Appal Energy
Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:08:57 -0600
Hakan, We need to work on that deeply ingrained, "heavilily humidified, insulative layer" mind set that keeps popping up. Ya' gotta' stop looking and waiting for "top down solutions" and start implementing "grassroots up" answers. It's the "age old" adage of "wish in one hand, spit in the other and see which one fills up fastest." Take the simple Amory Lovins "statement" about adequate insulation and weatherization making the US an oil independent country (paraphrased from "Energy Unbound," by Amory & Hunter Lovins). No mention is made in the same breath of numerous other efficiencies and technologies that could be used to further reduce energy demand. He is speaking strictly of those "insulative" technologies that can be easily applied as "topical solutions," such as low-e window films and tints, air curtains, adequately insulated and sealed ducts and pipes, caulking and weather stripping, reflective roof coats, window upgrages (disposing of jalousy and single pane windows) blown and batt insulation, electric outlet gaskets, H2O heater jackets, shaded HVAC units, convective attic venting, reflective barriers where appropriate, not to mention the strategic planting of trees for general shade (which, by the way, Lovins does not mention or include on the technological side of his equation" just to name some of the majors. None of these are monumental or intensely burdonsome measures. Yes...I know trees don't grow over night. But it would help if the construction industry learned how to integrate them into a site rather than including them in the post-construction re-landscaping phase. (Amazing how trees increase property values...!!!!) Yes...I am aware that window replacement isn't exactly inexpensive or done with a snap of the fingers. But it is one of the larger areas of energy loss in residences and they quickly pay for themselves. And yes...I am aware that in some or perhaps many instances house rewiring may be the order of the day before blown insulation is installed, just from a safety perspective. (Believe it or not, many houses in many countries still have knob and tube wiring!!!) But what are the alternatives? Do nothing? I remember canvassing the Orlando, Florida area attempting to generate public support for a "negawatts powerplant" rather than Orlando Utilities Comission expanding Curtis Stanton I into Curtis Stanton II (both coal fired). The most conservative calculations were that a modest to robust energy efficiency program could forestall the need for Stanton II for at minimum 10 years, in turn saving the public literally hundreds of millions of dollars. (Mind you this is a publicly owned utility, with the supposed obligation to serve the public interests.) There we had fixed income seniors spending easily $100 - $200 on silicon window caulking to seal an entire house's jalousy windows to prevent heat loss or gain, when the entry level into a low-interest, state-backed, energy efficiency loan is virtually ZERO dollars, with the energy savings alone paying for the windows, interest and installation costs. Yet OUC chose to "black out" this type of information and assistance to the public and construct Curtis Stanton II in order to insure enough electricity for the ever expanding tourism industry. (Continued wetland destruction, urban sprawl, strip malls and new tourism destinations were deemed more important and in the public interests than reducing capital expenditures for energy at the residential and commercial levels. In another two or three years they will begin the permitting stages for Curtis Stanton III, and then eventually IV, all the while having done almost virtually nothing to reduce demand.) In the here and now, we're working on a pre-Civil War era home that has never had the first speck of insulation installed and still has the original windows in it (state of the art at the time of its construction). At a material cost of under $1,000 US we'll be able to reduce winter heat loss via walls and attic by at least 75%. The improvement pays for itself in a little more than 1/4 of a year. Try and get a 400% annual return on your investment anywhere else in any legal market and see how quickly you're laughed off the grounds. And houses and instances such as this abound throughout the market, in all sectors, in all countries (save...of course... fohr Sveden :-) Yet the majority of the public buys into the "do nothing" mindset... too busy thinking of reasons why things can't be done in order to justify doing nothing. So with most humble apologies, you won't find me buying into a contemporary hopes or beliefs that the world's energy ills are going to be solved primarily from the top down. The top is not where consumers reside, or at least not 99% of them, nor necessarily where the greatest achievements can be made. In the meantime, we'll keep burning the candle from our end, all the while waiting for governments, industries and architectural supply companies and designers to put a match to their end. Just a liberally educated and wide awake Appalachian hayseed, Todd Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: Hakan Falk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 4:29 AM Subject: Re: [biofuel] Hemp Homes in the UK > > > Amory Lovins is partially right, but it is not only a question of > insulation. I always tell the following comparison, > > The average Canadian uses 4 times the amount of energy, > compared with the average Swede, despite that they have > compatible living conditions and standard. The average American > 3 times more and the average Californian twice as much. > > If you calculate the consequences, it is more than the American > import of oil, even if you assume that it is some margins for > differences in energy production. > > Insulation is only one part of it. More than 50% is air leakage > in combination predominant design of HVAC system, other > uncontrolled air leakage, over dimensioned HVAC systems > and inadequate control policies. > > To change insulation in existing buildings is normally a big > task and the walls are not the most important issue. Where > the insulation is most effective and easiest to complement, > is in the ceiling. If insulations are done in conjunction with > renovation or new buildings, it will take 25 to 50 years to > get a major impact and up to 100 years to change the > nation wide buildings. > > In combination with insulation in ceiling, it is other actions > that will give faster results as, > > 1. Manipulation of the emission factors for the construction. > 2 Control of air leakage and window insulation. > 3. More radiant HVAC system. > 4. More adequate HVAC sizing. > 5. Relevant control policies and equipment. > 6. More adequate comfort criteria adapted to the human body. > 7. Minor changes of habits. > 8. More relevant energy advices. > > The above can result in a 50% or more of the totally possible > improvement and if you do the above in combination with > insulation in ceiling 80%. It sound easy, but the large amount > of products and methods make it more complicated. It will also > need a re-education of more than 90% of the professional in > the construction business. > > We have not even touched the importance of Peak Demand > problems, that would be largely minimized with up to 80% > only with a few of the mentioned points above. > > I am sorry that I cannot give Hemp or any other material in wall > constructions greater importance. > > Hakan > > > At 09:46 PM 9/18/2002 -0700, you wrote: > >Wow thanks for that, and now I continue to wonder that if all familys and > >individuals were housed in nomadic structures, (truck campers especially > >and/or boats), and we got rid of most large buildings, freeways, roads, dams > >etc.. , except for some for manufacturing/recycling and we went back > >towards a more hunter/gatherer, wilderness maintainence type existence , > >except we would now have much more opportunities for re-creation (no regular > >jobs), how much energy we would save then, and boy the LIFE we would lead!!! > >Ken > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Appal Energy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> > >Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 9:23 PM > >Subject: Re: [biofuel] Hemp Homes in the UK > > > > > > > I believe it was Amory Lovins who pointed out (and continually > > > does so) that if all the buildings in the US were adequately > > > insulated and weatherized (to be read "adequately," not > > > "super-"), the US would or could be free of all imported fuels. > > > > > > Gee...I wonder what could be done if that were coupled with a > > > national fleet of energy efficient vehicles. > > > > > > Todd Swearingen > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: Hakan Falk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> > > > Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 4:15 AM > > > Subject: Re: [biofuel] Hemp Homes in the UK > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Todd, > > > > > > > > If Hemp fiber board is such a leap in price/performance as > > > > the PC, I am sure that it is a huge market for it. > > > > > > > > I wished that the construction sector was as open, for even > > > > basic advances in engineering, as the computer sector. Then > > > > we would spend on average 50% less energy in our buildings. > > > > This is not applicable for Norway/Denmark and Sweden, who > > > > has proved that the previous statement is correct. > > > > > > > > California would not have a peak demand crises. US and > > > > Canada would be much less energy dependent. The current > > > > world politics more human instead of focused on fossils. The > > > > list can be made very long. > > > > > > > > Again, I am not against using Hemp fiber board, but it is not > > > > a quantum leap in construction engineering. If they could learn > > > > to consider more than 2-3 parameters, it would be. > > > > > > > > Hakan > > > > > > > > > > > > At 10:56 PM 9/17/2002 -0400, you wrote: > > > > >Hakan, > > > > > > > > > >I remember in the 80's buying a little 286 with 5.25 floppy > > > and a > > > > >mono-chrome monitor for well over $1,000 US. Now I can get an > > > 80 > > > > >gig hard drive, DVD player, CD-RW, multiple USB ports, > > > > >intelli-mouse, anatomic keyboard, software out the yazoo, 14 > > > inch > > > > >monitor, 56 k modem, neuvo top of the line sound and audio > > > cards, > > > > >network card and a half a dozen rebate coupons for under > > > $1,000. > > > > > > > > > >Hemp fiberboard and lite-crete type products are already > > > nearly > > > > >comparable in price to their market mirrors. Just that there > > > are > > > > >few manufacturers at this time. Mind you the market is still > > > in > > > > >its birth pangs after 50 years of prohibition in the UK. > > > > > > > > > >Canadia is well on its way to a profitiable venture if the US > > > DEA > > > > >can keep from mucking everything up (with intent). A $20 > > > million > > > > >NAFTA lawsuit is already in the works for their embargo two > > > years > > > > >ago and DEA was throttled for their attempt to circumvent due > > > > >process in regulation reform earlier this year when they > > > > >attempted to invoke a zero tolerance policy on oil, seed, food > > > > >and other oilseed products. > > > > > > > > > >Give it some time. Hemp fibre board will be a norm in another > > > > >5-10 years, as will numerous other industrial hemp > > > construction > > > > >products. > > > > > > > > > >Todd Swearingen > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! 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