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Bridging The Gap between Solar and Healthy Home Design Methods
By: Cindy Meehan-Patton, Shelter Ecology
Answering the question "Why am I choosing to build green" is an important FIRST detail to consider in your conceptual design process or renovation plan of your home. This seems to be an easier question to ask for many people than it is to answer. It involves prioritizing the needs for you and your family, which can be difficult for many folks when it comes to implementing as many green building methods as possible!
Not all green building methods are compatible with each other so prioritizing is essential in the beginning of your design process. The focus of this article is the seeming incompatibility of Solar methods and Healthy Home methods. While solar design requires the most energy efficient strategies possible for a home, this is only part of the focus for the healthy home design.
For an allergy sensitive individual the priority for building green should be put on healthy home methods. For a less sensitive and more energy conscious individual, the priority should be put on solar design methods. What about the individual who wants to address both issues? Can the differences between these 2 building strategies be bridged?
As a healthy home consultant, let me try to answer this question as non-biased as possible by comparing a couple of ways that they conflict. Let’s start with the biggest one.
1. A successful Solar design requires the use of gas appliances and mechanical systems in order to keep the energy efficiency peaked and the Kilowatt load down. (Especially if using Photovoltaic systems.) Gas use in a healthy home is discouraged for a couple of reasons. The obvious being combustion related problems. The not so obvious is the smell of the gas or propane. These two fuels in their raw form (prior to resale) do not have the peculiar odor you smell when they are used in your home. This odor comes from a pesticide additive, which is supposed to alert you to leakage of the gases into your indoor air.
A question I have proposed to the state government is-Can the additive be eucalyptus or cinnamon, or some pleasant odor instead of a toxic chemical? If so, then I see that the bridge can be joined between these two building methods when it comes to appliance use.
When it comes to combustion issues, To minimize the negative effects of the byproducts in the indoor environment, all combustion appliances should be properly vented and inspected by a professional annually. Gas stoves should be vented outdoors with a proper exhaust fan, which should be used when cooking.
2. Solar design relies on natural ventilation (opening of windows) rather than mechanical ventilation (controlled air flow) for the same reasons as stated above- mechanical systems create a large Kilowatt load. WNC is a temperate rain forest. We are located in the extreme moisture belt rather than the mixed or moderate moisture belt. High humidity days are just as common as low humidity days in WNC.
High humidity air travels differently than low humidity (dry) air. Humid air, when traveling through a wall or window is not a fluid flowing air, but a heavy, slow flowing air. It travels to the nearest porous material and nestles in there like a sponge due to its high moisture content. So the idea of using a whole house fan as a channel for air to travel through the house, while your windows are left open- is not the most viable strategy for high humid climates.
If your windows are open on a typical spring, summer or early fall day when the outdoor humidity is above 60%, then the air in your home will also be above 60%. And as that slow air travels to the nearest building material (drywall, fabric, and carpet just to name a few), mold spores are created. For the allergy sensitive person, this is a health hazard.
Mechanical ventilation, used in healthy home design becomes the lungs of your home. It "breathes in" the "fresh" air needed to keep the oxygen and CO2 levels balanced in a tightly constructed design. It begins by filtering the air and in more advanced systems- dehumidifying the air before it is sent into the indoor environment. It also creates a comfort inside your home without the need to open the windows (to let the not so fresh air in). This system along with air conditioning is a vital component to creating a mold, moisture and toxin free home in Western North Carolina. The use of natural ventilation or breathable building materials in this area creates a breeding ground for mold and moisture.
These two conflicts should not prohibit a healthy home design from being energy efficient in any way. There are "super efficient" mechanical ventilation systems on the market (www.thermastor.com and www.venmar-ventilation.com). As a matter of fact there are super efficient electric appliances for almost every need in the home! One air conditioning system I have seen used in Solar home design is the ductless system known as Mr. Slim (www.mini-split.com) by Mitsubishi. This system could also be applicable to healthy home design if you are choosing to use radiant floor heat rather than ducted HVAC systems. Radiant heat can be energy efficient (if the rest of the envelope is tightly constructed) and it is a healthy heat as opposed to forced air, which has a tendency to aggravate upper respiratory conditions when ductwork is not properly installed or maintained. Radiant floor heat is often used in Solar design as well.
In conclusion, bridging the differences between these two green building methods can be done to some degree if the following steps are taken:
1. Prioritizing you and your families needs clearly,
2. Working with a green team, with experts who specialize in both methods, and
3. Being willing to compromise on making a part of your home’s system rely on Solar energy while giving precedence to the need for clean indoor air quality (mold, moisture, chemical, VOC and toxin free) for you and your family.
Some resources on energy efficient appliances, solar design and healthy home design are as follows (Please refer to the Listings section and Resources section of the Directory for more):
www.shelterecology.com (Local business offering healthy home design consultations and products)
www.advancedenergy.com (Regional business offering educational and consultation services on healthy home design and energy efficient design (and renovations)
www.buildingscience.com (Regional service offering educational information on healthy home renovation and new home design strategies)
www.homeenergypartners.com (Local service offering healthy home renovation services and HERS energy ratings)
www.hhinst.com (Healthy Home books by John and Lynn Marie Bower)
(Healthy Housing Renovation Planner)
www.epa.gov (US EPA indoor air division)
www.press.jhu.edu (My House Is Killing Me!, by Jeffrey C. May)
www.newsociety.com (The Sick House Survival Guide, by Angela Hobbs)
www.chelseagreen.com (Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, 7th Edition, by Alex Wilson, Jennifer Thorne and John Morrill)
www.dsireusa.org (DSIRE- Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy)
www.eeba.org (EEBA Builder’s Guide Series)
www.aspenpublishers.com (Energy Design Update, magazine on residential energy efficient design and construction)
www.energystar.gov (Energy Star website)
www.fsec.ucf.edu (Florida Solar Energy Center, some of the leading research on energy conservation and comfort in hot, humid climates)
www.jxj.com (Solar Energy House, 2nd Edition, By International Energy Association. Book outlines 15 experimental houses in a variety of climates)
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By: Cindy Meehan-Patton, Shelter Ecology
Answering the question "Why am I choosing to build green" is an important FIRST detail to consider in your conceptual design process or renovation plan of your home. This seems to be an easier question to ask for many people than it is to answer. It involves prioritizing the needs for you and your family, which can be difficult for many folks when it comes to implementing as many green building methods as possible!
Not all green building methods are compatible with each other so prioritizing is essential in the beginning of your design process. The focus of this article is the seeming incompatibility of Solar methods and Healthy Home methods. While solar design requires the most energy efficient strategies possible for a home, this is only part of the focus for the healthy home design.
For an allergy sensitive individual the priority for building green should be put on healthy home methods. For a less sensitive and more energy conscious individual, the priority should be put on solar design methods. What about the individual who wants to address both issues? Can the differences between these 2 building strategies be bridged?
As a healthy home consultant, let me try to answer this question as non-biased as possible by comparing a couple of ways that they conflict. Let’s start with the biggest one.
1. A successful Solar design requires the use of gas appliances and mechanical systems in order to keep the energy efficiency peaked and the Kilowatt load down. (Especially if using Photovoltaic systems.) Gas use in a healthy home is discouraged for a couple of reasons. The obvious being combustion related problems. The not so obvious is the smell of the gas or propane. These two fuels in their raw form (prior to resale) do not have the peculiar odor you smell when they are used in your home. This odor comes from a pesticide additive, which is supposed to alert you to leakage of the gases into your indoor air.
A question I have proposed to the state government is-Can the additive be eucalyptus or cinnamon, or some pleasant odor instead of a toxic chemical? If so, then I see that the bridge can be joined between these two building methods when it comes to appliance use.
When it comes to combustion issues, To minimize the negative effects of the byproducts in the indoor environment, all combustion appliances should be properly vented and inspected by a professional annually. Gas stoves should be vented outdoors with a proper exhaust fan, which should be used when cooking.
2. Solar design relies on natural ventilation (opening of windows) rather than mechanical ventilation (controlled air flow) for the same reasons as stated above- mechanical systems create a large Kilowatt load. WNC is a temperate rain forest. We are located in the extreme moisture belt rather than the mixed or moderate moisture belt. High humidity days are just as common as low humidity days in WNC.
High humidity air travels differently than low humidity (dry) air. Humid air, when traveling through a wall or window is not a fluid flowing air, but a heavy, slow flowing air. It travels to the nearest porous material and nestles in there like a sponge due to its high moisture content. So the idea of using a whole house fan as a channel for air to travel through the house, while your windows are left open- is not the most viable strategy for high humid climates.
If your windows are open on a typical spring, summer or early fall day when the outdoor humidity is above 60%, then the air in your home will also be above 60%. And as that slow air travels to the nearest building material (drywall, fabric, and carpet just to name a few), mold spores are created. For the allergy sensitive person, this is a health hazard.
Mechanical ventilation, used in healthy home design becomes the lungs of your home. It "breathes in" the "fresh" air needed to keep the oxygen and CO2 levels balanced in a tightly constructed design. It begins by filtering the air and in more advanced systems- dehumidifying the air before it is sent into the indoor environment. It also creates a comfort inside your home without the need to open the windows (to let the not so fresh air in). This system along with air conditioning is a vital component to creating a mold, moisture and toxin free home in Western North Carolina. The use of natural ventilation or breathable building materials in this area creates a breeding ground for mold and moisture.
These two conflicts should not prohibit a healthy home design from being energy efficient in any way. There are "super efficient" mechanical ventilation systems on the market (www.thermastor.com and www.venmar-ventilation.com). As a matter of fact there are super efficient electric appliances for almost every need in the home! One air conditioning system I have seen used in Solar home design is the ductless system known as Mr. Slim (www.mini-split.com) by Mitsubishi. This system could also be applicable to healthy home design if you are choosing to use radiant floor heat rather than ducted HVAC systems. Radiant heat can be energy efficient (if the rest of the envelope is tightly constructed) and it is a healthy heat as opposed to forced air, which has a tendency to aggravate upper respiratory conditions when ductwork is not properly installed or maintained. Radiant floor heat is often used in Solar design as well.
In conclusion, bridging the differences between these two green building methods can be done to some degree if the following steps are taken:
1. Prioritizing you and your families needs clearly,
2. Working with a green team, with experts who specialize in both methods, and
3. Being willing to compromise on making a part of your home’s system rely on Solar energy while giving precedence to the need for clean indoor air quality (mold, moisture, chemical, VOC and toxin free) for you and your family.
Some resources on energy efficient appliances, solar design and healthy home design are as follows (Please refer to the Listings section and Resources section of the Directory for more):
www.shelterecology.com (Local business offering healthy home design consultations and products)
www.advancedenergy.com (Regional business offering educational and consultation services on healthy home design and energy efficient design (and renovations)
www.buildingscience.com (Regional service offering educational information on healthy home renovation and new home design strategies)
www.homeenergypartners.com (Local service offering healthy home renovation services and HERS energy ratings)
www.hhinst.com (Healthy Home books by John and Lynn Marie Bower)
(Healthy Housing Renovation Planner)
www.epa.gov (US EPA indoor air division)
www.press.jhu.edu (My House Is Killing Me!, by Jeffrey C. May)
www.newsociety.com (The Sick House Survival Guide, by Angela Hobbs)
www.chelseagreen.com (Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, 7th Edition, by Alex Wilson, Jennifer Thorne and John Morrill)
www.dsireusa.org (DSIRE- Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy)
www.eeba.org (EEBA Builder’s Guide Series)
www.aspenpublishers.com (Energy Design Update, magazine on residential energy efficient design and construction)
www.energystar.gov (Energy Star website)
www.fsec.ucf.edu (Florida Solar Energy Center, some of the leading research on energy conservation and comfort in hot, humid climates)
www.jxj.com (Solar Energy House, 2nd Edition, By International Energy Association. Book outlines 15 experimental houses in a variety of climates)
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