We Are All Going To Die – Oil hits 150$$ a barrel.

Posted on July 2, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

Just kidding. It’s hard to concentrate on the residential housing market when everyone is all aflutter about the high prices of gasoline and the artificially high oil prices. I wish gasoline prices would double again. Then we would see some real doom and gloom. This from Asianone:

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/My%2BMoney/Opinion/Story/A1Story20080701-74069.html:}

The economics of running on empty

Wed, Jul 02, 2008
The New Paper

By Dr Larry Haverkamp

Surprisingly, there are only two ways to invest: You can own or you can lend. That’s it.

Owning is called ‘buying equity’. Examples are stocks and property.

It earns about 12 per cent a year with lots of ups and downs. You could lose some sleep.

Lending is called ‘buying debt’. Examples are fixed deposits and bonds.

It earns about 3 per cent a year and lets you sleep soundly.

An age-old truth of investments is that equity earns more than debt. I guess it’s obvious since 12 per cent is more than 3 per cent.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

But now, everything has changed. The world is entering a new era of shortages that could turn the old rules on their heads.

Stocks would follow the economy down, leaving fixed deposits as the top money-earner.

The story begins with the higher prices for natural resources like food, fuel and minerals.

High prices, however, are only a symptom. Chronic shortages are the problem.

You can imagine, for example, the difficulty of building a house without steel or cement.

We saw something like this in 1973 and again in 1982. The US was hit with an oil shortfall, which resulted in both recession and inflation, called stagflation. It spread to Singapore and around the world.

In hindsight, it seems overblown, since everything turned out okay. Prices shot up, then they came down. Growth slowed, then it picked up.

Prosperity returned, as it always does. If it didn’t, you would have a permanent recession. The notion is so absurd that no economist in their right mind would even consider it. So I will.

In a worse-case scenario, permanent recession hits and each generation becomes poorer than the last. Gross domestic product (GDP) declines continuously. It eventually hits zero and we return to subsistence living, like our cavemen ancestors.

We may be seeing the beginning of that now.

Demand is out-pacing the world’s limited supplies, pushing prices higher.

NEW OIL RECORD

Last Friday, oil hit another new high of US$142 a barrel. It is exactly double the price of one year ago.

The demand comes from a rising middle class in China, India and the Middle East. This is new. We didn’t have it in 1973 and1982.

When Li Yong, Ramesh and Abdullah buy their first motorbikes, they love it. They find it hard to go back to peddling bicycles.

The US Department of Energy expects energy use in 30 developed countries to increase 25 per cent by 2030. In developing countries, it will increase 95 per cent.

As high prices persist for one, two, three and then 10 years, people will grow to understand that this is more than just a speculative bubble. (Sorry, Fat Cat.)

A permanent shortage of input (resources) produces a continuous decline in output (GDP). That, by the way, is the definition of a permanent recession.

To drive the point home, try this experiment:

Fill up your car or motorbike with one tank of gas and drive to Kuala Lumpur. When you run out of petrol, walk the rest of the way. It shouldn’t take more than a week.

You’ll be tired, but you will gain insight into a life without natural resources.

The shortages will sneak up on us gradually. A tank of petrol will soon cost some drivers a full day’s wages. After that, it will take a month’s wages and then a year’s.

Finally, availability will cease altogether and the lights will go out.

Future generations will sit around the campfire and tell fantastic stories about hollow trees with wheels that took people from Yishun to Orchard Road in less than an hour.

This from Singapore no less…

Heating And Cooling Your House The Grown Up Way – Pump pump my heat pump

Posted on July 1, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

That’s right for you rap fans Hump up to the Heat Pump, Jump up to my Heat Pump it’ll burn you baby!…Well maybe not. The idea behind a heat pump is temperature differential. When its cold outside you throw heat inside because the fluid is colder than the cold and when its hot outside you throw heat out side because the heat is hotter then the hot. Well let’s let the experts explain…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump

According to the second law of thermodynamics heat cannot spontaneously flow from a colder location to a hotter area; work is required to achieve this. Heat pumps differ in how they apply this work to move heat, but they can essentially be thought of as heat engines operating in reverse. A heat engine allows energy to flow from a hot ‘source’ to a cold heat ‘sink’, extracting a fraction of it as work in the process. Conversely, a heat pump requires work to move thermal energy from a cold source to a warmer heat sink.

Since the heat pump uses a certain amount of work to move the heat, the amount of energy deposited at the hot side is greater than the energy taken from the cold side by an amount equal to the work required. Conversely, for a heat engine, the amount of energy taken from the hot side is greater than the amount of energy deposited in the cold heat sink since some of the heat has been converted to work.

One common type of heat pump works by exploiting the physical properties of an evaporating and condensing fluid known as a refrigerant.

A simple stylized diagram of a heat pump’s vapor-compression refrigeration cycle: 1) condenser, 2) expansion valve, 3) evaporator, 4) compressor.

The working fluid, in its gaseous state, is pressurized and circulated through the system by a compressor. On the discharge side of the compressor, the now hot and highly pressurized gas is cooled in a heat exchanger called a condenser until it condenses into a high pressure, moderate temperature liquid. The condensed refrigerant then passes through a pressure-lowering device like an expansion valve, capillary tube, or possibly a work-extracting device such as a turbine. This device then passes the low pressure, barely liquid (saturated vapor) refrigerant to another heat exchanger, the evaporator where the refrigerant evaporates into a gas via heat absorption. The refrigerant then returns to the compressor and the cycle is repeated.

In such a system it is essential that the refrigerant reaches a sufficiently high temperature when compressed, since the second law of thermodynamics prevents heat from flowing from a cold fluid to a hot heat sink. Similarly, the fluid must reach a sufficiently low temperature when allowed to expand, or heat cannot flow from the cold region into the fluid. In particular, the pressure difference must be great enough for the fluid to condense at the hot side and still evaporate in the lower pressure region at the cold side. The greater the temperature difference, the greater the required pressure difference, and consequently more energy is needed to compress the fluid. Thus as with all heat pumps, the energy efficiency (amount of heat moved per unit of input work required) decreases with increasing temperature difference.

Due to the variations required in temperatures and pressures, many different refrigerants are available. Refrigerators, air conditioners, and some heating systems are common applications that use this technology.

A HVAC heat pump system

In HVAC applications, a heat pump normally refers to a vapor-compression refrigeration device that includes a reversing valve and optimized heat exchangers so that the direction of heat flow may be reversed. The reversing valve switches the direction of refrigerant through the cycle and therefore the heat pump may deliver either heating or cooling to a building. In the cooler climates the default setting of the reversing valve is heating. The default setting in warmer climates is cooling. Because the two heat exchangers, the condenser and evaporator, must swap functions, they are optimized to perform adequately in both modes. As such, the efficiency of a reversible heat pump is typically slightly less than two separately-optimized machines.

Everyone sells them..everyone:

http://www.searshomepro.com/hvac/options.aspx?lst=352

If you want a quote on one:

http://www2.qualitysmith.com/heat_pump

http://www.servicemagic.com/sem/category.Furnace-Central-Heating.10335.html

or if you just want to look:

www.residential.carrier.com/products/acheatpumps/heatpumps/index.shtml

www.trane.com/Residential/Products/HeatPumps.aspx

www.rheemac.com/home_cooling_pump.shtml

www.nhec.com/residential_residentialheatpumps.php

Efficiently Cooling Your Home – Air conditioning the old fashioned way

Posted on June 30, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

I know, there are better ways to cool your house than you cool your food. Nonetheless it must be discussed for the people who just can’t do it any other way.

http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/EnergyWise_House_Energy_Efficient_Air_Conditioning-Air_Conditioning-A1629.html

EnergyWise House: Energy-Efficient Air ConditioningMany people buy or use air conditioners without understanding their designs, components, and operating principles. Proper sizing, selection, installation, maintenance, and correct use are keys to cost-effective operation and lower overall costs.

Related Showrooms

• Cadet – Zonal heating solutions for your home from Cadet
• Sears – Heating & Cooling Repair
• Trane – Enjoy perfect heating, cooling and beyond year-round.
• WholeHouseFan.com – Cool Your Home with a Whole House Fan

Air conditioners employ the same operating principles and basic components as your home refrigerator. An air conditioner cools your home with a cold indoor coil called the evaporator. The condenser, a hot outdoor coil, releases the collected heat outside. The evaporator and condenser coils are serpentine tubing surrounded by aluminum fins. This tubing is usually made of copper. A pump, called the compressor, moves a heat transfer fluid (or refrigerant) between the evaporator and the condenser. The pump forces the refrigerant through the circuit of tubing and fins in the coils. The liquid refrigerant evaporates in the indoor evaporator coil, pulling heat out of indoor air and thereby cooling the home. The hot refrigerant gas is pumped outdoors into the condenser where it reverts back to a liquid giving up its heat to the air flowing over the condenser’s metal tubing and fins.

Central Air Conditioners
Central air conditioners circulate cool air through a system of supply and return ducts. Supply ducts and registers (openings in the walls, floors, or ceilings covered by grills) carry cooled air from the air conditioner to the home. This cooled air becomes warmer as it circulates through the home; then it flows back to the central air conditioner through return ducts and registers. A central air conditioner is either a split-system unit or a packaged unit.In a split-system central air conditioner, an outdoor metal cabinet contains the condenser and compressor, and an indoor cabinet contains the evaporator. In many split-system air conditioners, this indoor cabinet also contains a furnace or the indoor part of a heat pump. The air conditioner’s evaporator coil is installed in the cabinet or main supply duct of this furnace or heat pump. If your home already has a furnace but no air conditioner, a split-system is the most economical central air conditioner to install.Today’s best air conditioners use 30 percent to 50 percent less energy to produce the same amount of cooling as air conditioners made in the mid 1970s. Even if your air conditioner is only 10 years old, you may save 20 percent to 40 percent of your cooling energy costs by replacing it with a newer, more efficient model.But then there is new technology out there:

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Appliances/Air_Conditioning_And_Heating/W2D2V4S2

Get rid of the bug spray because an air conditioning system that kills bugs and gives you a better night’s sleep has been revealed. The innovative new inverter wall mounted air conditioning systems, that have been scientifically proven to provide a better night’s sleep.

Samsung recently conducted extensive research in Good Sleep technology involving the Bukyung National University, Busan, Korea which revealed that a room’s temperature should change in accordance to sleep patterns, to achieve longer periods of deep sleep and ensure an optimal night’s rest. The Samsung Good Sleep 2 air conditioner control program adjusts temperature profiles to the most comfortable according to the three stages of sleep.

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Appliances/Air_Conditioning_And_Heating/K5J2C3C7

Smart Energy Saving Air Conditioner

By Manisha Kanetkar | Monday | 19/03/2007

Australian company Advantage Air has developed a smart reverse cycle air conditioning system that not only saves on your energy bill but is also able to be fully integrated into a home automation system.

According to Advantage Air’s Walter Kimble, all parts of the GEN III air conditioning system are designed to operate as a cohesive, integrated system making it easier for the home automation system integrator to set up.

The system allows you, among other functions, to control the temperature of individual zones as well as program Fresh Air control.

And with sensors in each zone, the system ensures that no room is being over-heated or over-cooled, thus contributed to the product’s energy efficiency.

The Fresh Air system is an electronically controlled device that measures the temperature outside of the house. If this is cooler than that inside the house (which Advantage says is 25 percent of the time) it opens and brings cool air in. This smart function means not only do you get fresh air circulating around your house (as opposed to the same air re-circulating) but it is also energy efficient. According to the CSIRO, the GEN III is capable of energy savings of up to 38 percent or approximately $1000 a year.

Now That Your House Is All Warm And Insulated – Whatever shall I put in it?

Posted on June 27, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

The big energy hogs in the house are the HVAC, The refrigerator and the water heater.

HVAC in the residentail market simply means a combine furnace and airconditioner that share the same ventilation system. but we will treat them as seperate units for easier detail:

http://www.fypower.org/res/tools/products_results.html?id=100156

Of course it would use natural gas,

Condensing furnaces contain a second heat exchanger that condenses water vapor in the hot flue gasses, extracting additional heat. The gases are then vented directly outside through a pipe in the wall. Condensing furnaces are the most efficient on the market but they are also the most expensive. Almost all ENERGY STAR qualified furnaces are condensing models.

Efficiency Rating
Furnace efficiency is rated by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). The AFUE measures the amount of fuel converted to space heat in proportion to the amount of fuel entering the furnace. The federal minimum efficiency standard for furnaces specifies an AFUE rating of at least 78%. ENERGY STAR qualified furnaces must have a minimum AFUE rating of 90%. The most modern and efficient heating systems can achieve an AFUE of as high as 97%.

For a list of the most efficient furnaces in all output categories, visit the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)’s guide to top-rated furnaces.

Efficiency Improvements
Some improvements that have been made to the components of furnaces in recent years are two-stage burners and higher-efficiency blower motors.

Two-Stage Burners

Fan Blower Motor

http://www.residential.carrier.com/products/furnaces/gas/index.shtml

Gas Furnaces

The smooth comfort of gas heat with the most advanced technology

For the optimal combination of gas heating and impressive energy efficiency, choose Carrier precision-engineered gas furnaces, from the innovative Infinity™ ICS with precision temperature control to the solid Comfort™ 80. The higher the AFUE rating, the more energy efficient—meaning you’ll save more money.

Infinity ICS Gas Furnace

Up to 3.5 times tighter temperature control

Quietest furnace you can buy

IdealComfort™ technology
Lifetime heat exchanger limited warranty

Infinity 96 Gas Furnace

96.6% AFUE

Variable speed blower
IdealHumidity
Lifetime heat exchanger warranty

Infinity 80 Gas Furnace

80% AFUE

Variable speed blower
IdealHumidity
20-year heat exchanger warranty

Performance 93 Gas Furnace

93% AFUE

4-5 speed blower
Enhanced humidity control
Lifetime heat exchanger warranty

http://www.bryant.com/products/furnaces/index.shtml

Evolution System Plus 95s™ Furnace

Up to 95 AFUE
PerfectSense™ functionality
Up to 73% more consistent temperatures than single stage furnaces
Quietest furnace that you can buy
Perfect Humidity
Perfect Heat technology
Pilot-free PerfectLight ignition
Lifetime heat exchanger warranty

Evolution System Plus 95s™ Gas Furnace

Evolution System Plus 90i™ & Plus 95i™ Furnaces

Up to 96.6 AFUE
Perfect Humidity
Perfect Heat technology
Pilot-free PerfectLight ignition
Lifetime heat exchanger warranty

Evolution System Plus 90i™ Gas Furnace

Evolution System Plus 80v™ Furnace

Up to 80 AFUE
Perfect Humidity
Perfect Heat technology
Pilot-free PerfectLight ignition
20-year heat exchanger warranty

Evolution System Plus 80v™ Furnace

http://www.lennox.com/products/list.asp?type=2

ENERGY STAR^® Product		Energy Efficiency (AFUE)	Price Guide^*

But then there is the new kid on the block:

Emerging Technology

The MicroHeater, developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, could redefine the way in which homes are heated. The size of a palm, the MicroHeater is capable of combusting 4,000 to 120,000 Btu of gas per hour. They can be installed in baseboard heaters, and an array of them can efficiently heat an entire house. The MicroHeater can reduce energy loss from a typical central heating system by 45%.

http://picturethis.pnl.gov/picturet.nsf/All/4A2LDA?opendocument

We have even talked about air conditions yet or geothermal heat pumps…geez

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

Superinsulation Can Mean Many Things – But it is all good

Posted on June 24, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

The term was started in the “new build” industry but it has since migrated to the built environment as well. The general concept is that there is no such thing as TOO MUCH insulation in the residential market. It can provide living space that “sips” energy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superinsulation

The term “superinsulation” was coined by Wayne Schick at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1976 he was part of a team that developed a design called the “Lo-Cal” house, using computer simulations based on the climate of Madison, Wisconsin. The house was never built, but some of its design features influenced later builders.

If I am not mistaken he was getting his concepts from those used in much colder climates, like Sweden and Denmark where they value their resources…actually where they value life and family in general.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12917595.400-the-house-that-came-in-from-the-cold-houses-designed-withenergy-efficiency-in-mind-are-more-pleasant-to-live-in-less-harmful-totheenvironmentand-need-not-be-expensive-to-build-.html

The house that came in from the cold:

Houses designed with energy efficiency in

mind are more pleasant to live in, less

harmful to the environment-and need not be expensive to build.

09 March 1991

Buildings use about half the energy industrialized countries consume. Much of it could be saved, conserving resources and reducing our contribution to global warming. Energy efficient housing has already been tried and tested in several countries, with some success.

Between 1975 and 1977, building researchers and designers in North America and Scandinavia pioneered a radically new approach to reducing heat loss from buildings, now called ‘superinsulation’. Conventional buildings lose most of their heat by simple air leakage. Superinsulated buildings are firmly sealed against draughts, with a controllable ventilation system to provide fresh air in winter. In Sweden, all new houses must by law have fewer than three air changes per hour, tested at a pressure difference between inside and outside of 50 pascals. In superinsulated houses this figure is often brought below 1 air change per hour, while in a typical British house there are 10 air changes per hour under the same conditions (see Table 1).

By the late 1980s, there were more than 100 000 superinsulated dwellings in North America and Scandinavia, where most houses are built of timber. But the problems of adapting these techniques to houses built of brick and concrete prevented superinsulation being applied on any large scale in Europe until the early 1980s. Most of Britain’s houses-new and old-are put together with little regard to energy efficiency . In the rest of Europe, however, the technique is beginning to take root.

The Netherlands now has more than 1000 superinsulated houses.

The important thing to remember here is that these are not just superinsulated living spaces, they are TIGHT spaces as well. Just throwing insulation at the problem is a good thing but tight construction techniques are important too. Little things like caulking in existing homes can accomplish much the same thing. Another thing to pull out of the construction “speak” above. It takes 3 turnovers in the atmosphere in a living space to keep humans alive. Also in tight spaces smells and moisture can build up so adequate ventalation is critical as is a carbon monoxide/dioxide detector.

Also note that most of these houses contain backup, many times “unconventional” heating sources. Though the idea was that all of the cooking, human waste heat, water heating etc. would handle heating in the winter. And that ventaltion could handle the cooling in the summer. Most buyers wanted backup heating and cooling as a psychological reassurance. Often times a geothermal heat pump served as a device that could supply both heating and cooling.

Then there is also the Passive House movement:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_solar_building_design

Passive solar buildings aim to maintain interior thermal comfort throughout the sun’s daily and annual cycles whilst reducing the requirement for active heating and cooling systems. Passive solar building design is one part of green building design, and does not include active systems such as mechanical ventilation or photovoltaics, nor does it include life cycle analysis.

http://www.solarserver.de/lexikon/passivhaus-e.html

Passive Building

From the energy-saving point of view, passive buildings are most advanced, and when considering the involved technology they can be constructed almost anywhere

https://www.rmi.org/images/PDFs/Energy/E95-28_SuperEffBldgFrontier.pdf

www.oikos.com/library/energy_outlet/passive_solar.html

Basic Ideas in

Passive Solar Buildings

Natural Forces At Work For You
In any climate, a building can make use of free heat from the sun. An elementary passive solar heating concept is letting in the sunshine with windows, then keeping the resulting heat inside with insulation and thermal mass. The goal in passive solar building is the optimal balance of mass, glass, and insulation for a particular site and house design. A well-designed solar home in Oregon’s Williamette Valley can get up to 30 percent of its winter heating needs met at no cost.

Passive Cooling
Passive cooling requires correct placement of windows, proper shading of windows by trees or constructed shade, light-colored roofs and walls to reflect heat, nighttime ventilation, and thermal mass to prevent overheating in hot, sunny weather. Large west-facing glass areas usually present a risk of unwanted summer afternoon heat gains. Air-conditioning is unnecessary in the maritime Northwest, if the house is properly designed.

Choose The Right Building Site
The more southern exposure, the better the site for passive solar. A steep north-facing slope, or large trees or other buildings in the wrong places will cut back on your solar window. Protective berms, natural slopes, and thick tree cover to the north side block cold winter winds and help create a warmer microclimate around your house. See the Energy Outlet handout on landscaping and house siting.

Let The House Face The Sun
It is very important to orient the long axis of the house east-west, so that as much wall and roof length faces directly south as possible. The most livable homes group the kitchen and dining room to the east, for morning light. Clerestory windows and dormers can bring winter light into otherwise dark areas of the house (minimize skylight use). Use a solar path chart to design a building so that low winter sun shines in and high summer sun is blocked by effective use of windows, overhangs and shade.

South-Facing, High Quality Windows
Passive solar houses have large window areas on the south side where the sun comes from, and minimal windows on the north side. Some sites will suggest minimal west-facing windows (SHGC<.40) as well. Window specifications should be tuned for the window location; use softcoat LowE (lower SHGC) on north, west, and possibly east-facing glazing, and hardcoat LowE, or maybe uncoated windows (.55 or higher SHGC) on south-facing glazing. You should be able to get windows with U-values below 0.32 without much difficulty by using warm-edge glazing spacers, LowE coatings, and inert gas fills.

Superinsulate, Build Tight, Ventilate Right
High R values and minimal air leakage are the most important factors in building any low-energy house. The Oregon Energy Code is a minimum, not a maximum. There is no such thing as too much insulation, only practical difficulties in implementation! Blower door test to verify house tightness. Invest in a high performance ventilation system; an air to air heat exchanger recovers the heat in exhausted ventilation air.

This however can lead you into exotic discussions of equipment and materials which cause people to go to sleep. As the forward on one passive building book put it, “If you have never read about superinsulation before this could be a tough read”. These discussions do not include rammed earth homes:

http://www.rammedearthhomes.com/

or houses made of bales of hay or straw,

which would baffle most people. Bottom line is that if you can get R value 60 in your unused attic or a radiant barrier and R 30 if it is being used for storage. You will save BUNCHES of money quickly. I would add the small point that adequate ventilation of the attic space during the summer is important too. Also if you stuff R 15 in your walls anyway you can you will exceed probably 50% of the housing stock in the USA.
:}

Social and Environmental Justice Graduation Pledge – A brief break from our residential meditation

Posted on June 23, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

My favorite cousin, Matt Nicodemus, has been involved in the pledge process for years and years to I told him I would post this here and CES’ Bulletin Board. All of you should take it.

Latest development (6/13): At Fujen University, where one instructor has been handing out the Graduation Pledge in his ethics classes since 2006, Dean of Student Affairs Yang Bai-Chuan (??????) has just this week decided to offer all Fujen graduates the opportunity to take the voluntary oath at the school’s commencement this Saturday, June 14. See contact list at bottom for contact information for Dr. Yang and his secretary, Ms. Chi. This event will be the last chance this year to get photos, videos, and live interviews with graduates, faculty, administrators,and graduation guests.

GRADUATION PLEDGE PROGRAMS EXPAND, MATURE IN TAIWAN — NEW EFFORTS UNDERWAY IN INDIA

Graduation Pledge Alliance–Asia Regional Center (GPA-Asia)

P.O. Box 10123, Taipei, Taiwan 10099

Contacts: Matt Nicodemus, Executive Director (English language)

(e-mail) mattnico8@yahoo.com, (cell) +886-972-170-392

Sonia Zhan, Project Assistant (Chinese language)

(e-mail) soniazhan1126@gmail.com, (cell) 886-919-978-979

Steve Masters, Pledge Coordinator, GPA

(e-mail) smasters@bentley.edu, (tel) 1-413-478-7628 Prof. Neil Wollman, Ph.D, Senior Fellow, BentleyAlliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bentley College, Waltham, MA

(e-mail) nwollman@bentley.edu, (tel) 1-260-568-0116

(website) www.graduationpledge.org

June 23, 2008, Taipei) Six years ago saw the introduction of the Graduation Pledge of Social & Environmental Responsibility to Asia, at the Singapore campus of INSEAD business school. Now, with pledges offered at five universities in Taiwan and two colleges in India, the graduation pledge programs are not only spreading through the region but are also growing in sophistication and impact.

Students taking the voluntary oath promise to explore the social and environmental consequences of jobs they consider, and to try and improve the social-environmental performance of organizations for which they work.

According to Matt Nicodemus, executive director of the Graduation Pledge Alliance-Asia Regional Center (GPA-Asia) in Taipei, 2008 marks several firsts for the Pledge in Taiwan. At Soochow University (SCU), where the career center has taken over coordination of the school’s pledge program, students recently participated in more than a week of activities designed to increase awareness of ethics and responsibility in career choices and on-the-job decisions. The GPA chapter at Chinese Culture University (CCU) last month joined the school’s administration to co-sponsor the first-ever Earth Week on campus. At National Taiwan University (NTU), the Student Graduation Association is creating new forms of pledge-taking ritual, and getting faculty involved. And at National Taipei University of Education (NTUE), future teachers are being encouraged to spend the week before commencement reflecting on how they could educate their own students to help make the world better.

“Taking the Pledge is so much more than just signing a piece of paper,” said Nicodemus, who helped start the first pledge program 21 years ago at Humboldt State University in Northern California, “and organizing a pledge program is so much more than just offering pledges to graduating students.”

Nicodemus noted that the most effective pledge efforts have three components: 1) educating the campus community about the Pledge and social-environmental responsibility issues that students will face in their work lives; 2) making the pledge available for graduates to take; and 3) following up with pledge-signers to provide the information and support they need to live out their pledge commitments. “Now, more and more, we’re seeing these different components in the pledge programs here in Asia.”

Charged by Soochow University’s office of student affairs with responsibility for managing the school’s pledge program, Career Center director Beauty Yu and her staff have put together a multi-faceted, highly engaging and informative series of activities to introduce students to the Pledge and issues of ethics and responsibility in employment-related choices. Beginning in mid-May, “Ethics at Work: Responsibility for your Work, Satisfying Cooperation with Colleagues, and New on the Job” ran for more than a week and included lectures, workshops, and trainings. “We hope students will be responsible to themselves and find the proper job which fits with their own values, then try their best to make the society better,” said Yu

While the Pledge has been available to Soochow grads since 2005, this year’s distribution will reach a far greater number of students, and offer them much more than a single pledge card. A pre-commencement public education program is being carried out on both the main Shihlin and downtown Taipei campuses, featuring beautifully designed informative banners, posters, and wall displays. At graduation ceremonies on June 7th, students will receive special decorative bags containing pledge cards, special “ribbon stickers” that can be worn on their gowns to show commitment to the Pledge, and information to help pledge-takers successfully live out their commitments to social-environmental responsibility. Faculty members and university administrators attending the events will also be able to wear ribbon stickers, to demonstrate their support for students considering and making the pledge promise. Angel Hsu, an instructor in the English department who coordinated Soochow’s pledge program last year, has brought the Pledge into her classrooms, having students write essays about how they could be socially and environmentally responsible in their jobs. “For me,” she explained, “it was one of the most meaningful assignments I’ve given, especially because I wrote an essay myself to show the students that all of us have to consider these important questions.” Business management senior Gina Chou volunteered for “Ethics at Work” and plans to sign the pledge at Soochow’s June 7th graduation. She emphasized, “For me, the Pledge is not only a promise to myself but to the whole world,” and noted that by signing and following through on the Pledge, she might be able to positively affect many people around her.Ilan County high school English teacher Huei-Wen Tsai, a graduate of CCU who signed the Pledge when it was first offered in 2004, admitted she didn’t really understand the commitment until she started to teach English in an Ilan high school. “I think it has been very lucky for me to be a public school teacher,” said Tsai, “because the call of a teacher, in essence, corresponds very well to the cause of GPA.” She fulfills her promise by often incorporating themes of environmental and social issues into her regular classroom instruction.The Graduation Pledge is spreading steadily in Taiwan, gaining new schools each year, and has also taken root in India, where several educational institutions have either begun offering the Pledge to their graduates or are considering doing so. Frequently, the programs of the pledge schools have been started by a single faculty member who decided to offer pledges to their own students. Success of the Pledge in their classroom then led to bigger and better things. At Fujen University (FJU) in Taipei, Father Daniel Bauer, a longtime instructor and regular newspaper columnist, has taught about the Pledge and distributed it to students in his ethics courses since 2006. Recently, he wrote that he’s “lending a hand in back of the scenes” with the goal of FJU beginning to include the Pledge in its official commencement ceremony.Meanwhile, GPA-Asia is working hard to compile and create practical resources that pledge-signers can use in making important choices of jobs and on-the-job choices, and also developing materials and processes for training students, teachers, and career counselors. Group leaders are also meeting with a variety of governmental agencies and private organizations with which it shares goals, seeking support and cooperation. “We’re quite excited about the interest that’s been shown in the Pledge and our work for social-environmental responsibility,” commented Matt Nicodemus, adding that contacts with Taiwan’s ministries of education and foreign affairs have been particularly promising.

Most active pledge schools in Asia:

Chinese Culture University (CCU, ??????), Taipei

Graduation and pledge activity date: June 7

Website: www2.pccu.edu.tw/pledge

Coordinator & faculty contact: Terry Wu (????), Director, Language Center, Instructor, English Department and Coordinator, GPA-CCU

terry0530@yahoo.com

(office) 02-2861-0511 x24401

(cell) 0928-528-464

Fujen University (FJU, ???????), Taipei

Graduation date: June 14

Pledge program coordinator: Dean of Student Affairs: Dr. Yang Bai-Chuan (??????)

005087@mail.fju.edu.tw

(office) 2905-2229

Secretary: Ms. Chi

046477@mail.fju.edu.tw

(office) 2905-2229

Faculty contact: Father Daniel J. Bauer (??? ??), SVD, Associate Professor, English Department and Chairman, English Department, School of Continuing Education

015130@mail.fju.edu.tw

(office) 02-2905-2565

National Taipei University of Education (NTUE, ????????), Taipei

Graduation & pledge activity date: June 7

Administration contact: Prof. Chen Chin-Fen (???), Dean of Academic Affairs

fen@tea.ntue.edu.tw

(office) 02-2732-1104 x2008, 2170

(cell) 0939-565-157
National Taiwan University (NTU,), Taipei

“Shout for Declaration” pledge activity date: June 6 (12:00 pm) Graduation date: June 7“Shout for Declaration” web page: www.bonvoyage.club.tw/10/shout_for_declaration.htm Student Graduation Association president: Cindy Hsu (???)

scjorme@hotmail.com

(cell) 0928-973-901

SGA pledge program organizers:

Sophia Kuo (???)

since19865@hotmail.com

(cell) 0955-293-575

Damien Chang (???)

damien0327@hotmail.com

(cell) 0921-823-321

Soochow University (SCU, ????), Taipei

Graduation & pledge activity date: June 7

Website: www.scu.edu.tw/career/

Career Center pledge program coordinators:

Beauty Yu (???), Director, Shihlin campus center

beauty@scu.edu.tw

(office) 02-2881-9471 x7571

Faculty contact: Angel Hsu (???), Instructor, Dept. of English

yesangel@hotmail.com

(cell) 0939-720-779

Residential Solar Photovoltaics Are Affordable – Now is the time to buy

Posted on June 20, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

I think this story tells itself:

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/evergreen-solar-panels-460608

6.19.2008 12:38 PM

More Efficient, Lower

Impact Solar Panels Developed

Evergreen Solar Announces

Improved Solar Technology

Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar has announced a new line of high efficiency solar panels this month.

Called the ES-A Series, the 200, 205 and 210 W solar panels are made with Evergreen’s proprietary “String Ribbon” technology. Inside the company’s custom furnaces, a set of special parallel strings are pulled through a molten pool of silicon. A thin “ribbon” forms between strings as the silicon cools. The ribbon is then cut into wafers, which are fashioned into solar cells.

According to Evergreen, the carbon footprint of these new panels is up to 50% smaller than those of competitors, and they have a quicker energy payback — reportedly as fast as 12 months for installed panels. This last point is particularly exciting, since the amount of energy required to make solar panels has long been a bone of contention among critics of the technology.

Back in the late 90s, energy paybacks for solar panels were as high as seven years. Today, they are often reported as “1-5 years.”

Evergreen says it will begin production of its new panels by July. They will be built in its new manufacturing plant in Devens, Massachusetts, where the workforce has reportedly swelled from 300 to 1,000.

The company says its final products will include longer cables for easier installation, new clickable connectors and a new low voltage configuration for greater flexibility.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2008/06/18/evergreen_solar_gets_2_contracts_worth_about_600m/

Evergreen Solar Gets

2 contracts worth about

$600M

June 18, 2008

MARLBORO, Mass.—Solar panel producer Evergreen Solar Inc. said Wednesday it signed two sales contracts extending through 2012 with a combined value of about $600 million.

The contracts are with White River Junction, Vt.-based groSolar and Germany’s Wagner & Co Solartechnik GmbH, which designs and installs solar electric and hot water systems.

The solar panels for the new contracts will be made in Evergreen’s Devens, Mass., facility starting in July.

Evergreen Solar said its contractual backlog now stands at $1.7 billion.

Shares jumped $1.37, or 13.4 percent, to $11.56 in after-hours trading. The stock closed at $10.24 in the regular session.

Every Engineer Must Become A Social Engineer – If the residential housing market is to make in modern times

Posted on June 19, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

For instance the home refrigerator must be totally redesigned. NOT made more efficient but redesigned. Light tunnels need to totally replace windows. The HOUSE itself needs to be completely rethought.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Energy_Housing_and_Recycling_Advances_To_Be_Unveiled_At_TMS_2008_Annual_Meeting_999.html

Energy, Housing and

Recycling Advances To Be

Unveiled At TMS

2008 Annual Meeting

Energy efficiency is also one of the problems with today’s housing. Stephen Lee, professor in the School of Agriculture at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, says American methods of homebuilding are not responding to global and regional changes.

by Staff Writers
Warrendale PA (SPX) Dec 18, 2007
Energy, housing and recycling solutions for the 21st century are among the research topics that will be presented at the TMS 2008 Annual Meeting and Exhibition, March 9-13, in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. These topics are part of the “Materials and Society” vein of the meeting, which focuses on engineering solutions to some of society’s most perplexing problems.

“Engineers solve problems, make things happen and enhance the quality of life on this planet. This has always been a constant; however what has changed over time has been the needs of society and how engineers have responded to those needs,” according to Diran Apelian, Ph.D., Director of the Metal Processing Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, and chair of the Materials and Society program.

“With 20 percent of the world population living in absolute poverty; 18 percent of the population lacking access to safe drinking water; 40 percent having no access to sanitation; energy consumption increasing at a higher rate than population growth; and healthcare needs and expectations increasing out of sync with the cost of health care delivery; there is no doubt that the engineer for the 21st century has to be a social scientist.”

One such challenge is finding clean, alternative sources to produce energy at economically, competitive rates given the world’s demand for energy, and global warming. Tomas Diaz De La Rubia of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, will discuss the efforts to date to develop new materials for energy applications in his presentation, “Energy Sources for the 21st Century – Implications and Challenges.”

“Meeting the growth in energy demand while mitigating climate change will demand new energy sources beyond fossil fuels, such as solar, nuclear and, ultimately, fusion.” Dr. Diaz says these new materials must be highly efficient, safe and reliable in extreme environments.

“Our houses of today are not meeting the needs of the users, nor are they performing as good global citizens.” Professor Lee believes applying industrial engineering principles to the housing delivery process could solve these problems. In his presentation, “Housing for the 21st Century – Design, Technology and Construction,” he will use the 2007 Carnegie Mellon Solar Decathlon house as a case study to illustrate process solutions.

Reengineering is actually pretty simple
:}

http://bita.hdinc.com/en/art/?132

But “resizing” is an inadequate definition for reengineering. Classic reengineering is re-deciding the way we do business based on the best options available to us at that time. It is not driven fundamentally by people, but by changes in technology that occur over time.

Take the example of our CEO’s house. Sixty years ago a young accountant told his fiancee, “I’ll build us the best home money can buy.” Then he worked with an architect to design the house. Some of the decisions he made were about which plumbing and lighting options to install. He and his architect looked at all the options available in the 1930’s and chose the best ones. So they “engineered” the house. Sixty years later, Dutch (Holland) and his wife, Jan, sat down with an architect to consider some changes. Once again they had to make decisions about plumbing and lighting. This time they had an entirely different set of options to look at. Based on these new options, they “reengineered” the house and put in plumbing and lighting systems not available to the original builder. We would expect that someone purchasing the house in 2020 will probably make different choices … ones that Dutch and Jan don’t — can’t — know about.

AHHHHH home sweet home

http://www.solardecathlon.org/homes_gallery.html#carnegie

The last one is my favorite – I love personal windmills…