The future of energy efficiency and houses

[Capt Worley PE]

I saw this ( http://thezeroenergyhome.com/ ) and thought, "Well that's all well and good for new houses (but a bit pricey), but what about existing houses?

When will people start really looking at improving the energy efficiency of existing houses? The problem is limited resources and a small talent pool that can perform the modifications at a price the average homeowner can afford (like a return on investment of <10 years.

Or, are big gains in energy efficiency really going to be limited to new construction?

 

[roadwreck]

You have to start somewhere right?

I'd love for my house to be more energy efficient. I moved from a relatively new, fairly efficient home, to a home that is older than I am and leaks like energy like a sieve. I plan to make upgrades, but there is only so much that can be done to an older home before the costs outweigh the gains. If energy costs rise in the future I would probably be prompted to make more upgrades however.

 

[snickerd3]

as things need replacing and as we remodel we upgrade the energy efficienncy as much as feasibile.

toliets that use less water

water softner that is more efficient

appliances at the more efficient end of the spectrum

newer windows

added insulation

not to the point of adding windmills or solar panels, but we have noticed a difference in the power bill

 

[engineergurl]

There are plenty of steps you can take that many people don't think about... depending on what you are starting with. Anything from a tank-less water system to zoning the heat can help with the energy efficiency. Spray foam insulation not only is an efficiency thing but can extend the life of your roof by reducing attic moisture. Something as simple as putting up blinds and or curtains, conducting regular maintenance on your ducts and vents, or adding insulation to the water pipes can help make your home more efficient.

I think people also forget that by buying an older home, you are reducing the need to manufacture new products. Over 5 years time if a family living in an older home made small improvements and was conscience of their energy usage, their over-all carbon foot print would probably be less if you factor in the building of the newer home...

The home we rent has electric baseboard heating for the whole house, and while last winter we had one astronomical bill of $400+, we took steps and are more conscience and are nearly halfway through winter and still haven't gone over $130 yet. Simple things like ensuring that the vents to the crawlspace are closed, changing the settings on the attic and ceiling fans, we found some of the windows actually had storm windows so we closed that up as well as all the mini-blinds and curtains on the wooded side of the house, and adjusting the heat for the rooms not in use. I know winter isn't over yet, but there is a but that little bit of effort has been worth the $270 saved for the month of January.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I'm betting when the AC finally croaks and is replaced, we'll see a massive improvement in summertime electric bills.

One of the pine trees we cut down had been saving us a lot of energy by cutting solar heat gain. I miss it in that respect, but pines scare me that close to the house.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I've also noticed that any improvements we make in water/energy conservation are quickly outpaced by the rising electricity costs (although that is another thread already) which has got me to the point where I ordered a book on solar design.

 

[roadwreck]

They are building these homes in a nice looking area [sarcasm]

https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!q=605+East+34th+Street%2C+Houston%2C+Texas+77022&data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d-95.392848!3d29.817662!2m2!1f127.79!2f84.33!4f75!2m9!1e1!2m4!1sM0wsNmizX3sOP0ZTU3RC2A!2e0!9m1!6sLink+Road!5m2!1sM0wsNmizX3sOP0ZTU3RC2A!2e0!4m15!2m14!1m13!1s0x8640b880719d0fa3%3A0x925667c9515827ce!3m8!1m3!1d6991602!2d-100.076842!3d31.168934!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m2!3d29.8174939!4d-95.3922713&fid=5

:blink2:

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^Oh, that really IS nice! I bet the new houses will be well blended into the surroundings in five or less years.

 

[Road Guy]

people please keep in mind using the words carbon footprint on this site (unless as some sort of joke) is a bannable offense..

 

[Boomer01 PE]

We are going to build again in a few years and I plan on doing as much energy efficient things as feasible. When building new, the best thing that you can do is to build an air tight structure: foam insulation, high efficiency windows, sealing all joints/can lights, etc. I've read about people with 5,000 sf homes with $100 energy bills in the summer.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^Passive solar design will help a LOT, too.

'Passive solar' is new speak for something that used to always be done: orient a house to the sun and prevailing breezes.

 

[engineergurl]

people please keep in mind using the words carbon footprint on this site (unless as some sort of joke) is a bannable offense..

Even when applying actual logic to it? As in... I don't really care what my carbon footprint is because I need to drive to work, have a place to live and food to eat.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I'm with RG's feelings on the subject...plus, whenever I hear that term, I pretty much dismiss the whole conversation.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

There's a reason I downshift when driving next to Prius'...

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I actually like the third gen Prius. It took them two iterations weren't up to snuff, IMO.

When's the fourth gen coming out?

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I wonder if there will be a trend away from central heat and AC. When you think about it, it is an immense waste to heat and cool rooms you aren't in.

 

[engineergurl]

I wonder if there will be a trend away from central heat and AC. When you think about it, it is an immense waste to heat and cool rooms you aren't in.

Now that's not going to happen, the hippies already don't have central heat/AC and the ones that have it are in no way going to give something up

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I wonder if there will be a trend away from central heat and AC. When you think about it, it is an immense waste to heat and cool rooms you aren't in.

Now that's not going to happen, the hippies already don't have central heat/AC and the ones that have it are in no way going to give something up

Yeah, I agree that it probably won't happen, but, you have to admit, the energy savings would probably be pretty good sized. Esepcially since the newer room/windo AC units are much more efficient than the ones of my youth. I don't know how they compare to central units in terms of efficiency, but heating/cooling 20% vs 100% of the house could easily make up for it.

 

[Ble_PE]

^I think instead of moving back to window units and the like, we'll move toward much smarter HVAC systems that will have motion detectors in each room and a central hub that allows you to turn on and off the air/heat to certain zones of your house.

 

[snickerd3]

but you still need to heat some room whether people are there or not to keep the pipes from freezing...but those of you in the warmer climates that doesn't really matter