Green House Is Museum Piece In Chicago – To bad that is the only place that will take it in

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

So my question is why didn’t they build it next door and let a real family live in it?

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/SmartHome/popup?id=6074047

Chicago’s Greenest Home

This is what green living looks like. To showcase the future of eco-friendly architecture, Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry has built a three-story “green” home in its backyard. On display from May 8, 2008 to Jan. 4, 2009, the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit not only features sustainable design and recycled materials, it also includes cutting-edge “smart” technology. With help from Wired magazine, the exhibit incorporates automation systems that save homeowners time, reduce energy consumption and enhance entertainment. For more information, visit msismarthome.org.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

Please see the entire story for the slide show. There are 13 pictures in all.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/chicago-green-building-exhibit-46010908

Yesterday, on its 75th anniversary, Chicago’s much-praised Museum of Science and Industry announced construction of a 2,500 square-foot green home, reports the Chicago Sun Times. The home, slated for the museum’s east lawn, is designed to be a showcase for green living.

The 2-bedroom, 2-bath pre-fabricated house will feature a number of green building designs, including a gray water recycling system that redirects filtered sink water into the toilets. The toilets will even have two buttons to save water when only a little is needed, something that will be quite familiar to many Australian and European visitors.

The home will also have cement siding, energy-efficient LED light fixtures, insulating triple-pane windows, landscaping chips made of peach pits, recycled ceramic tiles and a green roof. It will be powered by solar and wind energy.

This “Smart Home” is scheduled to open May 8 and run through January 2009. It will cost guests $10.

http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?newsID=7865

Called the mkSolaire™, the home features family-friendly interior architecture and shows some of the possibilities and benefits of energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and earth-friendly building materials.

The “Smart Home: Green + Wired” exhibit and home tours run through Jan. 4. Some detailed information on the exhibit and home features is available on the museum’s Web site.

The home was manufactured and put in place by All American Homes of Decatur, Ill. and designed by Michelle Kaufmann Designs of Oakland, Calif.

The exhibit illustrates why many in the green building movement are embracing modular building systems. Modular construction, with its efficient use of materials, labor and energy, has been environmentally friendly almost since its inception.

In addition, modular construction can shorten the construction cycle by as much or more than two-thirds when compared to conventional site construction – reducing energy usage during construction and potentially saving on financing.

Please note quoting the late great Robert Palmer: The lights are on but no one is home. Energy conservation and a model home right?

Rammed Earth Homes – Simple ways that people used in the past to build their house that are being revived today

Posted on September 19, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

If folks just used their common snse and the materials around them the USA could have low energy consuming elegant housing:

http://www.rammedearthhomes.com/

Offering:

Passive-solar design/build
Rammed earth wall construction for homes, businesses, gardens, art projects.
Passive-solar-design and rammed-earth-technical consultation with architects, engineers and owner-builders.
Rammit Yourself workshops.

Work continues on our home in 2008. If you would like to participate in a workshop format during this process, please, in an email to Julie@RammedEarthHomes.com

state your first, second and third choices for workshop dates. We will try to compile workshops that accommodate dates within those choices.

If you would like to discuss possible dates, please call Julie at 520.896.3393. Reservations for chosen dates may be made by phone.

This site is so huge. It contains 12s of books. If you want to build a house, this site is a must visit.

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/rammedearth.htm

Rammed Earth

Ramming earth to create walls is at least as old as the Great Wall of China. It is really quite similar to adobe and cob techniques, in that the soil is mostly clay and sand. The difference is that the material is compressed or tamped into place, usually with forms that create very flat vertical surfaces. Modern rammed earth typically utilizes heavy mechanized equipment to move and compress the material . The walls are normally at least a foot thick to give enough bulk to be stable and provide the thermal mass for comfort. It is best to apply insulating material to the outside of the building to keep the interior temperature constant. The interior surface can be finished in a variety of ways, from natural oil to more standard surfaces. Rammed earth houses tend to have a very solid, quiet feeling inside.

This site is also extremely helpful:

http://www.diyrammedearth.com/

Do It Yourself

Rammed Earth

We are Bill & Stephen Betzen, a father and son team who started the planning process in 2004 to build a rammed earth home in Dallas, Texas by 2009. We are on schedule. We want to share research we have done and make connections with similarly interested Do It Yourself (DIY) people also interested in rammed earth construction and benefits.

Our home is planned to be a 2400 sq ft, 2 story home with a covered balcony and porch surrounding the home. The ground floor earthen walls will be 2 ft thick with 18″ thick walls above the second floor. The goal is a home that will be as cool as possible in the hottest Dallas summer. With a home fully surrounded by both a shaded porch and a shaded balcony, as well as many trees, we hope the worst Dallas summer sun will never heat the thermal mass of the rammed earth walls. Combined with a ventilated, reflective metal roof over insulation, we hope that annual air-conditioning needs will be greatly reduced if not totally eliminated.

Our research shows rammed earth construction to be the most simple, environmentally responsible method for building the thermal shell of a home. It will be a strong, quiet, healthy, termite-free, fire-resistant, comfortable home, one weighing 300+ tons and lasting many generations. It will save thousands of dollars annually in utility and maintenance costs along the way.

Stephen’s mother and maternal Hungarian ancestors were born in, built, and lived in rammed earth homes for hundreds, if not thousands of years. They speak fondly of the quiet, year-around comfort of their rammed earth homes. We will simply add about 3-5% cement to the mixture, with a reflective, ventilated roof, and extra shade for the Dallas heat.

Continue to explore what is already online about rammed earth with www.google.com or with some of the following links, including the web ring at the bottom of the page linking with similar web pages.

At http://www.rammedearthhomes.com/ you will find Quentin Branch’s pages describing the work he does in Arizona with rammed earth.
You can find research done in 2004 in Del Rio Texas relating to the cooling qualities of rammed earth in an article linked online at http://www.toolbase.org/techinv/techResources.aspx?technologyID=144. It is the research by John J. Morony titled “Logged Data for Heat Wave, Del Rio, Texas, 31 May – 2 June 2004.” It shows the superior ability of rammed earth to stay cool, even in direct sun in a heat wave, when compared to cement brick or adobe construction. With our plans we need to know what happens when you keep these walls in the shade.
How To Build a Rammed Earth House is a 1973 article published in Mother Earth, written by John O McMeekin about the home he had build 25 years earlier of rammed earth, and continued to live in at that time. It appears he still lives there now but we are attempting to verify that at this time. His utility bills would be very interesting to compare with his neighbors in similar sized homes.
Introduction to rammed earth is a web site from the UK and covers the basic facts about rammed earth.
Steve Davis’ rammed earth house web pages with FAQ’s.
Rogers Rammed Earth, a DIY home with photos.
Green Home Building: Rammed Earth Questions and Answers by Leonard Jones, P.E.
Contemporary Rammed Earth Homes Benefits
Australia’s guide to environmentally sustainable homes – Passive Cooling – the basics!
National Association of Home Builders Research Center web site

If you know of rammed earth building resources near Dallas please let us know. We are searching

When Is A Concrete Block Like A Glass Window? When it comes to lousey R-Values

Posted on June 26, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

Believe it or not typical Concrete Products and single pane glass have the same R-Value – 1. That is because they readily give up heat because of their porus nature and in part because they are good conductors. There is a reason why castles were cold and dreary. An there is a reason why your basement is cool in the summer.

http://www.coloradoenergy.org/procorner/stuff/r-values.htm

R-Value Table

Insulation Values For Selected Materials

Construction Materials

Concrete Block 4″		0.80
Concrete Block 8″		1.11
Concrete Block 12″		1.28
Brick 4″ common		0.80
Brick 4″ face		0.44
Poured Concrete	0.08

I should mention that the poured concrete number is by the inch. It takes no math wiz to see that 20 inches of typical concrete still is an R-value of slightly less than 1.

But you ask, “Mr. CES Man why is that important?” It is important in the Residential Market because a lot of us have basements made out of concrete, masonary block or a combination of the two.

According to the government:

U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

A Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Basement Insulation

A properly insulated basement can help reduce your energy costs. However, basement walls are one of the most controversial areas of a house to insulate and seal. You need to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages, not to mention moisture control.

Before insulating or deciding whether to add insulation to your basement, first see our information about adding insulation to an existing house or selecting insulation for new home construction if you haven’t already.

U.S. Cities	R-10*	R-2-**
Buffalo, NY	$350	$390
Minneapolis, MN	$400	$450
St. Louis, MO	$250	$290

*Such as 2 to 3 inches of exterior foam insulation.
**Such as with most insulated concrete forms.

Annual Energy Savings

The energy cost savings of basement wall insulation vary depending on the local climate, type of heating system, fuel cost, and occupant lifestyle. Typical annual cost savings by R-value in a few U.S. cities are provided in the table above for a 1,500 square-foot home with a conditioned basement heated by natural gas ($0.72/therm).

Advantages and Disadvantages

In most cases, a basement with insulation installed in the exterior basement walls should be considered a conditioned space. Even in a house with an unconditioned basement, the basement is more connected to other living spaces than to the outside. This connection makes basement wall insulation preferable to insulating the basement ceiling.

Compared to insulating the basement ceiling, insulating basement walls has the following advantages:

Requires less insulation (1,350 square feet of wall insulation for a 36 x 48-foot basement with 8-foot walls, compared with 1,725 ceiling)
More easily achieves continuous thermal and air leakage boundaries because basement ceilings typically include electrical wiring, plumbing, and ductwork.
Requires little, if any, increase in the size of the heating and cooling equipment. The heat loss and air leakage through the basement ceiling is similar to that through the exterior walls of the basement.

These are some other advantages of insulation on exterior basement walls:

Minimizes thermal bridging and reducing heat loss through the foundation
Protects the damp-proof coating from damage during backfilling
Serves as a capillary break to moisture intrusion
Protects the foundation from the effects of the freeze-thaw cycle in extreme climates
Reduces the potential for condensation on surfaces in the basement
Conserves room area, relative to installing insulation on the interior.

Leave it to the Bush administration to say that insulation is controversial. If you are building a new home there is not a doubt that you should insulate the exterior basement walls. In fact if you are building a pad style house, you should insulate underneath the pad with some kind of insulative mixed cement. I am not sure the whole pad needs to be of that type concrete. It is expensive but if you can afford it can’t hurt.

http://www.askthebuilder.com/N2-Basement_Insulation.shtml

Mr. Builder Man makes the point that the only place to insulate in the basement is on the walls. He adds:

Because your basement walls are conducting cold into your basement via the cold ground outside, it might be worthwhile to add insulation over your exposed masonry foundation. You can choose to use closed-cell foam or fiberglass if you choose. But be sure you check with your local building department as some insulations that are flammable – such as closed cell foam – must be covered with drywall or other approved material to prevent rapid fire/flame spread.

He finishes on a note that warms the heart of a die hard conservationist:

I would also inspect the juncture between the wood framing and the top of the concrete foundation. Do this on a windy day and try to feel for air leaks. Air infiltration can be a major drain on your heating budget. Pack insulation in any cracks you discover or caulk them to stop air flow.

All these people agree:

www.homeimprovementweb.com/information/how-to/basement–insulation.htm

www.homeenvy.com/db/0/750.html

www.owenscorning.com/around/insulation/fallpromo/DIY-Basement.asp

www.doityourself.com/scat/basementinsulation

www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/asktoh/question/0,,396510,00.html

www.state.mn.us/mn/externalDocs/Commerce/Basements_110602012856_Basement.pdf

www.builtgreen.org/articles/0208_mold.htm

I prefer a radical approach hire a Backhoe and dig out the dirt around your basement. Then you can apply ridgid waterproof R Board to the outside of the basement. Then you can backfill with gravel for drainage and tap down some dirt. Your house will thank you for ever. For those people that have a house already resting on a pad, you have one heck of a problem on your hands.

For Those Of You Who Can’t Give Up Their Windows – Energy efficient windows are a must

Posted on June 25, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

The problem with this topic is everyone is in the window business or the window advice business. It’s like ceiling fans, the makers are everywhere, they make tons of products, and their are millions of opinions about them. So I will try to be simple and to the point. Anyway you cut it single pain (oh sorry) double hung windows should be a thing of the past

http://www.efficientwindows.org/lowe.cfm

Window Technologies: Low-E Coatings

Low-emittance (Low-E) coating are microscopically thin, virtually invisible, metal or metallic oxide layers deposited on a window or skylight glazing surface primarily to reduce the U-factor by suppressing radiative heat flow. The principal mechanism of heat transfer in multilayer glazing is thermal radiation from a warm pane of glass to a cooler pane. Coating a glass surface with a low-emittance material and facing that coating into the gap between the glass layers blocks a significant amount of this radiant heat transfer, thus lowering the total heat flow through the window. Low-E coatings are transparent to visible light. Different types of Low-E coatings have been designed to allow for high solar gain, moderate solar gain, or low solar gain.

Double-Glazed with High-Solar-Gain Low-E Glass

This figure illustrates the characteristics of a typical double-glazed window with a high-transmission, Low-E glass and argon gas fill. These Low-E glass products are often referred to as pyrolitic or hard coat Low-E glass, due to the glass coating process. The properties presented here are typical of a Low-E glass product designed to reduce heat loss but admit solar gain. High solar gain Low-E glass products are best suited for buildings located in heating-dominated climates. This Low-E glass type is also the product of choice for passive solar design projects due to the performance attributes relative to other Low-E glass products which have been developed to reduce solar gain.

In heating-dominated climates with a modest amount of cooling or climates where both heating and cooling are required, Low-E coatings with high, moderate or low solar gains may result in similar annual energy costs depending on the house design and operation. While the high solar gain glazing performs better in winter, the low solar gain performs better in summer. Low solar gain Low-E glazings are ideal for buildings located in cooling-dominated climates. Look at the energy use comparisons under Window Selection to see how different glazings perform in particular locations. (these products can come with Krypton gas but are more expensive)

Double-Glazed with Moderate-Solar-Gain Low-E Glass

This figure illustrates the characteristics of a typical double-glazed window with a moderate solar gain Low-E glass and argon gas fill. These Low-E glass products are often referred to as sputtered (or soft-coat products) due to the glass coating process. (Note: Low solar gain Low-E products are also called sputtered coatings.) Such coatings reduce heat loss and let in a reasonable amount of solar gain and are suitable for climates with both heating and cooling concerns. In heating-dominated climates with a modest amount of cooling or climates where both heating and cooling are required, Low-E coatings with high, moderate or low solar gains may result in similar annual energy costs depending on the house design and operation. Look at the energy use comparisons under Window Selection to see how different glazings perform in particular locations.

Double-Glazed with Low-Solar-Gain Low-E Glass
(Spectrally Selective)

This figure illustrates the characteristics of a typical double-glazed window with a low solar gain Low-E glass and argon gas fill. These Low-E products are often referred to as sputtered (or soft-coat) due to the glass coating process. (Note: Moderate solar gain Low-E products are also called sputtered coatings.) This type of Low-E product, sometimes called spectrally selective Low-E glass, reduces heat loss in winter but also reduces heat gain in summer. Compared to most tinted and reflective glazings, this Low-E glass provides a higher level of visible light transmission for a given amount of solar heat reduction.

Low solar gain Low-E glazings are ideal for buildings located in cooling-dominated climates. In heating-dominated climates with a modest amount of cooling or climates where both heating and cooling are required, Low-E coatings with high, moderate or low solar gains may result in similar annual energy costs depending on the house design. While the high solar gain glazing performs better in winter, the low solar gain performs better in summer. Look at the energy use comparisons under Window Selection to see how different glazings perform in particular locations.

Variants on low solar gain Low-E coatings have also been developed which lower solar gains even further. However this further decrease in solar gains is achieved by reducing the visible transmittance as well – such coatings, which may appear slightly tinted, are best suited for applications where cooling is the dominant factor and where a slightly tinted effect is desired.

Here are all the people and places that care:

www.AndersenWindows.com

www.HomeDepot/Installations.com

www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Understanding_Low_e_Window_Coatings-Residential-A2077.html

www.askthebuilder.com/097_Low–E_Glass_-_It_Really_Works_.shtml

www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_anat_window

www.milgard.com/getting-started/energy-efficiency.asp

www.pellacommercial.com

www.tva.apogee.net/res/rewlowe.asp

www.ases.org/askken/2005/05-21.htm

www.ifenergy.com/50226711/advantage_lowe_windows.php

Back To Community Energy Systems’ Roots – The residential housing market

Posted on June 18, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

This blog has sometime drifted pretty far afield from its mission which is to move the residential housing market away from the hydrocarbon economy. The Religion and the Environment posts and the Presidential Candidates post immediately come to mind so for the next 8 – 10 days I plan on spending all our time looking at the specifics of energy conservation and energy generation in the housing market

It’s the honest to god truth – if your air conditioner is more than 10 years old…recycle it. The piece below is not necessarily a product endorsement. Every manufacture-er from Train to Toshiba is “sipping” electricity and natural gas. I wish everyone would go with geothermal then we would be blending in as a species and not standing out.

http://enewschannels.com/2007/11/29/enc2308_194045.php

Style Crest Advances Efficiency for Heating and A/C

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:40:45 -0800 PST by Tabitha Berg

Smart Components(TM) from Style Crest(R) Offer Advanced Technology and Superior Efficiency in Manufactured Housing Heating and Air ConditioningFREMONT, Ohio — Style Crest, Inc. (www.stylecrestproducts.com) has combined state-of-the-art technology and superior product engineering to produce the industry benchmark in manufactured home HVAC equipment. In addition to an extensive range of HVAC products, the Smart Components line includes 13 SEER air conditioning condensers with Micro Channel technology. As part of the Smart Components line, Style Crest’s new 13 SEER Air Conditioning Condenser Units bring ground-breaking Micro Channel technology to the industry. Micro Channel technology replaces traditional copper tube/aluminum fin heat exchangers with all aluminum multi-path, parallel-flow tubes and enhanced fins. Micro Channel is the new technology that is more efficient, resulting in a unit that is up to 40% smaller, 30% lighter and requires up to 50% less refrigerant. This combination allows for easier installation and maintenance and has up to 7 times the corrosion resistance of conventional units. By reducing the environmental impact, the smaller refrigerant charge creates additional value. Furnaces in the Smart Components line are air conditioner and heat pump ready. A built-in coil cabinet provides for the simple installation of an air conditioning evaporator without the moisture problems associated with an uncased coil. Electric furnaces feature sound absorbing insulation for even quieter operation.Evaporator coils from the Smart Components line will work with any manufactured housing-type furnace, and are ARI rated for use with a variety of manufacturers’ condensers. However, when used in combination with a Micro Channel condenser unit, these coils deliver even greater performance.

Offered in nominal 2 through 5 ton capacities, these coils offer true 13 SEER efficiency.Distributors, contractors, retailers, and homeowners appreciate the higher performance, easier installation, and lower maintenance of the Smart Components line of HVAC equipment, offered by Style Crest. In both new construction and replacement applications, Smart Components deliver engineered solutions to the manufactured housing industry. Smart Components – Great Ideas Individually…Together They’re Brilliant!Style Crest is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and installer of products for the housing industry. With more than 35 years of experience and proven performance, Style Crest provides the advantages of service and products for the evolving housing construction marketplace. For more information www.stylecrestproducts.com

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