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Heatwave Furnace — A new type of heating system for your home

May 7th, 2012

There is a new furnace on the market that has very intriguing possibilities. When I was at the GreenLiving Show last month, I toured the mock-up R-house which had been on display at the National Home Show earlier in the year. The technology that caught my attention was the HeatWave furnace by Dyna Current. According to the rep. I spoke with, this furnace will produce heat at about half the cost of wood, propane, oil or traditional electric heat. In other words, it’s about the cost of natural gas, but if you live in an area where you don’t have that option, you are limited to the other heating methods.

The HeatWave furnace is a very flexible system; It comes in three sizes and two different models: one system is used with radiant hydronic heating, and one is used with forced air. Further, because there is no combustion involved at the source, the parts need very little maintenance. The system is flexible, it can be used with either DC or AC electricity. Using DC is recommended for furnaces because it is more energy efficient than AC. It can also be used to heat your hot water.  The forced air system comes with a fan with multiple speeds, which means in the summer you can crank it up, delaying the use of air conditioners. The rep also told me that the company is currently working on an air conditioning unit to work with the system.

Because the system works off direct current electricity, it could, in theory, be hooked up to an array of solar panels. However, the system needs 6 kW of electricity to run, so you’d need a pretty big array to power it.

Cost (Note prices are as of May, 2012, according to Dyna Current’s website):

Forced Air

DynaCurrent HeatWave FA1 $4,995 plus installation (heats 1000-1800 sq. ft.*)

DynaCurrent HeatWave FA2 $5,895 plus installation (heats 1800-2800 sq. ft.*)

DynaCurrent HeatWave FA3 $7,495 plus installation (heats 2800-4000 sq. ft.*)

Radiant

DynaCurrent HeatWave R1 $4,795 plus installation (heats 1000-1800 sq. ft.*)

DynaCurrent HeatWave R2 $5,895 plus installation (heats 1800-2800 sq. ft.*)

DynaCurrent HeatWave R3 $7,495 plus installation (heats 2800-4000 sq. ft*)

The furnace is CSA certified and is available in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia, however, they plan on rolling out to the rest of Canada later in the year.

For more information on this furnace, visit Dyna Current’s website, or watch this video on the product.

 

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Ecobee Thermostat Can Help you Save 25% of your Heating and Cooling Bill

April 27th, 2012
Ecobee programmable thermostat

Ecobee programmable thermostat

The Ecobee is a very cool device I discovered at The 2012 GreenLiving Show that can help any homeowner save money on heating and cooling their home. It’s a programmable thermostat that’s actually easy to use and program. Not only that, but because it has a wireless connection, you can control it from your computer or smart phone. What this means is that if you’re going to be away for a significant amount of time, you can work with your settings while you’re not there — no more cooling the house when you’re not there. Best of all, shutting down electric devices is usually the last thing on my to do list when preparing for a trip away — now you can do it once you’re on the road.

You can order this unit directly off the website, but Stuart Lombard, one of the founders and CEO of Ecobee, told me that it’s best if you order through your heating and cooling provider because they will install it for you too. Once it’s set up, you can control your furnace and central air conditioner either from the home console or any of your computers. There are two versions for homeowners, a simpler one with a colour touch screen that sells for around $180, and the newer model with a larger colour touch screen and more features such as controlling your central humidifier for $330.

One of the other benefits of the Ecobee is that it generates monthly reports so you can see how you’re doing regarding your consumption patterns and make adjustments to lower your energy use.

For more information about the Ecobee, visit their website.

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New EcoLiving Calculator from Scotiabank and the Sustainable Housing Foundation

April 24th, 2012

 

I’ve written a lot about energy efficiency and how to achieve it in a logical way. Now Scotiabank, in conjunction with the Sustainable Housing Foundation, has launched an Energy Calculator that tells you which energy efficiency upgrades you can make that will give you the fastest and biggest payoff. I’ve already used it, and according to the calculator, the three best improvements I can make are switching out most of the rest of my lightbulbs from incandescents to LEDs or CFLs, installing a programmable thermostat, and upgrading our furnace.  Try it out for yourself and see what you think.

After you’ve checked out the energy calculator, check out the rest of the Ecoliving website. It’s full of great suggestions and ideas for lightening your environmental footprint.

 

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Nexterra LivingHome Revisited

April 17th, 2012

Nexterra LivingHome -- Kitchen

Two years ago I attended the press party for Nexterra LivingHomes. I was pretty excited about the concept of a green prefab home that achieved the goals of being lighter on the planet, but was still functional and gorgeous. The house is now ready and, since I was in Toronto to attend the GreenLiving Show,  Gary Lands of Nexterra, took me on a tour of the nearly completed and furnished model home. There are three other homes that will be built at 20 Senlac, blue prints and property positions are available on the Nexterra website.

Exterior Rainscreen cladding be Externit

 

Side view of house -- double garage under scaffolding

The Nexterra LivingHome consists of 6 prefab boxes: four large boxes and two smaller ones.  The finished home is a spacious three plus one bedroom, meaning three bedrooms on the second floor with a fourth in the basement. Ceilings are 10′ tall on each level so there is a real feeling of space — even the basement ceilings are 10′. The home has wonderful flow, with windows used both strategically and liberally so that there is plenty of natural light.

Laura Felstiner, involved with establishing Nexterra’s partners, told me they are targeting LEED Platinum certification, but won’t know until the house is completed and running, in order to monitor energy consumption.

Some of the features of the home:

 

Geosmart furnace

Waterfurnace HRV

Third floor tower leading to roof deck (also works as a heat stack)

Building envelope and HVAC system: The building is tightly sealed, with R35 insulation in the exposed walls, and R30 insulation in the basement walls.Insulation is Heatlok Soya, a sprayfoam insulation made from recycled water bottles and soy. It’s an excellent insulation with an R-value of 6 per inch. The key to Heatlok is that it doesn’t lose its R-value over time. Many sprayfoams lose a little of their insulation value due to natural shrinkage of the material.

There is easy accessibility to the roof via the third floor stairway, which also acts as a heat stack. When days are hot in the summer and (hopefully) nights are cooler, opening the door to the roof, while opening lower floor windows prompts cool air to be drawn into the lower floors while the hot air escapes through the open top floor door. There is also space for a whole house fan in the roof which would accomplish the same thing if the lower level windows are open. The roof is also solar PV panel ready, and there will be a roof deck as well.

Geothermal heating system by Geosmart provides both heating and cooling for the home. In addition, because the building is tightly sealed, there is a Heat Recovery Ventilator and air purification system by Water Furnace, that keeps the air clean and circulating through the house.

Windows have fiberglass frames, made by local Toronto business, Inline Fiberglass, and are double-glazed, low-emissivity, filled with argon gas. These windows are some of the best insulating windows on the market today. You can read more about the advantages of fiberglass windows in this article.

Appliance Bank: AEG microwave, oven and steamer oven

Franke Sink with culinary work prep sink and built-in compost bin

Recycling bins built into kitchen cabinets -- by Scavolini

Kitchen: The cabinets were done by Scavolini, an Italian company that takes sustainability very seriously. Not only are the cabinets NAUF (no added urea formaldehyde), but there are thoughtful additions such as a recycling centre built into the island. The company itself also practices sustainability during the manufacturing process. The two manufacturing plants run almost entirely on electricity derived from the rooftop solar panels on their factories, waste is minimized as is the amount of water used in manufacturing. While the cupboards are manufactured in Europe, they are shipped by boat and flat-packed, and are assembled on site. Flat packing items allows companies the opportunity to ship more items in one container, lessening the number of cargo holders needed.

Countertop by Caesarstone, Faucet by Franke

Countertop: Caesarstone “Quartz Reflections” with up to 42% reclaimed quartz and with particles of recycled mirror and glass which adds a very nice sparkle.

Euro-Line Appliances provided all the appliances and the stainless steel sink. The sink is by Franke and includes a prep bowl and strainer, as well as a built-in compost bin. Appliances are by AEG and include an induction cooktop, and a wall of ovens consisting of a microwave, convection oven and steamer oven. The dishwasher is also AEG. European appliances use significantly less electricity than standard North American models and will lighten the electricity load for the house, Faucet is by Franke.

 

Barnboard in mudroom

Mudroom: Between the garage and the kitchen is a mudroom to which barnboard has been added for a great rustic touch. Barnboard comes from Muskoka Timber Mills, and was installed by Andrew Reesor, a local artist.

Dual flush Aquia II by Toto

Powder room: Just off the mudroom is a smart little powder room containing a dual flush (3/6 litres) toilet by Toto Aquia II, and a vanity and sink by WETSTYLE, featuring a proprietary WETMAR material for the sink basin.  It is completely recyclable at end of life and can be made into new WETSTYLE products.

Inlaid cork flooring by Jelinek at entry way.

Other features of the main floor: The welcome mat at the front door is actually an inlaid cork flooring provided by Jelinek. Wood flooring through the rest of the house is Kentwood, FSC engineered oak. Engineered flooring is often used because it behaves more consistently than solid wood, not being susceptible to expansion and contraction.

 

Halo LED lighting in basement

LED pot lights throughout the house are 4″ Halo, 5Watt lights. When Gary was showing me around the house he asked me what was my favourite feature. I told him the LED potlights (he might have been a little disappointed with my answer). I thought they were 50W halogens because of their light temperature (colour) and brightness. I had no idea they were LEDs. Not only will these lights use 10 times less electricity than their halogen counterparts, they will likely not need to be replaced for 15 to 20 years. Now that’s great lighting.

The pendant lighting in the kitchen and over the dining room table is provided by Eurolite.

Living Room -- furniture by Gus* modern, art by AGO

Furniture in living room is provided by Gus* Modern. Pillows are provided by Bev Hisey and are Goodweave certified. Goodweave is a not-for-profit group with the aim of ending child labour in the carpet industry while providing education opportunities for children in South Asia. Second life rugs were provided by Elte.

 

Cast-iron fireplace by Jotul

The fireplace is provided by Jotul, model GF 370 DV. Jotul manufactures this fireplace from recycled iron in one of the cleanest foundries in Europe.

 

Home office

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The desk in the home office was constructed by JM & Sons out of recycled metal and reclaimed wood. Gary explained that the home’s interior is set up so that if someone has a home office, any clients they might receive can stay in the main part of the house. This eastern-facing wall has large windows so that lots of natural daylight can stream in.

All art throughout the house is provided by the Art Gallery of Ontario’s  Rental and Sales department.

 

Master bathroom, bath tub, sinks and vanities by Wetstyle

The second floor consists of a Master-ensuite with floor to ceiling closets on the end walls providing lots of storage space. The washroom has been outfitted with Wetstyle tub and sinks and vanity. Other storage cupboards also come from Wetstyle.

Faucets and showerheads throughout the house are low-flow from Aquabrass. I should also mention that while all toilets and faucets are low-flow, they’ve also built the house to be grey-water ready. Grey water, water that comes from the shower drains, can be used to feed all toilets in the house, literally helping to reduce your water use in half.

 

Bunkbed in bedroom #2 by Kolan

 

Bedroom #3, crib by Oeuf

The two other rooms on the second floor are set up as kids’ rooms, one with a crib, the other a set of bunk beds. These rooms are bright and spacious and putting furniture in the rooms shows that they are big too — there is plenty of play area in both rooms. The kids’ bunk beds  and bookshelf are made by Oeuf out of Baltic birch and eco-MDF and low VOC water-based finishes. The table in this room was made by Heidi Earnshaw, a local artist.

The crib and dresser are made by Kalon from FSC domestic maple and low VOC food grade dyes and stains.

The paint throughout the house is white, zero VOC provided by PARA paints.

What you notice when you walk through this house is not only is it a great example of a green-designed beautiful contemporary house, but also there is an absense of “new home smell” — ie., no smell of chemicals off-gassing into the air. Neither the products that were used to construct the house nor the furniture installed for modelling the home contain toxic chemicals providing a comfortable healthy indoor air environment.

If you’re at all interested in modern, low impact homes, take a look at this one. It will be available for sale at some point, right now it serves as the model home for three others to be built down the same laneway.

For more information on the home, visit the Nexterra website.

For more pictures of the home, visit BEC Green’s Facebook page.

 

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Hydronic Radiant Heat is Beautiful Heat

February 6th, 2012

Installed hydronic radiant heating tubing. (Photo courtesy of Eileen Joy)

When I walk into a home with hydronic radiant heat on a freezing cold day I feel this warm sense of comfort as soon as I take my boots off and my sock feet touch the warmed floor. The warmth rising from beneath the floor warms my toes and spreads all the way up to my fingers and even to my ears. It is a clean, quiet heat that is also highly energy efficient. I haven’t written about radiant heat before for a few reasons: one is that I’ve heard that it is fairly expensive to install, another is that I’ve never been able to find out just how energy efficient it is versus other heating systems. However, when I was contacted by a program called Beautiful Heat, which is aims to spread the word about the benefits of radiant heat,  it gave me the push I needed to do some further investigation. I contacted a few contractors regarding my cost and efficiency questions and the results are below.

What is Hydronic Radiant Heat?: Water is heated in a boiler and then circulated through tubes laid out under flooring and/or walls, heating the floors or walls themselves and not the air. Radiant heating systems offer flexibility in heating as it can be installed very specifically. For instance, John Bell installed radiant heating tubes in front of his windows for about two feet to help moderate any cold coming through the windows in the winter. Radiant heat is a flexible heating system in that it can be limited to certain areas of the home such as mudrooms, washrooms, basements and the temperature can be regulated for each room. It can also be installed in conjunction with other heating systems (rads and/or forced air).

Radiant heat has several advantages over forced air systems. It warms the floor or walls instead of the air making rooms more comfortable to be in. It can be used with an already installed boiler system assuming the current boiler has excess capacity and building envelope changes have been taken into account. It’s a very quiet system. Duct work is only needed for other systems such as a central vac and an energy or heat recovery ventilator. These tubes are much smaller than a forced air system so no large forced air duct work is necessary. Regarding cooling system, a separate system is required, such as a mini-split ductless air conditioning system.

Because heat rises, it’s best to install a radiant heating system on the lowest level or level of the home. It works under any flooring option including wood and tile.

Installed tubing for radiant heat. (Photo courtesy of Eileen Joy)

Cost: According to John Mulder of Mulder Heating Ltd, in Coalhurst, Alberta, if you’re installing a radiant heat system, you should expect to pay about 3-4 times the price of a forced air system because, generally, boilers are more expensive than forced air systems. There is also the cost of laying of the tubes and sub-floor preparation such as a skim coat if the tubes are laid under concrete. It’s difficult to estimate a true cost of installing the system because it depends on so many factors from how well insulated the space is or will be to how many square feet the final install will be. If you’re doing a substantial renovation and insulating the basement floor, radiant heat is a great option for basement living spaces.

Again regarding cost, Rolf Baumann of RGB Group notes that most people don’t include water heating as part of their heating cost calculations but they should — and in the case of a boiler, it serves both functions. Rolf notes that generally separate hot water heaters’ efficiency actually dips from 66% efficiency to 50% after only three years of use and stays at that level for the rest of its working life, whereas that doesn’t happen with a boiler system.

Despite its price premium, radiant heat is one of the most popular heating systems in Europe. According to Rolf Baumann,

Radiant heating is used all over Europe  because it is an efficient system and economically less to run. The big difference is that a home in Europe is built to last 150-500 years with 3 generations of families living in them and 75 year mortgages. It does not matter that it costs 3-4 times as you are getting efficiency (less gas consumption to run it and gas is very expensive there) per year and you’re going to live there cradle to grave.

I would also add that because the cost of energy is so much more expensive in Europe versus North America, installing a boiler system that runs more efficiently than other options makes a lot of sense as the savings in the running costs could more than make up for the initial equipment investment in a much shorter time frame.

Energy Efficiency: One of the big questions that always comes up is the specific energy efficiency and savings from installing a radiant heat unit. John Mulder notes that

…radiant heat is more efficient but the number is intangible. Radiant heat is held in the materials of the home rather than the actual air, greatly reducing the heat loss through infiltration (air leakage) and ventilation. I`ve heard people say too, that warm feet make a warm body so with contact to warm materials, people have found that they can comfortably move their thermostat down several degrees.

 

The bottom line is, radiant heat is more energy efficient than most forced air units, more comfortable, quieter and it helps preserve indoor air quality. If you can take the long-term view regarding the cost of the installation it’s a very practical choice because running costs are lower than with other systems, and it can make previously unused spaces (the basement), more comfortable.

To find a hydronic radiant heat installer near you, visit the Beautiful Heat website, it provides a list of manufacturers, dealers and installers of hydronic radiant heat systems as well as more information about radiant heat and its benefits.

 

 

 

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Improving Your Home’s Energy Efficiency: The Financial Case

January 26th, 2012

When I was speaking with John Bell about the energy efficiency upgrades he made to his home, he didn’t even flinch when he told me he spent an additional $28,000 for the upgrades. That amount included solar panels, a more efficient furnace than what the building code calls for, a gray water system, a solar-operated heating unit, and extra, better quality insulation than what might be used in a standard renovation. He said the upgrades were a no-brainer because with energy prices constantly rising, the energy and water upgrades insulate him from price increases far better than if he’d just renovated to the Ontario Building Code.

It got me to thinking that one of the best ways to appeal to people about why increasing a home’s energy efficiency is important is through their wallet. When I asked John who I should talk to about the financial case for increasing a home’s energy efficiency, he pointed me in the direction of Craig Backman, Chairman of the Sustainable Housing Foundation. The Foundation’s mandate is to convert as many of the existing Canadian home stock to the most energy efficient dwellings as possible, and to help today’s builders learn green building techniques. But the foundation also help builders learn how to better communicate those green building features to potential customers. Yes, green building can cost more upfront, but rising energy prices mean that the payback gap is continually narrowing.

Craig told me that when energy prices were cheap the only people who were investing in energy efficiency were true environmentalists — the price premiums versus payback were too significant for most consumers to buy in to. However, with the recent and real trend in rising energy prices, both globally and at home, making the case for energy efficiency is easier. Craig points to a Scotiabank report on the Sustainable Housing Foundation’s website that makes the case for homeowners spending their money on energy upgrades. The report notes:

High energy costs have dampened spending on other ‘less discretionary’ purchases. Energy demand is inelastic, at least in the short-term, due to the limited ability of households to substantially alter their driving patterns and other daily activities. Household expenditures on energy totaled roughly $60 billion in 2010, or about $4,500 per household. We estimate that higher energy costs will add about $6 billion to this bill in 2011 — spending dollars that could otherwise have been allocated to other retail purchases, saved or used to pay down debt.

Renovating your home using green building principals, particularly with respect to energy efficiency, will save you money down the road, especially as energy prices rise.  Home heating oil and gasoline prices have increased approximately 40% in the last two years and are only predicted to continue their upward trend. Currently, energy expenses range between 6-7% of total household expenditures, and will likely take up a larger share of a household’s total expenditures if the inflation rate remains lower than the rise in energy prices.

Craig notes that energy efficient renovations don’t have to be dramatic to make a difference. Changing light bulbs from incandescents to CFLs and LEDs, caulking around leaky windows and doors, adding insulation in the attic are all easy and inexpensive changes that will have lasting effects over time. The next time you need appliances look for Energy Star certified ones. Air conditioners and furnaces also have Energy Star certified models.

If your home is really drafty and you’re thinking of doing a major energy upgrade, before you do anything call in an energy auditor. An energy auditor will identify what needs to be done first (ie., furnace or insulation) and where you can get the biggest bang for your buck.

For more information on the Sustainable Housing Foundation and its work in green building visit the website: http://www.sustainablehousingfoundation.com.

Scotiabank’s ecoliving website has some great information and tips on financing your next green renovation.

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SageGlass — Energy Efficiency Using Tinted Dynamic Glass

January 19th, 2012

For architects and builders concerned with a building’s energy efficiency, windows have always been a double-edged sword. On the one hand they offer views, natural light, and heat in the winter when the sun is shining. On the other hand, they’re holes in the building’s envelope allowing for heat transfer in the wrong direction and glare when the sun’s rays are low. In south-facing rooms in particular it’s always a challenge to offer a comfortable environment, and natural daylight during midday without drawing blinds or having the air conditioner work overtime. One technology that offers a solution but is still relatively new is electrothermal glass, also known as tintable or dynamic glass.

Ball State University -- Untinted glass

 

Ball State University -- Tinted Glass

SageGlass was founded in 1989 but took 14 years of research and development before launching its electrothermal glass product. This glass is able to change its tinting to block or allow the sun to enter a building. If you’ve ever been in a building which is enveloped in glass, you might have had the uncomfortable experience of having the sun beat down on you. It’s worse than being outside because there’s no breeze to combat the heat, and the only way to avoid glare is to use sunglasses, which, if you’re inside, isn’t really a great solution.

Kirksey Architecture, Houston, TX

 

Advantages:  Tintable glass cuts glare and heat during the hottest times of the day and year but also allows the sun to enter during colder times of the year. The advantages are increased energy efficiency for both the heating and cooling system, as well as permitting  natural daylight without the glare which helps plug load. It also means that blinds aren’t needed, except in areas where privacy is a concern.  A study of increased energy consumption saw that windows with SageGlass increased a building’s energy efficiency  21% over ASHRAE baseline building requirements. Heating and cooling systems will work better, particularly on extremely hot days.

Applications: This glass has been installed in several commercial and institutional building projects but also has applications in high-end residential setting. The advantage of tintable glass is that it permits views while preventing excess heat and glare.  The glass can be specified by any window company, currently for residential applications, Marvin Windows and Doors uses this glass.

Regarding overall energy efficiency of the glass, not only does it allow or prevent radiant heat (heat from the sun) passing through, but it is also treated with a low-emissivity coating to increase the glass’s thermal rating. SageGlass works very closely with all window manufacturers using its glass to make sure it is installed into the window frames correctly. In residential applications, it has been combined with both double and triple glazed windows.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: One of the measurements of energy efficient windows is the solar heat gain coefficient. It is the amount of heat that passes through a window from the sun’s rays and is measured on a scaled from 0-1. The average low-e double glazed window has a solar heat gain coefficient of .47, meaning that it lets in 47% of the sun’s heat that is hitting the window. A window coated with SageGlass has a variable solar heat gain coefficient that ranges between 0.09 and 0.49. When the window is fully tinted, only 9% of the sun’s heat gets through. The solar heat gain coefficient of regular glass is static.

Technology: The technology SageGlass developed involves five layers of nano-ceramic coatings. When a small current of electricity is applied to the glass lithium ions and electrons transfer from one layer to another causing the glass to darken. It can be controlled manually or built into a building automation system. In case you’re wondering about whether the electricity applied offsets the gains in energy efficiency, the voltage applied is very small and the benefits of the tinted glass far outweigh the costs.

When used in residential applications, regarding the electrical requirements, the same person installing your internet cables is the one specified for installing this glass.

Cost: While the company couldn’t give a cost for this glass because it depends on so many factors, it is definitely a product intended for high-end residential applications. However, I can see plenty of residential applications for this glass — especially in Toronto where there is a significant number of high-end condos being constructed. Most of these condos are made out of glass, and the upper floors are all about the views. This glass would be a perfect application.

For more information on SageGlass and electrothermal glass, visit http://sageglass.com/

 

 

 

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Earthquake — LEED Platinum Home revisited — A tour with Rolf Baumann of RGB Group

December 9th, 2011

3rd Street Duplex, The Glebe, Ottawa, ON

A few weeks ago, while in Ottawa, I contacted Rolf Baumann, owner of RGB Group and builder of the first Earthquake resiliant/LEED Platinum duplex in Canada. He took me on a tour of the building and explained what he was doing to attain the LEED Canada Platinum for Homes certification.  To achieve Platinum level, the highest level of LEED for Homes Canada awarded, a house must earn between 90 and 136 points in up to 9 categories. LEED for Homes is a designation used for residential dwellings to demonstrate building or renovating with environmental benefits. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” and takes into account all aspects of building a home from minimizing construction waste, protecting the development site, using local Gand recycled materials and indoor air quality. By contrast, EnergyStar certified homes, are only concerned with how energy-efficient the finished home is.There is no account for construction waste, type of materials used, site location, indoor air quality, etc.).

So, when a builder decides to build a LEED Home, he has a lot of factors to consider. Rolf, however, has already built to LEED Platinum. His Montauk Townhouse Complex (which RGB Group owns and operates) was certified LEED Platinum and is now fully occupied.

When Rolf bought the 3rd Street property, he already had two of the main criteria delivered: “Location and Linkages” and “Sustainable Sites.”  The house is situated fifty feet from Bank St. in the heart of The Glebe in Ottawa.  It’s a great neighbourhood with access to shops and services, restaurants, tons of coffee shops (Bridgehead is my personal favourite), schools, and public transportation to downtown. Further, regarding sustainable sites, he was building where a single-family dwelling was originally built in the late 1800s, and redeveloping the property into a multi-family dwelling. If, like me, you’re wondering if the previous house was salvageable, it wasn’t. It had been an estate sale, and, as Rolf discovered after purchase, it was still running on a septic system — even after all the sewers had been redone by the city a few years ago! The basement had been dirt, and the wood had rotted beyond repair. So, down it came — but not before Rolf sent out word to all his trades that the house was coming down. The plumber came and ripped out the copper plumbing, the electrician took the copper wiring, architectural salvage shops took the millwork. In fact, by the time the demolition company came, there was so little left to take away, they used half the number of haulages originally estimated.

Steel Framing by Bailey Metal Products

 

Electric Start Gas Fireplace -- no pilot light

Energy and Atmosphere: The biggest area for scoring LEED points is in energy efficiency, with a total of 38 points possible. This category encompasses both the building envelope as well as the HVAC system used. Using steel-framed construction gives the home a wider interior than the cinder block alternative. Because the house sits on a 25 foot wide property, the fire code plays a big part in the construction. Building with a steel frame allows for an extra two feet of interior space, allowing 19 ft of interior space instead of 17. Further, while the steel frame consists of 80% recycled steel, it can also be recycled at end of life. Rolf used Baily Metal Products out of Toronto for the frame.  The walls are insulated to R25, using Roxul rigid mineral wool insulation (R13) used externally, and CertainTEED batt insulation (R12) used inside.

To ensure his building envelope is as tight as it can possibly get, Rolf hired Ross Elliot of Homesol as his energy auditor and LEED for Homes rater. Rolf says that when it comes time to check to make sure the building is air tight, Ross Elliot and the insulation installer are both present. As Ross finds leaks, the insulation contractor can either immediately fix the problem, or at least make a note of it and fix later if it needs more attention. Having both the energy auditor and insulation contractor present means that no holes will be missed. Doing an energy audit before the drywall goes up is one of the most essential parts of creating a tight building envelope.

Lifebreath Clean Air Furnace

Each unit has its own HVAC system that is controllable by the tenant. The LifeBreath Clean Air Furnaces were installed by Boon Plumbing. The HVAC system consists of a boiler that is 98% efficient combined with a fancoil ducted system, so it’s a combined hydronic heating, ducted system.

Doors from Lambden Window and Door

Window from Lambden window and Door

Windows and doors come from Lambden Window and Door, a local Ottawa company. The windows are good quality, aluminum-clad, where Rolf says the seal between the glass and the frame is the key to a good window product. Further, the windows are double-glazed and treated with UVA/B coating to prevent sunlight from getting in in the summer. Rolf notes that heating bills are almost nothing compared to air-conditioning bills, so the more you can do to curb air conditioning use, the better. Rolf estimates that each unit’s heating and hot water bills should come in around $50/month.

Appliances and Lighting: One of the surprising features of the home is the fairly extensive use of LED lights. Rolf is using a local company, DelphiTech, to provide all the LED lights. I say “surprising,” because as the building owner, he is not responsible for his tenants’ electric bills, but they will certainly benefit from his investment in these lights and the energy-efficient appliances he’s installing. The LED light fixtures he’s using are manufactured in Ontario, and use either 1W or 1.5W but have the equivalent output of a 50Watt or 75Watt incandescent bulb respectively. All appliances (not installed yet), will be EnergyStar rated and Rolf is planning on installing  induction cooktops in both units. All appliances are sourced through Universal Appliances.

 Water Efficiency: Another area to earn points in LEED certification is through water efficiency. In this case Rolf is installing Caroma dual flush 4 litre toilets. One of the key differences between Caroma and other toilets is the diameter of the drainage hole. In most toilets the drainage hole is 2.8″, but in a Caroma toilet, the diameter is 4″. In other words, it NEVER clogs. The faucets are from Delta, one of the leading companies in low-flow water fixtures. The bathtubs come from MAAX, a Montreal-based company. Instead of using standard 60″ tubs,MAAX makes a smaller 54″ tub that limits the amount of water used. Boon Plumbing supplied all the fixtures.

Indoor Air Quality: One area that is receiving more attention lately is the build-up of toxic chemicals in our homes due to the off-gassing of chemicals from materials used in new home construction, furniture, paints and even household cleaners.  In addition to paint, building materials include caulking, adhesives, polyurethanes, insulation (many kinds contain ureaformaldehyde), cabinetry and millwork, etc. contain many toxic gaseous chemicals that can off-gas for years. Rolf uses zero or low-VOC materials during construction, then airs out the homes before tenants move in. Once occupied, The LifeBreath clean air furnace contains a HEPA filter to continuously clean indoor air.

Paint: Rolf has used Dulux Diamond Interior Paint on past projects and is sold on its performance. When applied in white, as it is in all of his units, it is a low-VOC paint (less than 10 grams/litre of volatile organic compounds). But maybe most surprisingly, it has a lifespan of 30 years. Because it is a ceramic-based acrylic paint, it is completely scrubbable, even the flat version.

Materials and Resources: Rolf sources materials as locally as possible. For example, both rigid and batt insulation, and the steel-frame, come from Toronto; Windows and LED lighting are from the Ottawa area, flooring was milled in Haliburton. The stainless steel kitchen sinks are Novanni (north of Toronto), and bathtubs are from Montreal.

 

For more information on the RGB Group, visit the RGB Group website.

 

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Posted in Energy Efficiency, Green Building Techniques, Green Homes, Green People

Rosedale House Revisited

November 18th, 2011

 

Rosedale House Renovated

During GreenBuild 2011, there was a tour of three green houses offered, so of course I had to go on it! We saw three homes all in different stages of construction. The last house we saw was none other than The Rosedale House which I covered in July, 2010 during renovation.  Terrell Wong and her husband Lindsay are the homeowners, but Terrell also happens to be an award-winning architect and the current president of Passive Buildings Canada so she knows what she’s doing when it comes to green renovations. Terrell took a classic Rosedale home with no insulation and turned it into, well, a classic Rosedale home with lots of insulation. She didn’t enlarge the footprint, she kept as much of the original woodwork and trim as possible (virtually all of it), sanded floors instead of replacing, and even kept the kitchen cabinets, but sent them out for restaining. The house was stripped back to the brick bones and insulated with Heatlok Sprayfoam insulation with an additional layer of cellulose in the attic. Because Terrell wanted to avoid as much thermal bridging as possible, nothing was allowed to break the thermal envelope that wasn’t absolutely necessary. The electrician might have cursed her initially, but complied with her request, so electrical outlets are located in the floor and inside walls only.

The end result is that the Wongs spent about $50,000 in thermal renovations (including insulation, boiler, energy recovery ventilator, hot water tank and German-made passivehouse certified windows. While that may seem like a lot, consider that the energy (heat and electricity) bills pre-renovation came in at about $1000/month or $12,000 annually. Now the energy bills for heat and plug load (no gas is used for any heating or appliances) come in at around $200/month or between $2000-$2500 per year.

As Terrell pointed out on the tour, it is easier to see the kind of payback they did on their house because they were basically starting from zero — as in zero insulation, inefficient oil furnace, minimal electrical upgrades. Houses that are already insulated, even if they were insulated 20 years ago, wouldn’t see the same type of financial improvement because they are starting from a higher, more insulated level. As always, however, the first place to start when you’re considering doing any building envelope and HVAC improvements is with an Energy Audit. Using an approved energy auditor can help you save money on any upgrades you make, and also direct you to making the right investments first. ie., insulation, weather-stripping and caulking before a new furnace. See the Government of Canada’s EcoAction program for more information.
Here are a few pictures of the renovated house.

Kitchen:

kitchen -- original cabinets, restained, marble tile backsplash

 

Kitchen

Breakfast Room with German Passive House certified Windows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Office:

Office

Office

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living Room:

Living Room -- Limestone plaster walls, passive house certified glass door

Old postcards from around the world salvaged from basement and framed.

Old postcards from around the world salvaged from basement and framed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Master Bedroom and Ensuite Washroom:

Master Bedroom with Ensuite in background

Master Bedroom with Built-in closet and ceiling fan

Master Bathroom with Grohe Water-saving fixtures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basement:

Super insulated hot water tank

Energy Recovery Ventilator

Ministar Boiler

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Posted in Architecture and Design, Energy Efficiency, Green People

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Zerofootprint: Energy Efficiency through Software, Architectural Design and Human Behaviour

November 14th, 2011

Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Ron Dembo, CEO of Zerofootprint. We talked about the three different areas his company is working on right now and all are about achieving the same goal: reducing energy consumption, whether it’s through plug load, adding insulation or by altering human behaviour. Furthermore, Ron and Zerofootprint believe in benchmarking as a starting point. If this sounds at all familiar, then, hooray! you’ve been reading my blog, because I too in a firm believer of knowing where you’re starting from in order to develop a reduction strategy. There was so much to discuss, and Zerofootprint is involved in so many different projects that I separated the information into three different articles.

 

Finally, Zerofootprint works with organizations such as Earth Hour and provides one minute carbon and water personal calculators to help you find out how you stack up to the average Canadian. The calculators give you a very rough idea of how much CO2 emissions you are responsible for due to your transportation, diet, travel and home. I input my data and am sorry to learn that I am responsible for the emission of 10 tons/year of CO2 — half of which are due to the number of kilometers I put on our minivan. In fact when I switched my answer from my minivan to hybrid, my emissions dropped to 5.3 tons/year. Fortunately I fared much better in water consumption and came in at 85,000 litres per year, about 25% less than the Canadian average, but still not something I’d brag about. If you’re serious about benchmarking your carbon footprint, Zerofootprint offers a more in-depth carbon calculator, but you need access to your utility bills and should block out at least half an hour to fill out the forms. It’s worth it if you really want to know where you stand.

 

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Posted in Energy Efficiency, Green Websites, What's new?

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