Eco-renovation (part 3)
Chapter 2 of the book Eco-Renovation introduces energy
by talking about global warming and fossil fuels.
The rest of the chapter is organized like this:
Sources of energy
Ventilation
Insulating
Heating
Lighting
Appliances
Solar
After a little discussion the following energy sources
were recommended: biomass, wood, wind, water, and solar.
The most important is solar so it was given a separate
section. The first few sections can be summarized as:
Detect leaks and seal starting in attic.
Develop a plan for ventilation (suggestions given)
Understand how condensation works and what it tells us.
Insulate, Insulate, insulate
Know heat sources (people, appliances, water heater, etc.)
Adjust clothing to fit climate (Yes!!!! )
The water heating section was next and i was disappointed.
It didn't give data on how the various alternatives perform.
I think they should have said: Sunny areas will find solar
the most effective and cloudy areas might want to consider
demand water heating and other ideas. The check list for hot
water conservation was more interesting and went something
like this:
Insulate all hot water pipes
Lower water temperature to minimum
Use spray fitting on all taps
Insulate the bathroom shower
Recycle hot water as it exits
Only heat water when needed
The lighting checklist went like this:
Make sunlight the first priority.
Use energy efficient lights.
Reflect light and use zone lighting
dust bulbs
adjust lifestyle to match sun's availability (sorry night owls).
(continued)
