Everyone knows what green building is, but with the continual rise in oil prices, do you know how to build super energy efficient buildings? These energy efficient buildings are super efficient, environmentally friendly, and are actually quite beautiful if built right.
One of these methods, which also happens to be my personal favorite, is cord wood, or stack wall building. This method uses 16 inch blocks of wood, hence the term cord wood, between 2 free standing masonry walls. The walls are super insulated using any type of insulation. A typical stack wall has an R factor exceeding 24.
In Stack wall construction it is not the R factor that is most important, it is how the wall “works”. The wall collects heat from the sun by day, and releases it on the inside when the dwelling begins to cool, thus lowering the heating costs. In the summer it acts in the opposite direction, thus lowering cooling costs.
Another favorite method of constructing super energy efficient housing is straw bail. Similar to the stack wall method bails of straw sit on two free standing mortar joints. The straw bail method obtains a minimum R factor of R-40. Again however it is the method of construction that is of higher importance than the R factors, although both methods generate quite high R factors.
Insulating with straw or rather saw dust in a stack wall increases the walls performance. These types of insulators typically generate heat through a process known as decomposition. Since heat moves away from cold, it stands to reason that the efficiency of the wall will be increased substantially.
Why build green you ask. There are a number of factors many of which are matters of opinion such as humans should live in harmony with their environment, or Living green is less mean. All of this aside the main reason to build green is the rising cost of oil. Super energy efficient walls will help us to wean ourselves from the need for foreign oil.
I got the opportunity to visit a super efficient self sustaining home located right here in Southern Indiana. Environmental controls were powered by solar and wind turbines, and was geothermal self sustaining heating and cooling system. He used long beds where he grew plants to filter the gray water from drains in his home. It was an excellent example of green living in the extreme.-JS
