Research Proposal
Summary Statement:
An analysis of sustainable renovation techniques applied to an existing building in
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
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.
