What do we mean by renewable resource construction and sustainable renewable energy construction designs? Most of our stock plans that we sell on our site:
Ecosustainablehomedesigns are designed for frame style construction since this is the construction method most used in the United States. However, instead of designing for wood frame construction, which is used most in conventional construction, we specify using light gauge steel studs for the primary structure of the house. Here are some of the reasons why we adopt these design criteria:
- Using wood for structural framing is not sustainable. There is already a huge supply and demand issue, which means that the demand for wood for framing exceeds that which regional forests can supply. Here in the Southeast region as an example most of the framing materials are not from regional forest of Southern Yellow Pine but conifers from the Northwest, Canada, Finland, and Norway.
This means we are stripping wilderness forests to meet our immediate needs in construction. Life on earth is dependent on these wilderness forests to absorb carbon dioxide which is the product of burning fossil fuels and creating the earth warming greenhouse gases. These forests are necessary for the oxygen they add to the environment. The carbon footprint is highly significant especially if you take into account all the energy required to import and export these materials around the world.
I invite you to take a look at satellite images of these forests such as the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. If those images do not alarm and horrify you, then it is likely you could not be convinced to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle and lower your impact on the environment.
Here is just one small image from the International Space Station of the deforestation of the Amazon. This image covers approximately 100 square miles.
- Using non-regional lumber makes for all the ingredients for a high maintenance house. All trees have a natural adaptation to the climate in which they grow as well as resistance to the insects present to its environment. When you use non regional forests for your structure then these woods are more susceptible to rot, and growth of harmful organisms such as toxic black mold and then succumb to insect infestation.
- Using 2×4 wood studs limits the thermal mass that can be achieved for a highly energy efficient envelope which of course translates into energy consumption and higher utility bills. Thermal mass is measured by resistance to heat transfer. The best that can be achieved with a 2×4 wood stud wall is R-15.
Whereas in a 2×4 steel frame wall you can attain R-22 by using solid high thermal mass insulation, which is non bias unlike fiberglass insulation. The difference is that fiberglass is designed primarily to slow down the transfer of heat from the inside out, whereas solid polystyrene foam resists this transference from both sides. Another issue with wood frame construction, in terms of renewable resource construction, is that in a span of a wall the greatest energy loss is the place where the wood studs reside.
You can see this on a morning after there was frost overnight. You will notice that the location of the studs is telegraphed in the siding. This is of course due to the loss of heat through the wall where the studs are. Using solid thermal foam sheathing against the outside of a stick framed house is not appropriate because in a climate that has a high relative humidity, condensation occurs which accumulates on the inside of the wood framed wall setting up the conditions for rot and insect infestation.
This is the reason why synthetic (EFIS) stucco was such a disaster for homeowners who owned such houses. Furthermore, sprayed in expanding polystyrene foam between the studs is not appropriate for a wood framed wall in renewable resource construction since such walls need to be breathable to avoid such moisture accumulation being trapped between the inside of the wall. What follows wood decay is the wood becomes the food for dangerous organisms such as black mold.
- Steel framing is a more renewable resource than wood. Most light gauge steel is not from mined ores but from recycling existing metal and whatever scrapes are left after construction are completely recyclable. There is also less waste than using wood for framing since every piece in a pallet is straight and true unlike a pallet of wood framing materials where you will have a half a dozen or more boards that are twisted, warped, split or checked and good for nothing.
The difference in materials costs between wood and steel is minuscule. The price difference is metal framing material is less than 2% more than wood framing materials and when you take in the fact that in every pallet of wood you will have waste then the difference is moot.
- All our designs utilize sustainable renewable energy both passive and active energy components by integrating simple principles of thermal dynamics. All our plans are designed to maximize the benefits of natural convection air flow which always works and is free energy. By working with instead of working against convection air flow we use this principle to reduce energy loads for both cooling and heating the house.
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All our plans use the integration of clerestories or dormers to draft out hot air and to provide natural lighting throughout the day. In custom plans which are designed specifically for your lot we do an extensive analysis of the natural resources present on your property and how to use these resources in both the construction of your house and in the heating and cooling systems. All our plans call for the use of Evacuated Tube Solar Thermal Collectors to provide domestic hot water and for water source heating and cooling.
As compared to Solar Photovoltaic electric generation the initial cost is relatively low but the benefits are enormous. They provide 100% free renewable energy by capturing the direct energy of the sun and these collectors will last a lifetime providing you with quiet, clean energy with no emissions for free.
For a typical 3-bedroom 3 bath home the initial cost of purchasing and installing such a system is less than $6k whereas a photovoltaic system to power your house is in the range of $30k + and such a system has a maximum life span of less than 17 years not taking into account the cost of replacing and disposing of batteries every five years.
Lithium batteries at least for now are not recyclable and have to be disposed of as toxic waste, which is costly and one day soon with the uptake of the use of these batteries in electric automobiles for example the disposal of these batteries will lead to an environmental disaster.
The ultimate in renewable sustainable energy will be in using hydrogen fuel cells to power electric generation which is quiet and clean with no emissions by hydrolyzing hydrogen from tap water and storing the excess energy to pressurized hydrogen fuel tanks. This eliminates the necessity of storing electricity in expensive and non-sustainable lithium batteries. Renewable resource construction is the future of sustainable energy.
These hydrogen fuel cell electric generators are still not readily available at affordable prices. However here are some companies who have hydrogen fuel cell electric generators which are mobile: H2X Global Hydrogen Power Generator; Joule Box Portable Hydrogen Power Plant(this system seems to be the most promising as a whole house off the grid micro power plant.
It integrates solar photovoltaic collectors and a wind generator to power the house during day light hours while also hydrolyzing hydrogen gas from tap water storing this fuel in a series of pressurized tanks which fuels an electric generator during low to nil solar exposure.). On core Energy Micro Grid suitable to power your home; Generac Mobile-GEH2 ( I hope to see this generator and a mobile unit by Kohler providing the power needed to construction sites.)Toyota is also on the cutting edge of producing the most advanced hydrogen fuel cells and in fact the Generac Generator is powered by fuel cells produced by Toyota.
- In our custom plans we like to integrate the use of such systems as earth convection air tubes for heating and cooling. This is a completely sustainable renewal energy source. This system takes advantage of the thermal value of the earth which is a continuous free energy source. This involves setting a series of 4-8” pvc pipes underground with an average depth of 8 feet.
The sizing is dependent on the cooling and heating load your house requires. It requires having enough surface area to lay the tubes which requires a larger lot or in some cases a difference between having a septic system or being able to connect to a municipal sewer. In other words, if you do not need a septic field that area can be utilized for your earth tube system. The insulating factor of the earth keeps the air in these tubes at between 58-66 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. This system through convection can circulate this air throughout the house or can be used in conjunction with a fresh air intake on your air handler. This consistent air temperature makes the energy threshold for heating or cooling very low to keep the house in its optimal interior comfort level.
Depending on the thermal mass envelope of your house this natural renewable sustainable form of energy can cut your heating and cooling cost by more than a half. This is a system which is relatively low in cost for installation that consistently provides you with free sustainable renewable energy for a lifetime.
This is a picture of a natural convection earth tube system using a system of 6″ diameter pvc tubes.
- In our custom plans and consulting we work with you to utilize all the natural resources present to your lot into the total design plan. This includes designing the house orientation to the sun so that we can best harness the power of the sun for passive solar heating and placing Evacuated Tube Solar Thermal Collectors in best location to maximize their solar exposure for the direct energy of the sun.
Of the trees that need to be removed we plan to use this timber in the construction plans. Any trees over 12” in diameter should be milled and used for framing timbers, moldings, cabinets, flooring, doors, paneling, and flooring. Any trees smaller than 12” should be salvaged for firewood to heat the house.
Any wood left over after the above salvaging should be ground up and used for mulch for landscaping. If you have a creek, river, or lake on your property then this resource should be integrated into your sustainable renewable resource heating and cooling system. In one case we had a client who had a cave on the property, and we were able to use this resource to heat and cool their home, showcasing innovative Renewable resource construction techniques.
For two other clients we were able to utilize the resources they had on their property to build their houses. In one case we designed and built their house out of the timbers they had on their building site. This house was a timber framed house where 97% of the structure was built with their own timber.
In another case we designed and built a house whose walls were rammed earth made from the clay and sage brush present to their property, and the roof was framed with timbers present on their job site. Renewable sustainable resource construction and utilization of renewable sustainable energy to heat and cool your house has almost endless possibilities and greatly reduces your environmental impact all at the same time saving you thousands of dollars over your lifetime in maintenance and energy costs.
Locally sourced stone from the building site to make this stack stone face for this mountain home. Other natural resources from this property we utilized in our Renewable resource construction plans was the timber on the site. The dental brackets you see under the soffits were from Fir on the property. All the interior doors, flooring, moldings, cabinets and wainscoting were made from the timber on this building site. We processed all the timber onsite to minimize any waste.