Topic Starter List
I am throwing out a list of things I would like to discus regarding sustainable housing. To become a better writer, practice is the best solution and for forums, new topics are the lifeblood so I will pick things off this list and make new threads on those topics. If anyone has thoughts on any of these areas, please start a thread on it.
The three main areas of "sustainable housing" are:
- energy self-sufficient buildings
- low energy building practices
- sustainable living tools incorporated into the design
For energy self sufficient buildings, there are a few strategies:
- produce energy on site (generally solar and wind with their intermittent nature)
- net zero energy buildings (where energy is made on site and "stored" by selling electricity to the electrical grid then bought back as needed)
- chemical battery storage of electricity
- mechanical storage of energy (like water in a high tank or storing pressurized air)
- using thermal storage inside the building to maintain temperatures
- storing thermal energy under the home
- insulating so well and having such an efficient air exchange system that the place can be heated with body heat and use of lights
- the use of heat pumps (both for space heating/cooling and for making heat and cold to replace cooking, hot water, and refrigeration/freezer appliances)
- the use of a steady source of energy like a hydroelectric power plant
- water and sewage treatment and water gathering
- Biogas generation and use
- natural gas and biogas cogeneration systems (make heat while making electricity)
- daylighting (designing rooms to be well lit in the day with minimal heat loss or gain)
For low energy building practices:
- the use of building products made locally to reduce transportation costs
- The use of products that require minimal energy to produce
- the use of products that are considered garbage and energy is used to dispose of them
- The use of biodegradable products for buildings that have a short life expectancy so they will "go back to nature" on their own
- the use of permanent materials that will never degrade to make permanent structures that should last centuries or millenniums
- making buildings to be disaster-proof so they will last
- making buildings that are vandal proof so they will not need repairs
- making the building flexible in use so it's use can change use instead of it being torn down
- portable buildings so the building can be reused in different locations
- "living roof" designs to make for a maintenance-free structure (grow plants on the roof)
- building methods that use human work instead of machines
For specific building materials and methods, here is a list:
- straw, husks, plant matter
- dirt, sod, cob, rammed earth
- bags (to put materials like dirt into for "earth bag" construction)
- "bread" made specifically as building bricks (high insulation...made of grain)
- Concrete and alternatives (usually made of lime and clay) including foamed concrete for insulation value
- sandwiched foam insulation between end surfaces (drywall inside, siding outside)
- foam insulation forms with concrete infill
- Post and Beam construction
- dome and vaulted ceiling design
- engineered beams
- earth berming
- underground housing
- modular housing (pre-made walls and floors that are put together quickly on site and can be disassembled and moved easily)
For sustainable living tools incorporated into the design:
- Greenhouse design
- small animal raising methods (including aquaculture)
- built-in furniture for permanence and to reduce needed floor space (thus reducing energy needs for space heating and cooling)
- Water and waste recycling and treatment systems
- indoor swimming pool with water treatment system to replace the use of showers and baths (eliminates much heating of water and water use if made right)
- walk-in freezer room with various methods of preventing air exchange as stuff is moved in and out (for producing and storing food on site)
- Placement of rooms for various uses taking into account the temperature and sunlight cycling to synchronize with the use
- higher occupancy buildings to reduce the energy needs per person (tools required are sound-proofing, privacy methods, making smaller spaces feel large, more toilet facilities)
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