Energy requirement reduction - Page 2

lucerne96 · 05-05-12, 06:38 PM

In Philadelphia, the GOV just gave $115 Million to a consortium of Universities to develop a "building science" research facility. They are at least 30 YEARS behind the Europeans, and looking in all the wrong places. They are looking at cloud computing wifi gizmos, NOT what really works --- Air sealing, super insulation, no thermal bridges + geothermal preheating of supply air + solar thermal (not hydronic).

We can't get past the failed LEED system. Any building built in the middle of a desert is BY DEFINITION unsustainable. Yet the new buildings in downtown Las Vegas have all been given LEED Platinum certification. This is the best our architectural community can do.

The German Passivhaus system is 5 to 7% increase in construction costs for 90% operating energy reduction. It is hard to beat that.

If we had any brains, the $115 M research center would pick up where PH is now; not starting with standard US construction which is ... sub-standard.

Has anyone noticed the recent pix of the homes in the midwest destroyed by tornadoes? They remind me of the buildings in 3 little pigs story. Go to Europe had see how their building are constructed. My daughter was in school last fall in a building in Austria which as 1,200 years old & uses about 4,000 BTU sq ft/ per year heating energy (wood pellet fired boiler). What we have is sad by comparison.

Has anyone noticed that China followed Canada is outlawing glass curtain wall construction because it is too energy inefficient? Do you think that will happen here in our lifetimes?

05-05-12, 06:38 PM	#11
lucerne96 Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: May 2012 Location: house Posts: 50 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	In Philadelphia, the GOV just gave $115 Million to a consortium of Universities to develop a "building science" research facility. They are at least 30 YEARS behind the Europeans, and looking in all the wrong places. They are looking at cloud computing wifi gizmos, NOT what really works --- Air sealing, super insulation, no thermal bridges + geothermal preheating of supply air + solar thermal (not hydronic). We can't get past the failed LEED system. Any building built in the middle of a desert is BY DEFINITION unsustainable. Yet the new buildings in downtown Las Vegas have all been given LEED Platinum certification. This is the best our architectural community can do. The German Passivhaus system is 5 to 7% increase in construction costs for 90% operating energy reduction. It is hard to beat that. If we had any brains, the $115 M research center would pick up where PH is now; not starting with standard US construction which is ... sub-standard. Has anyone noticed the recent pix of the homes in the midwest destroyed by tornadoes? They remind me of the buildings in 3 little pigs story. Go to Europe had see how their building are constructed. My daughter was in school last fall in a building in Austria which as 1,200 years old & uses about 4,000 BTU sq ft/ per year heating energy (wood pellet fired boiler). What we have is sad by comparison. Has anyone noticed that China followed Canada is outlawing glass curtain wall construction because it is too energy inefficient? Do you think that will happen here in our lifetimes? Last edited by lucerne96; 05-05-12 at 06:41 PM..