by LISA STACHOLY AIA, NCARB2006 Chair AIA Small Project Practitioners
Everyone wants to save a buck, especially these days. With gasoline prices rising and our national resources becoming increasingly tapped, the time is right to rethink how we’ve been doing things.
In big business, CEOs are constantly on the lookout for ways to increase the company’s bottom line, and they frequently scrutinize facility operating expenses. But what if it were possible to eliminate operating expenses from a profit/loss calculation while doing environmental good? Sounds enticing. Through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) programs and the use of sustainable design concepts, many businesses are gaining a competitive advantage in their new facilities. Many design decisions, systems and material selections are considered not only for their initial cost, but for a life-cycle cost: how long it will take in energy-cost savings before enough money can be saved to justify a higher initial expense.
Sustainable design elements are those components that are more easily replenished in nature or do not require substantial amounts of energy to create. As far as design concepts, sustainable design has been a topic in academic circles for more than 10 years; recently it has been propelled to general public conversations. I believe this is due to larger-scale public/private initiatives gaining center stage in mainstream media. I also believe credit is due to the home improvement stores, which have been advertising (and selling) sustainable materials to the general public. This general availability has created public awareness about the wide array of alternative material; and the benefits and advantages of these products go beyond the initial cost. A specific example can be seen when homeowners purchase replacement carpet for their home and are educated at the point of sale on carpets with recycled components. Or better yet, they find a laminate-type flooring of renewable materials (i.e., bamboo) that meets their needs. In addition to the lower Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in their house, the exterior environment is breathing better as well.
While life-cycle cost analysis (the study of how much it costs to operate versus how long it will last) may show that the installation of a particular mechanical system (i.e., geothermal using a closed-loop water piping system set deep into the earth’s soil to extract heat and transfer to a building’s interior) may cost three times as much as a conventional system, the energy cost may be next to nothing from day one. Consider this: What if you had virtually no electrical costs associated with big-ticket energy items like air conditioning and heating? How long would it take to save the money to justify the cost of the system in the first place? While businesses figure a five-to-eight-year payout for a geothermal system, some are finding that the cost savings pay for the system in as little as three years. If a commercial building has a 30-year life expectancy before major work is needed, then using a system like the geothermal could provide approximately 26 years of heating and cooling virtually cost-free.
Having just celebrated Earth Day, consider similar energy-efficient possibilities available in the residential sector. A recent American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends survey among practicing architects (November 2005) found that 66 percent of firms noted an increase in the popularity of energy-efficient products for the home. These products run the gamut, including daylight balanced fluorescent lightbulbs, low-flow toilets, water-saving faucets and shower heads, argon-gas-filled insulating windows, increased attic insulation, photovoltaic (PV) panels and more.
With the proliferation of so many energy-efficient products, homeowners are now able to follow the lead taken by businesses in instituting high-performance building characteristics and/or sustainable design elements in their own projects. For example, laminate bamboo flooring looks great, is inexpensive to manufacture and is quite durable. Additionally, it is typically prefinished, so added labor is not needed.
Another alternative sustainable material is outdoor decking. Though many of the early composite materials looked just like that milk jug you recycled, newer products simulate the texture and color of stained wood decking. An added benefit: The color is true through and through, so the summer restain-the-deck ritual is a thing of the past. The staining materials (think better for the soil under your deck as well) and the time saved makes this alternative a popular choice.
While LEED standards and sustainable building practices are concepts worthy of academic debate, be aware that execution of either in a residential setting does take more thought. LEED certification is presently being developed for single-family residential projects. For now the concepts should be used as guidelines within which to plan residential work.
Achieving Residential Sustainable Design
When considering options for homes, consider these factors.
When aspiring to implement sustainable building practices in a residential setting, take into consideration a variety of factors. First, consider the life-cycle cost of the entire project versus the funds actually available to do the work. Second, consider what it would be like if the current water, gas or electric bill was cut by 25 percent, 50 percent or more; remember it is the consumption that’s reduced. Following that idea, consider the possibility of a home that did not use any outside energy, but rather could generate excess energy. It’s not far off. In fact, some houses already accomplish this. Architects speak of this as a house “off the grid” (electrical grid, that is).
Some projects across the nation are even approaching a point with good design—the use of energy-efficient materials, PV panels and a geothermal system—in which the project actually uses less energy than it consumes. That excess energy is then available for sale back to the local power company. At present, this is harder to accomplish on the residential scale, but inroads are currently being made. A residential project in Santa Monica utilized PV for a courtyard roof covering. This roof can provide nearly 50 percent of the total electricity needs for the house. Considering the environment—far more sunny days than cloudy—an appropriately designed house can be formulated with the goal of using no outside energy. Additionally, appliances with the Energy Star rating also work to substantially decrease the energy consumption of a residence. Consider the potential water savings (and related sewer costs) if worn-out laundry appliances and dishwashers were replaced with efficient models; the resource savings are compounded.
To fund such efforts on a residential front, local and regional utility providers have offered rebates and incentives to homeowners who pursue energy conservation. Tax breaks and other incentives have been and are currently being offered by the government as well for new and/or renovation projects. I challenge the private industry to enter the arena and make green building easier and more attainable. Look in your own city for a green building resource center or search the Web. Make a list of what you can do in your current living situation to accomplish more energy savings and consider what you’d do if you built from the ground up. Living without consuming energy and resources is a lofty goal worth pursuing.
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