Webbing--geothermal

Geothermal contractors are available in Atlanta and Macon.  I did some research on geosaves.com which is the website for Geothermal Energy Solutions, a geothermal contractor, located in Atlanta Georgia. 
How does geothermal work?  The system uses the average 55 degree temp of the earth to heat and cool the home.  The water that the system uses is located five or more feet below the surface.  It is much more efficient for a system to warm 55 degrees to 68 degrees than warming 35 degrees to 68 degrees.  Also consider cooling, a traditional system has to cool the outside 100 degree air to 72 degrees where a geothermal system has an average of 55 degrees to work with.  Geothermal is 50%-70% more efficient than HVAC systems. The initial price of geothermal is more than with traditional HVAC, but with the tax incentives offered, plus the monthly utility bill savings the price difference is not as large.  There are one-time federal (30%) and state ($2,000 in GA) tax credits for homeowners who install geothermal systems.  The EPA reports that geothermal systems have the lowest environmental impact compared to many other HVAC systems.
I really think this is worth doing not only for the environment, but for the pocketbook.
Qualitysmith.com helps me understand a little better about the cost of a geothermal system.  The website talks about the average home, but doesn't say the size of the average home.  I want to build a house around 1800 sq.ft.  According to qualitysmith.com an average home needs three tons of heating capacity.  Each ton of heating capacity costs $2500. which adds up to $7500.  BUT, there is drilling involved that costs extra.  The geothermal systems need wells or trenches for the piping that will access the 55 degree water.  There are two types of loops to choose from, open or closed.  Based on the website I'm looking at $1,000-$2,000 for the drilling and piping in addition to the $7,500.  Total could be $9,500.  This is in comparison to the $4,000 for a heat pump system, and we all know how well they don't work. Bottom line, if the cost of the geothermal is financed in with the mortgage over 30 years the payment would be about $30 more per month.  All of this goes without taking into consideration the tax incentives and tax credits.  After its all said and done the up front cost would be about the same, but the monthly power bill would be less than traditional and 50%-70%  more efficient.  If I do decide to use solar panels this would be even better because the efficiency of the system would aid in the efficiency of the solar panels.

Webbing continued once more

After thinking about the exterior walls I feel like the ICF's are my best bet.  I really want a natural stone exterior and I think this would be the best framing to get that stone.  Plus, with ICF's I don't have to worry about insulation!  When I do build I would like to check into using recycled concrete to decrease the amount of CO2  produced. 
So after a lot of researching (webbing) and pondering I have my framing (ICF's), insulation (part of ICF's), and siding (stone) decisions made. WOOHOO-it wasn't as difficult as I thought.  Now, I need to figure out about heating and cooling (HVAC) and solar panels.

Webbing continued again

I found a new website--goodtobegreen.com.  There is so much information on this website.  I really like the list that shows the "green" exterior wall options.  Please see below.
1. Advanced Framing (I have never heard of this before, but I want to check into this later because I also want to build a barn that is like the ones that were built a long time ago, you know made from wood and painted red with a little hay loft.  I know I am a dreamer, there is no telling what that would cost, but maybe we could build a small one   ; )
      a. eliminates the use of wood by 30% in walls
      b. more area for insulation
      c. improved energy performance
      d. negative--advanced framing still puts a strain on our forest resources.
2. Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF)
       a. forms that are blocks or panels that interlock
       b. these forms are filled with concrete
       c. forms provide insulation and sound barrier
       d. forms also provide a backing for interior drywall and exterior sides, bricks, or stucco.
       e. high thermal mass which protect the interior from extreme exterior conditions (hot or cold)
       f. 25%-50% energy savings
       g.  little or no maintenance
       h. recycled concrete is available for use
       i. negative--additions and expansions can be difficult with ICF's
       j. negative--the production of cement produces CO2
3. Engineered Wood
       a. Engineered wood is made from chippings of small dimension fast growing timber(I'm thinking of particle board)
       b. this fast growing timber, Aspen and Poplar, reduces the need for old growth timber
       c. flawed wood can also be recycled into engineered wood
       d. negative--glue used to hold the chippings together could pose health risks
       e. negative--difficult to recycle
4. Steel
       a. typically 25% recycled content in steel framing, but 100% recycled product is available
       b. can be recycled
       c. negative--major heat loss through steel studs
       d. negative--cannot be used for the exterior walls without insulated foam sheeting
5. Structural Insulated Panels (SIP)
        a. panels have a foam insulation core surrounded by oriented strand board (OSB), or agriculture fiber cores like wheat straw
        b. very little air leakage
        c. SIP are efficient and strong
        d. negative--non-formaldehyde polyurethane binders must be used to prevent off gassing
        e. negative--petrochemical-based cores should be avoided (I don't think I want e or d in my house!)

Okay, I have a lot to think about.  I guess webbing will continue again soon.

WEBBING continued

I checked out the website greenbuildingadvisor.com and learned a lot about wall systems.  Exterior walls need to support the floors, walls, and roof, but they also protect the inside of your home.  Wood frame walls are the most used form of exterior wall and according to the Green Building Advisor masonry walls are way behind in the choice of home builders (my guess is because of the $). Even though we can't see inside our walls the products we choose will be a part of the house as long as its there and a part of our lives as long as we live there.
I keep seeing the acronym LEED. What does LEED mean?  It stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  This is a residential green building program.
I decide to do a little more research so I can understand all these acronyms that are floating around.  I go to the website USGBC.org which stands for U.S. Green Building Council.  This nonprofit organization offers certification, workshops, reference guides, green building research, and newsletters.  LEED certifications shows that the building was built in a way that follows the sustainable green building practices required to be LEED certified.
LEED has certification fro neighborhood development, commercial interiors, core and shell, new construction, schools, health care, and retail.  Pretty cool huh?  USGBC offers a book this a LEED for homes reference guide.  This book is $100.00.  I don't think I'm going to buy this now.  There is a FAQ for homeowners--http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3912.  Oh by the way don't think all this certification stuff is free!  $300 for non-members and $225 for members to have their home LEED certified.  This website also has a checklist, but I can't open it on my computer.  All of this information is great, but I want to read about products and prices.  There is a lot of information, but to me its a little haphazard.  I guess that is why most people use an experienced contractor.

Webbing

Exterior walls are my first webbing task.  I don't know if any of you remember but I really like the idea of having stone exterior walls.  Well, unfortunately they aren't very common.  I have seen lots of homes with stone accents, but not many newer homes with the entire exterior walls constructed of stone.  To give you an idea of what I'm talking about consider the buildings located in Indian Springs (Jackson, Ga).  These stones were quarried from the Stone Mountain area.  Monticello even has several building built from those same type granite stones.  I am going to try to get a picture of this great house that I have always loved.  This house actually looks a lot like what I want in my home one day.  Anyway, it has been a challenge to figure out about the stone so I think I am just going to assume that the exterior wall system needs to be able to support stone because that is really what I want.  My contractor friend assures me that the stone veneer will look great! 

Wondering

There are so many questions associated with green home building!  Its overwhelming because there are many different opinions on what is best, but one criteria I MUST meet is affordability.  Green can be very expensive!  Take solar panels for example, we live in a great region for solar energy, but because of the price tag there are very few solar powered homes. 
This list covers the areas I plan on researching, but who knows what new questions I will have during the process.

• exterior walls
• insulation
• heat
• air conditioning
• solar panels

Exterior walls:  Should I use a stone exterior wall because of its ability to hold in heat and cool?  Is it affordable?  I definitely love the look of stone exterior, and it is low maintenance which is great.  I spoke with a contractor who suggested using real stone veneer.  This product is real stone but its only about an inch thick instead of being a regular rock.  This sounds interesting and may even be something my husband and I could do ourselves to save money on labor.  One question I forgot to ask the contractor, What type of trim would I use on the exterior and how would I connect it to the stone?  I have a feeling my contractor friend may get tired of me during my inquiry. : )
Insulation: There are lots of different choices for insulation.  I definitely want insulation in the exterior and interior walls.  What kind of insulation should I use?  I want it to be a green natural product so it won't emit any harmful gas.
Heat and A/C: I watched an interesting show on geothermal heating and cooling.  This type installation is not very common around here yet, but I did find some online in Atlanta.  The tv show made it sound very expensive, but that has been a couple of years ago so maybe there is more information and lower prices.
Solar Panels: To live on the grid or off the grid.  Hummm, I think it would be really cool to be self sufficient and get a check from the power company each month, but is the initial price and the price of upkeep less than the savings.  I really want to find out how solar panels work and what the day to day upkeep involves.  There is a solar power company in Mansfield, Ga  that I am planning on visiting, I'm sure they can answer all my questions.

I have a lot of questions so far and very few answers!

Inquiry Project

I am very interested in "green" home building.  I hope to one day build a home that is built from "green" and energy efficient products.  This blog is my opportunity to research and record my findings in the green home building market.  Hopefully, this information will help me and my husband make good choices when we finally get to build our dream home.