efficiencies of living

[Norman Albers]

I am enjoying so much the threads on hybrid cars and LED lights that I'd like to launch here a thread on building and living efficiencies. I live in southern Oregon, USA, in a temperate climate right "between North and South". Winter nights average just a few degrees over freezing, with every fourth year or so having a cold spell of maybe -10C. Building spec is walls insulated to 6 inches, roofs 9". I built a solar collecting house with south-facing glass of 160 square ft. This is more than is advised because of loss. Figure an R- value of 2 for double-paned (not IR coated), and an R-value of 20 for the walls. Builders are advised to keep window area to 10% of walls; mine is 10% of walls+roof. When a few thousand watts of insolation come in (maybe ten thousand BTU/hr), you had better not have the woodstove cranking. ON THE OTHER HAND, loss here is great. The area is not great, though, and curtains are critical. As I've been able to, I buy pleated shades. Covering up at night, or on cold days, is important, since window loss might have been roughly a third of the total load. With some well-fit level of curtains or shutters, one can hope to save, maybe, 2/3 of that loss. Growing up in New York, our "Cape Cod" style houses had decorative shutters on the outside, European style, yah? No one used them, though.

[Apeofman]

I hope no one is going to suggest using energy efficient light bulbs or fridges as a means of saving energy in domestic situations.

 

Such solutions remind me of the brown paper that we were advised to cover our windows with, as a defense against a nuclear strike.

 

If you need heating in your house, use the brown paper now. It will save you more energy than using a low wattage light bulb will.

 

My kitchen has been fitted out with energy saving devices. Now i'm cold, and need to fit a heater.

[Apeofman]

You might consider using Vacuum Insulation Panels for your window blinds and other cold spots. Just search google for plenty of info.

[Norman Albers]

I find your first answer ignorant.

[Apeofman]

I find your first answer ignorant.

Not sure in what context you consider it ignorant. So i will explain in more detail.

 

All i am saying is, if you need heating in your house there is no saving of total energy using certain energy saving devices whilst it is on.

 

I hope you will agree that if it takes a total of 1 kilowatt to heat a room to a certain temperature with a one hundred watt lamp off. It will still take a total of 1 kilo watt to heat it up to the same temperature with the light on.

 

Without the light on, one kilowatt is provided to the room via a thermostaticaly controlled heater.

 

When the light is on, the controlled heater will provide 900 watts to the room and the light bulb 100 watts. In a sense the light is cost free.

 

The same goes for efficient fridges, unless you keep them outside, or are prepared to lower the temperature of your rooms the total house energy load remains the same.

 

All the lamps in my house are hi efficiency, their working life is longer than a standard light bulb, but i have yet to have one last anything like five years. Their use has not noticebly reduced my total electricity consumption.

 

I hope that clarifies my viewpoint.

[Norman Albers]

I disagree on several items. Raw electric sources are not efficient for heating. Heat pumps are maybe 2-1/2 times more efficient. Here in Oregon, summers often give us heat waves of 100 degrees F, and after several days, especially if the nights are not much below seventy, heat builds up uncomfortably in the houses. Your arguments are totally misplaced with regard to cooling load. . . . . . . . . .PEOPLE'S WISDOM: Talking to a young Mexican-American checker during such a heat wave, I mentioned drapes. Back on the Eact Coast many Italians I knew had massive draperies, and I figured it's 'just their style'. Then I spent a month or more in Italy and Greece in summertime. With overhead sun, glare from the sea, and white plaster architecture, the heat makes everyone disappear for a few hours' siesta. We'd come out at 3 or 4 o'clock, hang out, start drinking Ouzo, whatever. Do not underestimante the need for and effectiveness of heavy drapes!!! Back to the Mexican gal, she said yes we put aluminum foil on windows when it is so hot. These are older poorly insulated houses with single pane glass. I agreed this should help and she smiled. I left thinking that it was sort of dumb to close out all the light. A day later a lightning bolt struck me down as I realized that if you light one candle in many mirrors, you gain many lights!!! Later I made a point to ask a large heating/cooling contractor. He nodded yes when I mentioned foil; whatever.

[Norman Albers]

If you are in a small apartment, say, and the building is poorly heated and cooled, this is the problem!. Sure everyone could run a little electric heater or two but this is the most expensive heat, usually. Putting in a vented propane heater might cost less but you need to research local market prices. I have not yet seen small wall-mount heat-pump units other than AC.

[Sisyphus]

Urban living is far more energy efficient than anything else. Apartments suffer no loss from non-exterior walls, and the larger the apartment building, the greater the ratio of volume to surface area. Additionally, it is much easier for residents to walk to where they need to go (since everything is so much closer together), and, when the destination is too far, there is public transportation, the efficiency of which increases dramatically with increased population density. To put this in perspective, Manhattenites have 1/8 the per capita energy consumption (that's electricity, gasoline, everything) as the national average.

 

But yeah, I guess insulation and stuff works too...

[Prime-Evil]

I would rather be a free range chicken myself. Smaller dwelling are better though. It's interesting that 100 square feet on the water with a sail over it is considered a yacht, but anything on land under 2000 sqft is somehow unsuitable, even for a modern family of 1 person and a cat. Also, this buisness of mixing human feces with drinking water. What's up with that?

 

Neat houses:

http://tumbleweedhouses.com/houses.htm#roof

[Prime-Evil]

Norman,

I like your approach. I think even in a relatively cold climate passive solar heating is very doable. Also I thing south facing vertical glass is the way to go for sure, especially if you have a nice view in that direction and can get reflection off of a snowy winter field or lake. Shutters are the way to go also. If you have less than 50% glazing on a wall it is easier to have practical shutter and if you have practical shutters you don't need as much glazing. Overheating is less of an issue also. Sounds like you did everything right. Hope it looks and feels right also. Buildings are for building. Dwellings are for living in.

 

Have you built a solar hot water heater yet? I am working on one this summer.

Not as practical for winter, but very practical for summer.

[Doctordick]

Urban living is far more energy efficient than anything else.

Ah, but efficiency can be a dangerous thing. You should always keep in mind that a 100% efficient operation will collapse if a single element fails. A little wiggle room is a valuable asset.

 

Have fun -- Dick