Comments on: Energy Costs Surge in 2007 http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-building-green The World's Leader in Straw Bale Education Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:54:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Andrew http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-building-green/comment-page-1#comment-827 Andrew Wed, 19 Dec 2007 05:01:50 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-leed-certification-building-green#comment-827 Anne, Thank you for pointing this out. I did not intend to blast SF as I have heard a lot of great things coming from the city in regards to going green., This is true of many cities across the world and I am happy to see that happening. I guess I put out the negatives of what I know without addressing the positives. Sorry for that and thanks for pointing out the good things. Andrew Anne,
Thank you for pointing this out. I did not intend to blast SF as I have heard a lot of great things coming from the city in regards to going green., This is true of many cities across the world and I am happy to see that happening. I guess I put out the negatives of what I know without addressing the positives. Sorry for that and thanks for pointing out the good things.

Andrew

]]> By: Anne http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-building-green/comment-page-1#comment-825 Anne Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:55:26 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-leed-certification-building-green#comment-825 The historical problem in SF is as you describe it, and I have an office in one of those unbearable, hermetically sealed landmark buildings from the early '80s. But before you blast the city too hard, you might take a look at the new building policies and the new government buildings that are going up. Big changes happening, including natural light, natural ventilation, green roofs and passive solar gain. SF is trying hard to be part of the solution. Nearby Santa Rosa is in planning mode to take it's 10 public schools solar. The historical problem in SF is as you describe it, and I have an office in one of those unbearable, hermetically sealed landmark buildings from the early ’80s.

But before you blast the city too hard, you might take a look at the new building policies and the new government buildings that are going up. Big changes happening, including natural light, natural ventilation, green roofs and passive solar gain. SF is trying hard to be part of the solution.

Nearby Santa Rosa is in planning mode to take it’s 10 public schools solar.

]]> By: C Robb Worthington http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-building-green/comment-page-1#comment-821 C Robb Worthington Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:58:33 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-leed-certification-building-green#comment-821 Many buildings are simply not used wisely. The obvious user issues such as shutting down computers and servers as well as lights should be coupled with intelligent use of external blinds, common in Spain, and ventilation at appropriate times of the day. This can be automated but giving control to users is sometimes better if accompanied with training. For instance if you are too warm don't just open a window, turn off the heat first. Simple though perhaps expensive retrofits, windows that open and controllable heating units, may pay for themselves in the long run. Using the heat of server rooms to create airflow in the summer and re-using the same heat in the winter should be required when installing such facilities in older buildings that were not designed handle that kind of usage. Many buildings are simply not used wisely. The obvious user issues such as shutting down computers and servers as well as lights should be coupled with intelligent use of external blinds, common in Spain, and ventilation at appropriate times of the day. This can be automated but giving control to users is sometimes better if accompanied with training. For instance if you are too warm don’t just open a window, turn off the heat first. Simple though perhaps expensive retrofits, windows that open and controllable heating units, may pay for themselves in the long run. Using the heat of server rooms to create airflow in the summer and re-using the same heat in the winter should be required when installing such facilities in older buildings that were not designed handle that kind of usage.

]]> By: RavenBlack http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-building-green/comment-page-1#comment-762 RavenBlack Sat, 15 Dec 2007 16:18:06 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-leed-certification-building-green#comment-762 Bit of a nonsequitur to the office buildings isn't it? Straw bales wouldn't help at all with getting the heat from computers to go outside! There isn't really a very good cooling solution - heat pumps are probably the best you'll get with the technology of today. There have been occasional forays into the excellent idea of using heat pumps not only to get the heat out of the computer room, but also to put that heat into the hot water tanks and the like, for office buildings. One might also consider a crazy mix of heat pumps, einstein refrigerators and solar ovens. (Einstein refrigerators are powered by heat, so if you put the 'gets cold' end where you want cooling, the 'gets warm' end where you want or don't mind heating, and the 'power' end in the focus of a solar oven, you have free cooling. I've never been able to find the details of how many BTUs of cooling you can get under ordinary conditions with an Einstein fridge though, and it's basically just acting as a differently-powered heat-pump.) Bit of a nonsequitur to the office buildings isn’t it? Straw bales wouldn’t help at all with getting the heat from computers to go outside!

There isn’t really a very good cooling solution – heat pumps are probably the best you’ll get with the technology of today. There have been occasional forays into the excellent idea of using heat pumps not only to get the heat out of the computer room, but also to put that heat into the hot water tanks and the like, for office buildings.

One might also consider a crazy mix of heat pumps, einstein refrigerators and solar ovens. (Einstein refrigerators are powered by heat, so if you put the ‘gets cold’ end where you want cooling, the ‘gets warm’ end where you want or don’t mind heating, and the ‘power’ end in the focus of a solar oven, you have free cooling. I’ve never been able to find the details of how many BTUs of cooling you can get under ordinary conditions with an Einstein fridge though, and it’s basically just acting as a differently-powered heat-pump.)

]]> By: Scott M. http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-building-green/comment-page-1#comment-761 Scott M. Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:54:05 +0000 http://www.strawbale.com/climate-change-leed-certification-building-green#comment-761 Hi Andrew, A quick stroll through the new subdivisions being built near to us reveals that every house has an old-time front porch, or side porch, built on it. That's good - however, usually adjacent to the porch is a concrete pad w/ the neighbors AC heat exchanger. In the summer they're not only energy hogs (The houses could, for example, size their eaves appropriately to block out the high summer sun and reduce their cooling load) but they're also whirling, buzzing annoyances. If I can hear them from the sidewalk, I can't imagine sitting on the front porch, right next to them, trying to enjoy the evening breeze. Hi Andrew,

A quick stroll through the new subdivisions being built near to us reveals that every house has an old-time front porch, or side porch, built on it. That’s good – however, usually adjacent to the porch is a concrete pad w/ the neighbors AC heat exchanger. In the summer they’re not only energy hogs (The houses could, for example, size their eaves appropriately to block out the high summer sun and reduce their cooling load) but they’re also whirling, buzzing annoyances. If I can hear them from the sidewalk, I can’t imagine sitting on the front porch, right next to them, trying to enjoy the evening breeze.

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