« June 2008 | Main | August 2008 »
July 31, 2008
Mobile Home Youth
The only new home I've every lived in was a 1973 single-wide mobile home that my folks bought when I was 5. Though there might not be many comparisons to the new homes being built today, I often think about that old Gentry and how far we've come in building technologies.
As a kid, growing up in rural Montana, I had no concept of energy efficiency, insulation, or what a carbon footprint was. My summers were split between helping my dad harvest dead standing timber to feed our wood stove from the mountains behind our house, or being his "go-for" for the many remodeling projects we performed on the mobile home. We did the best we could to keep the energy bills down and the living space comfortable, but it seemed like a losing battle.
During the dead of winter it was not uncommon to find my mom using an electric hair dryer to melt the large chunks of ice that would grow on the inside of the windows above the kitchen sink. Those single pane windows in an aluminum frame would crack if the ice got too thick, so the daily ritual was as common as feeding the chickens, chopping kindling, and shoveling snow from the sidewalk.
Obviously there is little comparison between the technology that was available in 1973 for mobile homes and what is on the market today for new home construction, but the challenges we faced because of our tax bracket are have not gone away for many families.
As much as we would like to think that green and sustainable building technologies are within the grasp of most Americans, the truth is that those things that can really make an impact on energy use are expensive. Low VOC paints and bamboo flooring have hit a price point where many consumers can "go green", at least in spirit. But all the sustainable dressings inside the home won't reduce an energy bill, shrink a carbon footprint, or create a more durable home as much as a healthy blanket of closed cell spray foam insulation between the studs will.
But how many young families can afford that?
So how do we get affordable, effective energy conservation technologies to those who can't afford photovoltaic solar panels or geo-thermal heat pumps? I have a few ideas, but would like to hear from you.
Posted by Andrew Hunt at 10:35 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
July 14, 2008
Barking up the wrong green tree?
Everyone from the Department of Energy to local green building groups seem to be barking at the builder to produce a greener product. Though the builder is responsible for the end product, I think we're barking up the wrong tree.
Who really builds the house?
The trades.
Builders are the facilitators, the managers, the directors, but rarely do they actually swing the hammers and hang the drywall. So if we really want to build better homes, maybe we should spend more time providing resources and encouragement to the folks who put the sticks and bricks together.
I had a chance to chat about getting the trades up to speed with friend and uber-building scientist Justin Wilson, president of Building Performance Solutions, a Colorado based building science consulting firm. Wilson spends most of his time in the field talking to builders, and trades, about improving the overall quality of new home construction with a keen eye on energy efficiency. He also does a lot of hands-on work exploring some of the latest innovations in building technologies related to insulation, duct work, and air tightness.
When I asked him if he agreed that trades are the key to green building, he was pretty candid in his response.
"I would partially agree that trades are the barrier to sustainable or energy efficient buildings, but it's really, really, hard. Trades are still a long way off in their knowledge of what's out there and how their work impacts the overall performance of a new home. Our company is trying to get the message out, we have developed some methods to work directly with trades, but there remains one part that the industry still haven't nailed down.
"Part of it is that builders have to kick them in the ass."
I had to agree with him, the builder is the one who signs the checks and should have the ability to manage the quality of construction. But, the realties of the jobsite aren't lost on me either. I know that the relationship between builders and trades isn't always the smoothest, and many builders aren't in a position to fire their trades for sub-standard work due to contracts, time constraints, and availability of other providers.
Justin agreed.
"It's frustrating. I'm working with five builders and there are some continual things that come up every time, on every project. Some contractors are just unwilling to change, unwilling to even consider it. The builder essentially has to say 'Look, you are wrong. If you want to work for me this is how you are going to do it.'
"It's amazing when you think about it. About half the builders that I work with who commit to building homes to a higher performance standard have fired their heating contractor or insulation contractor, almost immediately. The contractor says "I'm not going to do it", or charge quadruple the fee. The builder has no choice but to find someone else."
With an increasingly competitive market in new home construction, I have to wonder if this downturn in building starts isn't an opportunity for builders to become more discerning about the trades they bring on the jobsite. With fewer homes being built, relatively speaking, now seems like the right time for builders to find and foster relationships with contractors willing (and able) to step-up to the higher standards of energy efficient construction.
What do you think? Are there enough resources available to help trades get the tools and training required for high performance home building, or are we on the right path by trying to get builders more engaged?
Posted by Andrew Hunt at 12:41 PM | Comments (14) | TrackBack
July 7, 2008
How would you green a horse farm?
Every once in awhile I get an email or comment from a reader that really makes me think "Wow! Now that's a great idea!" Wait until you read Susan's common sense plans for creating a green horse farm community.
Kentucky is the heart of America's horse industry for breeding, racing, and all things thoroughbred. The economic impact of horse racing in Kentucky makes these equestrian assets as vital as Bourbon to local economy. But the boon of industry comes at a price. Poorly managed horse farms that allow over grazing, large untended manure piles, and soil erosion can cause great harm to local water ways and eco-systems.
On top of this, horse owners looking to have a place for their animals on their property may have to settle for small lots that are less than ideal for both man and beast.
Susan emailed me a couple weeks ago asking if I had any suggestions for her plans to create a small community development near Lexington. Here are her thoughts:
"What I want to do is use 109 acre plot to create a cluster neighborhood of only 6-8 homes with a 30 stall barn, indoor riding arena and use the rest of the land to turn the horses out. Up to 100 horses could exist on the land because each horse ideally needs an acre to live. We would raise a small herd of beef cattle to roam the land and eat only grass and water and help keep the land free of harmful ground organisms that make horses sick. By the way, these organisms help the cattle like probiotics.
"In addition to this, we are planning on growing an harvesting our own hay without harmful pesticides, which will allow us to control what is fed to our animals and make good bluegrass hay for horse farms," she wrote.
And, for the humans?
"We are looking to create the houses from the ground up, completely green, possibly LEED certified. The homes will have a smaller footprint than most of the new homes built today and we are really focused on energy efficient, tight construction. Also, we are hoping to use solar panels, wind energy, or whatever we can to reduce the impact of the homes on the environment as much as possible."
As with many plans in the early phase, funds usually dictate just how green the final project ends up. Sometimes solar panels have to be sacrificed for better insulation, or geo-thermal heat pumps. But, this can't be the only sustainable community horse farm in America, and I'm pretty sure there are models for this out there, though they may be hard to find.
So after hearing Susan's plan I thought I would turn the suggestions over to the Green Team readers. How would you suggest Susan go about getting this development started? What would you include in the green plans for both the homes and horses? Do you know of any organizations that might be of assistance?
Posted by Andrew Hunt at 2:00 PM | Comments (17) | TrackBack
