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IEH Featured Custom Home Design |
Vermont Ski Retreats - Pittsfield, Vermont
- Two Homes
- 3,500 square feet
- 3 Bedrooms
- 2.5 Baths
- Traditional Fireplaces
- Large Wrap Around Porch
- Extensive Rustic Finishes
- Constructed with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)
- High Efficiency Gas Heat With Radiant Floors
- Energy Star Appliances and Lighting
- Air Exchange System
- Low to No VOC Materials
- Local Materials Including Stone and Lumber
IEH designed two single-family homes to be used as ski retreats near Killington Mountain with an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) building system. The simple to use forms allowed for the building shell to be constructed rapidly and cost effectively with a high performance, energy efficient building envelope.
Local materials were incorporated throughout each house with locally quarried stone for the warm winter fireplaces and exterior masonry accents.
The homes include high efficiency gas boilers with radiant floors for heating, utilize several passive techniques for cooling, plus incorporate high efficiency lighting, and Energy Star appliances.
The trees cut on the house site were milled into lumber for use in the construction, and stripped timbers were used for stylistic accents.
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| Professional Accomplishments |
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LEED Accredited Professional
We are pleased to announce that Emile Chin-Dickey, one of the IEH founding members, has recently achieved his LEED-AP certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC). You can find out more about LEED here.
Design Principals teaching at Northeastern University School of Architecture
Stephanie Horowitz, a Design Principal at IEH, is teaching the Environmental Systems course at Northeastern University.
Ben Uyeda, a Design Principal at IEH, is returning for a second year of teaching at Northeastern University. His focus for this spring semester will be the 5th Year Design Studio.
Geothermal Expertise and Energy Modeling |
| A Good Shower From A Low-Flow Showerhead |
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 Changing out your old water fixtures for low-flow ones is easy and fairly inexpensive. But if you have been avoiding this task because you are afraid of losing precious water pressure, don't worry, low-flow fixtures have come a long way.
How Much Can I Possibly Save?
Taking a quick 5 minute shower can use up to 40 gallons of water, according to FlexYourPower.org. Replacing your showerhead with a low-flow fixture can save up to 80% of that water per shower!
So the answer seems easy: replace your water-wasting fixtures with low-flow fixtures.
But most of us are still reluctant to do so because a low-flow shower suggests low pressure, which doesn't sound too attractive in the morning. However, manufacturers have recognized this and have developed low-flow showerheads that feel just like their less-efficient, conventional counterparts.
Low-Flow Fixtures: Aerated and Laminar
The more commonly recognized low-flow fixture is called an aerated fixture. Air is added to the water flow so that the stream "feels" steady and strong. But because air is mixed with water it can decrease the temperature as it flows out of the fixture. Also, more steam is produced from an aerated fixture due to the mixing of air and hot water. While an aerated fixture may give the perception of high water pressure some people notice more splattering and think that the shower experience feels, well, airy. In order to address this "airy" issue, laminar flow fixtures were introduced into the low-flow fixture market.
Laminar fixtures do not use air to heighten the perception of high water pressure, but instead minimize turbulence in the water flow and direct water streams to travel in parallel with one another. This makes the pressure feel more powerful without using additional water. This results in less steam because air is not being added to hot water. Also, the water coming out of a laminar faucet is not being shifted by the air mixed with it, causing the flow to splatter and spray rather than flow continuously.
So, while conserving water is certainly important to many of us, so is a good shower. Low-flow fixtures have addressed water conservation and now have been enhanced to ensure that our shower experience doesn't suffer.
To learn more about costs, and technologies for low flow fixtures, visit FlexYourPower.org. |
| MyGreenHomeBlog.com |
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My Green Home Blog continues to gain readership and present insight. Recent articles include:
- A New Turn in Windows (New pivoting window glazing)
- What's Eating All That Electricity? (Energy efficiency review of refridgerators) - The Down Low on Low Flow (Low-flow toilets in detail)
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Giving The Grid A Break With Smart Appliances |
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 As our appliances get bigger and more powerful, the electrical grid remains the same. And since replacing the grid is more than a weekend project, it is time to look at some other solutions.
Sensing Overload
Scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington have found that giving the grid a breather when it starts to go into overload may decrease the chances of grid failure. Specifically, they tested appliances with computer chips that are able to sense a grid overload. The appliance will then adjust so as to reduce the risk of grid failure.
So, your dryer's heating element might shut down, but the clothes keep tumbling or your refrigerator's compressor may temporarily switch off, but the light will still turn on when you open the door. These minimal precautions can give the grid a much needed break and help avoid a complete failure.
A Plan for the Future
According to MSNBC.com, if these computer-chip-clad appliances become cheap enough for the entire country to adopt the idea then we could save up to $70 billion over 20 years towards the new construction of power plants. Since rebuilding the grid now is not quite an option, it makes sense to take steps towards later grid construction. Unfortunately, people need to comply in order for this to work and that means convenience and cost will come into play.
Is it Realistic?
Rob Pratt, lab program manager at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, estimates an upfront cost of about $400 or $500 for each home to plug a chip into their most consuming appliances (usually the washer, dryer, water heater, and refrigerator). If the chips can be put into the appliances during manufacture, costs should diminish. As for ease of use, consumers don't really need to think about it. Chips are set once and can be left alone after that. Pratt also stresses that consumers will notice little interruption in their daily energy use. The refrigerator may quiet for a short while or the water heater stop heating, but the difference is much less noticeable than a complete blackout.
With these chips, there is also the potential for payback in the form of savings. In some areas, electricity is more expensive during the daytime peak hours than it is during the off-peak hours. By moving consumption from peak times to off-peak times, consumers will be able to not only help prevent grid failure, but be rewarded for doing so.
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