Morgan BellAffordable energy efficiency
June 5th 2006 07:58
The cheapest ever zero-energy home has recently been constructed by Oklahoma-based for profit builder, Ideal Homes. The 1,650 square foot home was built for under $200,000 USD, and costs nothing to power and heat in an average year.
Energy-efficient modifications to the home included:
- fluorescent lights, which use far less energy than incandescent bulbs,
- using cellulose insulation instead of the usual pink fibreglass,
- installing low-emittance windows with vinyl frames, sealing duct work and a heat-reflecting solar board on the roof for better insulation,
- replacing a conventional air conditioner and furnace with a ground-source heat pump, which maintains a stable temperature via an underground circuit of pipes.
- a tankless water heater which saves energy by heating water only when it is needed, and
- rooftop solar panels, which generate about 6,600 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
The home is currently being rented out so that Ideal Homes can continue to monitor its performance.
Zero-energy homes haven’t yet appeared in Australia, which is a shame really considering how much sun we get here. In the meantime, though there are other technologies being developed that may allow us to do our bit for the environment.
Scientists around the world are currently researching technology that allows energy to be harvested from human waste. That’s right, “poo power could light your home”, as ABC Science put it last Wednesday.
The technique relies on microbial fuel cells that converts the energy produced by bacteria breaking down waste into useful electrical energy. Researchers are currently working on the efficiency of reactors, which they hope may soon be able to power water treatment.
"The amount of energy that is in waste is incredible," researcher Dr Korneel Rabaey of the University of Queensland told ABC Science. "Just one sugar-cube, for example, has enough energy to power a laptop for 12 hours. And the stuff in our waste water is just different forms of sugar."
(image from discovery)
Energy-efficient modifications to the home included:
- fluorescent lights, which use far less energy than incandescent bulbs,
- using cellulose insulation instead of the usual pink fibreglass,
- installing low-emittance windows with vinyl frames, sealing duct work and a heat-reflecting solar board on the roof for better insulation,
- a tankless water heater which saves energy by heating water only when it is needed, and
- rooftop solar panels, which generate about 6,600 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
Ideal Homes' zero-energy home
The home is currently being rented out so that Ideal Homes can continue to monitor its performance.
Zero-energy homes haven’t yet appeared in Australia, which is a shame really considering how much sun we get here. In the meantime, though there are other technologies being developed that may allow us to do our bit for the environment.
Scientists around the world are currently researching technology that allows energy to be harvested from human waste. That’s right, “poo power could light your home”, as ABC Science put it last Wednesday.
The technique relies on microbial fuel cells that converts the energy produced by bacteria breaking down waste into useful electrical energy. Researchers are currently working on the efficiency of reactors, which they hope may soon be able to power water treatment.
"The amount of energy that is in waste is incredible," researcher Dr Korneel Rabaey of the University of Queensland told ABC Science. "Just one sugar-cube, for example, has enough energy to power a laptop for 12 hours. And the stuff in our waste water is just different forms of sugar."
(image from discovery)
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