I’d really like a wind turbine, but I have friends who claim our location isn’t windy enough. I’m not sure I buy that, because here in the Midwest, it gets pretty windy! How can I find out whether my property is right for a wind turbine?  

Wind is one of the trickiest renewable resources to assess and capture. Although small wind turbines make economic sense in many locations, they’re not for everyone. Here are some of the factors that can help you figure out whether a wind turbine is right for you, and other options to consider if you decide it’s not.

First, you’ll need at least a couple of acres of land for a wind turbine. That’s because turbines and towers need to be situated far enough away from buildings, property lines and utility poles to avoid damage should the tower come crashing down (a rare occurrence).

It’s important to remember that trees and buildings create a huge amount of turbulence, which slows winds down and lowers the output of a wind system. Turbulence is to wind turbines what potholes are to cars. To generate a significant amount of energy, a turbine must be mounted on a tall tower above turbulence — typically 80 to 120 feet. This places the turbine in the smoothest and strongest winds, dramatically increasing its output. Residential turbines on short towers may look good, but in my opinion, they usually don’t produce enough energy to make them worth the investment. While the building department may permit a turbine on a short tower (less than 35 feet) in an urban or suburban neighborhood, they are not likely to permit a turbine on a tall tower, which is what you would need to make your investment worthwhile. (Some neighbors may not take kindly to a tall wind tower in your yard, either.)

To produce a lot of energy from your wind turbine, you’ll also need an adequate wind resource — at least a 12-mph average annual wind speed at 100 feet. Before you take the plunge, do a thorough site assessment to determine the average wind speed at your site and the best location for a turbine. You can get an initial read on the wind in your area by visiting NASA’s Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy. However, this website gives the average wind speed over a large area, so if you live in a valley or on a ridge, your average wind speed might be significantly lower or higher than these figures indicate. For a thorough assessment, hire a professional wind site assessor. This will cost you about $300 to $500, but it’s well worth the money. You can find a list of certified wind assessors at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. If you decide wind energy isn’t for you, consider a solar-electric system. Another option: If you want to support renewable energy but aren’t in a position to install your own system, consider buying green power from a utility. Find more information about green power options where you live at visit the U.S. Department of Energy.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=2147493132#ixzz1HwrFt22N

Earth-Sheltered Home Kits for Owner-Builders

Financing, contract labor, and raw materials costs have taken their toll of the American own-your-own-home dream in recent years. At the same time, in an effort to seek a new, energy-saving route indoors, many people are now considering housing alternatives that once were shunned by society’s mainstream.

Unfortunately, “more efficient” doesn’t always mean “less expensive”. Take earth-sheltered housing, for example. A decade ago, few folks had ever heard of it, and even fewer understood its advantages. Today, though, soil-covered structures number in the thousands and appear in a variety of styles and sizes. Even so, these subterraneans share one common drawback: All of them must be specifically engineered to withstand the pressures that their earthen blankets invariably subject them to . . . and in many instances, this has required the services of a professional architect and the use of some downright serious structural components.

Well, that may be within the reach of folks who have husky financial resources, but shoestring budgets aren’t designed to handle that kind of load. There’s no easy way around the dilemma, either. Regional and local building codes universally demand approved engineering on earth-bermed construction for the protection of the residents-to-be . . . effectively quashing any do-it-yourself shortcuts contemplated by the greenback-strapped owner.

Situations such as this beg for solutions, and we’ve recently heard of an ingenious one you might want to look into: A firm by the name of Earth Systems, Inc., markets a pre-engineered structure that it sells in earth-sheltered home kits. This package differs in at least four ways from the other prefab homes currently available. First of all, it’s truly an earth-sheltered design and thus incorporates all the advantages inherent in that kind of building. Second, it’s in the shape of a hemispherical dome, which offers an excellent strength-to-material ratio and is freestanding, with no internal supports. Third, the structure is composed of an integral steel framing network covered with a shell of concrete (this monolithic construction eliminates problem seams and joints). And finally, you can purchase the kit shipped complete from the factory, or—if local purchasing of some materials seems more attractive—you can send for part of it and supplement the rest at the building site.

Earth Systems offers an oval dome and a half-dome (open end) structure, as well as the “true” dome shape . . . and their standard kit comes in four sizes with diameters of from 30 to 52 feet. The form is established with a frame of lightweight bolted-together steel beams to which is attached a network of 1/2″ reinforcing bar to create a grid of 12″ squares. Then a fabric-and-wire panel is fastened to this skeleton, and a 4″-thick covering of concrete—shot from a pressurized gun—is applied to the surface of the structure, with additional material being supplemented at the base. Once that’s set, insulation and waterproofing can be added to the outside, and—after a sufficient curing period—the excavation can be back-filled and the house can be covered.

When compared with conventional stud-frame construction, this technique offers a considerable savings in hourly labor costs. In fact, it’s possible to completely close in a 1,950-square-foot dome—on an unexcavated site—in a week’s time . . . a process that more than likely would take a carpentry crew three times that long!

Because of the shape of the structures, most Earth Systems homes are designed and built as two-story units. The grade-level entry is on the second floor, where (typically) the kitchen, dining area, and family room are situated. A circular stairway offers access to the below-ground level, which features a vaulted living room and standard ceilings in the bedrooms and bathrooms. Each of the subterranean rooms has an atrium that provides natural illumination, ventilation, and emergency egress, and an above-ground cupola at the top of the dome admits additional daylight and outside air as desired.

Ordinarily, only the lower half of the dome is actually below grade, while the upper portion is bermed with earth to a depth of two feet or so. But Earth Systems’ structural engineer states that the entire building has been designed to accommodate full embedment if need be, because the framework is stressed for just about any type of construction site that can be imagined. The dome’s spherical shape helps to distribute weight evenly over its surface. Loads on the upper part of the shell are compressive and translate into tensional forces at the base. There, the footing serves both as a foundation and as a stabilizing ring to keep “stretching” pressures in check.

The basic kits—which include the structural beams, their anchors, the necessary supports for the second floor, the rebar, the fasteners, and the forming material—cost between $10,500 and $15,000, depending on the size of the house. Obviously, by the time the structure is finished inside and out, the total bill will come to considerably more than that figure . . . but the owner-builder can tackle a great portion of the labor, thus appreciably cutting those costs. Also, conventional financing has been approved for these designs. Indeed, the Earth Systems folks indicate that none of their structures has ever been denied a building permit, though their houses have been constructed in a number of states from coast to coast.

Spherical, subterranean, and economical . . . that may sound like an unusual combination. But it might just be the solution if you’re going to build on a “pay as you go” schedule . . . particularly if you’ll have to squeeze in your carpentry around the old nine-to-five haul.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=69354#ixzz1HwoRY99P

 

What’s to come on the sustainability front in the new year

Trend 7: Passive House-certified homes like this one built by Bilyeu Homes in Salem, Oregon, are so well insulated that they require no furnaces or ducts, and are heated by the everyday activity of the occupants.

Green building is going mainstream, no doubt. But exactly how is building science evolving, and where are eco-minded builders and consumers likely to focus their attention in the year ahead, in light of current economic conditions?  The nonprofit Earth Advantage Institute, which to date has certified more than 11,000 sustainable homes, makes some predictions for 2011 in its annual forecast of green building trends. 

Affordable green. Many consumers typically associate green and energy-efficient homes and features with higher costs. However, the development of new business models, technologies, and the mainstreaming of high-performance materials is bringing high-performance, healthy homes within reach of all homeowners. Leading the charge are affordable housing groups, including Habitat for Humanity and local land trusts, now building and selling LEED for Homes- and ENERGY STAR-certified homes across the country at price points as low as $100,000 (in the case of land trusts, homeowners do not own the land their homes are built on). In the existing homes market, energy upgrades are now available through new programs that include low-cost audits and utility bill-based financing. Through such programs as Clean Energy Works Oregon, and Solar City’s solar lease-to-own business model, no up-front payment is required to take advantage of energy upgrades.

Sharing and comparing home energy use. As social and purchasing sites like Facebook and Groupon add millions more members, the sharing of home energy consumption data – for rewards – is not far behind. The website Earth Aid lets you track home energy usage and earn rewards for energy savings from local vendors. You can also elect to share the information with others on Earth Aid to see who can conserve the most energy. When coupled with other developments including home energy displays, a voluntary home energy scoring system announced by the Department of Energy, and programs such as Oregon and Washington’s Energy Performance Score, a lot more people will be sharing — and comparing — their home energy consumption.

Outcome-based energy codes. Existing buildings are responsible for most energy use and associated carbon emissions, but the prescriptive energy codes used in commercial remodels don’t encourage effective retrofitting. Compliance with energy codes is determined at permit time, using prescriptive or predictive models, and actual post-construction performance may never even be reviewed. Heating and cooling equipment could be faulty or improperly controlled, with significant energy and financial implications. Under outcome-based energy codes, owners could pursue the retrofit strategy that they decide is most effective for their building and its tenants, but they would be required to achieve a pre-negotiated performance target through mandatory annual reporting. The City of Seattle and the New Buildings Institute have teamed up with the National Trusts’ Preservation Green Lab to pioneer a framework for just such a code, for both new and existing buildings.

Community purchasing power. Neighborhoods interested in renewable energy will increasingly band together to obtain better pricing on materials such as solar panels and on installation costs. The Solarize Portland program was initiated by local neighborhood leaders who wanted to increase the amount of renewable energy generated in Northeast Portland by working together as a community. The program is structured so that the price of solar panel installation decreases for everybody as more neighbors join the effort. Group purchasing creates a 15-25% savings below current prices. This group discount, in addition to current available tax credits and cash incentives, gives participants a significant cost savings. In Philadelphia, the Retrofit Philly program leverages contests between residential blocks to get neighborhoods involved in energy upgrades.

“Grid-aware” appliances fuel convergence of smart grid and smart homes. While many residential smart meters have been installed, the customer interface that will allow homeowners to track energy use more accurately are not yet in place. In the meantime, manufacturers are increasingly introducing appliances that are “grid-aware.” These appliances are endowed with more sophisticated energy management capabilities and timers, offering homeowners machines that monitor and report their own electricity usage and that increase or decrease that usage by remote command. Many machines have timers and can already be manually programmed to run during off-peak hours. These developments will begin forging the convergence of a smart grid infrastructure and the control applications needed to manage energy savings in our buildings and homes.

Accessory dwelling units. Last year we discussed home “right-sizing” as a trend. However, with fewer people moving or building due to financial concerns, many have chosen to stay put in their favorite area and build accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These small independent units, which can be used for offices, studios, or in-law space, are the ideal size for energy savings and sustainable construction. As detached or attached rental units, they help cities increase urban density and restrict sprawl, while allowing homeowners to add value to their property. The cities of Portland, Oregon, and Santa Cruz, California, have waived administrative fees to encourage more ADU construction.

Rethinking of residential heating and cooling. Advances in applied building science in the U.S. and abroad have resulted in homes that are so tightly sealed and insulated that furnace-less, ductless homes are now a reality. The increasingly popular “Passive House” standard, for example, calls for insulation in walls and ceiling that is so thick that the home is actually heated by everyday activity of the occupants, from cooking to computer use. Even in ENERGY STAR-certified homes, builders are now encouraged to bring all ductwork inside the insulated envelope of the house to eliminate excess heat or cooling loss, and to use only small but efficient furnaces and air conditioners to avoid wasting power. Geothermal heating and cooling, where piping loops are run through the ground to absorb warmth in the winter and cool air in the summer, are another option gaining broader acceptance.

Residential grey water use. With water shortages looming in many areas including the Southwest and Southern California, recycling of grey water – any household wastewater except toilet water – is gaining traction. Benefits include reduced water use, reduced strain on septic and stormwater systems, and groundwater replenishment. Although many cities have been slow to legislate on grey water use, some communities have increased the amount of allowable grey water use for irrigation. Systems can be as simple as a pipe system draining directly into a mulch field, or they can incorporate collection tanks and pumps.

Small commercial certification. A total of 95% of the commercial building starts in the U.S. are under 50,000 square feet, but most of the currently certified commercial buildings tend to be much larger. This is in part because of numerous “soft” costs–commissioning, energy modeling, project registration, and administrative time–can be prohibitively expensive for small building owners and developers. To encourage more small commercial projects to go green, alternative certification programs have sprung up, including Earthcraft Light Commercial and Earth Advantage Commercial, which have found significant appeal through fully subscribed pilot programs.

Lifecycle Analysis (LCA). We know quite a bit about the performance of certain materials used in the construction of high-performance homes and commercial buildings, but the industry has just begun to study the effects of these materials over the course of their entire lives, from raw material extraction through disposal and decomposition. Lifecycle analysis examines the impact of materials over their lifetime through the lens of environmental indicators including embodied energy, solid waste, air and water pollution, and global warming potential. LCA for building materials will allow architects to determine what products are more sustainable and what combination of products can produce the most environmentally friendly results.

03/29/2011

6 Reasons To Get A Tankless Water Heater In Bedford Hills NY | Bedford Hills Homes

 

Product Pros and Cons: Tankless Water Heaters vs. Conventional Storage Tanks

How to determine which system is right for your homes?

 

Rinnai controllers allow home owners to adjust their tankless water heaters from inside any room in the house. 

Hot water is a hot issue for builders, architects, and remodelers these days.

Why? Many current buyers are interested in homes that are energy efficient and economical to operate, which are factors that can be dramatically affected by a home's hot water usage. According to the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, water heating is the third-largest expense in most homes, accounting for 14% to 25% of a home’s expenses. In some cases, that percentage may even be higher, which means energy-conserving hot water solutions also could result in big cost savings for homeowners in this difficult economy.

Currently, the most popular energy-efficient option for water heating is a tankless water heater, also known as an on-demand system. Unlike a traditional tank that heats a reservoir of water 24 hours a day, a tankless unit activates only as needed. When there is a demand for heated water, cold water travels through the tankless unit, where a gas burner quickly heats it to the preset temperature.

According to www.smarterhotwater.com, a Web site launched by Alabama-based Rheem Manufacturing, the average annual operating cost for a conventional storage is between $230 and $285, nearly twice the cost for a tankless system. (Rheem estimates a tankless hot water heater would cost $165 to $170 annually to operate.)

Given those numbers, the decision to go tankless seems a simple equation; tankless water heaters have proved popular in Europe and Asia, according to W.B. "Butch" Aikens, tankless resource manager for Rheem, which manufactures both tankless and conventional tank water heaters. But like many other construction technologies, tankless water heater usage in the United States lags behind the rest of the world, Aikens says.

Cost could be a factor for the low penetration in the U.S. market–tankless heaters cost significantly more than a conventional system. But it also could be a matter of educating the American market about the product. In recent years, manufacturers say awareness has grown significantly, and so has usage, which has seen double-digit increases. The driving force? Consumers. They are “mainly the ones driving this demand for tankless water heaters more than builders,” Aikens says.

Does that mean that every builder and remodeler should install tankless in their projects? Maybe, maybe not. While tankless technology can reduce a home's energy costs by as much as 25% annually compared to a standard 40-gallon tank heater, there are other considerations. Standard storage tanks now qualify for Energy Star certification. And tankless systems may have other issues that negate its energy performance and lower operating costs.

What's a smart builder to do? Make the best decision possible, given the parameters of your homes, buyers, business, and locality. Here's a handy guide outlining the pros and cons of tankless water heaters versus conventional storage tanks that you can use to evaluate the options for your customers.

Conventional gas storage water heaters are now Energy Star rated.

 

Conventional Hot Water Storage Tanks

Pros:

Proven technology that builders and home owners know and trust. The straightforward system has been around for years and works well.

Low product cost and low installation cost. A basic 30-gallon electric tank can be purchased for less than $300. Installation is fairly simple.

Inexpensive replacement cost. If and when a water heater goes bad, the system can easily replaced with a similar unit for about $500 to $800.

Energy Star tanks are now available. As of this year, the Energy Star program certifies conventional high-efficiency gas water heaters, so it’s possible to save energy and money. Units must have an energy factor of .62.

Cons:

Conventional tanks are always on. No matter how energy efficient it is, a storage tank cycles on a regular basis to heat and reheat water at a preset temperature, using energy to heat the water whether a homeowner needs it or not.

Big and bulky. Most storage tanks take up precious real estate in a mechanical or laundry room, especially in smaller homes such as apartments, condos, or townhouses.

May be inadequate. Depending on the capacity and household hot water needs, a conventional storage tank may not be able to meet demand. “If not sized correctly for peak demand, tank water heaters will run out of hot water,” according to www.smarterhotwater.com. In addition, only about 70% of the hot water in a typical storage tank is available for use, says Aikens.

Less versatile installation. The unit needs a fairly large space for installation and cannot be located outside the home.

Less durable. The life expectancy of a conventional hot water tank is about 12 to 15 years.

Tankless water heaters reduce energy use up to 25%, but they cost twice as much as standard storage units.

Tankless Hot Water Heater

Pros:

Saves energy. The unit only operates when there is a demand for hot water, which can reduce its energy cost by about 25% annually.

Highly efficient. The most efficient storage tank has an energy factor of about .67, but, according to Energy Star, some tankless units have energy factors as high as .95.

Reliable. If a unit is sized properly, a gas tankless heater can deliver a continuous supply of water at a preset temperature (plus or minus one degree) at a rate of typically 2 gallons to 5 gallons per minute. The units never run out of hot water, though the flow rate may be inadequate during times of peak demand, according to www.smarterhotwater.com.

Compact size. The typical tankless heater is about the size of a small suitcase, which takes up significantly less space than a conventional tank.

Durable. It has a life expectancy of 20 years or more.

Versatile. The unit is easy to zone and it can go almost anywhere in the house. It also can be installed outside on a wall.

Cons:

Tankless units cost about twice as much as traditional storage tanks. A typical tankless unit may cost about $700 and can easily top $1,500.

Installation is expensive. In addition to the high product cost, installation for the unit and the necessary piping can be pricey. They also need very good venting, which is also expensive.

Retrofit is pricey and complicated. Unlike a traditional tank, retrofitting a home with a tankless unit is difficult and expensive. “In new construction, the labor time required to install a tankless water [heater] is about the same as a tank water heater,” according to www.smarterhotwater.com. But the equation changes in a remodeling situation. The process is complicated, and the installed costs to replace a tank water heater with a tankless unit can be as high as $3,000.

Best performance comes from gas units. Though gas-fired tankless units are great performers for whole-house use, electric units are woefully inadequate. Electric units are not Energy Star-rated, Aikens says, and “require significant amounts of energy to use.”

Mar 29, 2011 12:32:02 PM | Weblogs

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Five Green Building Trends in Pound Ridge NY | Pound Ridge NY Real Estate What’s to come on the sustainability front in the new year Trend 7: Passive House-certified homes like this one built by Bilyeu Homes in Salem, Oregon, are so well insulated that they require no furnaces or ducts, and are heated by the everyday activity of the occupants. Green building is…

 

These days, a common refrain heard from real estate agents is that you don’t know a listing is sold until title transfers from the seller to the buyer. Before the housing downturn, there was a point during the transaction that buyers and sellers had some certainty that the closing would occur. Now, more deals fall apart, so there is less certainty in general.

Before a listing has a chance of selling, the buyers and sellers must agree on the terms of the purchase agreement. This can include such things as the contract contingencies and how long they will run, the closing date, when possession will be delivered to the buyers, and who pays which sale fees, such as transfer taxes and title insurance premiums. This is in addition to agreeing on the purchase price.

HOUSE-HUNTING TIP: During the negotiation period, the listing is still for sale. Don’t assume that because you and the sellers have verbally agreed on price and terms that you have an accepted offer. Verbal agreements to sell homes are not legally binding until they are written.

Many buyers and sellers are confused on this issue. For example, let’s say the sellers issue a counteroffer to the buyers and give three days for a response. During that time a better offer is presented to the seller. If the first buyers have not signed the sellers’ counteroffer and delivered it to the sellers or their designated agent, the sellers can withdraw the counteroffer and sell their home to the second buyer.

Likewise, the buyers might counter the sellers’ counteroffer and give them a few days to respond. If during that time and before the sellers have signed and delivered the counteroffer to the buyers, the buyers can withdraw it and buy another house.

The delivery aspect of the counteroffer process is very important. Just signing a counteroffer from the other party doesn’t mean that you have a ratified contract. It’s a good idea to have the person who receives a signed counteroffer to indicate in writing that the signed document has been received.

Some contracts and counteroffers include a section to sign or initial — and date — to acknowledge acceptance. This way there is no confusion. It would be difficult to withdraw a counteroffer that had already been signed by the other party and delivered to the maker, particularly if it includes written confirmation of acceptance.

When buyers and sellers have agreed to all terms of the purchase contract and confirmed this with their signatures, a listing is said to be pending sale. This means that a contract for sale has been accepted, but the transaction is not yet closed.

During the pending-sale period, buyers work to satisfy the contract contingencies such as those for inspections and loan and appraisal approval. Depending on how the contract is written, the buyers’ deposit is usually returned if they try in good faith to satisfy contingencies but are unable to do so.

Sellers should continue to entertain backup offers during the pending-sale period so that they don’t have to put the house back on the market if the transaction falls apart due to inspection-related defects or a low appraisal. A backup offer is one that’s made in secondary position, subject to the collapse of the first contract.

After all contingencies have been removed, a listing is often said to be sold. Usually, in this case, the transaction does close. But, with today’s stringent lender qualifying criteria, some deals fall apart at the last minute even after the buyers have been approved.

THE CLOSING: This can happen if the lender’s underwriter requires a second appraisal or additional financial documentation from the buyers at the last minute, and isn’t happy with the results.

Dian Hymer, a real estate broker with more than 30 years’ experience, is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author of “House Hunting: The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers” and “Starting Out, The Complete Home