacting quality standards. The company uses a unique 21-step leather tanning process where the full-grain leather is dyed through, so a surface scratch won't reveal a lining underneath. 95% of the company's products are made by hand. The WIDER150 is built to comply with the latest standards (LY3) for crew. Four twin cabins, a sizeable cabin for the captain next to the wheelhouse, and an ample crew mess.
A central corridor gives direct access to the engine room, located at the furthest point from the guest accommodation. Thanks to its Floating Launching System, the stern of the WIDER 150 can be converted into a spacious garage ideal for carrying the WIDER 32. The transom opening hatch allows the WIDER 32 to be housed in the space used as a swimming pool. This system makes entry and exit manoeuvres considerably easier for the crew when launching the tender. A range of 2,500nm is expected at a cruising speed of 13 knots, increasing to 4,700nm at the ecological speed of 10 knots. The yacht has a maximum speed of 14,1 knots and can also run at 5 knots when solely using batteries in Zero Emission Mode.Tiles And BathroomsBathrooms LoosBathrooms VanityUpstairs BathroomsSmall BathroomsMaster BathroomsTrendy BathroomBasement BathroomModern BathroomsForwardThe shower doors we never knew we needed — and now will never forget. Now with more styles and options than ever before. Whether your home is traditional, contemporary or historical, Pella offers windows and doors that are worthy of your view.
Find Your Window Or Door Pella makes it easy to find the right window or door for your home and budget. Introducing four new style collections from Pella and Baldwin® Reserve™ Hardware, exquisitely crafted to complement your home's architectural design. Monitor and control your windows and doors with Pella® Talk With An Expert Upgrade your home with quality windows and doors. Please enter a valid zip code. Find a local store near you. Please enter a valid zip code.Minivans are deeply unsexy, but even the most hardened car guy must admit that a high-zoot Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, or Chrysler Town & Country—with reclining leather thrones, more video screens than a Buffalo Wild Wings, and heaps of other sybaritic delights—is far from uncomfortable. Now comes a Mercedes-Benz entry, the new Metris. Toyota, Honda, and Chrysler: Prepare to be out-pimped! Actually, y’all are good. The Metris is not a luxury minivan. Yes, it’s a Mercedes, but if you were expecting the Metris to be the proverbial Mercedes-Benz of minivans, it’s not.
At least not the way most of America understands the brand. Think of it as a shrunken Sprinter, not an S-class for soccer moms. The rear-drive Metris is essentially a rechristened version of the Spanish-built Mercedes-Benz Vito that is commonly used in Europe and elsewhere for hotel-shuttle, vanpool, and cargo-hauling duties, and it’s expected to be used in much the same way on these shores. Mercedes does sell a fancy version of the Vito called the V-class, but knowing how few customers exist for such a high-dollar thing here (given the brand’s experience with the R-class), there are no plans to bring that version here. Only two significant changes were made to make the Vito—er, Metris—palatable to North American buyers: The center console, which can house a manual shifter in the Vito, was ditched in favor of two Big Gulp–sized cup holders, and the Vito’s diesel engines will stay on the other side of the pond while the Metris instead gets a gas-powered 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a seven-speed automatic.
Although we only were able to drive Metris cargo and passenger models a few dozen miles each, it took only a few hundred yards to gather some impressions. The driving position feels rather more like that of a C-class than a Sprinter, with the steering wheel dropping low into one’s lap rather than high and flat, à la buslike wheels found in larger vans. And outward visibility is superb. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder produces a modest 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, yet it does a remarkably good job getting the roughly 4850-pound Metris passenger model moving, even with five grown men aboard while trekking through the 8000-to-10,000-foot elevations in Colorado where our preview drive was held. Even better, with rear-wheel drive and a fully independent suspension—uniquely tuned for cargo and passenger applications—the Metris exhibits surprisingly lively dynamics, offering a taut ride, level cornering, and crisp feel through the steering wheel and the brake pedal, attributes we haven’t felt in a van this size, well, maybe ever.
And despite our test vehicles being preproduction models, the Metris is remarkably quiet. This is a stunning achievement, particularly for a cargo van. Like the Sprinter, the Metris has a T-square profile that allows the windowless cargo version to be upfitted in almost infinite ways, and its 202.4-inch length and 75.2-inch roof height make it about as capacious as a van can get while still being able to fit in a standard garage. (The length is within half an inch of the Odyssey and the Town & Country, about a foot longer than a long-wheelbase Ford Transit Connect. The Benz towers over those vans by three to seven inches.) Loading bulky and/or heavy stuff is facilitated by available 270-degree-opening, barn-style doors at the back and a flat load floor that is barely higher than one’s knees while also being wide enough to accommodate a pallet. The Metris cargo van can carry up to 2502 pounds, and all Metrises are rated to tow a 4960-pound trailer. Just because the Metris is garage-friendly doesn’t make the seven- or eight-passenger model appropriate for modern families, especially next to the many cushy minivans on the market.
While the driver grips a wonderfully contoured steering wheel and fiddles with classy controls and switches cribbed from the C-class parts bin, from the B-pillar back, the Metris feels like it came from an earlier era when passengers needed only seats and, well, seats. And those flat, hard second- and third-row benches (with a two- or a three-passenger second row) are about as cosseting as those of a city bus. Although they can be removed, they do not recline or fold into the floor. Spend any time in the second row and you’ll realize that armrests are a vastly underappreciated part of any automobile, and the lack thereof forces Metris passengers to brace themselves against the hard, plastic-lined sliding doors during tight corners. Also revealing the Metris’s utilitarian purpose are its fixed rear windows, loud rear-seat air conditioning, and the lack of an available sunroof and leather seats. There’s no center console to hold purses or iPads. Look out the window, kid. For its part, Mercedes has no illusions of its Metris shuttling the offspring of the well-heeled to posh private schools.
Mercedes says that fully half of all Metris vans imported here will be passenger models, but most of those are expected to go to limousine companies, with the rest going to taxi and shuttle services. Mercedes is perfectly willing to sell them to private customers, but that probably won’t happen often. Regardless of configuration, all Metris models will come with load-adaptive stability control and crosswind assist, as well as a plethora of airbags (six in the cargo model, eight in the passenger version). Optional on all are a hands-free parking system, hill-start assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Prevention Assist, Blind Spot Assist, parking sensors, a rearview camera, and engine stop-start. A button on the dash allows the powertrain to be switched among Eco, Comfort, and Manual modes. Come October, the Metris will be offered through the same dealer network that sells and services Sprinters. Prices will start at $29,945 for the cargo model—making it the cheapest new Mercedes-Benz you can buy—while passenger versions will start at $33,495.