Inside our Green-Built Idea House: earth-friendly features you can use now

Inside our Green-Built Idea House: earth-friendly features you can use now
Sunset, Oct, 2005 by Peter O. Whiteley

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Our next Idea House explores one of the fastest-growing trends in the West: green building. Using two side-by-side homes in Menlo Park, California, to demonstrate techniques and materials, the Green-Built Idea House will be a showcase for eco-savvy homeowners. While building green typically adds about 6 percent to the initial cost of a home, the long-term savings in energy use, improved air quality, and other benefits make it a compelling trend. "It's just the right thing to do," says our builder, John Suppes of Clarum Homes in Palo Alto, California. The two completed homes will be profiled in our December issue. Turn the page for an overview of what we have planned.

Overview of an eco house

What: Both versions of our Green-Built Idea House are less than 2,000 square feet. One home will be fully decorated; the other will include cutaway wall sections and exhibits explaining eco-friendly building materials and products. Clarum Homes, our builder, constructs "zero-energy homes," which incorporate roof-mounted photovoltaic panels designed to produce enough electricity to meet the needs of each home. The homes will also be able to feed excess electricity back to the utility power grid.

Who: This collaboration is one of our most ambitious. We're working with the City of Menlo Park; the California Integrated Waste Management Board; Clarum Homes; EDI Architecture in San Francisco; Pamela Pennington Studios in Palo Alto for interior design; HLD Group Landscape Architecture in Los Gatos; and our national sponsors.
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Where: Hamilton Park, a 6-acre development that includes a 1-acre park and 47 single-family residences, with some moderate-cost units designated for school teachers and city employees.

When: Completed homes will be open for viewing October 7, 2005, to January 22, 2006; call 800/786-7375 for information.

Idea House choices for your remodel

Glazed tiles. These tiles from Fireclay's Debris series are handmade from recycled glass and waste material from gravel and asphalt production. Available in 160 colors. INFO: Fireclay (www.fireclaytile.com or 408/275-1182)

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Engineered wood. These manmade products--I joists, Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), and Oriented Strand Board (OSB)--take the place of larger-diameter logs. INFO: Louisiana Pacific (www.lpcorp.com or 877/744-5600)

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Resin panels. The kitchen cabinets' door panels are made from thatch encased in EcoResin, a 40 percent recycled polyester resin. INFO: 3form (www.3-form.com or 800/726-0126)

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Radiant-barrier sheathing. A thin aluminum layer laminated to the roof sheathing prevents radiant heat from entering attic. INFO: TechShield by Louisiana Pacific (see above)

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Synthetic lawn. SYNlawn artificial turf is made using renewable resources (soybean oil), post-industrial waste (from coal-burning power plants), and post-consumer waste (recycled plastics). INFO: SYNlawn (www.synlawn.com or 866/796-5296)

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Formaldehyde-free insulation. Densely packed thin fiberglass strands improve heat resistance and sound control. INFO: EasyFit insulation by Johns Manville (www.jm.com or 800/654-3103)

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Roman shades. Painted, handwoven bamboo ColourWeave shades offer privacy with color. INFO: Hartmann & Forbes (www.hfshades.com or 888/582-8780)

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Recyling of construction debris. Instead of becoming landfill, 90 percent of debris was ground up and recycled. INFO: Packer Industries (www.packer2000.com or 800/818-2899)

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Low-VOC paints. Kelly-Moore Paints' 1500 Enviro-Cote paints are low VOC (volatile organic compound). INFO: Kelly-Moore Paints (www.kellymoore.com or 888/562-6567)

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RELATED ARTICLE

EFFICIENT WINDOWS

Low-e (low-emissivity) glass reduces UV rays and helps control heat gain or loss at different times of year. The windows reduce energy costs and muffle street noise.

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COMPUTER IRRIGATION

A satellite-linked system monitors the weather and moisture levels to run the drip-irrigation system only when it is needed.

EXTERIOR INSULATION

Rigid foam beneath the stucco reduces heat gain and loss.

TANKLESS WATER HEATER

The wall-mounted gas-fired unit provides 6.3 gallons per minute of heated water on demand.

WHOLE-HOUSE VACUUM

Located in the garage, the system is quiet and reduces dust, improving interior air quality.

INVERTER AND REVERSE METER

These components link the rooftop photovoltaic panels to the utility grid so excess energy generated by sunlight can flow back into the grid.

INTERIOR INSULATION

Formaldehyde-free fiberglass fills wall and ceiling cavities.

ENGINEERED WOOD

Taking the place of full-dimensional boards and beams typically harvested from old-growth or larger trees, this manmade lumber makes more efficient use of wood fiber from smaller trees.

HIGH-EFFICIENCY HEATER

Mounted in the attic, the unit is linked to a programmable thermostat.

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