ToolBase E-News volume 135
In This Issue:
PATH TO PRESENT DURING SOLAR DECATHLON EVENT:
The Solar Decathlon, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, will bring 18 college and university teams from around the globe to compete to design and build houses that demonstrate the advantages of a solar lifestyle. The students will show visitors how to live with abundance and comfort in beautiful, energy-efficient, completely solar-powered homes. PATH (the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing) will present several 30-minute educational sessions for consumers and the home building industry during the Decathlon week of October 10-14, 2005. Some of the discussion topics will include:
- Building Sustainably & Finding a Sustainable Builder
- Renovating Green and the Five Year Green Plan
- Six Simple Ways to Improve Your Next Home
Find out more about the educational sessions by visiting the PATH website, or the Solar Decathlon website.
REDESIGNED PATH TECHNOLOGY INVENTORY UNVEILED:
Did you ever wonder if there's a better building product or practice out there than what you're currently using? One that could save time, money, or improve the home's performance? If so, then the PATH Technology Inventory may be the online destination for you.
The Technology Inventory, the building industry's online resource for practical information on innovative construction products and practices, was recently redesigned to include a more modern look, improved search function, and more detailed information on over 160 innovative building technologies. The Technology Inventory is an essential tool in accelerating the awareness and acceptance process for beneficial technologies that can improve housing performance and it will now more effectively provide builders, trade contractors, and remodelers access to comprehensive information more quickly and in greater detail. For more information on innovative building technologies, visit the Technology Inventory.
TAKE THE SURVEY, GET FREE DOWNLOAD OF SQUARE FOOTAGE STANDARD:
As part of an overall "redesign and refine" effort for the ToolBase.org website, there is a brief user survey now available on the site. If you are a builder, remodeler, or trade contractor, click on the "Help Improve ToolBase.org" bar at the top of the homepage, complete the survey, and you will receive a free download of the publication, "Square Footage - Method for Calculating: ANSI Z765-2003."
SHACK TO THE FUTURE:
According to the Sydney Morning Herald (Richard Jinman, September 1, 2005), four-ton steel boxes, originally intended for shipping, have become the basis of innovative, low-income housing projects worldwide. The "Future Shack," is affordable, adaptable, and durable, and has attracted a growing number of architects. According to fabprefab.com, a web resource that tracks "modernist prefab dwelling" developments, almost 50 container housing projects exist, including the Container City 2, a London housing development that features multiple containers stacked on top of each other.
The homes feature wood veneer floors, an open-plan kitchen and living room, two small bedrooms, air conditioning, and an internal temperature regulator. They can be installed quickly and can be relocated in a few days. For more information, read the article (free registration required to view).
SMART TECHNOLOGY HELPING SENIORS STAY INDEPENDENT LONGER:
According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times (Dave Gussow, September 12, 2005), the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), a consortium of high-tech companies, universities, and agencies, is investigating ways to use technology to provide services to the aging population, including technologies that can help seniors live independently. One such technology, the QuietCare system by ADT, uses sensors placed sporadically throughout the home to monitor the resident's routine activities and movements and log them into a secure website. Any change in activity sends an alert to the caregiver's cell phone or email.
The University of Florida, a CAST member, also recently opened the Gator Tech Smart House, which demonstrates a variety of technologies that can aid seniors, including cameras that monitor the living space; motion sensors; and a "smart floor" that can detect motion falls.
For more information on the QuietCare system, the Gator Tech Smart House, or other smart technologies for seniors under development, read the article.
'BERRY' HANDY DEVICES FOR BUILDERS:
According to an article in Builder Magazine (Steve Zurier, September 1, 2005), software developer ATSG is helping dozens of employees in the home building industry use Web-based devices that can manage jobsites more productively. The first home builder-specific application is the Construction Quality Manager (CQM), a punch-list application that helps to identify problems in the construction process while performing inspections on site. Punch lists are transmitted to the trade contractor by fax or email, and simultaneously recorded in a central database. This system is used by one of the 2005 National Housing Quality Award winners and NHQ Certified Builder, Grayson Homes of Ellicott City, Md. - find out more about that company's experience in the spring 2005 issue of ToolBase News.
The second, named Construction Schedule Manager (CSM), lets users update their schedules and authorize purchase orders in the field and transmit them back to the office for timely processing. For more information on these applications, read the Builder article.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY DEDICATES ZEH:
According to a recent release in the NREL Newsroom (September 15, 2005), Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver dedicated a net Zero Energy Home (ZEH). The house features super-insulated walls, floors, and ceilings; efficient appliances; a solar water heating system; heat-recovery ventilation system to assure indoor air quality; compact fluorescent lighting; and windows coated with thin layers of metallic oxide to help keep heat in during the winter and out during the summer. NREL researchers will monitor the performance of the home for one year to determine if the energy features perform as expected. For more information, read the release.
FREE ONLINE TRAINING FOR ARCHITECTS ON SUSTAINABLE ROOFING:
According to a BASF news release (September 16, 2005), the company recently introduced a new online training program for architects on sustainable roofing systems, available free-of-charge. The program is part of the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) continuing education effort to utilize energy-conservation building practices and technologies. The training program, named "Designing Sustainable Roofing Insulation Systems Using Plastic Materials," aims to help the building and construction industry improve energy efficiency. Architects taking the course can review the performance of plastic materials, including expanded polystyrene (EPS), spray-applied polyurethane foams (SPF) and extruded polystyrene (XPS).
BASF will also build a Showhouse Project later this year in Paterson N.J., in order to demonstrate how healthy, energy-efficient homes can be built economically. The Showhouse will incorporate Zero Energy Housing concepts from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and building science principles from PATH (the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing). For more information, read the release.
