INDEX
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Alternative
Building Materials
Alternative Building Materials
1. Bamboo - Bamboo has been documented with over 1,500 different uses. In the area of building, that includes fences, gates, trellises, and every part of a structure. Bamboo tools, utensils, and buildings are an important part of life for half the world's population. In temperate climates around the world, bamboo supply can be maintained indefinitely while maintaining erosion control, watershed integrity, and soil health. Bamboo is an extremely strong fiber; with twice the compressive strength of concrete and roughly the same strength-to-weight ratio of steel in tension. The strongest bamboo fibers have greater shear strength than structural woods, and they take much longer to come to ultimate failure.
Advantages:
· Renewable- Bamboo will grow 12-18 inches a day once a grove is established. Culms (the living poles) emerge as large as they will ever be in that first six-week spurt, and then spend the next three years replacing sugars and water with silica and cellulose. Structurally, they are only useful after that third year, which is about when the culms are not needed by the plant.
· Plentiful- our current meager U.S. supplies of timber-quality bamboo can increase manifold within a decade with species selection appropriate to the microclimate, water, and nutrient availability. For now, temperate varieties such as Moso are being imported from Asia. These are well suited to being grown here.
· Local- One person can be the grower and consumer of the bamboo.
· Waste-Reducing- As is nature's general practice, nothing goes to waste. The leaves are high in nitrogen, making good feed for livestock. Any fallen leaf compost goes to fertilize the next generation. Even more enticing are the statistics for pulling carbon out of the air, potentially reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that contributes to the greenhouse effect. According to the people at the Zero Emissions Research Institute (ZERI) who built the bamboo pavilion at the top of this page, a bamboo forest can sequester 17 times as much carbon as a typical tree forest. In a country where a third of the greenhouse gases are attributed to buildings, imagine a building material that, when used locally, not only doesn't contribute to global warming, it solves some small portion of the problem.
Drawbacks:
· Won’t last long when exposed to insects, or harsh sun/ rain conditions
· Meager amounts can be found in the U.S.
2. Rammed Earth- the material is compressed or tamped into place, usually with forms that create very flat vertical surfaces. Modern rammed earth typically utilizes heavy mechanized equipment to move and compress the material. The walls are normally at least a foot thick to give enough bulk to be stable and provide the thermal mass for comfort. It is best to apply insulating material to the outside of the building to keep the interior temperature constant. The interior surface can be finished in a variety of ways, from natural oil to more standard surfaces. Rammed earth houses tend to have a very solid, quiet feeling inside.
Advantages:
· Solid earth wall to store energy for long periods of time results in interior temperatures that change very little from day to night. Mass walls absorb solar energy during winter days and then re-radiate that energy to offset nighttime heat losses within the building.
· Unlike wood-frame buildings, earth walls do not outgas hazardous fumes. An earth walled building with a natural finish emits no toxins, and in combination with soil-cement flooring warmed by radiant tubing, the indoor air is superior to most other buildings on the market.
· Walls built of raw earth in China, Africa, and even the cold wet climates of northern Europe continue to provide shelter after several hundred years of use. With the addition of modern stabilizers, concrete foundations, and steel reinforcing, we can say in total confidence that our earth walls will last for many centuries
· They are fireproof and resistant to damage from termites and other insects.
· Perhaps the best reason to build with earth is the boost it can give to the health of the planet. Earth is an unprocessed, widely available building material with virtually no side effects associated with its harvesting or use.
3. Straw - The use of baled straw to create superinsulated walls has become an extremely popular method of construction in recent years. Straw bale construction uses baled straw from wheat, oats, barley, rye, rice and others in walls covered by stucco. Straw bale are traditionally a waste product which farmers do not till under the soil, but do sell as animal bedding or landscape supply due to their durable nature. In many areas of the country, it is also burned, causing severe air quality problems. It is important to recognize that straw is the dry plant material or stalk left in the field after a plant has matured, been harvested for seed, and is no longer alive
Advantages:
Straw is an annually renewable crop, available wherever grain crops are grown. It is indeed a waste product, much of which is currently burned in the field.
The thick walls offer superior insulation value when appropriately built. Bales are easy to work with, lightweight and require a minimum of tools. With a natural plaster, straw bale walls "breathe," and together with the sound absorbing qualities, provide a quiet, healthful interior environment. Straw bales can also be combined to great effect with other natural building systems.
Drawbacks:
· The walls tend to be "organic" and if not carefully built, can use excessive amounts of plaster.
Appropriate bales can sometimes be difficult to locate, and if inadequately stored can be susceptible to damage by rain.
Introductions:
Every month we fear to open our electric bills because of the on going cost increases. We all do our best to save energy by shutting the light off when we are not in the room, opening windows, when its hot, or wear warm clothing rather then turning of the heater on, but the bill is still high. Receiving a bill between five to ten dollars is possible and just a finger tip away by using solar energy. With solar energy, not only will you be saving money, but also the environment.
According to PG& E, “Solar energy is a form of "renewable
energy" derived from the radiant energy of the sun. Development of
renewable energy is a means of achieving the goals of California's Energy Action
Plan. Energy from the sun can be harnessed in a number of ways including: water
heating and space heating”. Traditional sources of electrical power generation
will not last forever and pollute our atmosphere. From my perspective, the
world's energy needs vary greatly; there is no clear single solution to the
problem of supplying the world's energy.
How Does it Work:
How exactly does solar energy work? Solar panels need a specific location to be placed. This site needs to be where the panels can get an abundant number of sun. Then they get the panels from the manufacture and install them. Inside these panels there are photovoltaic (PV) cells. When sunlight (photons) strikes the PV cell, some photons pass right through, some are reflected and the other photons are absorbed. The absorbed photons hit electrons and make them lose their place around the nucleus of the atom. The electrons then cross a barrier that’s located inside the panels. The only way the electrons can get back is by connecting the positive side to the negative side of the panel with a wire. When this happens it creates a direct current (DC). For example, DC is when a battery is connected the electricity goes in a straight line and when it’s disconnected it just stops. The DC has to go through a certain machine called an inverter that changes DC into alternating current (AC). AC instead of going in a straight line it goes up and down. This has to happen because things in a home run on AC.
Costs:
Initially when you plan to install solar power as you initial means for energy the cost is the key factor that might lure you away from it. But we must look learn to look at the future payoff of the system not just when it will cost you now. Total costs of the solar energy system were $26,424, including all engineering, equipment, permits and installation on this flat roof. The customer received a $9,842 rebate from PG&E as part of the State-mandated Self Generation Incentive Program, and $2,487 California State Tax Credit. Net costs to the business (not including the accelerated depreciation as described below) were $13,996.
There are four primary components for producing electricity using solar power, which provides common 120 volt AC power for daily use are: Solar panels, charge controller, battery and inverter. Solar panels charge the battery, and the charge regulator insures proper charging of the battery. The battery provides DC voltage to the inverter, and the inverter converts the DC voltage to normal AC voltage. If 240 volts AC is needed, then either a transformer is added or two identical inverters are series-stacked to produce the 240 volts.
Benefits:
Use of solar electric systems decreases the amount of local air pollution. Photovoltaic systems produce electric power with no carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Carbon emission offset is calculated at approximately 6 tons of CO2 over the twenty-year life of one PV system. Solar electricity for the Third World is an effective energy conservation program because it conserves costly conventional power for urban areas, town market centers, and industrial and commercial uses, leaving decentralized PV-generated power to provide the lighting and basic electrical needs of the majority of the developing world's rural populations.
Rooftop Garden also know as Green roofs, vegetated roof , eco-roofs or nature roofs are basically gardens that are setup on roofs of urban areas. These gardens are not only a thing of beauty but also a way to improve the environment and save money. Historically, engineered green roofs originated in northern Europe, where sod roofs and walls have been utilized as construction materials for hundreds of years. The development of contemporary approaches to green roof technology began in the urban areas of Germany over 30 years ago.
“According to Swiss research, buildings with roof gardens lose 30% less heat during winter depending on the insulation layer used. (Toits Vegetalises, 1995) Thermal and sound insulation is also supplemented by the air spaces available within the drainage layer. The insulation provided by roof gardens not only saves energy costs by making buildings warmer in winter and cooler in summer, it provides plants with essential protection from heat from within the building that would otherwise increase soil water evaporation losses and overstimulate plant growth.”
Benefits:
Green roofs are not only aesthetically pleasing, but
they also:
· Reduce city “heat island” effect
· Reduce CO2 impact
· Reduce summer air conditioning cost
· Reduce winter heat demand
· Potentially lengthen roof life 2 to 3 times
· Treat nitrogen pollution in rain
· Negate acid rain effect
Cost:
Costs for green roofs in the United States are estimated to average between $15 to $20 per square foot for all use types, i.e., high density residential, commercial, industrial etc. ( http://www.lid-stormwater.net/greenroofs/1#1) These costs include all aspects of green roof development, from the waterproofing membrane to soil substrate creation to planting. By far the highest costs associated with green roof creation are the soil substrate/growth medium and the plant components associated with it. Green roof retrofit projects may have increased cost associated with traffic and resource scheduling concerns as well as the on-site availability of equipment and materials. The cost of planting can also increase if plants are placed individually rather than pre-grown on vegetation mats.
The rainwater catchment system is device that was assembled on a compilation of rainwater and gravity that flows on the idea of gravity. As the water that runs off of the house, down the gutters and into a standpipe. Once the standpipe has reached the maximum capacity of 150 gallons the remaining rainwater runs through pipes and into a larger gallon drum that contains approximately 900 gallons. In the event of an overflow, there are two additional drums that would contain 300 gallons each. There are two different types of systems: Laterite Stone and Ferro-Cement. The main differences between the two systems is the material used to make the system. The laterite stone is is based on the use of stones. The stones that are used in the system varies from where it’s used. The ferro cement is a tank that has chicken mesh mixed with cement. There was a third type that was used in Germany which consisted of a plastic film that didn’t work because the film would melt quite easily.
Some of the main advantages is that it’s cheap in that it doesn’t have any spare parts or the need of energy. The system is easy to build and maintain which makes the system very inexpensive to have. Being able to make the rainwater reusable provides low environmental negative impact. With the positive comes the negative aspects of the system. Since there is only a limited supply of water, that is the first disadvantage with the system. The first health issue that comes to mind is the idea of having to disinfect the system prior to the start of the rain season and when any contamination is observed.
Advantages of rainwater collection:
Relatively inexpensive.
Flexible system--easy to reconfigure, expand, or in some cases, relocate.
Can be installed or expanded on a 'pay as you build' basis.
Reliable--eventually, you will have water in your tanks!
Clean, and the water chemistry is easy to manage.
Can be sized to the need at hand, and integrated into new construction easily.
Relatively easy for owner/builder to do with little help.
Excellent back up system.
Can easily be tied into well water system.
Can be put inside a barn, large garage, or in a basement.
Water is still available if you have no power, though at diminished pressure.
Pumps can run off solar or 12 volt systems.
Tanks rarely freeze except in sustained extreme cold due to their thermal mass.
Easy to tie into solar water system.
Most of the system is accessible, rather than buried, so repairs are easy.
Few expensive components.
Disadvantages of rainwater collection:
Aesthetically intrusive - you have to do something with big tanks.
May not meet local building code requirements for primary water source for new construction
Requires more ground space than a well for the storage tanks and pumping system
Requires a good sized roof
Roof materials and airborne pollutants can pollute the rainwater
Gutters require constant maintenance and cleaning
A gray water system is a system that consists of any water that is used in a home except water from a toilet. Between 50-80% of the residential waste water comes from dish, laundry, and shower water, which allows the water to be used in landscape irrigation. Since the use of gray water as a source for irrigation the greatest benefit of this system is the idea that it lowers the use of fresh water. Another advantage is that it requires less energy and even fewer chemicals. The system consists of a basin, an effluent pump, a system that controls the level of water running through the system, and irrigation trough that’s covered. With so few items to create the system maintenance is easy and without any filters to change. How the system works is very easy to explain: As the water enters the basin, the level control system sends the water to fill the irrigation troughs. The next step is bringing the water to the vegetation where the water consisting of all of the particles and residues that the water came from.
Some Do's and
Don'ts About Graywater
Do:
1. Filter your gray water with something as simple as a stocking to trap hair and lint.
2. Frequently check your plants for evidence of overwatering or damage from organic material in gray water.
3. Use gray water only for flood or drip irrigation.
4. Divert gray water to your sewer or septic system if you are laundering diapers or dyeing clothes.
5. Structure your irrigation system so it doesn't waste water by letting it percolate beyond the root zone.
6. Use PVC or ABS piping.
Don't:
1. Drink your gray water!
2. Reuse water that contains hazardous chemicals from photo labs, car parts or oily rags.
3. Allow your gray water to pond because it can increase health risks and provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
4. Reuse gray water for spray irrigation.
5. Irrigate root or leaf crops (such as carrots or lettuce) that you'll eat.
6. Reuse gray water if family members suffer from infectious diseases, such as diarrhea, hepatitis or internal parasites.
Electricity from a residential wind turbine can be an excellent supplementary energy source for any home. Coupled with a solar panel array, one’s dependency upon public utilities would be significantly reduced. Depending on the location of the home-site and the size of the wind turbine itself, a wind turbine rated in the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts could lower utility bills by 50 to 90 percent.
The unit featured in the EcolodgeX prototype was fashioned from materials found at Berkeley’s Urban Ore and a hobby shop on Geary Boulevard in San Francisco. It is meant to simulate a wind system that would typically be found on the property of a small-scale, domestic residence. It is important to note that with the exception of very small wind turbines, the ideal location for this type of device is in on a property of at least one acre in size.
With an average lifespan of nearly 20 years, a residential wind turbine pays for itself ($6000-$22,000) over the course of its use in several ways. After the initial investment is recouped (6-15 yrs.), the energy the turbine produces is virtually free. “Over its life, a small residential unit can offset approximately 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gases” (www.awea.org). In addition, this investment would also increase the property value of any home and provide its owners with a stable source of energy that is not subject to the fluctuating increases in utility rates. Above all, a residential wind turbine is an iconic symbol of one’s commitment to the long-term sustainability of the environment and a sign to all who see it that an abundant energy source is literally blowing in the wind.