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Welcome to the first issue of the Energy Efficient Home Articles E-Zine We will bring you the latest news worthy items we think is relevant and that add to the efficiency of home energy usage, conservation, and sustainable healthy living. It would probably be helpful if the definition of “energy-efficiency” was standardized universally. For this end, we have chosen to adopt, with permission, the definition of energy-efficiency written by Dennis (Maq) Crook of the Energy Efficient Home Team™. It is the best we have yet to find and we intend to use it repeatedly in future publications. The definition of an Energy-Efficiency Home: “Energy- efficiency is the minimum expenditure of energy needed to heat and cool the interior of a building with the added feature of making this space healthy for human occupation. This includes air quality, moisture conditions, and lighting. The ideal energy-efficient home retains the best environment for human habitation while minimizing the cost of energy. Despite a lower expenditure of energy than less efficient structures, the energy-efficient home acts as a smoothly-functioning machine in which the equipment produces as much, if not more, energy capacity than is needed to operate the ideal human environment.” Maq believes the thermal package is probably the most important aspect of energy conservation. “The internal equipment can only be as efficient as the structure it is put into, like a chain that is only as strong as its weakest link. The ratio of the size of the structure verses the amount of energy needed to condition the space for human usage is still being determined as an equation. The equipment size should be minimal once the thermal package is built to its greatest efficiency. An excellent example of a good thermal package is found in our Ecobuilt™ homes.” Incandescent light bulbs were used during construction as the heat source during winter’s coldest days for a 4,000 + square foot home with vaulted ceilings over 18 feet high they were building. Radiant floor heat coils with a 50,000 btu boiler was installed and it was double the size needed according to industry heat calculations. The energy source was LP gas and depending upon the cost of fuel in the future the equipment can be changed. Alternative energy sources such as geo thermal, wind power, or Solar photovoltaic (PV) or what ever energy source is cheapest and least labor intensive to operate can also be used. Each time equipment is changed over the cost for the replacement needs to be added together with the cost of the energy as equipment is also a real cost? Many times the best economics is to wait until the equipment needs to be replaced—when it is worn out or when it is at the end of its lifetime expectancy. The time to replace equipment is at a cut off point where the replacement of old equipment creates a payback for the new equipment by the energy savings realized between the new and old units with a payback period of not more than 5 years. As the cost of energy increases this payback time will most likely shorten but be offset by equipment price and cost of living increases. This is a hard equation to determine with no formulation to date, since some people wish not to operate under anything but the very best, top of the line equipment while others want to get all they can out of old equipment. The Energy Efficient Home Team™ did not use a Solar Photovoltaic system on their newest home design located in Pennsylvania because the equipment payback was estimated to take 17 years with a warranty of 20 years. “We do feel we need to help the earth by finding alternative fuel or more sustainable energy but the pre-payment of that much energy usage is not practical for us at this time. We are looking into the viability of a new wind generator that we recently saw in Popular Science pg. 44 (Dec. 2006) which costs $10,000 installed and operates at a 8 mph or better wind speed. We are still looking at the feasibility and building codes to see if we can apply this sustainable energy source.”
Article Source: http://www.bestglobalwarmingarticles.com
The Energy Efficient Home Team™ is a success story in energy efficient home technology dating back to the mid-1980s. They have proven time and again that their Ecobuilt™ building envelope technology makes them the 21st century’s leading experts in energy efficiency in homes. Additional information about energy efficient homes and the Energy Efficient Home Team™ may be found at energy efficient home articles.
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