Although some parents still use alphabet soup it to help their toddlers learn letters and spelling, it is not as popular as it was years ago. I wonder if it because adults are getting a heavy dose of alphabet soup everytime they read a newspaper or magazine or online blog? If you are like me, you are overwhelmed by the sheer number of acronyms you encounter.

Although acronyms are supposed to make it easier to learn a new set of words, I think we are starting to suffer from acronymical confusion.

Some of these acronyms have been with us a long time, or they have been popularized through various media. I'm quite sure you are familar with the YMCA. You may even be a member. And I have little doubt that you know about the CIA, EPA, and FBI. However, you are probably not familar with the growing number of "green building organizations" and standards that have sprouted in the last twenty years. 

In this blog I will provide a brief overview of several popular green building standards. You should note that these programs are in a process of continual revision; what is true today may not hold for tomorrow.


LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

Organization: USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council)

Summary: Perhaps the most recognized green building standard, LEED is a comprehensive standard that covers just about every aspect of construction. It is a sliding scale system. Although you must meet a certain number of points to earn the certification, there are several levels: silver, gold, and platinum. Although it emcompasses both residential and commercial construction, its primary focus is multi-family and commercial projects.

Pros: It covers a broad range of issues, from location efficiency and pollution reduction, to stormwater management and regional material use. It even has a category for bird collision deterrence.

Cons: Critics argue that it fails to adequately address energy efficiency, or that it has encouraged "glass box" architecture. Unsubstantiated energy efficiency claims was even the topic of a $100M class action lawsuit (dismissed in court). The level of documentation required makes this standard cumbersome and expensive for residential projects.


ENERGY STAR

Organization: EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

Summary: A program of the U.S. federal government, this program focuses on reducing energy use in homes. Certified projects must pass either a prescriptive path or a performance path.

Pros: The name is widely known for its association with energy efficient appliances, and has solid branding because of consumer recognition.

Cons: In years past, critics said that the program lacked any teeth, that it was too easy to meet the standard (performance monitoring of certified houses showed marginal savings). A recent update, Version 3.0, is more rigorous.


EARTHCRAFT

Organization: Southface Energy Institute

Summary: This standard focuses on reducing the consumption of resources, energy, AND water. It applies to new homes, multi-family housing projects, and light commercial construction. Certified projects must pass a number of criteria and tests. The organization says that Earthcraft houses are projected to save 30% compared to code-built houses.

Pros: This standard covers a number of issues, and it does so without adding a lot of complexity to the building or certification process. It focuses on issues that are specific to the Southeastern part of the U.S. It has the backing of the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.

Cons: This standard does not address all aspects of sustainable construction. Also, it is only available in the following states: VA, NC, SC, TN, GA, and AL.


PASSIVE HOUSE

Organization: PHIUS (Passive House Institute US)

Summary: An offshoot of the German based Passivhaus concept, this standard focuses mainly on reducing heating and cooling loads (although overall energy consumption must also meet a strict limit). Certified consultants must model the project using a complex spreadsheet, then test for certain criteria.

Pros: It is one of the most rigorous standards for energy efficiency. Savings are projected to range from 60-70% compared to code built houses.

Cons: The standard only addresses energy consumption. It ignores other issues related to green building. Critics argue that the standard lacks any feedback on cost efficiency, and that it is excessive for some parts of the country.


Other standards include:

LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE
Organization: ILFI (International Living Future Institute)

ICC-700 NATIONAL GREEN BUILDING STANDARD
Organization: NAHB (National Association of Home Builders)

Regional programs are available too. Literally, there are dozens of local green building programs. Some localities are requiring builders to rate new houses using the RESNET developed HERS Index:

Stuffed yet? Suffering from information overload? Sick of alphabet soup? Me too. All of these organization and standards are giving momentum to good ideas, but they are sometimes difficult to digest.

With our society's level of sophistication, it is hard to image that this will ever become a simple topic, or that organizations will stop using acronyms. So I'll leave you with one more: KISS (Keep It Simple Silly). For designers and builders of high performance homes, the KISS principle still applies.

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*We have Franklin Delano Roosevelt to thank for being the first to prepare a linquistic feast of acronyms. Back in the '30s, when FDR rolled out the New Deal, reporters struggled to deal with the huge number of new government agencies formed by this legislation. Sarcastic observers started calling them the alphabet soup agencies. Today, these agencies are quickly becoming TNTC (Too Numerous To Count ;)

Each year, the National Fire Protection Association issues new studies and research on fire safety. In the United States, home structure fires are the leading cause of fire related injuries and deaths.

As I indicated in my last post, the statistical trends are promising. In the U.S., we are seeing fewer and fewer incidents. Still, the NFPA estimates that there were over 370,000 home structure fires in the U.S., in 2011.

Based on the most current data, here are some of the leading categories/causes of home fires. I've listed them in order of significance:

        Cooking
        Smoking
        Heating
        Electrical
        Clothes Dryer
        Candles

Cooking accounts for the largest percentage of home structure fires. It happens most often with an unattended appliance (we walk outside to do something, or forget to turn off the stovetop). Frying poses the greatest risk, since most cooking oils reach an auto ignition temperature that is easily achieved on a stovetop.

Smoking doesn't cause as many fires, but it is the LEADING cause of fatalities.

Heating equipment is the next biggest cause of home structure fires---even though our heating season only accounts for a portion of the calendar year. We have a lot of different heating technologies, so this is a broad category; however, chimney and space heater fires are the leading causes within this category.

The electrical fire is another broad category. It includes wiring (insulation failures), overloaded circuits, equipment malfunctions, and placing combustible objects too close to lighting fixtures.

Most people don't think of a clothes dryer as a fire hazard, but the statistics say otherwise. These appliances generate a lot of heat in a small package.

Candles? Yep. Although candles might provide ambiance or help us through a power outage, they are still listed as a leading cause in home fires.

Here are ten things you can do to minimize your risk:

1) Always tend stovetops when in operation. Always!

2) Monitor cooking temperatures closely. Do not overheat cookware, especially those containing oil or other combustible liquids.

3) Avoid wearing loose clothing while cooking, especially on a gas range.

4) If you smoke, then mitigate the risk by following these sensible guidelines.

5) If you burn wood, make sure you clean and inspect your chimney every year!

6) If you use space heaters, keep combustible materials away from hot surfaces (three feet is a good guideline).

7) Inspect electrical cords for damage, repair if necessary.

8) Do not overload electrical circuits (by plugging too many appliances into the same outlet, or same group of outlets).

9) Inspect and clean your clothes dryer exhaust pipe regularly.

10) Burn candles away from combustible materials, and only when tended.

These do not apply to everyone (i.e. some people do not smoke, or operate a space heater). I'll conclude with three actions that EVERYONE should take:

1) Develop an escape plan. This is especially important for the young or the elderly. It is extremely important for multi-level buildings.

2) Purchase at least one fire extinguisher. New homes come equipped with a fire extinguisher (this is verified during the final inspection process), but this is not the case for existing homes. Learn how to use the extinguisher. Locate it close to the kitchen or within a reasonable distance of your space heater.

3) Ensure your fire / smoke detectors are working properly.

Finally, there is no subsitute for awareness and diligence. As we enter the coldest months of the year, make sure you are aware of the dangers that the heating season poses to you and your family.

If you reach back to high school, most of you probably remember bits and pieces of Greek mythology. Although the culture that gave us these myths passed away over two thousand years ago, the stories and characters are still part of our everyday lives, our everyday language. Sometimes we aren't even aware of the fact.

To illustrate this point, let's look at the famed Nike. She was the goddess of speed and victory. Today her character is symbolized by the trademarked Nike "Swoosh," which is found on footwear and athletic equipment the world around. Her wings decorate the hood on Rolls-Royce automobiles. She was fast and fleet. Apparently, that's how we like our sneakers and our automobiles!

Words like panic, titanium, and aphrodisiac come from the Greek myths. Do you have the Midas touch, an Achilles heel, or Herculean strength? These are all clichés rooted in Greek mythology. We say that a Trojan Horse has infected our hard drive. We use Ajax™ brand soap and chew on Trident® brand gum. It is pandemic  (yet another English word that has its roots in the Greek language).

Lesser known is the Titan named Prometheus. Some stories say that he formed man out of clay. But the most well known story is that he stole fire from Mount Olympus, and gave it as a gift to the human race. As punishment, Zeus chained him to a rocky cliff in the Caucus mountains, where an eagle tore at his liver for years on end.
 
So where would the human race be without fire? Without combustion?
 
We’ve used fire to heat our homes and cook our food for thousands of years. Fire gave us the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and the Industrial Revolution. Our ability to control fire literally defines the human race---no other species uses fire. And, our ability to harness and efficiently use fire also defines our modern civilization, our level of technological advancement.

At a simple level, we burn wood in a campfire, or a fireplace. In much of the world, this is commonplace. At a more sophisticated level, we burn natural gas or propane to heat our homes or provide hot water for bathing. Or we travel our world using  internal combustion engines---in automobiles and airplanes.
 
The human race has been wonderfully creative in controlling fire. And yet, fire is also a frightening and destructive force. It comes back to bite us, like the eagle that tore at Prometheus's liver. In recent news, you probably heard about natural gas explosions in Massachusetts and West Virginia. Or the garment factory fire in Bangladesh (that fire claimed 112 lives). If you live in Augusta County, you will recall the sad fate of 11-year-old Dustyn Fitzgerald of Dooms, VA; he died in a home fire this past September, despite a valiant effort by the local fire-rescue department.

On a personal level, home fires have taken a toll on my extended family. We’ve had several close calls---and one tragedy. If you’ve ever been involved in one, you know that it is impossible to describe the feeling of panic you experience in response to a home fire.

The National Fire Protection Association estimates that in the U.S., there were 370,000 home structure fires in 2011, resulting in 2,520 deaths and 13,910 injuries. That is a scary statistic. And it doesn’t even include deaths associated with carbon monoxide poisoning---a byproduct of combustion.

If there is some wisdom to be gained in the myth of Prometheus, it is this: we have to respect fire. We have to respect both its creative potential AND its awesome destructive capabilities.
 
I’ll try to end this blog on a positive note. The good news is that our homes are becoming safer; we are fighting fewer fires and losing fewer lives. Building safety codes ARE reducing risk. In the next blog, I will try to address fire safety, how we can live in a safer home, how we can operate them in a safer manner.

The pace of change in electronic devices is astounding.

As an example, in a little over a hundred years, we went from the telegraph---the standard method for long distance communication---to the cellular phone.

And that pace of change is only accelerating.

In 1992, Motorola came out with the Bag Phone, a premier product that gave users nearly three hours of talk time. It weighed ten pounds and served a single purpose. Fast forward to 2012. Today we have the iPhone 5. It weights a mere 3.95 ounces and can perform a dizzying array of functions for up to eight hours.

If only we could upgrade our houses like we upgrade our cell phones . . .

Most people have the financial ability to upgrade their phone every year or two, and in some cases they have to upgrade (planned obsolescence). But houses? Not so much. Who can afford a $100,000 gut rehab? It costs too much and takes too long. It just doesn't happen very often.

If you look at housing over the last century, there has been a sea change in technology there too. Yet, in many ways, we're still building houses the same way we did in 1912. We've moved from coal furnaces in the basement to high efficiency natural gas models . . . but chances are the furnace is still sitting in the basement of your new house.

Albert, Righter, & Tittmann Architects designed a passive house project for the Charlotte, VT Habitat for Humanity. They also produced a great graphic that shows the evolution of housing. It clearly illustrates what was, what is, and what could be . . .

Forgive me, but that almost sounds like Dicken's warning to Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol. I think that incessant holiday music is takiing effect!

These days, you won't find anybody carrying around a Motorola Bag Phone, but most people are still living in 19th and 20th century houses---and in many cases, we're still building them as if nothing has changed.

If you study the drawing of the 21st century house, you will see that it is the energy efficient house. The technologically advanced house. Yet in many ways, it is the simple house.

It's airtight and ventilated with heat recovery. It has more insulation, fewer bells and whistles. It accepts the sun in the winter and rejects it in the summer. It uses small devices for heating and cooling, devices that cost little to purchase and even less to operate.

Upgrading a house to meet today's energy efficiency standards is costly and difficult. For most, it only makes sense when the structure is sound, but all of the exterior finishes are failing.

But if you are building a new house, why go back to the 20th century?
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Happy Holidays to you and yours!

In the last post, I talked about cost parity and Passive House.

In this post, I'll take it out of the theoretical world, provide a clear example.

We moved into our Passive Bauernhaus in June 2012, but didn't get our first full month electric bill until July. Since then, the electric bill for our Passive Bauernhaus has averaged 663 kWh/month or $81.04/month. This total includes the typical $25 - $30 service charge.

Since it is an all-electric house, we only pay one bill. There's no propane, natural gas, or firewood. Electricity covers all of our loads:

    Well water (pumping)
    Domestic Hot Water
    Heating / Cooling
    Ventilation
    Lighting
    Appliance Loads
    Plug Loads (computers, TV, alarm clock, coffee maker, etc.)

In the previous year, we lived in a Fishersville area townhouse. The townhouse was built to existing codes, circa 2006. In terms of usable space, it was very similiar to the Passive Bauernhaus---4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths. It was a multi-family development, so we were sandwiched between two other units of the same size. It used propane for heating, domestic hot water, and the clothes dryer. And, electricity, of course.

I recently dug into our townhouse financial records to look at our utility bill history. After tallying the numbers, our average monthly townhouse bill came to $243.83 (for a full calendar year). The lowest month came to $122.91; the highest jumped to $429.87.

We haven't lived through a full calendar year in the Passive Bauernhaus, so it may be a little premature to call this one . . . but I can't resist. I say that because we're tracking right in-line with the PHPP energy modeling software.

Here's the bottom line: we're saving > $150 / month.

It's not earth shaking, but it's not too shabby either. It becomes significant when you project this over a typical 30 year mortgage.

And . . . it provides the margin that allows a Passive House to reach cost parity.

Adam Cohen is an architect, Certified Passive House Consultant, and a principal at Structures Design/Build in Roanoke, VA. He has been quite successful at promoting the Passive House standard in both commercial and residential projects. Part of this success is likely a result of Adam's energetic personality, but I'm quite sure it also has to do with hard numbers---and economic sanity. Here are a couple of Adam's mantras:

"Do you want to pay for equity or electrons?"

"We can achieve cost parity in residential projects, and for commercial projects,
Passive House offers a really great return on investment."

Structures Design/Build has the numbers to back up these claims. Some of their Passive House projects include:

Franklin County Public School - Center for Energy Efficient Design (CEED)
Emory and Henry College - Hickory Hall Dormitory
Specht Passive House - Custom Home

If you talk to Adam, you will find he is passionate about the financial viability of Passive House. So what is cost parity? And how is energy efficient construction cost effective? Below I'll provide an example:

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Building A is a 2,000 sq. ft. custom home, built to code. Total cost to build is $250,000. And the monthly utility bills for this house average $225.

Building B is identical, but built to the Passive House standard. Total cost to build is $275,000 (10% or $25,000 in additional capital and labor). The monthly utility bills for this Passive House average $75.

Let's assume that both houses have a conventional 30 year loan. In both examples, the owner provides $50,000 for a downpayment, and the bank charges 4.5% interest.

Building A -  Mortgage Payment - $1,013.37
                    Average Monthly Utility Bill - $225
                    Total Monthly Cost - $1,238.37

Building B - Mortgage Payment - $1,140.04
                    Average Monthly Utility Bill - $75
                    Total Monthly Cost - $1,215.04

So, the Passive House has a higher initial cost, but the total monthly bills are equal to a code built house (actually a little lower). This is cost parity.

 And . . . can you guess which house will be more comfortable?