This is a great site and this is just some of the discussion
http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums/2414_0/alternative-building/alternative-roofs
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Go there to add your voice to the discussion. More tomorrow.
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It’s Jam Band Friday..Yippe…Yahoo – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EapcVSB7U4U
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http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/tips/index.html
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More next week.
He is so good- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSZzvTQiy4w
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press release
July 20, 2010, 9:15 a.m. EDT · Recommend · Post: 
BURTONSVILLE, Md., Jul 20, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — New Energy Technologies, Inc. /quotes/comstock/11k!nene (NENE 0.53, +0.03, +6.00%) is pleased to announce that researchers developing its proprietary SolarWindow(TM) technology have achieved major scientific and technical breakthroughs, allowing the Company to unveil a working prototype of the world’s first-ever glass window capable of generating electricity in the upcoming weeks.
Until now, solar panels have remained opaque, with the prospect of creating a see-thru glass window capable of generating electricity limited by the use of metals and various expensive processes which block visibility and prevent light from passing through glass surfaces.
New Energy’s ability to generate electricity on see-thru glass is made possible by making use of the world’s smallest working organic solar cells, developed by Dr. Xiaomei Jiang at the University of South Florida. Unlike conventional solar systems, New Energy’s solar cells generate electricity from both natural and artificial light sources, outperforming today’s commercial solar and thin-film technologies by as much as 10-fold.
Click here to view press release, announcing test results which show New Energy’s see-thru SolarWindow(TM) cells surpass thin-film and solar in artificial light: http://www.newenergytechnologiesinc.com/NENE20090624.html
New Energy’s SolarWindow(TM) technology is under development for potential application in the estimated 5 million commercial buildings in America (Energy Information Administration) and more than 80 million single detached homes.
“We’re always keen to see innovations in our laboratories turn into meaningful commercial products,” stated Valerie McDevitt, Assistant Vice President for Research, Division of Patents and Licensing, University of South Florida. “We very much look forward to the commercial development of New Energy’s SolarWindow(TM) technology, which, if successful, could literally transform the way in which we view the use of solar energy for our homes, offices, and commercial buildings.”
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More tomorrow.
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After a very disastrous environmental year, I have the summer doldrums. So I may just randomly post short things for awhile and as Mark Twain used to say, “let my tanks fill up”.
press release
July 8, 2010, 10:14 a.m. EDT · Recommend · Post:
BOISE, Idaho, Jul 8, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) — Alternate Energy Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:AEHI) today announced its subsidiary Energy Neutral(TM) has been nominated for the Idaho Smart Growth award. The award sets the company apart from others in its construction techniques and use of renewable energy to create livable environments that maintain and enhance the idea of sustainable communities.
“This is a great honor to be publicly recognized for the work we’ve been doing with AEHI and Energy Neutral(TM). The very reason we started Energy Neutral(TM) was to show that proper planning and reliable use of renewable energy sources would result in a better, more productive building process–one that would create sustainability at an affordable price. In doing so, we’ve proven that anyone can take part in the process of making our communities cleaner and healthier,” said Don Gillispie, AEHI CEO.
“Energy Neutral(TM) unveiled its first model home in March 2010, which has consistently demonstrated it can create more power than it actually uses. In addition to bringing together state of the art technologies at low cost for our Energy Neutral(TM) homes, we have expertise in siting locations that provide added energy saving benefits. This home’s convenient location, close to shopping areas, public transportation, and the freeway, will aid in reducing vehicle emissions. The eventual owners will have more opportunities to leave their car at home when they go to work, stores, or recreation.”
“The Energy Neutral(TM) home is about being smarter stewards of the communities and environment we live in. It is the very reason we’ve been approached by builders from across the nation who are now looking to franchise with Energy Neutral(TM). We are able to provide them with an entirely new way to look at new home and commercial construction and I am hopeful this will be a strong contributor to the real estate market as more business and home owners come to recognize the Energy Neutral(TM) vision,” said Gillispie.
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I know…I know…It’s Idaho. But if the white supremacist fundamentalists get it…Well maybe everyone will.
By 2015, if General Electric has their way, all our homes will be running on smart grids with mini-turbines and solar panels to produce electricity, consuming zero net energy in the process.
GE says that their smart energy system, dubbed the Net Zero Home project, will center around a $250 central management hub that will allow all of a home’s networked appliances and on-site power-producing equipment talk to each other, as well as to the smart grid outside the home..
GE’s push comes at a time when power conservation is valued more than ever, and smart energy innovations are pouring in by the day.
The goal here is to make people more conscious of how much power they’re using and how often they’re doing it. By enabling a home’s appliances to scale down their performance or power state during peak hours, cities will not only conserve energy, but consumers will save money.
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As usual California is in the lead.
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/19/business/fi-puc19
California energy regulators Thursday adopted a target that all homes built after 2020 produce at least as much energy as they consume to reduce demand for electricity and cut pollution tied to power generation.
The California Public Utilities Commission approved the guideline at a meeting in San Francisco. Homes would meet the goal through such measures as advanced insulation and solar power systems.
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There’s always more tomorrow
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It doesn’t need to be that way. Everyone can have carbon neutral homes if they just try.
“PROJECT OF THE YEAR”
National Association of Home Builders
CERTIFIED LEED PLATINUM
By fully integrating the design and the construction with the right products and services, GreenSpur can deliver cost effective and quality green building services from concept to completion. Green doesn’t have to look less and cost more.
GreenSpur delivers Carbon Neutral Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill Slide Show
Featured in Washington Spaces.
SOLD
Through partnerships, good design, hard work, and some common sense we can build a better tomorrow
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Last updated at 14:59 26 February 2008
It is the ultimate flat-pack product – your very own house and not only that, but Britain’s first affordable, super-eco friendly home.
The timber-frame house was unveiled in London for the first time today, with its designers proclaiming it the beginning of a revolution in property design.
Starting off as a flat-pack collection of frames, the houses can be built in three weeks in the same way as putting together a product from Ikea – albeit a bit more involved.
They are also designed to be carbon neutral and meet the Government’s strictest energy efficiency code.
Rural Zed, the consortium behind “the homes of the future”, are taking orders for the £150,000, three-bedroom house now.
The company promises to deliver the properties in as little as three months.
Bill Dunter, director of Zed factory, which is part of the consortium, said: “This is a revolution in house building
What does carbon neutral mean? Good question. The Chancellor didn’t spell it out, and the Treasury has yet to offer a definition.
So no one has a clue? Some people do. Eco-warriors will tell you it means creating energy-efficient buildings and producing energy for home heating, hot water and electricity using eco-friendly on-site technology.
So what does that mean? For a development to be zero energy there would have to be no fossil fuels used to provide the heating and electricity.
Typically, a carbon-neutral development would generate electricity using photovoltaic cells, wind turbines or biomass sources – such as a combined heat and power plant using woodchip fuel.
It is acceptable to use a combination of on-site and off-site renewable energy – so you could produce some yourself and use some from a green energy supplier.
Super efficient insulation and the use of efficient fittings and appliances to cut down on energy and water use are also de rigeur.
So it’s about living in energy-efficient homes? Partly. But serious eco-folk point out that the embodied energy used in the construction of a building is a fundamental issue.
So the homes would also need to be built using sustainable materials – local timber, for example, or recycled materials – and as much of it as possible would need to be local so you’re not wasting energy transporting it.
Anything else? Yes. If you really want to go the whole hog, your carbon-neutral idyll would also be interested in providing residents with sustainable transport, access to sustainable local food, and a green and pleasant environment.
That can mean car and cycle clubs, on-site food growing, and landscaping to promote biodiversity (eg: wildlife gardens and nest boxes).
Do you need to be a hippy? No. Perfectly ordinary people with crew cuts and sensible shoes live in eco-homes – so you won’t need to stock up on king sized Rizzlas and petulia oil.
The Telegraph recently published an article about an eco-development in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, with the tag line “sandal-wearers need not apply”
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Everybody wants to be green but nobody wants tell you what that means exactly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_offset
A carbon offset is a financial instrument aimed at a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) and may represent six primary categories of greenhouse gases.[1] One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.
There are two markets for carbon offsets. In the larger, compliance market, companies, governments, or other entities buy carbon offsets in order to comply with caps on the total amount of carbon dioxide they are allowed to emit. In 2006, about $5.5 billion of carbon offsets were purchased in the compliance market, representing about 1.6 billion metric tons of CO2e reductions.[2]
In the much smaller, voluntary market, individuals, companies, or governments purchase carbon offsets to mitigate their own greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, electricity use, and other sources. For example, an individual might purchase carbon offsets to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by personal air travel. Many companies (see list[3]) offer carbon offsets as an up-sell during the sales process so that customers can mitigate the emissions related with their product or service purchase (such as offsetting emissions related to a vacation flight, car rental, hotel stay, consumer good, etc.). In 2008, about $705 million of carbon offsets were purchased in the voluntary market, representing about 123.4 million metric tons of CO2e reductions.[4]
Offsets are typically achieved through financial support of projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the short- or long-term. The most common project type is renewable energy, such as wind farms, biomass energy, or hydroelectric dams. Others include energy efficiency projects, the destruction of industrial pollutants or agricultural byproducts, destruction of landfill methane, and forestry projects.[5] Some of the most popular carbon offset projects from a corporate perspective are energy efficiency and wind turbine projects.[6]
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http://ezinearticles.com/?Carbon-Neutral—What-Does-It-Mean?&id=339090
Recently, there have been a lot of environmental buzzwords floating around. It can be difficult to find a clear definition. I’ll explain what the term “carbon neutral” means, and why it’s important.
You might think that carbon neutral simply means that something does not release any carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This is true to an extent, however it is too simple a definition. It is possible to release CO2 into the atmosphere and still be carbon neutral, so long it is balanced by a CO2 reduction elsewhere.
Biofuels are carbon neutral, even though burning them releases CO2. How can this be? Well, the carbon in the biofuel comes from photosynthesis, where CO2 is captured from the atmosphere by a plant and turned into glucose. The glucose can then be turned into more complicated molecules such as sugars, starches, oils and proteins. Sugars and starches can easily be converted into bioethanol, while oils can be converted into biodiesel. Carbon is removed from the atmosphere, stored in plants for a few months, then released when the biofuel is burned. For every gram of CO2 released by burning a biofuel, there was a gram removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis just a few months ago. This perfect balance is why biofuels are carbon neutral.
Alternatively, the term carbon neutral can be used to describe energy that does not cause the release of any CO2 at all. For instance, solar cells, wind turbines and hydroelectric turbines generate electricity without releasing CO2. Nuclear power does not release CO2 during the generation process either.
There is a problem with this, however. Currently, virtually all forms of carbon neutral energy actually involve the burning of fossil fuels. The crops for biofuels are harvested using machinery that burns fossil diesel. This is because fossil fuels are a great deal cheaper than biofuels. Some ways of producing biofuels are controversial because so much fossil fuel has to be used in the production process. Some sources of bioethanol are in this grey area. Solar cells, wind and hydroelectric turbines are all produced and transported using fossil fuels to some extent. The technology exists to make these things truly carbon neutral, but it is hopelessly uneconomic at this time. Nuclear power involves the burning of fossil fuels in the mining and transport of uranium, the building of power stations, and the disposal of waste. When uranium becomes scarce, mining it will consume even more fossil fuels:}
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http://www.leonardo-energy.org/meaning-zero
By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Wed, 2010-05-05 05:30
You would think that no word has a more unambiguous meaning than ‘zero’: nothing is nothing. Not so in today’s world of green building. Labels like ‘zero energy building’, ‘nearly zero energy building’, and ‘zero carbon building’ are frequently used, but lack any standardised or official definition. The same can be said of the expression ‘bâtiment à énergie positive’ that is used in France.
‘Zero energy’ might play well commercially, but it is a clumsy label from a scientific point of view. No house or building can be built and maintained without energy. Strictly speaking, even manpower should be considered energy, and it brings along carbon emissions via food production and by the simple act of breathing. This illustrates that the meaning of ‘zero’ depends entirely upon where you draw the system’s boundaries.
The most narrow and also the most deceptive definition is to take only the electricity consumption of the building into account. The annual electricity production of the PV cells on the roof equals the annual electricity consumption of the building, and hey presto, you have a zero energy building. Who cares about the natural gas boiler in the basement?
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Nearly zero..ha..haha…more tomorrow.
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http://www.2people.org/pub/page/show/article/10596
The British government has recently opened the comment period on a major plan to revise the building code. The revisions phase in regulations ensuring that all new homes are built carbon-neutral by 2016. Other elements of the plan include:
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http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dcs_first_carbon_neutral_home_hits_the_market/1652
Back in September, we reported that DC’s first carbon neutral home was being built in Capitol Hill. Yesterday, the much-anticipated property hit the market.
The three-bedroom, 3.5-bath home at 19 4th Street NE (map) was gutted and renovated by GreenSpur, Inc., a DC-based building and design firm that uses sustainability techniques to deliver homes that are energy efficient as well as cost effective.
After overcoming a labyrinth of regulatory hurdles and permitting nightmares given the property’s location four blocks from the Capitol, GreenSpur enlarged the home (from 1,000 to 2,100 square feet), hand dug the basement and, in keeping with their mission statement, made it completely green but priced comparably to other (non-carbon neutral) homes in the area.
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Then there is this. Wiki makes a political statement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_neutrality
 |
The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (May 2010) |
Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference. It is used in the context of carbon dioxide releasing processes, associated with transportation, energy production and industrial processes.
The carbon neutral concept may be extended to include other greenhouse gases (GHG) measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence—the impact a GHG has on the atmosphere expressed in the equivalent amount of CO2. The term climate neutral is used to reflect the fact that it is not just carbon dioxide (CO2), that is driving climate change, even if it is the most abundant, but also encompasses other greenhouse gases regulated by the Kyoto Protocol, namely: methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Both terms are used interchangeably throughout this article.
Best practice for organizations and individuals seeking carbon neutral status entails reducing and/or avoiding carbon emissions first so that only unavoidable emissions are offset. The term has two common uses:
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Climate neutral. Who is zooming who here. Did somebody just make up a phrase to create the new denier strawman. Yah think.
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Energy Neutral is different from Carbon Neutral. Energy Neutral means it produces as much energy as it consumes. Carbon Neutral takes into account all carbon used to make the place and its usage.
http://www.jetsongreen.com/2008/02/lighthouse-uks.html
In England, a handful of efficient demonstration homes have been built on the grounds of the Building Research Establishment Ltd, including “The Lighthouse,” which is the first net zero carbon house in the UK. The house is also the first to attain level six in the Code for Sustainable Homes, which indicates that it is carbon neutral. The two-bedroom house is only 93.3 square meters (barely over 1000 sq. ft.) in a 2-1/2 story building. The building has solar panels and evacuated solar tubes on its roof, as well as making use of passive measures with ventilation chimneys. It also incorporates rainwater catchment as part of the building design.
The materials used include highly insulated, airtight building fabric which has been designed to provide generous daylight levels and includes effective solar control, together with integrated building services based around a platform of renewable and sustainable technologies. These include water efficiency techniques, renewable energy technologies, passive cooling and ventilation, as well as mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR).
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http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/11/25/how-to-build-a-carbon-neutral-home/
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/08/japans-carbon-neutral-hom_n_111519.html
Wall Street Journal:
As leaders of the world’s most powerful nations discuss climate change at the Group of Eight summit in northern Japan, Japan’s big tech companies are displaying some of their most cutting-edge solutions in a nearby “zero emissions house.”
The single-story, 2,152-square-foot house generates all the energy required for a family of four, therefore eliminating carbon-dioxide emissions, according to the Japanese government. Products inside, many already on sale in Japan, include a washer that requires no water and an air conditioner that senses where people are in a room and automatically sends cool air in their direction rather than cooling empty space. Yet the eco-friendly products also carry a steeper price tag than traditional appliances.
The house uses a wind-turbine generator and a photovoltaic generation system, which directly converts light into electricity, to produce about 15 kilowatts of energy a day, nearly five times the amount used by a regular household. The government has presented the house as one of its contributions toward helping the world cut greenhouse emissions in half by 2050.
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More tomorrow.
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Trying to keep my mind off the Gulf….lalalalalalala
http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/06/net-zero-energy-technology-breakthroughs-house.html
Kerry A. Dolan, 11.06.09, 03:30 PM EST
BURLINGAME, Calif. — You might think that a home using zero net energy would be chilly inside. I visited one last night, and it wasn’t. It was a pleasant 72 degrees.
The Palo Alto, Calif., home owned by Marc Porat, an IT-turned-clean-tech entrepreneur, is a showcase of the latest technologies that can be used to ratchet down the amount of energy that homes consume. Porat, who has founded three companies that are developing better, greener building materials–including window and drywall maker Serious Materials–wanted to walk the talk with his own home, a historic 1936 home designed by architect Pedro de Lemos.
A net zero energy house produces as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year. Porat turned to San Francisco home energy retrofitter Sustainable Spaces (which will rename itself Recurve next week) to do the job, which took about two years. Sustainable Spaces’ Adam Winter says that by putting in dense-pack cellulose wall insulation (made from ground up newspapers), changing the heating and air conditioning system to an air-to-water heat pump, improving the ventilation and lighting systems and adding windows that insulate better, his team was able to reduce the amount of energy the home uses by 62%.
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lalalalalala
http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/2007/08/dutch-energy-neutral-homes.html
In the Netherlands, the Dutch have designed new energy neutral homes that actually give back more power to the grid than they consume. This is all being done to reduce man’s impact of climate change on the Earth. In my opinion, more ecological home’s should be built anyway to reduce the harmful effects of pollution from dirty energy sources including coal. Home’s like this one are just the start of a new “green revolution” as the planet realizes that it can no longer take more than it gives back.
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All over the world including the UK, the US, even China are starting to see the benefits of going green. Once our grid is capable of supporting more energy neutral or energy returning homes, our generation can only begin to transform. Green technologies and green industries are the economic future of this planet as well. Having less pollution in our atmosphere will almost certainly reduce many types of cancers and other ailments that currently plague the world.
Wouldn’t you like to live in an energy neutral home? I say…sign me up!
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More on Monday
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Not much to say…great site …great articles…please see:
September 4, 2009 By Willem Maas
Tankless water heaters have caught the eye of many homeowners lately—as a way to reduce the 19 percent of total home energy use consumed by water heating. According to research sponsored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), heating water with a tankless system is 12 to 34 percent more energy efficient than using a conventional storage tank system. And when tankless systems are installed at each water outlet, gains in efficiency can range from 28 to 50 percent.
Others are impressed by the ability of tankless systems to deliver hot water “endlessly” in a busy household, as well as the space saved because a storage tank is no longer needed.
These factors, combined with rising energy bills, a federal tax credit for 30 percent of the total cost (up to $1,500, including installation), and greater availability, make tankless a technology well worth considering.
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More tomorrow
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