View allAll Photos Tagged Efficiency"
Food service businesses (restaurants and grocery stores) use 2.5 times more energy than the average commercial business. Think about it: all the stoves, ovens, heat lamps, dish washers, refrigerators, and fryers turning out meal after meal, it makes sense that they are energy intensive. However, kitchens are also hectic places where simple energy wasters often get ignored in the hustle and bustle.
Richard Young, from the Food Service Technology Center in California, highlighted a long list of simple changes that food service businesses can make that can shave big bucks off their energy bills at his presentation at Dunwoody College on Monday March 21st. From stopping leaking faucets and closing ice maker lids all the way to replacing exhaust hoods and re-doing their lighting, businesses have a huge variety of opportunities, from small to large, free to expensive.
To learn more, visit mncerts.org.
Sipéa builds and runs social housing in Poitiers, central France. This new building houses their headquarters. It was conceived so that its operating cost would be negative : the selling to the grid of the electricity produced by the photovoltaïc array incorporated into the south-facing side ot the roof more than offsets the running costs of the building (heating, ventilation, etc.). This is achieved not only by producing energy locally (photovoltaïc array : 80m², 8,2 kWp, 9 000 kWh/year), but also through a sharp reduction in the heating and cooling requirements of the building, thanks to careful design and construction. The roof is a see-through photovoltaïc installation : the cells are spaced out between two sheets of glass, mouted in a double-glazed sun-roof. The roof lets natural lighting though, affords protection against direct solar glare, reduces heat loss and produces electricity. The yearly operation of the building requires very little active heating, thanks to an oustanding insulation (22 cm of cellulosic wool in the outer walls) and no active cooling at all. Because the building was well conceived, construction costs were kept at 1500 €/m² (roughly $207/square foot) and yearly operating costs run 30 000 € less than their previious headquarters, which were smaller than this building.
The cladding of the outer walls is made of oil-soaked larch wood. It won't require any maintenance whatsoever for the next 50 years.
At the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently I was also able to experience a test drive in the Vision EQXX ultra EV. Engineered in just 18 months and representing the most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever built, this experimental unit acts as a barometer for production EQ models, which may eventually inherit deviations from its technology, energy storage capabilities, and driving range. The development intention of the vehicle was to produce a battery with 100 kW capacity, lightweight construction, increased aero, and extreme efficiency. The result is an EV that achieves an extensive range of more than 745 miles on a single charge.
Mercedes E250 Blue Efficiency CDi (W212) (2009-on) Engine 2143cc S4 CDi
Registration Number FL 10 JVE
MERCEDES SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623671722255...
Designed by Thomas Stopka (2005)
Michael Frei (2011) the Mecedes W212 E Class was introduced atb the 2009 North American International Auto Show. going on sale in Europe in 2010. The new E-Class features several new safety technologies including driver drowsiness detection, lane departure warning, and traffic sign recognition. It also includes features that improve performance, efficiency, and comfort, such as "Direct Control" adaptive suspension, active seats (which change shape to support the passengers in corners), and movable radiator louvers which improve the vehicle's aerodynamics. Standard Mercedes-Benz safety and convenience features, such as the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), airbags, and automatic climate control, are included as well.
The E250 CDi model is powered by a 2143cc S4 CDi engine of 201bhp.
Shot at Ferrari racing Days, Silverstone 16:09:2012 Ref: 92-265
How can we use open data to develop services that support communities to buy cheaper energy, use it more efficiently or potentially make their own?
This challenge invited teams including businesses, startups, social enterprises, community groups, academics, students and special interest groups to collaborate and compete with each other to use open data to build services that support communities to either:
- Group buy their energy and save money;
- Undertake community based energy efficiency interventions;
- Start to generate their own energy.
How can we use open data to develop services that support communities to buy cheaper energy, use it more efficiently or potentially make their own?
This challenge invited teams including businesses, startups, social enterprises, community groups, academics, students and special interest groups to collaborate and compete with each other to use open data to build services that support communities to either:
- Group buy their energy and save money;
- Undertake community based energy efficiency interventions;
- Start to generate their own energy.
Parkour Halloween Jam, Melbourne 31/10/09.
PARKOUR: A philosophy and method of movement through any environment with speed and efficiency. The concept is to overcome all physical and mental obstacles in your path by using your body and mind to run, climb, jump and vault. Developed by David Belle.
The Energy Efficiency Dashboard allows you to quickly view your location's energy information over the course of a month and assess if energy efficiency measures should be taken. Choose among active sites by selecting from the lefthand column.
The Province will advance the goal of meeting the vast majority of BC’s new electricity demand through conservation by providing $100,000 to the Canadian Passive House Institute (CanPHI) West.
Learn more: www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2015/03/province-funds-energy-effi...
Hear the atlantic surf from your private balcony in the oceanside efficiency with 2 queen beds and sleeper sofa.
Mercedes-Benz E350 CDI T Blue Efficiency Avantgarde on the day of delivery at Mercedes-Benz in Frankfurt (with flashlight).
Energy efficiency rating for residential and public buildings which is based on the Energy Efficiency Building Code “Thermal protection of buildings” developed by the Project in 2011. It also provides info on heat consumption for heating and ventilation of buildings during the heating period.
View a bigger version of this infographic.
A pallet is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, front loader or other jacking device. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load which allows handling and storage efficiencies.
Food service businesses (restaurants and grocery stores) use 2.5 times more energy than the average commercial business. Think about it: all the stoves, ovens, heat lamps, dish washers, refrigerators, and fryers turning out meal after meal, it makes sense that they are energy intensive. However, kitchens are also hectic places where simple energy wasters often get ignored in the hustle and bustle.
Richard Young, from the Food Service Technology Center in California, highlighted a long list of simple changes that food service businesses can make that can shave big bucks off their energy bills at his presentation at Dunwoody College on Monday March 21st. From stopping leaking faucets and closing ice maker lids all the way to replacing exhaust hoods and re-doing their lighting, businesses have a huge variety of opportunities, from small to large, free to expensive.
To learn more, visit mncerts.org.
How can we use open data to develop services that support communities to buy cheaper energy, use it more efficiently or potentially make their own?
This challenge invited teams including businesses, startups, social enterprises, community groups, academics, students and special interest groups to collaborate and compete with each other to use open data to build services that support communities to either:
- Group buy their energy and save money;
- Undertake community based energy efficiency interventions;
- Start to generate their own energy.
How can we use open data to develop services that support communities to buy cheaper energy, use it more efficiently or potentially make their own?
This challenge invited teams including businesses, startups, social enterprises, community groups, academics, students and special interest groups to collaborate and compete with each other to use open data to build services that support communities to either:
- Group buy their energy and save money;
- Undertake community based energy efficiency interventions;
- Start to generate their own energy.
Food service businesses (restaurants and grocery stores) use 2.5 times more energy than the average commercial business. Think about it: all the stoves, ovens, heat lamps, dish washers, refrigerators, and fryers turning out meal after meal, it makes sense that they are energy intensive. However, kitchens are also hectic places where simple energy wasters often get ignored in the hustle and bustle.
Richard Young, from the Food Service Technology Center in California, highlighted a long list of simple changes that food service businesses can make that can shave big bucks off their energy bills at his presentation at Dunwoody College on Monday March 21st. From stopping leaking faucets and closing ice maker lids all the way to replacing exhaust hoods and re-doing their lighting, businesses have a huge variety of opportunities, from small to large, free to expensive.
To learn more, visit mncerts.org.
Arizona Daily Star Article-From ground up, new home is model of energy efficiency....By Dan Sorenson Arizona Daily Star
At first glance, there's nothing about this new 2,000-square-foot house in Civano, other than a rooftop solar panel, to suggest it's unusual. But an occupant would get the picture, in vivid green, when the laughable utility bills arrived.
The ultra-energy-efficient home uses state-of-the-art materials and techniques to cut energy consumption to one-fifth that of a new home built to current building codes, according to Richard Barna, director of building sciences and green building for Pepper Viner Homes.
Known as the Pepper Viner/BASF High-Performance Home, it is a collaboration between the local home builder and BASF, an international chemical and building materials firm. It combines state-of-the-art insulation, solar water and space heating, building materials that don't give off noxious gases, a vapor barrier under the slab, recycled tile, and graywater and rainwater conservation systems.
The house on Tucson's southeast side will be open for a public tour at Civano North Ridge today. But many of the features are not readily apparent.
The house's SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) modular-wall construction system virtually eliminates leaks and attains a near R-30 insulation rating, according to Barna. The modular system uses large sections of polystyrene sandwiched between sustainable wafer board for exterior walls. Window and door openings are pre-cut at the factory to builder specifications. But Barna said the SIPS walls look like ordinary 2x6 stud walls.
One of the two new types of BASF foam insulation used in the demonstration house may soon offer a solution for old desert houses with inadequate roof insulation, Barna said.
The spray-on insulation has a hard surface — hard enough to walk upon — and a soft open-cell interior. So it could be sprayed on top of an old flat roof, instead of removing the old roof and installing four or six inches of new insulation between the joists or rafters. It would save the cost of removing and replacing the old roof, and provide better insulation, Barna said. It is not yet available locally.
The house also uses all nontoxic materials — adhesives, sealants and wood composites for cabinets — and will meet the new federal interior air standards.
The floors are all polished and dyed concrete. The concrete uses roughly twice the normal amount of fly ash, a recycled material used to replace cement in concrete.
Outside the house the landscaping uses a rainwater collection system hooked up to an automatic watering system that is tied into a weather network that bases watering times and amounts on weather conditions. Trees are watered using an active graywater system that pumps water from drains and sinks to a network of pipes two to three feet underground, to deep-water trees. The graywater isn't collected and held, eliminating storage problems, but is used as soon as it is detected in the system, Barna said.
Bill Viner of Pepper Viner said some of the technologies and building materials are already in use, and that he expects more will be in demand, and supplied, when the housing industry picks up after the recession.
"Not only will there be greater demand, but I think the builders will do it because it's the right thing to do," Viner said.
He wouldn't estimate the house's value, or what it would cost to reproduce it, but he said a similar floor plan house in Civano North Ridge development sells for $299,900.
And he said other houses in the development already use some of the methods to meet a standard based on heating and cooling costs-savings of at least 50 percent of that of a conventional home.
Viner said the demonstration home is under consideration for the top (platinum) rating in the national green building certification system, LEED. And he said it was already awarded the Pima County certification system's top (emerald) rating.
This British Railways 15 Years First Aid Efficiency medal with two additional bars for 20 and 25 years service were awarded to a William H. Walters (numbered W.623). As this medal is dated 1950, the additional bars would have been awarded in 1955 and 1960 respectively. I understand this medal was issued in conjunction with the St. John Ambulance Association.
The medal is fully hallmarked and both bars marked ‘silver’.
.
Enamels: 4 (red, black, white & yellow).
Finish: n/a.
Material: .925 Silver.
Fixer: Bale & suspension ring.
Size: 1 1/16” diameter, excluding the bale (27mm).
Process: Die stamped.
Imprint: Full silver hallmarks for JT&Co (John Turton & Company Ltd), Birmingham 1950 (A). Reverse sided hand-inscribed WILLIAM H. WALTERS, 1950, W.623 Both bars are marked SILVER W.623 The suspension ring on the medal is also stamped with the Lion to indicate it is of sterling silver.
How can we use open data to develop services that support communities to buy cheaper energy, use it more efficiently or potentially make their own?
This challenge invited teams including businesses, startups, social enterprises, community groups, academics, students and special interest groups to collaborate and compete with each other to use open data to build services that support communities to either:
- Group buy their energy and save money;
- Undertake community based energy efficiency interventions;
- Start to generate their own energy.
Food service businesses (restaurants and grocery stores) use 2.5 times more energy than the average commercial business. Think about it: all the stoves, ovens, heat lamps, dish washers, refrigerators, and fryers turning out meal after meal, it makes sense that they are energy intensive. However, kitchens are also hectic places where simple energy wasters often get ignored in the hustle and bustle.
Richard Young, from the Food Service Technology Center in California, highlighted a long list of simple changes that food service businesses can make that can shave big bucks off their energy bills at his presentation at Dunwoody College on Monday March 21st. From stopping leaking faucets and closing ice maker lids all the way to replacing exhaust hoods and re-doing their lighting, businesses have a huge variety of opportunities, from small to large, free to expensive.
To learn more, visit mncerts.org.
Territorial Force Efficiency Medal .Silver oval medal showing uncrowned profile of King George V and inscribed “GEORGIVS V BRITT OMN: REX: ET: IND: IMP.” This was awarded for a minimum of 12 years' service in the Territorial Force with war service counting double. Recipient’s service number, rank, name and regiment are engraved on rim of medal.
Donor from Blackridge, West Lothian.
West Lothian Museums. http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/tourism/museumsgalleries/ums/information
Copyright: West Lothian Council Museums Service.
If you would like more information about this object, please contact: museums@westlothian.gov.uk, quoting WLCMS2007.004.006 .
Author: Velde, Theodoor H. van de Date: 1933, 1932. See more: wellcomelibrary.org/player/b20442324#?asi=0&ai=368
From May 9-20, more than 250 students, faculty, sponsors and organizers gathered for the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge series finale in Arizona.
This event marks the culmination of the series, which has challenged 11 North American university teams to reengineer a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer utilizing electrification, advanced propulsion systems and automated vehicle technology to improve the energy efficiency, safety and consumer appeal of their vehicle.
For more information visit avtcseries.org
Left to right: Walter Hoefer, Long Island Power Authority; Philip Moschitta, Director, Northport VA Medical Center; LIPA Chief Operating Officer Michael D. Hervey; Maria Favale, Associate Director, Northport VA Medical Center; Lou Erichiello, Energy Manager, Northport VA Medical Center;
Food service businesses (restaurants and grocery stores) use 2.5 times more energy than the average commercial business. Think about it: all the stoves, ovens, heat lamps, dish washers, refrigerators, and fryers turning out meal after meal, it makes sense that they are energy intensive. However, kitchens are also hectic places where simple energy wasters often get ignored in the hustle and bustle.
Richard Young, from the Food Service Technology Center in California, highlighted a long list of simple changes that food service businesses can make that can shave big bucks off their energy bills at his presentation at Dunwoody College on Monday March 21st. From stopping leaking faucets and closing ice maker lids all the way to replacing exhaust hoods and re-doing their lighting, businesses have a huge variety of opportunities, from small to large, free to expensive.
To learn more, visit mncerts.org.
Energy Efficiency projects at a B&B in Langley: www.princessbb.com The owner has added insulation around his refrigerators to improve efficiency. This is one of many efficiency upgrades that along with a solar photovoltaic installation by VREC (www.vrec.ca) has made this B&B building close to net-zero.
The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), chaired by Mr. Arsenio Dominguez of Panama, meets for its 66th session from 31 March to 4 April 2014, at IMO HQ in London.
Items on the agenda include the consideration of proposed amendments to the MARPOL to make the audit scheme mandatory; the review of environmental provisions in the draft Polar Code and associated draft amendments to make the Code mandatory, and the implementation of energy-efficiency regulations and the Ballast Water Management and Ship Recycling Conventions.
Biological Inactivation Efficiency of HVAC In-Duct Ultraviolet Light Devices
This document does not constitute nor should be construed as an EPA endorsement of any particular product, service, or technology.
One potential method of terrorism is the intentional introduction of biological warfare agents (BWAs) into the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems of target structures in order to distribute pathogens. Introducing BWAs into an HVAC system could harm many people, so there is an urgent need to identify and test devices that can destroy BWAs as they move through an air handling system. One technology that may meet this need uses ultraviolet (UV) lights deployed inside the building’s air ducts. Short-wave ultraviolet radiation in the “C” band (UVC or UVGI — germicidal irradiation) has been used for many years to inactivate microorganisms. Early research in this area focused on the controlling infectious pathogens in medical facilities. UVC effectively killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, and other bacteria including mycoplasma, as well as viruses and fungi.
In testing and evaluating homeland security related technologies, EPA provides unbiased, third-party performance information that can supplement vendor-generated information. This information helps decision makers purchase and apply the tested technologies. EPA conducts its evaluations under rigorous quality assurance protocols to generate high-quality data.
Test Design
The UVC devices are designed to be mounted inside an HVAC system to inactivate bioaerosols as they migrate through the air handling system. The devices were tested separately in a laboratory-based test duct with advanced aerosol and microbiological generation and measurement equipment. Testing was conducted using three microorganisms, two bacteria (one spore-forming and one vegetative) and one virus, whose structural characteristics and susceptibility to UVC inactivation make them reasonable surrogates for BWAs. Each device was tested three times, once for each test microorganism. Test microorganisms were generated and introduced into the test duct upstream from the installed device. As air flowed through the duct, the bioaerosols passed through the device and were exposed to UVC.
Each device's ability to destroy the bioaerosols is reported as airborne inactivation efficiency. The greater this percentage, the more effective the device. To determine efficiency, bioaerosol samples were taken from the duct upstream and downstream from the device. These samples were cultured, and the bacterial colony forming units (CFUs) or viral plaque forming units (PFUs) were counted. Device efficiency was then calculated as a percentage from the ratio of the upstream to the downstream counts.
Performance and Results
All UVC devices were ≥99 percent efficient at inactivating the vegetative bacteria. Three UVC devices were ≥93 percent effective for all three microorganisms. Five devices had ≤46 percent efficiency for inactivation of the spore form of the bacteria and two had ≤46 percent efficiency in destroying the virus.
UVC Device
Lamps
Measured Dosagea
(µW-s/cm2)
Power (w)
Airborne Inactivation Efficiencies(%)
Spore form of bacteria
(B.atrophaeus)
Vegetative form of bacteria (S.marcescens)
Virus
(MS2 bacteriophage)
Abracair, LLC12447
(376–550)6480-67206.999.859
American Ultraviolet Corporation ACP-24/HO-44582
(490–716)1699≥99.96b75
Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation AeroLogic Model AD24-44295
(249–363)940≥99.8b46
Dust Free Bio-Fighter 4Xtreme Model 211247
(208–304)5349939
Lumalier ADPL-60-883180 (2678 –3914)56840≥99.98b82
Novatron, Inc. BioProtector BP114i6>42,342 (35,656– 52,113)748≥99.9b≥99.94b≥99.9b
Sanuvox Technologies Inc. UV Bio-Wall 50 Outwardly Projecting Air Purifier516,439
(13,843–
20,223)94493≥99.97b99
Steril-Aire, Inc. Model SE1 VO with GTS 24 Emitter619,826 (16,696– 24,401)42196≥99.96b99
UltraViolet Devices, Inc. Altru-V V-Flex127,651 (6,443 – 9,416)75571≥99.98b98
a: The systems were run at 0.93 m3/sec (1970 CFM), except the Novatron device was run at 0.14 m3/sec (300 CFM).
b: These values are based on the upper 95% confidence limit for the mean downstream count of the test organism. There were no downstream counts measured.
Other attributes besides airborne inactivation efficiency were assessed. These included dosage measurements, power consumption, single measurement intensity, pressure drop across the device, and air temperature rise through the device.
How can we use open data to develop services that support communities to buy cheaper energy, use it more efficiently or potentially make their own?
This challenge invited teams including businesses, startups, social enterprises, community groups, academics, students and special interest groups to collaborate and compete with each other to use open data to build services that support communities to either:
- Group buy their energy and save money;
- Undertake community based energy efficiency interventions;
- Start to generate their own energy.
Energy Efficiency Potential in Georgia
www.seealliance.org/se_efficiency_study/georgia_efficienc...
lake.typepad.com/on-the-lake-front/2012/07/will-electrici...
At the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently I was also able to experience a test drive in the Vision EQXX ultra EV. Engineered in just 18 months and representing the most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever built, this experimental unit acts as a barometer for production EQ models, which may eventually inherit deviations from its technology, energy storage capabilities, and driving range. The development intention of the vehicle was to produce a battery with 100 kW capacity, lightweight construction, increased aero, and extreme efficiency. The result is an EV that achieves an extensive range of more than 745 miles on a single charge.
28.02.2013...Launch of Second National Energy Efficiency Action Plan at the Rotunda Hospital,Parnell Square,Dublin...Pic shows Energy Minister, Pat Rabbitte T.D., pictured with Dr. Brian Motherway, CEO of the SEAI and Master of the Rotunda, Dr Sam Coulter-Smith As he formally announced a €70m Energy Efficiency Fund that will dramatically improve energy efficiency savings in public and commercial buildings right across the country. As a key deliverable of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, the projections are that the Fund may deliver up to 675 jobs, direct and indirect, for every €10 million expenditure. The Fund is also a cornerstone of Ireland’s second National Energy Efficiency Action Plan and it will provide finance to energy efficiency projects across all sectors of the economy. The Minister also issued a call for Exemplar Projects from the public and private sectors; selected projects will receive technical assistance from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).Pic Maxwells Dublin No Fee Pic
Minnesota Senator Al Franken smiles as he thinks about energy efficiency.
Nearly 70 people joined Senator Al Franken and CERTs at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington on April 2, 2012 to discuss financing tools and opportunities that are currently available to local governments and business leaders.
The Province will advance the goal of meeting the vast majority of BC’s new electricity demand through conservation by providing $100,000 to the Canadian Passive House Institute (CanPHI) West.
Learn more: www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2015/03/province-funds-energy-effi...
Energy efficiency and lower heating bills and consumption of fuel or electricity in historic buildings can be achieved the old fashioned way with simple storm windows that are custom fit and properly fitted over older windows. This salvages original historic fabric and preserves the aesthetic look of early designs; it also conserves the energy and artisanal labor embodied in the crafting of the original windows. The Jay Heritage Center received 2 recent grants - one for $25,000 to fund capital improvements to the 1907 Van Norden Carriage House and another from Con Edison to create educational programs around the implementation of these measures - these are teachable moments about energy efficiency and adaptive reuse of historic structures.
Step 4: Milling the tenons.
Storm windows are a second layer of window. They reduce air movement in and out of the existing windows. They give you an extra barrier to keep out wind and cold in the winter. According to the US Department of Energy, storm windows can help better insulate a home and reduce heating loss by up to 50%.
Photo credit: Bruce MacDonald/Ashwood Restoration & JHC Archives
Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Road
Rye, NY 10580
(914) 698-9275
Email: jayheritagecenter@gmail.com
Follow and like us on:
Twitter @jayheritage
Facebook www.facebook.com/jayheritagecenter
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/jaycenter
YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UChWImnsJrBAi2Xzjn8vR54w
www.instagram.com/jayheritagecenter/
A National Historic Landmark since 1993
Member of the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County since 2004
Member of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area since 2009
On NY State's Path Through History (2013)
Mercedes-Benz E350 CDI T Blue Efficiency Avantgarde on the day of delivery at Mercedes-Benz in Frankfurt.
Porsche's version of the Type 4 had its own special heads for deep breathing and all that goes with it. Available as a 2.0 in the 914, it was good fun. As the 914 sales stalled in 1975, Porsche put in plans to revive the 912, for 1976 only, with the VW type 4 and associated Porsche head, until the next, 4 cylinder, 'introduction' Porsche could be launched- the 924.
00-21-27A-sc21e602
Food service businesses (restaurants and grocery stores) use 2.5 times more energy than the average commercial business. Think about it: all the stoves, ovens, heat lamps, dish washers, refrigerators, and fryers turning out meal after meal, it makes sense that they are energy intensive. However, kitchens are also hectic places where simple energy wasters often get ignored in the hustle and bustle.
Richard Young, from the Food Service Technology Center in California, highlighted a long list of simple changes that food service businesses can make that can shave big bucks off their energy bills at his presentation at Dunwoody College on Monday March 21st. From stopping leaking faucets and closing ice maker lids all the way to replacing exhaust hoods and re-doing their lighting, businesses have a huge variety of opportunities, from small to large, free to expensive.
To learn more, visit mncerts.org.
Arizona Daily Star Article-From ground up, new home is model of energy efficiency....By Dan Sorenson Arizona Daily Star
At first glance, there's nothing about this new 2,000-square-foot house in Civano, other than a rooftop solar panel, to suggest it's unusual. But an occupant would get the picture, in vivid green, when the laughable utility bills arrived.
The ultra-energy-efficient home uses state-of-the-art materials and techniques to cut energy consumption to one-fifth that of a new home built to current building codes, according to Richard Barna, director of building sciences and green building for Pepper Viner Homes.
Known as the Pepper Viner/BASF High-Performance Home, it is a collaboration between the local home builder and BASF, an international chemical and building materials firm. It combines state-of-the-art insulation, solar water and space heating, building materials that don't give off noxious gases, a vapor barrier under the slab, recycled tile, and graywater and rainwater conservation systems.
The house on Tucson's southeast side will be open for a public tour at Civano North Ridge today. But many of the features are not readily apparent.
The house's SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) modular-wall construction system virtually eliminates leaks and attains a near R-30 insulation rating, according to Barna. The modular system uses large sections of polystyrene sandwiched between sustainable wafer board for exterior walls. Window and door openings are pre-cut at the factory to builder specifications. But Barna said the SIPS walls look like ordinary 2x6 stud walls.
One of the two new types of BASF foam insulation used in the demonstration house may soon offer a solution for old desert houses with inadequate roof insulation, Barna said.
The spray-on insulation has a hard surface — hard enough to walk upon — and a soft open-cell interior. So it could be sprayed on top of an old flat roof, instead of removing the old roof and installing four or six inches of new insulation between the joists or rafters. It would save the cost of removing and replacing the old roof, and provide better insulation, Barna said. It is not yet available locally.
The house also uses all nontoxic materials — adhesives, sealants and wood composites for cabinets — and will meet the new federal interior air standards.
The floors are all polished and dyed concrete. The concrete uses roughly twice the normal amount of fly ash, a recycled material used to replace cement in concrete.
Outside the house the landscaping uses a rainwater collection system hooked up to an automatic watering system that is tied into a weather network that bases watering times and amounts on weather conditions. Trees are watered using an active graywater system that pumps water from drains and sinks to a network of pipes two to three feet underground, to deep-water trees. The graywater isn't collected and held, eliminating storage problems, but is used as soon as it is detected in the system, Barna said.
Bill Viner of Pepper Viner said some of the technologies and building materials are already in use, and that he expects more will be in demand, and supplied, when the housing industry picks up after the recession.
"Not only will there be greater demand, but I think the builders will do it because it's the right thing to do," Viner said.
He wouldn't estimate the house's value, or what it would cost to reproduce it, but he said a similar floor plan house in Civano North Ridge development sells for $299,900.
And he said other houses in the development already use some of the methods to meet a standard based on heating and cooling costs-savings of at least 50 percent of that of a conventional home.
Viner said the demonstration home is under consideration for the top (platinum) rating in the national green building certification system, LEED. And he said it was already awarded the Pima County certification system's top (emerald) rating.