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Sun City: When 18
Teams of Students Built a Solar Neighborhood in the Nation’s Capital, They
Created a Showcase of the Best New Technology for Conserving Energy and
Harnessing the Power of the Sun. Weeks, J. January 2006. Popular Mechanics.
183(1):68-73. (Magazine article)
Eighteen university and college teams around the
country spent three years designing houses from scratch and powered
exclusively by solar energy to compete in the Solar Decathlon sponsored
by the U.S. Department of Energy. They met last year to set up their
projects in Washington, DC at the National Mall, and to show off to the
public. Although most of us would not have the inclination nor the
resources to build a home from scratch, the competition brought together
people, resources, and creative ideas for tightening up new and older
homes. Roughly 120,000 people waited in line to tour the inside of the
teams’ 800 sq. ft. models that included triple-glazed windows,
structural and insulated panels, and many other energy-efficient
features. The Virginia Tech team built a house that required no electric
lights from sunrise to sunset because of translucent walls that
transmitted daylight and then could be tuned with motorized shades to
control inside air temperature. Low-energy LEDs illuminated the house at
night. The University of Colorado built their model with all recyclable
materials which included wastepaper and soy and generated more energy
than it could consume. The Popular Mechanics article offers a source
page for similar materials that were used on the models and if you are
interested in viewing the winners, visit
www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/2170567.html for a
look. Comfort and style don’t have to be sacrificed in the pursuit of
alternative energy.
O, Pioneers in
Pasadena, One Family Unplugs from Technology and Lives Off the Land.
Robinson, J. January 25, 2007. Special to the Los Angeles Times.
(Newspaper article)
Driven by old-fashioned and non-electric ideals, Jules
Dervaes is a do-it-yourselfer determined to live off the grid in the
middle of Pasadena. He and his family are totally committed to
independence, even to the point that they use a hand cranked generator
to power small electric appliances. With their back-to-basics backyard
plot they grow enough produce to feed themselves — and to make biodiesel
fuel for the truck that they use to take surplus produce to market, a
farmer’s market on wheels. At least we assume that’s what they do with
the 3 tons of vegetables they grow in a “good year” on one tenth of an
acre of residential land! What drives the Dervaes family to do all this?
Freedom. It’s something to read and think about.
Rocky Mountain
Institute’s Home Energy Briefs #1 Building Envelope. Archembault, T., R.
Yardi, and K. Wang. December 3, 2004. Rocky Mountain Institute.
(Newsletter)
What is a building envelope? The building envelope
includes the walls, roof, windows, and foundation of your home.
Understanding a building envelope, and improving on it, is actually key
to energy-efficient (i.e. sustainable) housing. This article uses simple
language to explain how energy can be lost through poor insulation, air
leakages, and windows, along with simple options for improving these
features to save on heating and cooling expenses. Also included are easy
to read charts comparing common insulation materials, window retrofits,
and energy-efficient window features that allow the consumer to compare
and analyze at a glance. This Rocky Mountain Institute brief outlines
costs of improvements and potential savings. The guide is extremely
accessible to the average person and can help reduce energy consumption
dramatically.
Rebuilt Green: The
Natural Capitol Center and the Transformative Power of Building. von
Hagen, B., E. Kellogg, and E. Frerichs. 2003. Ecotrust. Portland,
Oregon. pp. 120. (Book)
Whether looking to the Jean Vollum Natural Capitol
Center as a case study of national sustainable design or to your own
home, sustainability works by preserving natural landscapes and by
maintaining natural processes in relation to the building site. In doing
so, common resources are preserved for the benefit of others. Easy to
read, the book breaks down LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) points by category with easy to follow diagrams and pictures.
This introduction to LEED and sustainable design reveals, in
understandable terms, the process of renovating a distinctive site. The
book details the transformation of the Natural Capitol Center, its reuse
of materials from the original warehouse, and its implementation of
bioswales for catching runoff from the pervious parking lot. A good
coffee table- publication, this small book is chocked full of
sustainable practice ideas for the only way to build or rebuild, build
green.
Rocky Mountain
Institute’s Home Energy Briefs #2 Lighting. Goorsky, S. and A. Smith.
December 3, 2004. Rocky Mountain Institute. (Newsletter)
The authors explain the need for efficient lighting in
the home and provide an analysis of cost plus efficiency of different
types of light bulbs and fixtures. A list of advantages and
disadvantages of lamp types and retrofits is useful as well as strategic
lighting and effective use of light dimmers. Tips on sunroofs and
reflectors make this a comprehensive newsletter for practical
information on reducing electric bills, increasing usable natural light,
and improving the comfort and safety of your home. This is a good choice
for a newsletter.
Rocky Mountain
Institute’s Home Energy Briefs #3 Space Cooling. R. Yardi, A. Smith, and
K. Wang. December 3, 2004. Rocky Mountain Institute. (Newsletter)
Ever wonder how you could make your air conditioner
more efficient (more cooling with less or the same amount of money)? As
simple as it may sound, you may not have thought about passive cooling
measures such as optimizing ventilation, reducing indoor heat
generation, placing windows and shades, planting trees, and/or
insulating. Active energy-efficient methods of air conditioning such as
increasing ventilation with low energy fans, and more expensive systems
such as evaporative coolers, heat pumps, or air conditioners are
included. Easy to follow tips help you choose the most energy efficient
system for your home and maintain its efficiency once installed.
Rocky Mountain
Institute’s Home Energy Briefs, #5 Water Heating. Smith, A., S. Goorsky,
and K. Wang. April 17, 2006. Rocky Mountain Institute. (Newsletter)
Water heating is generally the second largest use of
energy in a typical home, after space heating and cooling. In this
brief, we learn to save energy by changing our uses of hot water. For
example, lower the temperature on the hot water tank, wash clothes in
cold water, or insulate the hot water heater and its pipes.
Additionally, there are many new technologies and energy-efficient
devices that can be installed to save energy, including efficient
showerheads, new efficient water-heaters, heat pumps, solar water
heaters, and drain-water heat recovery systems. The newsletter helps
determine which energy saving measures are right for a particular home
and site.
Rocky Mountain
Institute’s Home Energy Briefs #6 Cleaning Appliances. Smith, A., S. Goorsky,
and K. Wang. December 3, 2004. Rocky Mountain Institute. (Newsletter)
This consumer’s guide focuses on energy used by
dishwashers, clothes washers, and dryers. These appliances use
significant amounts of hot water and energy. Energy can be conserved by
just changing habits of use (using cooler water instead of hot, and
running the dryer for a shorter period of time), or by replacing
appliances with new, energy-efficient appliances that are on the market.
According to this brief, these appliances will give a potential savings
of up to 50% energy used, without reducing their performance quality.
Extras include tests that you can take to indicate whether you are using
more water by hand washing or by running the dishwasher. Each household
is different so an attempt to tailor your routine is a more responsible
choice.
Rocky Mountain
Institute’s Home Energy Briefs #8 Kitchen Appliances. Smith, A., Goorsky,
S. and K. Wang. December 3, 2004. Rocky Mountain Institute. (Newsletter)
Food choices and their energy impact are especially
important sustainability topics. Consumers can purchase foods that have
less energy requirements (less transportation) and less impact on the
world by choosing local and in-season foods with little processing. But
if you have to buy processed foods or foods that come from long
distances, at least choose to maintain, on a routine basis, the
appliances necessary for preserving them. Old appliances require
maintenance. If you have gas hookup, look at gas cooking appliances,
which are purportedly more efficient than their electric counterparts.
Also, stovetops should receive routine maintenance to improve
efficiency. Ovens are inherently inefficient because the space inside is
so great and should be used only when necessary, or filled to maximum
capacity when in use.
A nifty chart outlines the energy used by cooking the
same meal with different tools—e.g., an oven, a frying pan, or a
toaster—so that you can compare different modes of food preparation.
This article contains a lot of common sense advice.
A Demonstration of
Energy-Efficient Lighting in Residential New Construction. Banwell, P.,
Brons, J., Freyssinier-Nova, J., Rizzo, P. and M. Figueiro. June, 2004.
Lighting Research & Technology. 36(2):147-164. (Journal article)
Some of us have a negative perception of
energy-efficient lighting especially when thinking about aesthetics.
With a field study approach, Banwell et al. present energy-efficient
lighting on a newer model home using particular design principles that
integrate architectural features (high ceilings and cabinetry), color
schemes, and lifestyle to get maximum lighting with less money.
The system performance was rated by evaluating
luminance, energy, and operational costs. Total equipment and operations
(over the life) of the model house cost $27,000, which they claim is
less than half of a conventional design. This is a must read if you are
redesigning your home’s lighting system or building a new one. The
information is easy to understand and technical information is provided
in the appendices. While not everyone can find it financially feasible
to redesign their whole lighting infrastructure, we could all benefit
from replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with the
non-mercury, energy-efficient bulbs listed and rated in this article.
Remember, there’s not a lot of ‘light’ reading here; this is a
Journal article, but it’s incredibly informative and hopeful with
suggestions given.
Electricity Tips: Head
Off Power Blackouts/Brownouts, Cut Energy Bills. 2005. Alliance to Save
Energy.
http://ase.org/content/article/detail/932
These tips deal mostly with summertime energy issues.
You will find advice about keeping your house cool and conserving
energy, plain and simple. Tips include maintenance to the air
conditioner, using ENERGY STAR certified appliances, turning off
appliances and lights when not in use, planting shade trees, closing the
blinds, using efficient windows, and more.
5 Things to Know
before Going off the Grid. Stover, D. May, 2004. Popular Science.
264(5):127. (Magazine article)
Stover says it short and sweet: “Being green ain’t
cheap, know what nature can provide, the fridge is history, your
neighbors might bitch, and you can get paid to stay on the grid”. There
are basic things to expect when preparing to live free of the power
grid. You should know it takes several years to recoup the capital
investment from energy savings and it takes a certain type of energy
system. Some household appliances will have to be replaced with energy
efficient models and Stover says the neighbors may think your solar
panels or wind turbines are yard ornaments – blocking them with their
construction. If you stay on the grid, 38 states currently pay to buy
your excess power. Going off the grid definitely requires some
rethinking. Take notice of these tips and you’ll be better prepared for
your project.
Living Unplugged: One
Family’s Valiant Quest to Kick the Oil Habit- and How You Can (Try To)
Do It, Too. Hewitt, B. December 2005. Popular Mechanics. (12):72-75.
(Magazine article)
Driven by the desire to save money and be more
financially independent, the Hewitt family embarks on a six-month quest
for self–sufficient living. This is the first article in a series of
documentary accounts that walk through the family’s exploration of wind
power, solar cells, photovoltaic power grids, solar water heaters, and
more. Popular Mechanics features their journey to live independent of
the local power company and a book is soon to follow. A how-to model
with details on breaking free of the utility company is online at the
family’s blog (www.popularmechanics.com). Enjoy.
Save Your Energy. Max,
S. January 2006. Money. 35(1): 102-105. (Magazine article)
Just as the Hewitt’s are finding, saving energy means
saving money. This article is a comprehensive how-to guide on
conservation at home. Sarah Max looks closely at home heating which,
with rising gas and oil prices in winter, is often a substantial
homeowner expense. She explains how to determine if heat is leaking from
your home, and various ways to mitigate such losses, including
insulation, windows, seals, small lifestyle changes, and better
technology. In addition, Max gives estimated costs for all suggestions
and pairs that information with estimated savings. Save Your Energy is
an easy to follow, useful guide.
Great Green
Appliances. Pahl, G. 2004. Mother Earth News. 201:44-51.
(Magazine article)
Northwest residents have been installing low-flow
faucets and showerheads to conserve water and energy since the 1970s,
but if you haven’t made this important step, or just want to know more
about them, here’s a chance. Newer clothes’ washers use up to 50% less
water than washers manufactured in the eighties. Water-efficient,
high-speed, horizontal-axis washers are recommended and they can bring
savings up to $100 per year in energy costs can be achieved due to their
efficiency. Besides giving a good rationale for installing low-flow
faucets, there is a listing of related websites and topics that lead to:
- Water Heaters
- Refrigerators and Freezers
- Clothes Washers
- Clothes Dryers
- Embodied Energy
Perhaps the most important idea conveyed in the
article is the concept of embodied energy. Embodied energy is the
complete amount of energy necessary to produce a single item which
includes the energy that was used in the mining, the transportation, and
the manufacturing of the product. The article addresses the question,
“How much energy am I actually going to save in making this
replacement?” It’s a great question to ponder when considering
sustainable practices. This is an excellent resource.
Radiant Barriers: Will
They Save You Money? May 1990. Consumers’ Research Magazine.
73(5):18-21. (Magazine article)
Radiant barriers for the attic are made of aluminum
foil and save energy by blocking outside heat from transferring through
the ceiling. This passive method reduces 95% of radiant heat from
entering the existing insulation and keeps the home substantially cooler
in the summer, saving you in cooling costs (fans or air conditioners).
Consumers’ Research provides comprehensive and informative answers with
regard to selecting this method of saving energy for the home, the
materials for which vary in price depending on the energy saved. Anyone
interested in keeping a cooler home in hot weather, while using less
energy, can benefit from the information provided. | |
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