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zero energy home - a home that produces as much energy as it consumes. What if you could build or retrofit a home so that it stays comfortable during all seasons without an energy bill? It might seem too good to be true, but some builders are doing just that and this unique book explains how. Energy efficient building and retrofitting is the new star of the construction world, definitely a niche smart builders are honing their skills in. Towards a Zero Energy Home gives you the tips and techniques you'll need to increase energy efficiency to the maximum level: double-framed walls; furred-out and insulated walls, attic and roofing systems; super window glazing, utilizing thermal mass; photovoltaic panels; solar hot water systems; heat pumps; and much more. This new book chronicles the projects of contractors who build and retrofit homes with the aim of achieving comfort and energy-efficiency while maintaining exterior appearances that are true to the neighborhood or the original style of the home. It covers homes built or retrofitted in different locales throughout the U.S., explains the regional problems each builder faced while increasing energy efficiency, and how they overcame those problems to achieve a Zero-Energy, or close to Zero-Energy home. Towards a Zero Energy Home is filled with full-color drawings, diagrams and photos. This book can help you develop new ways of providing your customers with what may have seemed to be a pipe dream of energy savings. Now you, too, can build zero-energy homes at affordable prices. This book shows you how. Benefit from the unparalleled experience and knowledge of authors David Johnston and Scott Gibson. They take you through the design and construction of energy self-sufficient houses from start to finish, and feature 12 houses that were built for zero energy living. About the Authors: A leader in the green building movement, David Johnston is the author of Green from the Ground Up. His approach to green building has been embraced by building professionals, municipalities, homeowners, and sustainability advocates nationwide. Scott Gibson, coauthor of Green from the Ground Up, is a freelance writer and longtime contributing editor to Fine Homebuilding magazine. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: The Case for Zero Energy Houses, 2 1. The Building Envelope, 10 Building Science 101, 11 Learning from the Passive House Movement, 18 The Diversity of Framing Practices, 26 Attic and Roofing Systems, 31 Insulation Choices and Strategies, 35 Testing the Building, 38 Putting It All Together, 41 Case Study: High Heat, 42 Case Study: A Butterfly Home in the City, 50 Case Study Outside-In Retrofit, 58 2. Passive Solar Design, 64 Passive Solar in the 1970s, 69 The Design Process, 71 Choosing Glazing, 73 Thermal Mass, 74 Solar Shading, 77 Principles of Passive Solar Design, 78 Case Study: PassivHaus Retrofit, 82 Case Study Bringing 1887 into the 21 Century, 88 Case Study. Target Zero House in Taos, 96 3. Renewable Energy, 102 From Sunlight Alone, Clean Electricity, 104 Harnessing the Power of the Wind, 118 Making Hot Water with the Sun, 126 Sizing a Renewable Energy System, 134 Look at All the Renewable Energy Options, 136 Case Study: The Good Life in Vermont, 138 Case Study: The Next West House, 146 Case Study: High-End Lakeside Retrofit, 154 4. Heating, Cooling, and Ventilations, 164 Options for Heat, 168 Heat Pumps Provide Both Heating and Cooling, 168 Electric-Resistance Heat Can Work in a Net Zero House, 176 Wood and Other Forms of Biomass, 180 Getting Heat Around the House, 183 Keeping the House Cool, 186 Ventilation for a Healthy House, 188 Heating Water, 191 Case Study: A Solar Jewel in Boulder, 194 Case Study: Reinventing the High Rise, 202 Case Study: All-Electric House: $1.16 a Day 5. Living a Zero Energy Life, 218 It's Just Not Low Energy Bills, 221 Gaining a New Appreciation for Energy, 222 Mechanical Systems Are More Complicated, 225 Fighting the Perceptions of High Cost, 226 Marketing the Zero Energy House, 228 A House That's Also a Classroom, 232 Case Study: Affordable Housing Meets Zero Energy, 233 Appendix 1: Energy Modeling Software, 242 Appendix 2: Air Changes per Hour: 50 Pascals of Pressure, 243 Resources, 244 Credits, 246 Index, 248 Includes: Book By: David Johnson and Scott Gibson Published by: Taunton Press ISBN: 978-1-60085-143-8 256 Pages, 7 x 9-1/2 |
