Restoring History – Protecting Our Future

“What use is a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” – Thoreau

by Matt Grocoff, founder Greenovation.TV, contributor to The Environment Report on Public Radio, and the greenovation guru for Old House Web

The full article is available on OLD HOUSE WEB

When my wife Kelly and I bought our 110 year old Folk-Victorian home in Ann Arbor’s Old West Side Historic District, it was a dream come true: drafty old windows, lead paint, zero insulation, a half-century old furnace, asbestos siding, a gas powered mower in the shed and even a few pieces of coal scattered around the back yard. What more could a couple ask for?

From the start we knew that homes use an astonishing 22% of energy consumed in the U.S. In fact, your home uses far more energy than your car. Home energy costs have skyrocketed to an average of $2200 per year. Old homes use even more than their fair share of the energy pie. . . .

But using resources to build big new “green” homes to save resources just seems ironic. There are 130 million existing homes in the U.S.; half were built before 1972.

So, retrofitting America’s old homes is not just about preserving history, it is indeed about protecting our future.

READ MATT’S FULL ARTICLE AT OLD HOUSE WEB

And . . . here’s helpful resources you must explore before starting your Mission Zero:

One Block Off the Grid http://1bog.org/

Joolze.com http://www.joolze.com/

Transcript

Matt: [at front of old Victorian house] Hi, I’m Matt Grocoff, the green renovation expert for Old House Web and host of greenovation.tv and this is my house.  So when my wife Kelly and I first bought this 110 year old folk Victorian house, it was a dream come true: it had lead paint, asbestos siding, zero insulation and even an old gas powered lawn mower out in the shed.  What more can anybody ask for.

Matt: [in living room] So on move in day we brought two things with us:  a crowbar to rip up all the old carpet and a box of compact fluorescent light bulbs.  We replaced every light socket in this house with compact fluorescents and then we added motion sensors to every light switch in the house.  We leave a room, if we forget to turn it off, it turns it off for us.

Matt: [in bathroom] So at the start of our renovation project, this was the only bathroom in the house.  It was fantastic.  It had pink Formica tiles, an old flush toilet that flushed 5 gallons every time.  This is a Caroma Dual Flush Toilet which only uses .8 gallons every flush and unlike our old toilet never clogs.  But not only have we made it look great, but we’ve made it way more energy efficient.

This is a 1-minute a gallon showerhead.  This is going to use a gallon and a half a minute less than an ordinary showerhead.  This will literally save thousands of gallons over its lifetime.

Matt: [backyard drilling for geothermal] I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say “I thought you couldn’t put geothermal into a historic house.”  Well this house proves that wrong.  We were able to put three 150-foot bore holes vertically into the back yard on a very small piece of property.  Not only do we have a heating and cooling system that uses half the energy of our neighbors, we have a house that’s a whole lot more comfortable.

Matt: [in living room] We’re out to prove that old houses can be the Greenest houses. In fact, with all the renovations we’ve done so far, we’ve made this house ultra efficient and we’ve got a ways to go.  We’re going to take this house all the way to Net Zero.  Meaning it’s going to produce more energy than it uses.

Matt: [at the computer] So you eco geeks, get ready to get geeked out because this is our WattVision Google Power Meter.  And this will tell us how much energy we’re consuming at any given moment.  If everyone knew how much energy they were using, they would probably use a lot less.  [I'm coming to get you, I got you, I got you] Before we get the solar panels up on the roof, you can see we’ve got a lot of work to do.

Matt: [pointing to house exterior] We’ve got to paint the house, restore these old windows, then top it off with some really energy efficient storm windows.  My daughter Jane will probably still be alive when this house turns 200 years old.  So restoring America’s old homes is not just about preserving history, it’s about protecting our future.   So for Old House Web, this is Matt Grocoff reminding you that, “The Green Revolution Begins at Home”

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Check out the house’s website at www.MissionZeroHouse.com

America’s oldest Net Zero Energy residential restoration

Michigan’s first Net Zero Energy house

America’s first Net Zero home restoration in a historic district

What is Net-Zero Energy?

A Net-Zero Energy Home (also called Zero Energy Home) is a home that produces as much or more energy than the occupants consume.  This is accomplished by first reducing energy demand, typically by 60% – 70%, then meeting that demand by adding on-site renewable energy.

www.MissionZeroHouse.com

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Case Study: Window Restoration & Energy Efficiency for 110 Year Old Net Zero Home

By Nick Helmholdt
Read more at Old House Web: Save Big Bucks By Restoring Your Old Windows and Making Them Energy Efficient

Founders of www.Greenovation.TV, Matt & Kelly Grocoff own a 110 year-old home in Ann Arbor’s Old West Side Historic District. The Grocoff’s Folk-Victorian home includes sixteen original, single pane, wood frame windows. They knew that the windows were a major source of cold, wintry drafts that made the house uncomfortable. GreenovationTV and Clean Energy Coalition (CEC) were interested in understanding how repairs to original wood windows would affect air infiltration in old homes. CEC agreed to perform blower door tests before and after the repairs to his windows.

The original blower door test was conducted with the windows in their original state of disrepair. The sashes of several windows refused to close completely and in some cases the original hardware was missing or damaged. The blower door measured air leakage of 4,400 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) at 50 Pascals. This rate of air flow was equivalent to leaving a 241 square inch window open year round (that is the size of a rectangular opening 1’ x 1’8”). Under normal conditions, just over 100% of the air in the Grocoff’s house was replaced with outdoor air every hour. These figures describe a house that has high, uncontrolled air infiltration.

A second blower door test was performed after the wood window repairs were completed by Lorri Sipes & Maggie Hostetler Wood Window Repair Company in Ann Arbor, MI. The repairs included re-glazing the original single pane glass, repairing any damage to the wood sashes, installing bronze spring weather-stripping on both jambs (Image 1), cutting a kerf (saw-cut) and installing silicone tube seals (Image 2) in the head of the upper sash, at the meeting rail of the lower sash, and at the sill of the lower sash. The hardware was repaired or replaced and adjusted to draw the two sashes tightly together, push the top sash up, and the lower sash down, effectively sealing both sashes all the way around.

This second test revealed a substantial reduction in air infiltration. The blower door measured air leakage of 1,530 CFM at 50 Pa. By comparison, the effective leakage area was 84 square inches (a rectangular opening 1’ x 7”). Now under normal conditions, 35% of the air in the Grocoff’s house should be replaced with outdoor air every hour. Effectively 65% of the air infiltration was eliminated by the repairs to the original 110 year old wood windows, and the addition of two types of weather- stripping.

The Grocoffs also had low-e storm windows installed to replace the wood-framed versions that came with the house. The low- emissivity (low-e) coating on these storm windows reflects heat back to its origin: to the outdoors in the summer and indoors in the winter. A third blower door test was performed and again air infiltration was reduced noticeably; down to 1,330 CFM at 50 Pa. This resulted in an effective leakage area of 73 square inches (an opening 1’ x 6”). The combined effect of the storm windows and the repaired windows resulted in a 69.8% reduction in air leakage.

It is clear that the wood window repairs performed here resulted in an impressive air infiltration reduction. This case should be evidence that repairs to windows may be a potential energy-saving measure to consider for homes in historic areas. What’s more, the storm windows were able to further reduce infiltration by a noticeable fraction.

Resources:
Wood Window Repair Company in Ann Arbor:
Trapp Storm Windows:
Robertson’s Storm & Screen in Ann Arbor:
Clean Energy Coalition

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by Lester Graham (transcript from radio story on The Environment Report)

When you’re planning a home improvement project, you can be overwhelmed with decisions about the right materials, the right quality, and the right design. Trying to keep it eco- friendly on top of everything else just adds to the confusion. Lester Graham reports it can be as simple as finding a label:

Julia Weinert and her boyfriend like the idea of making their place nice, but even something as simple as painting causes concerns.

Look for Forest Stewardship Council for sustainably harvested wood

LG: “Well, you’re in luck. We’re at the local Home Depot and we just happen to have Greenovation.TV’s Matt Grocoff here. Matt, you’ve got some advice for her.”

MG: “And it’s really, really simple. When you’re trying to find a paint that’s healthy for you or another product, you shouldn’t have to be a chemist when you go to the store. There’s a really simple thing you can look for. Just look for the simple GREENGUARD label. GREENGUARD is an independent organization that lets you know with a simple label that that product is safe for you.”

So, none of the really strong paint smells that mean polluting chemicals are being released. GREENGUARD Environmental Institute sets indoor air standards for products and buildings. Julia and I sniffed a can of paint WITH the GREENGUARD label, and then one without.

LG: “I’ll let you sniff first.”

JW: Okay. Oh! Yeah! Oh my gosh! That is ridiculous. I mean, it smells so much stronger than this one. You can’t even smell that one compared to this one.”

A gallon of paint with the GREENGUARD label DOES cost a few dollars more, maybe as much as ten bucks.

Matt then herded us to another part of the store, the plumbing section, where Julia and I were confronted by all kinds of shiny chrome and brass faucets.

Greenguard establishes acceptable product standards for building materials, interior furnishings, cleaners, electronics and children’s products

JW: “There’s a whole wall, a whole aisle of faucets here and I just don’t know which ones to look for.”

LG: “So, Matt. You got any fancy labels here?”

MG: “Absolutely. Again, if you’re looking for that eco-friendly option, a way to save yourself some money and some water, it’s simple. Just look for the WaterSense label. The EPA does EnergyStar labels for appliances. The EPA also does WaterSense label for plumbing fixtures.”

WaterSense means the fixture – whether a faucet, shower head or toilet – will use less water but still works well.

As we wandered over to the lumber section of the store, Matt told us the last label he wanted to show us is the most ignored label – and it might just be the most important one.

MG: “FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council. And what that means is they’ve made a commitment that they’re not going to be tearing down forest and clear-cutting them in order for you to build some bookshelves in your home. This is one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gases is that we don’t have these forests capturing this carbon any more. Instead of having to have a PhD in forest management, you can just simply look for a piece of wood that has an FSC label on it.”

So, labels. Julia says, works for her.

JW: “It’s going to be great, taking my boyfriend around the store and showing him all these cool things I can get to make our home improvements a little more cheap and environmentally-friendly.”

LG: “Alright remind me, go over this again. What am I supposed to be looking for?”

MG: “It’s very simple. If you’re looking for paint, look for GREENGUARD. For plumbing, WaterSense. For lumber, FSC, Forest Stewardship Council certified.”

LG: “That’s Matt Grocoff, Greenovation.TV. Thanks again, Matt.

MG: “Lester, it’s always a pleasure. Thank you.”

For The Environemnt Report, I’m Lester Graham.

TRUST THESE LABELS:

Energy Star – means it’s energy efficient

WaterSense – means it’s water efficient

FSC Forest Stewardship Council – means you can trust that it didn’t come from a forest that was clear cut

Greenguard / Green Seal / for healthy indoor air quality (read the warning labels and compare)

Cradle to Cradle – means it uses environmentally safe and healthy materials; design for material reutilization, such as recycling or composting; the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency; efficient use of water, and maximum water quality associated with production; and instituting strategies for social responsibility.

SCS / Scientific Certification Systems

Consumer Reports on Eco-Labels: http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels

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200-year-old house undergoes massive green renovation.

After playing a colorful role in America’s early years, a Salem, Mass., house has made history again, thanks to a two-year renovation that resulted in its certification as one of the first LEED-certified National Historic Landmarks.

The federal-style house was built in 1811 for Joseph Story, the youngest person ever appointed to the Supreme Court, and it later served as home to the Vaughan family, whose members made significant contributions to early aviation and to Antarctic exploration as part of Admiral Richard Byrd’s 1928 South Pole expedition.  Read the full article at EcoHome

Learn more about this green remodel at www.greenremodeling.org

Learn about more historic green homes at www.OldHouseWeb.com

The Joseph Story House in Salem, Massachusetts - Credit: Wikimedia Commons CC 3.0

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via The White House

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Larry Laseter, president of Efficiency First Capitol Circle member Masco Home Services, joined Barack Obama in Savannah, Ga., on Tuesday as the President delivered a speech outlining details of the proposed HOME STAR efficiency retrofit program. Here is a video released by the White House that shows a brief behind-the-scenes conversation between Larry Laseter and President Obama:

“We’re in the business of doing this now, and just like the GOLD STAR program, we actually guarantee their first year of energy savings” Laseter told the President. “That’s the beauty of this, is we know these technologies are proven, and with this bill, it will jump-start thousands of jobs.”

via Efficiency First

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Builder groups in Indiana and Minnesota offer two different models for success for states with lagging efforts.
By: John Caulfield via EcoHome

After a slow start, the Indiana Builders Association in recent weeks has been “ramping up” its program to weatherize low-income housing and, in the process, create remodeling jobs. Builder-members participating in this effort are now weatherizing about 150 homes per week, and sometime this summer the HBA expects to meet its goal of weatherizing 3,300 units, says CEO Rick Wajda.

Indiana awarded the association $21 million of the $130 million the state received from what the federal government allocated for weatherization from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. However, through Feb. 16, Indiana had completed just less than 5%—974 out of 19,736—of the housing units it plans to weatherize under this grant. And that’s nowhere near the worst performance among all states, according to a progress report on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program, which went into effect a year ago.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

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Find other homes, or monitor your own, at www.Wattvision.com

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by Jennifer Eschelbach, EnHouse – GreenovationTV Contributing Writer

When it comes to improving the efficiency of your windows, replacement is helpful but is not always the most cost effective solution.  Replacement windows can cost between $500 per window for cheap (and worthless) vinyl to $1,000 per window for high end (and far more efficient) Pella or Anderson brands.

Several simple remedies can help improve the efficiency and comfort level in your home. Windows were originally designed to look good while letting in the light and the view. But old windows are lousy at keeping your home cozy. Please don’t fret . . . there are easy ways to improve the efficiency of your existing windows.

If you’ve got really old windows with sash weights, watch this video from This Old House to learn how to use a “spring balance” to replace that sash weight and leave room to add insulation in your window cavity.

In the meantime, check out these ridiculously easy and cheap solutions to make your windows a little more friendly this winter.

Solution #1: Window Treatments:  Cost $0 (if you use your existing shades)

Window treatments are one of the cheapest ways to modestly improve efficiency.  Keeping shades open can reduce the need for artificial lighting.  But window dressings can also be used to reduce heat loss in the winter (at night), and heat gain in the summer (during the day).

Common energy-saving window treatments include interior blinds, draperies and shades. Interior blinds, either either horizontal or vertical, are a good choice because the slats can be used to control light and ventilation. However, this option is most effective in the summer months for reducing heat gain.

Draperies are effective during heating and cooling seasons, though their effectiveness is dependent on color and fabric. During the summer months, drapes should remain closed during the day to prevent heat gain. In the winter months, close all of your drapes at night.  During the day, close any drapes that don’t receive any daylight to reduce heat loss. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, closing drapes during cold months can reduce heat loss in a room by up to 10%.

Shades are another valuable tool to combat both heat loss and heat gain. In the summer, lower shades on sunlit windows to reduce heat gain, and in the winter raise shades on the south side of the house during the day and lower them all at night. Dual shades which have one highly reflective side and one absorbing side, are extremely effective, because they can be reversed with the seasons. The reflective side should always face the warmest side, out during the summer and in during the winter. Utilizing window treatments is a good first step toward maximizing the efficiency of your windows.

Solution #2: Caulk: Cost $5

Products such as caulk, rope caulk and window insulation kits may also improve efficiency. Use caulk and rope caulk to seal air leaks in and around windows. Caulk is a lasting solution for sealing cracks and gaps that are about one-quarter-inch wide.

For a more flexible remedy, rope caulk can be applied in the winter and easily removed in the summer. Rope caulk can be used to seal airflow in window tracks, seals and any other drafty spots.

You can easily add some insulation to old windows that have sash weights.  Check out this video from This Old House to find out how.

Solution #3: Insulation Kits: Cost $11.99

Finally, you can add a second layer of glazing to the inside of your windows with a plastic window insulation kit. By adding a buffer against drafts and extra sill air space you can cut down on heat loss and boost your home’s ability to hold heat. If installed and removed carefully, window insulation kits can be reused for several years.

Windows add to the character and appeal of a space. Replacing them can be costly and unnecessary. Before deciding to invest in replacement windows, try these tips to improve efficiency. Consider what the payback might be for replacing windows, and make an informed decision.

WHERE TO BUY:

Insulating shades:

Rope Caulk:

Window Insulation Kits:

Jennifer Eschelbach is a GreenovationTV Contributing Writer and in charge of outreach for the The Environmental House Energy & Green Building Resource Center (EnHouse) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  The EnHouse is a comprehensive resource and touring facility dedicated to furthering the causes of green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Jennifer is currently working on her second bachelors degree from Eastern Michigan University in Urban and Regional Planning.  She loves the smell of energy efficiency in the morning.

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Listen to our Greenovation segment on the Environment Report on NPR

Even as the ice cream melts on your countertop and the fire hydrants are whistling for the dogs, there is a way to keep your house cool without using your air conditioner.  Stick a big ass fan in your attic.  A whole-house fan can save you some serious money and still keep you comfortable.

So you’re turning in for the night and the thermostat reads 80 degrees.  But the outside temperature has dropped to 68.  You’re just throwing money away if you turn on the a/c just to cool your house to 72.

Why use a whole house fan?

A whole house fan is a simple and inexpensive method of cooling your house. The fan draws cool outdoor air inside through open windows and exhausts hot indoor air through the attic to the outside.  Running a whole house fan whenever outdoor temperatures are lower than indoor temperatures will cool your house.

In summer, the air inside a home is heated during the hot part of the day. During the morning, late evening, and night, the outside air is often cooler and can be used to replace the inside air.  As daytime temperatures rise, the whole house fan can be turned off.

What are the benefits?

A whole house fan can be used as the sole means of cooling or to reduce the need for air conditioning. If both methods of cooling are present, seasonal use of the whole house fan (during spring and fall) may yield the optimum combination of comfort and cost.

Costs less to buy

• Purchase cost for a whole house fan = $150 – $650
• Purchase cost for a window unit a/c = $250 – $800
• Purchase cost of central a/c = $2,500 – $7,000

Costs less to operate

You lose money every time you turn on the a/c when you can bring in cooler outside temperatures for practically free.

• Central a/c = $0.15 – $0.43 per hour
• Window a/c = $0.18 – $0.52 per hour
• Whole house fan = a penny to a nickel per hour

Drawbacks

A whole house fan does a great job of bringing in cool outside air.  But, it can also bring in humidity, dust and pollen (and of course the smell of your friendly neighborhood skunk – but that’s how you know your fan is working) .  If you suffer from allergies, you can install allergy screens in your windows and still benefit from a whole house fan.

Selecting a whole house fan

• FAN SPEED. A two-speed fan permits the entire house to be ventilated quickly on high speed (such as when the occupants first arrive at home) and then provides gentle air circulation at the lower, quieter speed. A variable speed unit offers more flexibility in selecting the desired air movement.

• CONTROL OPTIONS. Control may be a simple on/off pull or wall switch, a multi-speed rotary wall switch, or a timer that automatically shuts off the fan at pre-selected time intervals.

• LOUVERS. Dampers or louvers typically operate automatically whenever the fan is on. Motorized dampers are available but are not necessary if the louvers are correctly installed and maintained.

• MOTOR MOUNTS AND NOISE. A direct drive unit has its fan blades attached directly to the motor shaft. This type of unit is usually less expensive to buy and operates at a higher speed than its belt-driven counterpart. A belt-driven unit typically features a motor driving a slowermoving, larger-diameter fan with four or more blades. It may be quieter, but will require maintenance of the pulley and belt.

Sizing a whole house fan

Determining the amount of airflow in cubic feet per minute (cfm) that the whole house fan should provide involves a simple calculation. Multiply the total gross square footage of the house (include upstairs area) by the ceiling height (typically 8 feet). Select a fan that delivers between one-half to one time that amount of cfm at 0.1″ static pressure. For example, a 25′ x 40′ one-story home is 1,000 square feet and would need an 8 x 1,000 x 1/2 = 4,000 cfm fan or better. A two-speed unit that delivers 4,500 cfm at the high setting (240 watts) and 3,200 cfm at low (120 watts) should be adequate.

Whole House Fan Installation – Do It Yourself

USE “H” BRACKETS TO PROVIDE PROPER SUPPORT. When installing a whole house fan, be sure to provide proper support and seal the unit into the rough opening in the ceiling. Never cut a truss chord; wooden “H” brackets installed between the trusses create a framed box to raise the fan above the truss system. The louvers must be able to open and close freely and care must be taken to prevent binding or misalignment. A fan with a 34″ base (30″ blade) will work with the dimensions shown in the diagram at left.

BUILD AN ATTIC-SIDE BOX COVER. A typical whole house fan has a 30″ diameter blade with a sheet metal cowling of 31″ to allow for blade clearance. An attic-side box cover may be constructed from a 4′ x 4′ piece of 1″ rigid fiberglass duct board. The box will be 33″ square with 1″ thick walls (inside dimension of 31″ x 31″). It will be 61/2″ deep. Adjust dimensions to actual fan size.

Note:  For a bit more money, you can find models with motorized automatic insulated doors to provide an air tight seal between the attic and living area when the unit is not in operation.

TIPS AND CONCERNS

Seal penetrations and vent attic.  Caulk all penetrations between the attic and living space, such as electrical boxes for ceiling light fixtures, loose attic hatches, large cutouts for plumbing vents, exposed beams, and recessed lights. A whole house fan creates a positive pressure in the attic; it is important that air from the attic is not forced back into the living space through cracks and gaps.

A guideline for sufficient attic vent area is one square foot of net-free vent area per 750 cfm of fan airflow. Continuous ridge and soffit vents are usually more than adequate. Vents with insect screens may have a net-free area equivalent to one-half of the total open area, depending upon the size of the holes in the screen area. Insulation should be installed directly against the fan box frame. Blown-in insulation may require the sides of the fan box to be raised (with baffles) to prevent interference.

AVOID BACKDRAFTS. Care should be taken to avoid backdrafting combustion appliances that are installed in the conditioned space. It is strongly recommended that combustion appliances NOT be installed in such a manner that they use room air for combustion. A whole house fan is capable of pulling large quantities of air from the home and, particularly if not enough windows are open, may easily backdraft a water heater located inside a louvered closet door.

Whole House Fan (PDF: 236k)

Click here to find where to buy a whole house fan

Article adapted from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Program. and Southface Energy Institute

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