People who track building technologies know what it's like to chase a moving target. That's certainly held true for the Atlanta-based Southface Energy Institute, an organization that teaches homeowners and building professionals how to integrate resource-efficient technologies into their homes. When Southface built its office and resource center ten years ago, it included what Executive Director Dennis Creech calls "the latest and greatest energy-saving technologies then available." Today, most of them are commonplace.
So Southface set out to build a new Energy and Environmental Resource Center using today's cutting edge products. (For a list of materials used in the project, see the sidebar below.) The center opened in time for the 1996 Summer Olympics, which Creech saw as a chance to introduce resource-efficient building to a worldwide audience. During the building process, he learned a number of lessons that will benefit anyone who builds resource-efficient housing.
The building
The new center was designed as an educational tool. Its main level is set up as a 2000 sq.ft. custom home. It includes a great room with a large-screen television that lets visitors watch videos on any aspect of house construction--from structural insulated wall panels, to solar hot water, to setting ceramic tile. The second floor houses the institutes's offices and a design center where building professionals can run their plans through various energy-analysis software programs. The bottom floor is the training center: a classroom ringed by educational displays on technology.
Making it work
One lesson from the project was that there's a learning curve with any new technology, but it tends to be relatively short. For example this was the first time either Creech or the foundation subcontractor had used stay-in-place foam foundation forms. Although assembling the forms was slow at first, they got the hang of it near the end of the project. The concrete blew out a couple of sections of form during the first 20 percent of the pour, but the problems stopped once they learned to place concrete more slowly. "We didn't make the same mistake twice."
Creech also learned that plumbers, electricians, framers, and mechanical contractors can work together as a team if the contractor is an effective leader. To be sure, most of the trades involved in the project already had an interest in efficiency, and most were aware of Southface's reputation. But Creech believes that the team approach could help any resource-efficient builder. "I find most building professionals to be very concerned with sustainable design," he says. And he believes that many are as committed to the environment as they are to their profession. "The majority of framing crews don't want to waste wood, just like most plumbers don't want to waste water."
The plumber is a good example of how Creech's theory played out in the field. "Most of the time, the contractor just hands the plumber a set of plans and expects him to execute them," he says. Instead, Creech got the plumber involved at the design stage, and asked for his input on the plans. It paid off. The plumber made several excellent suggestions on how to save water, from water-efficient appliances that Creech hadn't heard about, to a design for a greywater system. The same strategy worked with the other trades. The result was a fruitful exchange between the designers and the people who would actually construct the building.
The subs learned from the exchange as well. The concrete contractor said the foam foundation forms were the best system he had ever seen. (Though the guy on the ready-mix truck pointed out that they took him longer to fill than equally sized conventional forms.) Although the main building was constructed of foam core panels, the garage was stick framed to show framing techniques that reduce lumber use and improve thermal performance. These techniques were new to the framers, but once they understood the system, they embraced it.
Of course not every subcontractor will be as enthusiastic about resource-efficient construction. But more and more recognize that reducing environmental impact of housing is the future of building. That makes it a great marketing opportunity. "The market is changing," says Creech. "Nobody wants to be a polluter."
Southface publishes a resource guide that describes all the products used in the building.
Here are some of the efficient technologies used in Southface's new Energy and Environmental Southface Resource Center.
Building Envelope
Foundation
- Poured concrete with exterior insulation
- Contained slab with sub-slab mitigation system
Walls
- Structural insulated panel construction
- Insulated, low-E, gas-filled windows
Floors
- Engineered framing
- Honeycomb fiber panels
Roof
- Structural insulated panel construction
- Photovoltaic roof shingles
- Passive Solar Design
- Passive Solar design with natural cooling.
HVAC
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Systems
- Natural gas heat pump
- Geothermal heat pump
- Dehumidification unit
- Controlled ventilation system
- Advanced air filtration
Exterior
- Photovoltaic security lighting
- Motion controls
- CFL perimeter and walkway lighting
Interior
- Efficient lighting design
- High-efficiency fluorescent lamps and fixtures
- Daylighting
- Light tube
Domestic water heating
- Solar water heating
- Desuperheater for geothermal heat pump
For a list of companies that make energy-efficient products, search the the Oikos Product Directory
