BFREEHOMES Blog

The insulation requirements for a LEED Platinum requirements for new homes is the equivalent of the typical envelope requirements for an R2000 house in Nova Scotia, and is what many volume production builders in southern Ontario install in thousands of houses already. It is way beyond what builders in Vancouver are doing, but it doesn't match what Prairie and Northern builders are doing. Even here in Nova Scotia, many progressive builders are already at R32 in the walls (that's just 2 inches of rigid foam over a standard 2x6 cavity filled with R22 batt, people).

We know that R2000 is a reasonable standard for energy efficiency and one that is within the capacity of many builders, whether they are registered R2000 builders or not. I'm not that impressed. I get that the introduction of a new standard into any industry requires a bit of give and take, but seeing as the R2000 standard equals ERS80 on the EnerGuide for New Homes rating scale, and ERS80 is going to be a building code-required performance standard in 5 provinces and territories before 2012, isn't it a bit sad that the 'best' LEED option just meets building code requirements? I have a little internal snort when I hear a contractor saying they build to the code -- it means you're legal. You have to build to the code.

Snort.

http://www.constructionlinks.ca/article/292817/thelink

When the opportunity to insulate a basement comes up, don't be chintzy! Do it right -- up to 30% of the overall heat loss in a house is through the foundation, and unattended or unseen water problems = indoor air quality problems and rapid structural decay. While it's true that there is a lower temperature difference between the inside and the soil than if the wall was exposed to the air temperature, there is no solar gain to warm the wall up during the day, and the constant 'drain' of heat through uninsulated concrete can be significant. While it's true that it's best to insulate from the exterior, more often than not, that is impossible, either physically or financially. So this post and the next few thata wil follow it, are about insulating the basement from inside.

First of all, any 'bulk water' issues need to be dealt with first. That means liquid water. All leaks, cracks, holes etc. need to be fixed and tested. Sometimes this means dealing with the outside to a certain extent. Check that eavestroughs are a) there, b)intact, and c) clear to drain to downspouts that have 'leaders' or splashboards that allow the water to drain away from the foundation. Many basement water problems are because rainwater is collecting around the foundation and seeping into the walls, through the footings or under the slab. If your house is older, you may consider re-grading around the foundation, as the backfill and soil may have settled. The grade around the foundation should always be slightly sloped away from the walls. In the worst case scenario, you may have to dig right down to the footing of the foundation to replace (or install) drainage tile. In this case, it is most cost effective to insulate the foundation walls from the outside. And don't be satisfied with an inch of rigid board on the outside, that's just R5 or 6. Use at least two inches, four (R20 to R24) would be ideal, as that brings the basement insulation level up to the level of the newer building code regulations that take energy conservation issues into account. The cost benefit vs the cost of the rigid board is in your favour.

Determining the source of water problems in foundation walls is tricky, because water doesn't just flow downhill when it's under pressure, it tends to go wherever it's 'pushed'. And then there's capillary reaction, which is where water will flow into a tiny hairline crack and travel a long way from it's entry source. Here's how capillary reaction works: next time you are in the shower, turn your back to the showerhead and tilt your head back so water flows over your face. If you hold your mouth wide open, the water flowing from the showerhead runs around the outside of your gaping maw and you can breathe even though your face is swamped with water. If you hold your lips very close together, water will run into your mouth and you'll be in serious trouble if you try to do it for too long! This is the same principle that allows a tree to supply water and nutrients from root to crown. As concrete is made up of millions of tiny bits of aggregate and cement, there are corresponding millions of tiny fissures and holes that can 'pull' water up the wall (to a height of eight miles or something insane like that, according to Joe Lstribrek at BSI).

Details of exterior wall insulation next (because I started the description already in this post), then interior wall insulation, then working with the slab.

So, here's the free lead-in to an online article from Fine Homebuilding that questions whether replacement windows are worth the price. I've heard this argument before and seen the !00 year payback kicker before. The argument here is that existing single pane windows with storms, if restored and maintained properly can outperform a double pane window. I don't disagree with that statement at all, and for many buildings there are historical reasons for keeping existing windows. My concern is about the qualifying statement "if restored and maintained properly". This statement presupposes that all contractors and do-it-yourselfers are conversant in the best practices of historic restoration, and that all homeowners will have the time and energy to maintain them properly. One of the reasons why we would recommend replacement windows for our clients is their wish to have a low-maintenance exterior: stains vs. paint on wood siding, vinyl or fibreglass windows, etc. And although the individual homeowner may have the time and energy to keep them up, what about future owners. The assumptions are broad. It won't suit everyone, and we try to make sure our clients make an informed decision one way or the other.

Glazing is always going to be the weakest point in the building envelope. A single pane of glass equals R1, a clear double pane unit is around R2. New window technology has outgrown the clear double pane unit by several technologies, and now the best performing windows that are on the market sport low-e coatings, inert gas fills, insulating spacers and such. One of the best-performing window units you can buy nowadays includes a third, suspended plastic film in between 2 glass panes. Known as 'Heat Mirror', there are at least three different configurations of it, selected based on whether you are looking to maximize heating or cooling. For cold climates, a Heat Mirror unit like this offers about R8.

So when you look at investing in windows from a purely quantitative how-much-energy-will-these-save level, the 'payback' is overly long. However, the factor that cannot be modelled well is how much your comfort level is affected by windows, and how much your behaviour is influenced by that comfort level. When it's cold outside, you lose body heat to the coldest surfaces around you. If you are inside your house, this means the windows. So. What do you do? You get up and move away from the cold. You might put on a sweater or wrap up in a blanket. You might turn up the thermostat. You might have whole portions of rooms that are too cool to be comfortable in, so you don't use them. This, in turn, drops the usable living space so that you are actually paying more to heat each usable square foot of space. You also bought more living space than you are able to use in the winter.

High-performance windows take care of this, improving the comfort level when it's cold outside. I'll post couple of charts that show the results from a study carried out by the Lawrence Berkeley Lab on windows and comfort levels, and the fact that the likelihood of discomfort goes down with better performing windows. 

As well, better performing windows reduce or eliminate condensation problems, increasing the durability of the house overall. If you improve the rest of the building envelope, yet have crappy windows, condensation wil get ya. Then you have issues with mold and, eventually, rot.

Nothing in a house is one-dimensional, or has a linear effect on the other components.

 

In October of 2009, Ontario announced the FIT and microFIT -- Feed In Tariff -- programs, one for projects under 10kW of installed capacity (that's the micro) and one for projects over 10kW installed capacity. The payout structure for small power producers under these programs is one of the most impressive and comprehensive in North America.

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) announced that 700 homeowners and small businesses across the province recieved offers to generate electricity under the program, out of about 1200 applications so far. Most of the applications were for roof-top PV systems. The proposed projects have a combined capacity of about 8.6megawatts (MW) of power, enough to satisfy the demand for about 1,000 average homes.

For the full January 2010 update news and more background on the FIT program, see the article at OPA news.

Renewables aren't affordable. They aren't cost effective. They aren't reliable. In the energy world, there's a lot of talk about what renewables aren't, but not so much about what they are, in the big picture. Yes, they are 'clean' sources of energy, but should they fail, they just stop working. Unlike coal-fired plants leaking billions of tons of toxic sludge, unlike off-line newcleer plants that are mothballed along with hundreds of thousands of gallons of spent fuel, renewable energy systems just stop working. And most of those nice modular bits (a panel, a turbine) can be taken apart, refurbished and used again or in another application.

What brought this little rant on? Well, it would be the unacknowledged and unexploited anniversary of a major coal-fired plant disaster in Tennessee. Eh? You didn't know there was a recent coal-fired plant disaster? Uh huh. That's what I'm talkig about. Stephen Lacey, editor at Renewable Energy World (article) brings forth a perplexing question: why don't people know about this? 

Mainstream media is not tuned in, and RE industry is not keying in. The Tennessee coal-ash spill is estimated to cost more than one billion dollars to clean up, and then there's the health care costs, and the cost of relocating homes and businesses...when you add in these 'externalities', you come up with a relative no-brainer in terms of risk management. 

Several points of view...I can't shake my Pavlovian response: cheaper to save a Watt than make a Watt (and all of the carbon production/resource use issues that are attached to each and every Watt we produce and consume!).Cap and trade might be a worthwhile idea AFTER all energy efficiency measures have been implemented or planned for, in the case of emergent technologies. I shiver at the thought of what 'subprime carbon' financial products could do to the global economy.

from Renewable Energy World:http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/01/the-real-story-of-cap-and-trade?cmpid=SolarNL-Monday-January4-2010

3 payment options that make solar panels on your roof affordable. (Click here for an overview of PACE, Power Purchase Agreements and leasing.

Renewable Energy World (29.12.09) reports that Sanyo and a Canadian company called Avacos have announced the installation of a 10kW bifacial PV system on the plant of DuRock Alfacing International's headquarters. Durock produces a reflective roof membrane called Tio-Coat, which will be installed under the PV system to help cool the PV panels (improving their performance), and the building itself. 

Bifacial PV generate power on both sides, resulting in up to 30% higher energy output than standard single-sided PV modules. According to the article, this makes them ideal for applications such as carports, canopies and porch coverings, all great potential generation sites for residential users. The reflective roof membrane is better suited to the cooling needs of industrial and commercial buildings.

No idea of cost or general availability in Canada yet. 

Here are some pix of (no surprise) installations in über-high-end housing from Sanyo. Read the Renewable Eenrgy World article

Whatever you call it, however you might view it, a looming crisis, a political football, you need to watch this video. We continually get derailed because of the wrong question: is human activity causing global warming? 

The right question is: what is the worst thing that could happen?

 Risk Management 101

Here's a cool product: Zerofootprint is producing 'smart' electrical plugs. The unit plugs into an existing wall outlet, and then, through the magic of wireless and software, gives an individual ID to each appliance that you plug in. You can see how much energy is being used by what appliance, but more importantly, I think, you can remotely turn things on and off, meaning you have a central 'station' from which you can control the phantom loads in the house. Load management systems have been around for several years, but they've been clunky and expensive, meaning that only energy wonks could love them. This holds out some promise for the rest of us (I'm not the kind of energy wonk that likes wires and crap hanging around. I like less wires. I like wireless. I like things that don't use electricity...).

Here's a review from Treehugger.

I haven't been able to track down a price yet, or if they are/will be available in Canada.

http://freshome.com/2009/12/05/incredible-underground-residence-in-switzerland/

I wonderif I could get the spaceship version with the force field on the outside?

 

We've seen the increase in size of houses over the last few decades. However, with the boomers facing large, empty nests, they are starting to look for smaller homes. What happens with all those McMansions? Suppose they could be retrofitted into duplexes...there's enough plumbing in a 5 bedroom 4 bath home to happily accommodate two households, that's for sure. Perhaps they could share the in-house movie theatre.

Here's an article addressing a trend away from larger homes from the San Francisco area: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ontheblock/detail?entry_id=51894

Bullfrog has come to the Maritimes. I've just signed up so that the emissions caused by my all-electric house (I know, I know...the shoemaker's kid syndrome...) are now somewhat offset by low-impact renewable or hydro power that bullfrog 'injects' into the Nova Scotia grid system. It's a first step for my household to be moving to renewables, but lots to be done on this 30 year old home that can reduce my energy use.

As to why I have  signed up, here's why. Bullfrog essentially helps me take a stand for a higher proportion of electricity generation from renewable energy sources such as wind and low-impact hydro. A rigorous auditing procedure ensures that the energy purchased by Bullfrog meets EcoLogo requirements (or other similar program standards for renewable energy sources). 

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has just published a report that highlights the growing problem of wind energy curtailment, which occurs when wind plants are required to or choose to reduce their generation output.

The report, which was written for NREL by the consulting firm Exeter Associates, compiles available information about the frequency and severity of wind curtailment in various regions of the U.S., as well as in other countries. Based on these case studies, the report concludes that congestion on the transmission grid caused by inadequate transmission capacity is the primary cause of nearly all wind curtailment.

Full article can be found in Renewable Energy World online at

http://tinyurl.com/ycg4lzk

Looking at the world of bigger projects out there and impact that they might have on larger retailers (I wrote earlier this month about some of the green-ish policies that were taken on by Walmart, which simply because of the buying power, will have  trickle down effect of some sort -- hopefully positive), here's one:

Posted from CanSIA, 24 November 2009
Business Opportunity: IKEA Solar PV Expression of Interest  
 (IKEA Properties Limited ("IKEA") is seeking submissions from one or more qualified Solar PV Roof developer/turnkey contractors to pre-qualify with a view of ultimately assisting IKEA with the design, installation, connection and maintenance of Solar PV systems for at least one and possibly three GTA Stores. It is IKEA's intention to finance and own the systems itself.(  (For further information visit the CanSIA Members Area under "Opportunities" or click on: 

( (http://cansia.ca/Default.aspx?pageId=140853

Add this to the OPA's installation, the one on the CN Tower and MECs newer stores. TO retailers might be onto something...

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• LEED Platinum for houses -- for real?
• Basement insulation intro
• What about existing windows?
• FIT in Ontario
• Hey, what about those externalities?
• Hour-long podcast discussing cap and trade policies and concerns
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