Building Integrated Prayer Wheels
You’ve got the efficiencies of building mounted wind turbines and then you’ve got the efficiencies of karma.
In response to a recent Environmental Building News feature story about the inefficiencies of building-integrated wind turbines comes this subtly hilarious examination of the efficiencies of building-integrated prayer wheels.
Now of course if you are a Tibetan Buddhist, and there [...]
Cell Phone Control
Here is something from Bau-Biologie that is interesting:
Microwave Radiation – Cell phones, Wi-Fi
Are they safe?
As fast as possible, our society is becoming more and more technologically oriented. Homes, schools, offices, entire communities are making decisions to go wireless. Cell phones are proliferating at an alarming rate. These devices were never pre-market tested for your safety. [...]
Hot Water Home Run, Return and Mixing
Here is an image of the proposed plumbing setup for the green show house in Brooklyn. Chester Birchwood from New York Solar Systems is installing it.
It has three interesting components. These apply to hot water only since we are really managing the amount of energy we added to the hot water. The cold water [...]
External Transparent Heat Transfer Wall
I’m experimenting with a transparent heat transfer wall.
It would be a transparent wall attached to the outer south wall, leaving about one inch between them. The out wall would be painted a dark color. Ideally it would be black but that would be too much of an eye sore. So dark brown would be fine. [...]
Adding Solar gain and recyclables to Facade
Above: Facade with planter and recycled joists.
Originally the top facade of the building had a lot of rotted wood. And there was a great view. So in the heat of the summer I tore down the wall and planned on adding a wall of glass. It would have been magnificent.
But then as the cooler [...]
Zero Energy Houses
One technology I have my eyes on is developed by Isomax.
They build homes that require basically no heating or cooling at all, regardless of where the house it. How do they do it?
They use a series of air and water tubes and ducts to pass heat and cold around. They have tubes in the roof [...]
Passiv Haus (Passive House)
A “new” construction style coming out of Germany creates houses that barely need energy to run. They don’t even have heating systems. In the dead of winter they might need a little space heater but that is is. What is the secret?
Insane amounts of insulation, triple pane windows, fanatic air sealing, smart solar design, good [...]
Fanatic Insulation
I have a moto that I live by when building: Fanatic Insulation. I’m not sure if I coined the phrase but I think I did . We use weather barrier, caulk, insulation, foam, flashing etc like there we’re building an antarctic deep sea submarine.
Considering some European standards, notably in Germany, our insulation style actually [...]
Laying the foundation for the concrete slab
We have completely dug down the cellar by 3 and 1/2 feet. Then we put a vapour barrier and 3 inch insulation which we taped at the seams. Then we put down the salvaged fencing from the back yard to act as strengthener for the cement. On the fence we tied the pex tubing for [...]
Inserting the Insulation Into the Roof Ceiling
We are inserting the salvaged poly iso insulation board into the top floor ceiling of the house between the joists. All the joists have been sistered with “new” salvaged joists. You can see the bolts holding them together. We are packing four layers of poly iso board, making it an air tight R 36. The [...]
About House Wrap and Tar Paper
Here is an interesting article. It describes all the kinds of house wraps and vapor barriers in detail. It also concludes that despite all the fancy new products the good old tar paper is still the preferred product for the author.
I like building that sticks to the basics and avoids as much as possible fancy [...]
Insulation Has Arrived!
Green Building is like life: it is all about energy. How you control it, who has it, where it is flowing, and where it isn’t flowing. You control the energy and you have a great house (possibly a great life too).
So obviously insulation plays a huge part ini green building. Green building typically insulates a [...]
Building Green Notes
I discovered a great web site today called Radiant Heat Institute.com
It is a godsend for a builder like me who likes to build cheap and green. He has loads of practical info. Very good site.
Here is from his site on how to build green:
1. Locate house with south orientation, +5 or – 5 [...]
Energy Efficiency Seminar
Last week I attended an Energy Efficiency Seminar hosted by Landmark West!, The Community Preservation Corporation and Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
I covered the many ways to make a building more efficient. First we looked at where the energy goes, from heating, to hot water, to appliances, to holes in roof. We learned the percentages for [...]
Three Types of Heat Transfer
When talking heat there are three ways heat or cold moves through space. Knowing these ways is important because it determines what kind of insulation you use or on the opposite end what kind of heating to use.
Convective heat transfer is what most of us are familiar with. This is how our forced air heating [...]
Choosing Green Insulation – consider recycled foam board.
In the constant quest for a greener insulation I have considered many options.
- Cellulose is good but messy and dusty.
- Isonyne spray foam or Demilec spray foam is good but not that cheap and quite honestly not as green as they say. It takes huge amounts of energy and petroleum to create the main ingredient [...]
Six Steps to a Greener Home
Here are six things anyone can do to their home to make it greener. A “green home” means a lot of things. But it always includes energy efficiency. These simple things increase the efficiency of the home by attacking the most dramatic energy loss aspects of a house.
They are relatively cheap and simple steps but [...]
Good News for Solar
We’re entering a new era of solar energy.
Congress just passed historic solar legislation that will increase the use of solar energy all across US, and the President signed it into law. HR1424 extends the 30% solar tax credit for eight years and removes the $2000 monetary cap for residential solar electric installations.
This is a tremendous [...]
Living with radiation
Part of building a healthy environment is keeping track of the environmental stressors. A stressor is something that alters the body in some way. It could be heat, humidity, sound, or electromagnetic fields. Stressors are not necessarily bad. We need heat and a correct level of humidity for example.
Other stressors are a trade off. Most [...]
Some cool links for Mortgages and other stuff
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Residential Energy Services Network’s (RESNET)
http://www.resnet.us/directory/raters.aspx
(For trained and certified home energy raters in your service are.)
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Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating System Accreditation Standard
http://www.natresnet.org/programs/providers/directory.htm
(For operating home energy rating systems, by state.)
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U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Energy-Efficient Mortgages Program
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/eem/energy-r.cfm
http://www.hud.gov/ll/code/llplcrit.html
(For a searchable list of approved energy-efficient mortgage lenders.)
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Energy Star®
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=new_homes_partners.showHomesSearch
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Built Green®
http://www.builtgreen.org/homebuyers/directory.htm
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Why should you use my real estate services?
Here is my answer to “Why should I use your real estate services?”
I am a real estate professional with additional EcoBroker training on the energy and environmental issues that affect real estate transactions. There are tremendous green resources available in the market and as part of my service commitment to my clients, I help you [...]
Solar Panel Considerations
Solar Panels for creating home electricity have come a long way. They are cheaper and last longer than before.
Photovoltaic systems now have expected lifetimes of 20 years and more, with manufacturers offering system and individual component warranties. Contractors are also offering warranties on installation and extended service agreements.
Even in the absence of additional financial incentives, [...]
Financial Importance of Greening a Home
Here is a great case study showing how a couple used green financing to increase the green of their home. Their mortgage did go up but their monthly energy savings were greater. So they end up saving money.
First-time home buyers purchased their home in New York. It was built in 1950, and sold for $260,000. [...]
Eco Brooklyn is a member of Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
really tries to see the connection between energy and people. I think they do great work and am happy to support them as a business.
Life is all about energy. In our daily lives we try to live a sustainable life, i.e. we try to stay alive on an ongoing basis. [...]