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Green architecture key to nationwide energy savings
January 18, 2016
When it comes to energy efficiency in the U.S., many people point to automotive carbon dioxide emissions as ground zero. It's a fair point – according to the EPA, between 1990 and 2012, the transportation sector of all carbon emissions in the U.S. But in the realm of overall energy consumption, another industry is even higher.
The buildings sector – both residential and commercial – of energy consumption in 2010, according to data from the Department of Energy. Those energy sources consist of coal, natural gas, petroleum, nuclear and renewables. Regardless of the source, building owners would be better served if they could conserve as much energy as possible without sacrificing comfort or aesthetics.
As it turns out, there are reliable, modern techniques that materials architects can rely upon to help reduce the amount of energy consumed by the buildings industry in the U.S. New buildings outfitted with air and moisture barrier systems and help maintain a comfortable interior by preventing unwanted airflow and heat transfer.
For builders, zero is the magic number
Net-zero homes – those that produce at least as much electricity as they use – are nothing new. However, only recently have they emerged as something for the supremely wealthy, reported The Wall Street Journal. That prior perception is not unwarranted, as net-zero homes often are expensive to build. But a few architects have made a push to bring the net-zero building to the mainstream.
These pioneers are driven by increasing demand, both from individual consumers and by way of increasing regulations regarding building emissions. With that said, the market is not yet to the point where every home and business owner is clamoring for a net-zero project. But some of that could be influenced simply by letting consumers know what is available.
Net-zero price point on the decline
As it stands, a net-zero house is still out of the price range for many. But where it was once the solely available to multi-millionaires, developers are working on homes that would appeal to upper-middle income families. Blue Heron Design/Build LLC told The Wall Street Journal it could build net-zero homes at a cost of around $700,000 – not low-income housing, but certainly more affordable than the designer homes that net-zero had become associated with.
"Net-zero is technologically and financially solved," C.R. Herro, vice president of environmental affairs at Meritage, explained to the WSJ. "It's now a matter of the consumer catching up to that potential. That's probably another three years."
In addition, the cost of energy-efficient systems has fallen in recent years as technology and installation methods improve. For example, solar-power systems' average installation cost has declined by 50 percent since 2010. and similar systems provide financial benefits that help offset the initial cost.
While zero is difficult to achieve, many builders that seek energy neutrality will, at the very least, greatly reduce energy consumption. Last year, the Department of Energy certified a mere 370 homes as net-zero. But another 14,500 fell just short of net-zero specifications. For now, even the attempt at net-zero will yield significant energy savings.
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