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November 9, 2007
Smaller, Low-Energy Green Homes
In mid-October, I attended an annual conference put on by the Energy & Environmental Building Association (EEBA). It was a fun event with a spectacular mix of great folks: builders, home energy experts, product manufacturers, building scientists, utilities, nonprofits, and people who are simply interested in green building. There were lectures tuned to the interests of every group and lots of fun products to play with at the manufacturer's expo.
The keynote speaker was particularly interesting: Sarah Susanka, architect and author of the Not So Big House series and, more recently, the Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters. I applaud the folks at EEBA for inviting her to speak. Her key messages for both architecture and life revolve around holistic simplicity, good design, and the ethos of quality over quantity. I'm probably incapable of doing her work justice, so I'll leave it at that. Check out her websites and/or spend few minutes on the web searching. It will turn up more than enough information to decide for yourself if you wish to read any of her books.
Another fascinating presentation was one on ultra-low energy, green homes being built by two builders following the Passive House standards. A combination of great insulation, high-performance windows, passive solar design, and very airtight construction (mechanical ventilation is required) allows the heating and cooling systems for the house to be very minimal and less expensive. The houses don't have to be expensive, either. e-co lab has built Passive Houses for low-income families, as well as done market-rate, upscale, and renovation work. Conservation Technologies also presented two Passive House projects they are working on in/near Duluth, Minnesota.
For further information:
Energy & Environmental Building Association (EEBA)
Sarah Susanka
Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters
e-co lab
Conservation Technologies
Posted by Eric Helton at 11:35 AM | Comments (10)
