ToolBase E-News volume 142
In This Issue:
STUDY EXPLORES IMPACT OF ZEH IN REDUCING FUTURE ENERGY CONSUMPTION:
According to a recent news item on HGTVPro.com (02/21/06), a newly-published study presents a far-reaching outlook into the possibilities for Zero Energy Home (ZEH) technologies in the new home market and their potential impact on U.S. energy consumption. The Potential Impact of ZEH, which was developed through a collaborative effort by the NAHB Research Center, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), concludes that with continued federal research and development programs to lower the cost of advanced energy-efficiency building technologies, the ZEH concept will begin to diffuse into the U.S. home market as early as 2012. By 2050, this could result in annual energy savings of approximately 17 percent of the U.S. energy consumption in single-family homes, at the same time over a million new homes are built each year. For more information, read the article. To download a copy of the study, visit www.toolbase.org/zeh.
CCHRC USES 'REMOTE' FRAMING TECHNIQUE TO EXTEND HOUSE LIFE:
According to a recent article (02/17/06) written by Jack Herbert, CEO of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) in Fairbanks, Alaska, the CCHRC has achieved numerous improvements for housing in cold climates. Among these achievements is the residential exterior membrane outside insulation technique, or REMOTE, a new approach to residential wall construction that extends the life of the house by treating wood elements of the wall structure as an internal component of the building. CCHRC adapted the technique from a Canadian method to resist moisture intrusion and condensation in the wall cavity, eliminating mildew, rot, and mold. According to Herbert, framing lumber in a REMOTE wall essentially shares the same interior environment as the furniture, potentially allowing it to last for many lifetimes. To learn more, read the complete article in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
'FORTIFIED' HOMES GETTING A SECOND LOOK FROM INSURERS:
According to a recent article in the Springdale Morning News (John Anderson, 02/05/06), super-strong homes that are able to withstand natural disasters often come at a high price. However, insurance companies, looking for ways to grow profits, are working on an antidote to offset these costs: lower insurance premiums for "fortified" homes. The Institute for Business & Home Safety in Tampa, Fla., a non-profit organization supported by more than 200 insurance companies, is interested in determining whether fortified homes warrant lower insurance premiums. Some insurers, such as American National Property and Casualty Company, are already offering premium discounts to homeowners who build fortified homes. However, the insurance industry will likely require more time and testing to quantify how fortified homes compare with traditional ones. To learn more, read the article.
RESEARCHERS WILL HUFF AND PUFF TO BRING HOUSE DOWN:
According to a recent article in the London Free Press (Hank Daniszewski, 02/22/06), the Three Little Pigs project, located at the Skyway Industrial Park at London International Airport, is a cute name for serious research on dissecting disaster. The $7-million project features a typical two-story suburban house that will be blown down by simulated winds of up to 200 km/h. The house includes dozens of pressure sensors and cameras linked to computers to record precisely all the stresses and damage as the house is subjected to a series of increasingly violent simulated windstorms. In another building on the site, researchers will conduct an experiment on conditions that allow mold growth in a building. To learn more, read the complete article.
NEWSDAY'S TOP TEN HOME INNOVATION PICKS FOR 2006:
A recent article in Newsday (Gary Dymski; 02/09/06), highlighted 10 new home products that could soon be popular among homeowners. The new technologies include an outdoor pellet-burning furnace; a high-tech bidet toilet with a heated toilet seat; automated lighting control that uses Z-Wave technology; DuPont Flexwrap flashing tape; Eon Fencing, which looks and feels like wood but is more durable; flexible plastic molding; foam insulation; and radiant subfloor systems. For more information, read the article.
TRADITIONAL BUILDING MATERIALS MAY HOLD KEY TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SOUTHWEST:
According to a recent article in HUD USER's ResearchWorks (02/06), adobe, rammed earth, and straw bale - all traditional building materials in the hot, arid southwestern United States - excel at passive heating and cooling. These readily-available materials could provide energy-efficient, cost-effective ways to build affordable housing. For example, the high thermal mass of adobe absorbs and releases energy, cooling the home during hot summer days and warming the home during cool winter nights. A new PATH report, Southwest Housing Traditions: Design, Materials, Performance, provides an overview of housing issues along the U.S.-Mexico border, and offers solutions for improving conditions in this area, including using traditional housing designs and building materials. The authors conclude that, although the cost of building a traditional house using southwestern building materials is higher than using conventional materials, it will cost less to own and operate the house over its life span. To learn more, read the article or the PATH report.
ONLINE BUILDING SURVEY SHOWS ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS CHAMPION INNOVATION:
A recent survey conducted by Newport Partners, LLC, part of the PATH Concept Home team, found that greater energy efficiency, increased affordability and design flexibility are the most important features for homes of the future, according to architects and builders. A recent release on the survey noted that more than half of builders and architects surveyed said they would introduce a new building system or design element into the homes they build if they had an adequate comfort level with the expected performance. To learn more about the survey results or to participate in future surveys, visit www.buildingsurvey.org. To learn more about the PATH Concept Home, visit the PATH website.
PATH TAKES A TRIP DOWN INNOVATION STREET:
The PATH Industry Committee will host a Showcase of Housing Innovation, March 7 in Washington, D.C. This educational event will highlight PATH's impact on American housing. The first PATH Concept Home plans will also be unveiled. Find out more about the program by visiting the PATH website.
