October 31, 2007
Is a Thermostat Just a Box on the Wall?
Hi friends, I wonder how this is going to work. I've said before that I'd like to have this blog be a bit of collaboration, instead of me just whistling into the Internet. So, I'd like to tap into your brains and lives for some perspective.
Each of us interacts with the world and the things in it very differently, but the products companies give us show more insight into the engineers' or marketers' thoughts than the users' much of the time. It's the same way with the researchers. We all need to talk to help companies make better products and researchers to study things that will help that happen.
So, what do you think of thermostats? How do you use them? What do you like or dislike? Where would you like to see them go in the future? Are they difficult to use or read or program? As you sit at your computer, do you have any clue what the setpoint of your system right now is? Do you really care? Do you feel that it has anything to do with how much energy your house uses? Would more functions and operability be of use to you, or would you like less? Is there anything else you would like them to do, control, etc? Throw it all at me!
We'll see what comments and emails come in, and I'll talk about them next week. Thanks!
Posted by Eric Helton at 11:33 AM | Comments (32)
October 24, 2007
The Next Wave of Green Architects and Engineers
I had the opportunity to work with one of the teams for the 2007 Solar Decathlon competition that recently took place in Washington, D.C. Twenty teams of students from colleges and universities across the United States and several other countries pit their engineering, architectural, and communication skills against each other to build energy efficient, attractive, solar-based houses.
The process is really no different than what every architect, engineer, and builder does on a daily basis. It's a challenge to balance the design and construction of a house with regard to its systems engineering, architecture, and the occupants' desires to optimize its performance, comfort, cost, and marketability.
The efficiency and solar-energy collection are especially important now, with the strong national focus on energy and the environment. This experience is invaluable for these up-and-coming architects and engineers. Take a few minutes and make the jump to the Solar Decathlon website website to check out the houses and teams.
I was able to spend some time with several teams during the setup process in Washington. Though understandably frantic at times, the energy was overall very excited, passionate, teamwork-oriented, and dedicated. It was beautiful to experience. I'm looking forward to seeing what these students make happen in the world after they graduate.
Posted by Eric Helton at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2007
My Two Cents
Hi Everyone.
I've been asked to put my $0.02 into words for this group of folks interested in making the houses we live in as good as possible. My day job is with a company that tries to bridge the gap between homebuilding research and real life.
We work with builders to build better houses. Sometimes, this means a full-out "green" home. Sometimes we simply help the builder construct houses that are more comfortable, durable, safe, and efficient than a standard code-built house. These houses typically use 30-40% less energy during the course of a year. On one hand, we get to do research into all sorts of fun, hair-brained schemes at saving energy while providing comfort and a healthy environment. On the other hand, we get to work with builders and architects to aid in an integrated design that can result in a better house at little to no extra cost.
So, a little about me... I'm trained as a mechanical engineer and building scientist. I've been working in various aspects of the green building movement since 1999, but I've been thinking about these things for at least a decade longer than that. However, while I love this stuff, there are all sorts of other fun things to do in life. So, I make time to paddle my canoe, camp, ride my bike, view and make art and music, renovate my house, and to sit on the couch reading a book with my wife, dog, and cat.
In this blog, I will be making posts about results (good and bad) from myriad research projects going on in the green and high-performance building world. The fun part is to show how the research can inspire our everyday lives. Social, economic, and philosophical musing are going to work their way in at times, as they make up the context for anything we do.
I'd love to hear from you. Why are you reading this? What do you want to get out of it? How can this blog help enable any of us to improve our lot in life, or at least create a comfortable, safe, and efficient nest in which to curl up on a couch?
Thanks and take care!
-Eric
Posted by Eric Helton at 11:17 AM | Comments (2)
