Maximizing energy efficiency starts with large south-facing windows, which help to naturally heat your home in the winter and keep it cool in the summer. Also known as passive solar design, this is a key element in new homes that are working towards zero carbon emissions. Natural sunlight controls temperatures and also reduces your building’s lighting requirements and can therefore cut back on your electricity bill.
But what if you have an existing non-south-facing home and you want similar effects?
While retrofitting existing buildings to utilize passive solar design tends to be difficult, there are some easy ways to capitalize on small changes.
When possible, retrofit your home with skylights to allow natural light to penetrate.
Replace your existing windows with double-paned glass. This prevents heat loss during the winter and keeps out the heat during the summer.
To keep your home cool during summer months, install awnings or low-emissivity blinds over windows.
Plant deciduous trees on the southern and western sides of your home. They’ll shield the sun in the summer, and with the loss of leaves in the fall and winter will still allow light to access your windows.
Really take advantage of the sun: install a solar hot water system to heat your hydraulic radiant floor!
Trying to figure out how to heat your house without wasting energy? Try installing direct heat beneath the floorboards or in the wall panels. Known as radiant heat due to its transmission of thermal energy from one object to another (i.e. heat flows from the floor directly to objects and people), this type of system is more efficient than traditional baseboard heating since much less heat energy is lost in the piping system. The other environmental advantage of radiant heat is that it is often electrical or hydraulic, meaning that it is possible to use solar and wind generation to supply the energy. No fuel burning necessary.
This method of heating usually involves pipes or coils in rows directly beneath the floor. Of the three basic types of radiant heating systems (air, electric, and hydraulic), the hydraulic seems to be the most economically justifiable. They are usually cheapest to install. Moreover, water is thousands of times more efficient as a conductor than air is. Make sure not to use copper piping, though. PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) tubing is a much better alternative due to its high insulating qualities. Install a solar hot water heating system on your roof to power your radiant heating, and you can reduce your energy usage even more.
Installing a radiant heating system can help qualify you for LEED credits for your new home or remodeling. The Radiant Panel Association has been working with the US Green Building Council and National Association of Home Builders to promote the connection between energy efficiency, economics and the environment. Besides increased efficiency, radiant heating systems also may reduce the materials needed for traditional ducts. The Association also notes that people with severe allergies have a more comfortable lifestyle with radiant heating since there is no air coming out of ducts into your living spaces.
Efficiency is awesome. Especially when it involves renewable energy.
So you’re building a new home, or adding an addition, and you want to pursue the most sustainable options available. Surprisingly, soy and bio-based materials have recently been spotlighted by the green building industry as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional insulation like fiberglass. Home and Garden TV recently featured a home being sprayed with white goop in between the 2-by-4s of the new walls that expands as it dries. Soy insulation is apparently safer for human health and for the environment. It might even cut back on the amount of wood needed for construction, as the substance’s insulating properties are so great. And, as a biopolymer, soy won’t support the growth of mold or attract hungry critters living in your basement.
With bio-based building products, there is no risk of coming into contact with formaldehydes or VOCs (volatile organic compounds). It has proven very effective for people with severe allergies. As far as energy efficiency, it has a high thermal insulation capacity to keep heating bills down and fewer resources used for energy generation.
The United Soybean Board is working hard to promote the application of soy in industrial and building projects. Currently, BioBased Insulation is one of the leading manufacturers of the soy foam insulation that is used in new construction projects. The product is sprayed on in liquid form, dries and expands up to 100 times its original size, completely filling in all holes and giving your home air-tight protection.
If you’re looking to build up LEED credits, the soy-foam insulation can count significantly towards your certification. Apply it towards a number of different LEED categories: Energy Efficiency, Low-Emitting Materials, Rapidly Renewable Materials, or Innovation in Design.
Another word about safety—bio-based insulation is virtually fireproof. It has a class I rating according to the National Fire Protection Association, meaning that it won’t go up in flames.
Over the past few years we’ve been hit by a wave of new eco-friendly product labels, designed to help consumers pick out the most sustainable brands. But in the long list of certifications, one of them stands out as the most comprehensive: Cradle to Cradle.
Pioneers in the realm of sustainable design and green building, architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart have started one of the most all-inclusive product certifications. Made famous by their book by the same name, published in 2002, their entire approach to sustainability trumps all others because they envision products that can be entirely recycled or biodegraded at the end of their life cycle.
What’s more, a product can only be certified by Cradle to Cradle if the company adheres to principles of social justice in its relationship with employees and the community at large. One of the founding principles of the C2C philosophy is that industry and the environment can be compatible; capitalism and ecological goals can and should work simultaneously in the new industrial age. Waste does not need to exist. Smart design is good for the planet, the people, and the economy. They call it the New Industrial Revolution.
Cradle to Cradle has concentrated its efforts on certifying green building products, although one of its most recognized customers is the U.S. Postal Service, which uses paper and a manufacturing process that are incredibly sustainable. Its green building companies include Steelcase, ACCO brands, TimberSIL Wood Products, Centria, Herman Miller Inc., and Eagle Corporation concrete products. From small to large, companies the world over have to meet extremely rigorous qualifications to get this prestigious certification.
Take IceStone LLC, a Brooklyn-based company that manufactures countertops from reclaimed glass and operates by a triple-bottom line approach to business (people, profit, and planet). What exactly did they have to do to get their Silver Cradle to Cradle product certification? The five main categories in the criteria program are material health (i.e. no harmful chemicals), material reutilization (i.e. can it be recycled at the end of its lifecycle?), water usage in the manufacturing process, energy use, and social responsibility. The company must generate or buy a significant portion of its energy from clean sources. The water used in the industrial process must be limited to grey water systems and have strict chemical quality standards.
From a design standpoint, the material reutilization component is one of the most interesting and challenging; most companies haven’t received the Gold rating yet because designing for complete reintegration into the environment is something very new in industry. Still, all Cradle to Cradle products like IceStone countertops have been given a thorough life-cycle analysis and take the environment into account at every step of the industrial process, from manufacturing to shipping to how well the company treats its employees. Most eco-labels are not yet this comprehensive.
McDonough and Braungart have a special interest in materials and surfaces, from carpets to house siding. Centria is a C2C-certified brand that specializes in roofing and siding materials. Its innovative roof panels, for example, are not only made with recycled materials and meet the rigorous manufacturing qualifications, but their insulating capacities will increase the energy efficiency of the building they’re installed on. The company’s EcoScreen products are perforated screen walls that provide air circulation and ventilation for indoor or outdoor applications.
Cradle to Cradle’s innovation in design, sustainability and industrial philosophy have helped it become recognized as one of the most comprehensive and prestigious certification systems available.
You’ve found your dream home, but the furnace is older than you are. There is no need to wait to make your home energy-efficient. With an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM), homeowners can roll the cost of energy efficiency improvements right into the mortgage.
Because increasing energy efficiency lowers monthly expenses, homeowners with EEMs can qualify for larger mortgage amounts. Best of all, an Energy Efficient Mortgage can be used to refinance and increase the efficiency of your current home.
There are three basic types of Energy Efficient Mortgages:
Conventional
With a conventional Energy Efficient Mortgage, the homeowner can borrow up to 15% of the appraised value of the home to improve its efficiency. Conventional EEMs are financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Federal Housing Administration
The Federal Housing Administration insures mortgages to make homeownership accessible to more low- and moderate-income households. With an FHA EEM, the homeowner can make between $4,000 and $8,000 worth of energy efficiency improvements to the property.
Veterans Administration
Veterans eligible for VA home loans can spend between $3,000 to $6,000 on energy efficiency measures.
According to Ecobroker, an Energy Efficient Mortgage will cost homeowners $30-$50 per month in additional principal and interest, but this is far exceeded by average energy savings of $75-$100 per month. Lenders like this because borrowers with improved cash flow are less likely to default.
In order to be eligible for an EEM, homeowners need to complete a Home Energy Rating (HER), which rates a home’s efficiency on a 100-point scale and pinpoints possible improvements.
One more tip—check to see if your state has an energy efficient mortgage program of its own.
Houses built out of foam sandwiches are both eco-friendly and strong enough to withstand earthquakes. Meet the SIP, or Structural Insulated Panel–a thick layer of foam insulation pressed between two sheets of plywood or oriented strand board.
SIP homes are so airtight that the EPA has waived its blower door test requirement for SIP houses. Because the amount of insulation is consistent throughout the panel, SIP walls have better insulating qualities than traditional walls with fiberglass insulation applied onsite. SIP homeowners can save up to 60% in energy costs.
For those who prefer natural materials, SIPS with a straw core made from renewable agricultural waste are available, but the foam insulation outperforms the straw. The foam is 98% air, free of ozone-depleting CFCs, manufactured using heat and steam, recyclable, and “requires only a small amount of petroleum to produce,” according to the Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA). SIPA asserts, “The average SIP home saves nineteen times the energy it took to make the EPS insulation in the first year of installation.”
The versatile SIP can be used for walls, roofs, or flooring. Because SIP homes require no structural lumber, they use far less wood than a traditionally framed home. The trees used in the oriented strand board are fast-growing and harvested young, so no old-growth lumber is used.
SIPs are prefabricated and custom measured for each project. SIP manufacturers often recycle their waste foam into other products. The panels install easily and produce little construction waste.
A SIP building costs about the same as a traditional structure. The SIPs themselves are more expensive, but the cost of labor is less. Homeowners are often pleased to see how quickly their SIP homes take shape.
With SIPs, you get energy efficiency, waste reduction, and resource conservation–not bad for a foam sandwich.
How does a $0 electric bill sound? Read on to find out about homes that earn their keep.
A net zero energy home produces its own electric power and is efficient enough that it actually produces more than it consumes, resulting in no overall electric cost. These models of efficiency are not just limited to new construction. Older buildings can often be upgraded to peak efficiency. With the addition of renewables, they become net zero energy buildings.
In the middle of winter, even the most efficient home will consume more energy than it can produce from a rooftop solar system. This is where the grid intertie comes into play. The net zero energy home pulls from the grid at times of low energy production and pours energy back into the grid during times of high production.
Many of the net zero energy homes touted in the media top $1 million dollars, leading the rest of us to believe that we’ll just need to slog along with our polluting energy sources. Not so. Ideal Homes of Norman, Oklahoma, constructed a zero energy home featuring geothermal energy and photovoltaics for under $200,000. Net zero energy is far more about smart efficiency and balance than it is about the price tag.
A net zero energy home doesn’t have to have all the sexiest, trendiest green products available. In fact, it can be quite simple. The first step in turning an ordinary home into a Net Zero Energy home is tightening up–mainly through insulation and high quality windows and doors. Then the focus is turned on energy efficiency within the home, namely appliances and lighting. The third step is the addition of renewables, like solar electric and hot water systems.
You can take your first step toward net zero efficiency today by doing something as simple as insulating your hot water tank and making sure all your lightbulbs are compact fluorescent. A new energy-efficient refrigerator is far cheaper than a photovoltaic system but will have a significant and immediate impact on your electric consumption. Incremental steps over time will yield an impressive cumulative effect.
What if you’re designing a new home? Keep in mind the benefits of passive solar orientation and thermal mass. Thermal mass like a concrete slab or masonry stove will keep your interior temperature stable, while southern exposure allows you to make the most of the sun’s heat and light. Design your own or find plans at http://www.zero-energyplans.com.
The US-China Clean Energy Research Center. Yup, you read that right. The two countries that produce about 42 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions AND two of the countries that refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol are getting together to study how they can curtail carbon emissions. The joint effort will have a $15 million influx of cash and will compile all the research that has been done and will be done on reducing emissions. The center will also conduct research into other technologies to help address climate change.
“The U.S. and China are two great nations, and clean energy is one of the great opportunities of our time. Working together we can accomplish more than acting alone,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. China and the U.S. have a history of working together on science and technology dating back to President Jimmy Carter and Deng Xiaoping.
China has accused the developed world of creating the carbon emissions problem and insists that treaties like the Kyoto Protocol will ripple their fledgling economy. At the July 2009 G8 meetings, the developing nations refused to accept any binding targets for lowering emissions. Yet experts point out that unless the developing world actively works to curtail emissions the global effort to stop global warming will be unsuccessful. The developing world seems anxious to have the developed world pass on their technologies, however.
The teams of scientists and engineers from the U.S. and China will have as priorities: building energy efficiency, clean coal including carbon capture and storage, and clean vehicles. The Center will have one headquarters in each country with the locations yet to be determined.
Of course, the priority of building energy efficiency caught my attention. I’ll be anxious to see what innovations can be produced with the combined brain power of two great nations.
I imagine that if you are reading this blog you are already well aware that reducing CO2 emissions requires much more than just a few less miles in your SUV. In fact, restructuring our transportation economy, which accounts for only 27% of US energy consumption, is only a quarter of the solution. The real culprit is the US building sector, which accounts for a startling 48% of US energy consumption. What we really need in order to slow and stop global warming is a complete revolution of the US building economy.
At least, that is the case presented by Architecture 2030, and I am inclined to believe them. According to Architecture 2030, “Seventy-six percent (76%) of all power plant-generated electricity is used just to operate buildings.” That percentage is a startling percentage. Therefore, in order to keep global warming under 1 degree centigrade, Architecture 2030 is encouraging everyone to adopt “The 2030 Challenge.”
The challenge is simple:
“All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.
“At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.
“The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings and major renovations shall be increased to:
60% in 2010
70% in 2015
80% in 2020
90% in 2025
Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).
“These targets may be accomplished by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating on-site renewable power and/or purchasing (20% maximum) renewable energy and/or certified renewable energy credits.”
But the word challenge is operative here. Unlike LEED, which sets a standard, has a means of measurement, and provides ratings and certification, The 2030 Challenge asks only that you adopt the challenge and strive to reach it. The list of adopters and supporters is impressive, with the mayors of Chicago, Miami, and Seattle, the state of New Mexico, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the EPA among others. You can add your name to the list by adopting the challenge here and pursuing the set standards in your personal building projects.
I tend to be a bit pessimistic about lofty endeavors with high-goals and limited practical advice, such as Architecture 2030. It has plenty of prescriptions for energy efficiency and carbon neutrality levels, but offers little information on how to get there. However, if you are looking for the highest benchmarks for your next remodeling or building project, Architecture 2030 is the place to go. And with or without practical advice, Architecture 2030 is right, the only way to US energy sustainability is through revolutionizing our building sector.
Confession: I am a capitalist at heart. I believe entirely in the power of financial incentive to change behavior and spur action. Fortunately, for all of you building a more energy efficient home or retrofitting your house with renewable energy, federal and state governments also believe in the power of financial incentive. And thanks to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, you can find and benefit from these incentives without too much hassle.
Select a state and find all available incentive or rebate programs.
The DSIRE website is a “comprehensive” source of information about incentives for building with renewable energy and greater energy efficiency. The site includes incentives and policies offered by the “federal government, state governments, local governments, electric utilities and non-profit organizations.” With multiple ways to sort and search programs, charts and graphs to explain the numbers, and a glossary to explain what you are reading, there is no reason for anyone working on “greening” their home to not take a minute and see if they can get a little financial assistance in doing their part for the environment. In Arizona alone, there were over 30 incentive and rebate programs. There’s got to be a little something out there for everybody.
Maximizing energy efficiency starts with large south-facing windows, which help to naturally heat your home in the winter and keep it cool in the summer. Also known as passive solar design, this is a key element in new homes that are working towards zero carbon emissions. Natural sunlight controls temperatures and also reduces your building’s lighting requirements and can therefore cut back on your electricity bill.
Installing a radiant heating system can help qualify you for LEED credits for your new home or remodeling. The 
The 
Pioneers in the realm of sustainable design and green building, architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart have started one of the most all-inclusive product certifications. Made famous by their 
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