Abstract

Application of Sustainable Design to Existing Homes


Figure 1: Original Graphic representing energy loss in a
home compared to a home incorporating sustainable design


In new home construction today, sustainable design is becoming a much more prominent aspect of the overall home design. While the initial building costs will be higher, these costs will be recovered to some degree through energy savings over the lifespan of the home. Existing home owners, however, have been left behind in the area of sustainable design. There is no question that a large majority of these homes are not energy efficient, but challenges exist when trying to bring these homes to a higher level of energy efficiency. There are a number of challenges homeowners encounter when trying to renovate their homes with a goal to include sustainable design. These include, but are not limited to, lack of awareness of how to identify existing problems, how to address these problems, and the overall cost involved. As in many cases, the amount of money the homeowner can afford to spend is limited, the question, therefore, is which minor renovations should be done on an existing home resulting in the most cost effective energy savings?

To assist homeowners in identifying existing energy inefficiencies, it will be necessary to identify the main types of energy losses which occur in existing homes. Once these have been identified, the research will focus on applying different methods to minimize these energy losses. A case study home will be used and with the use of energy modeling, different scenarios will be analyzed. By analyzing these scenarios and the accompanying energy data, the most efficient renovations can be determined. Once the renovations are determined, a cost benefit analysis can be done which will provide a balance between the most energy efficient and the most cost effective method. The next step in the process will be providing instructions for the homeowner on how to implement these methods in the renovation of their home.


Since every home is different, the research will be broad enough to apply to all existing wood frame construction homes. The research will be presented in a manner that will enable the homeowner to easily pick out the areas of sustainable design that will benefit their individual home and provide information on how and where they can purchase the necessary materials needed to accomplish the renovation.


In conclusion, the research will ultimately provide an information booklet outlining how to identify areas of the home that need to be improved due to energy losses, which renovations will provide the most energy savings and how to complete these renovations in the most cost-effective way.

Thesis Statement

Thesis:

What minor renovations should be done on an existing home in Kamloops, B.C. resulting in the most cost effective energy savings?

Attic Insulation

Adding insulation to your attic is a great way to reduce heat loss during the winter. Heat rises, and when an attic is poorly insulated, a lot of that heat escapes through the roof. Whether you are using batt or cellulose, the most critical thing to consider when adding insulation to an attic is the ventilation. Without proper ventilation, frost and condensation can form on the underside of the roof causing substantial damage. Free flowing air must be able to come up through the soffits and leave either through a ridge vent or any type of roof vent such as a gable vent. See drawing below illustrating proper ventilation while using batt insulation.

By using thermal convection, outside air is continually being exchanged with the air in the attic. This allows no moisture to stay in the attic and cause damage. By adding insulation to your attic, with proper ventilation, you will decrease your chance of water damage; decrease the amount of wasted heat, therefore, decreasing the amount of energy used to heat your house.

4 Ways to Slash Your Energy Bill

Check out this article about 4 Ways to Slash Your Energy Bill!
http://home-interiors.suite101.com/article.cfm/3_ways_to_slash_your_energy_bill"

And while your surfing the web getting some great ideas on how to cut back on your energy consumption (and also save some money!) check out the Energy Star Website for some great efficient appliances!
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_find_es_products

Research Proposal

Research Proposal

Summary Statement:

An analysis of sustainable renovation techniques applied to an existing building in Kamloops, B.C. to reduce energy consumption.

Purpose:

The purpose of this research project is to develop a starting point for the average homeowner who wishes to increase the sustainability of their house, resulting in reducing the amount of energy consumption.

Goals and Objectives:

My goal of this research project is to analyze which renovations will result in the highest amount of energy savings, along with the lowest price-tag, for an average sized home. When doing renovations on any space, cost is always a factor. With green renovation having the reputation of being even more expensive then normal renovations, I want to focus on a dollar amount that an average family would be able to afford. My objective is to find a balance between decreasing the amount of energy consumption so that a homeowner would notice a difference in utility bills, and how much the renovations would cost. Since renovations can be a daunting and expensive task, I want to provide a starting point for a homeowner to enter the realm of sustainable building design.

Methodology and Analytical Approach:

My research will focus on the energy efficiency upgrades recommendations from government tax incentives. These include furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, air conditioning, hot water systems, insulation, windows, doors, toilets, and draft proofing. I will discus the benefits and disadvantages of the different options of upgrades and for which circumstances each would be more beneficial. For example, the difference between the thermal resistances (R-value) of fiberglass loose fill insulation and fiberglass blanket insulation.

I plan to draw an existing house in the Kamloops, B.C. area in Revit Architecture. Using this program, I will be able to do energy modeling and determine the energy efficiency of the building. By making changes to the energy modeling and producing a couple variations, I will be able to determine which renovations will result in the highest energy savings. For example, adding insulation in the attic compared to replacing the existing windows with double-glazed windows. When the energy modeling is coupled with basic cost information, a cost-benefit analysis can be done to determine which upgrade will provide the most cost-effective energy savings.

Related Information

Although similar studies have been done, my project will be different in that I want to focus on a lower cost as well as the energy efficiency. Also, my study will be focused on a specific, existing building, therefore being unique from any other study. Even though the study will be on a specific building, all of the concepts can be applied to any wood frame construction building.

Plans for Dissemination

I will be creating an online blog to document the progress of my research, and the final outcome of the research, and to hopefully receive feedback regarding my project.

Welcome!

Welcome to my Blog!

The purpose of my blog is to document the progress of my research report. I hope to develop a starting point for homeowners who wish to increase the sustainability of their house, resulting in reducing the amount of energy consumption. I will be analyzing which renovations will result in the highest energy savings and posting the results on my blog. Please feel free to comment or ask questions! :)

Jennie