Energy Without Oil

[janb6969]

all this makes sense in my imagination and it doesn't seem like some new cutting edge technology so my question is this. why has it taken until the 21st century to build such houses?

[qdewill]

The wood is NOT used for it's insulative properties. It is used for its absorbtion/storage/thermal intertia/radiant heat properties. This absolutely has to do with the thermal properties of the building materials. The name "Enertia" is a play on "inertia" - "energy - "environmental" - and is defined by the inventor of the word as "Energy from a shift in time" because this is the property that allows one to use energy stored during the day to work for you at night.

[REGreenTeam]

Only wood with internal cells like cedar have any insulative properties worth noting. There is much empherical data on thermal masses and wood does not rate very high in this catagory. However maybe a 24 inch thick wall would store more energy.

OKAY - This has very little to do with the thermal properties of the building materials and has more to do with geothermal flow air flow. The name enertia is a play on the energy storage capability of the earth itself.

[qdewill]

Not true - Check the NIST study referred to on the Sources page of the Enertia Website. Wood has better heat retention properties for home heating because it stores heat at the temperatures comfortable to humans and releases it SLOWLY.

[qdewill]

No - Not at all. It is small wood that burns. Big wood (cross sections over 5"x5") have an excellent fire rating.

[KenMacMillan]

I'd like to get one with a big pole barn both covered with solar panels.

[KenMacMillan]

I've seen these around the web. They seem nice.

[tenzingyatso]

Didn't that house burn in the last California brush fire???

[qdewill]

No way! You must be thinking of some other house.

[Tetrodioxide]

Awesome idea guys! We need to get off of oil with ideas like this. Over a hundred years and still dependent upon third-world states for our energy needs. Just shameful. America needs to be completely independent of foreign oil and energy independent. Great concept.

[UlrikeDG]

Great concept, but 30 degrees in the winter is NOT cold!

[qdewill]

The great thing about cold is that REAL cold is usually accompanied by Sun. Clouds moderate the cold. So, when the temps get down, down, down, the Sun is out and the house performs beautifully.

[Faiakes]

Is this available outside the US?

If so please give info.

[qdewill]

In theory, yes. The first international home has just been ordered - going to Belize.

[XopherMV]

Looks good. I wonder how well this design would work in the Northwest? Summer is sunny and about 60-80 degrees, so it would be easy then. But, it's usually cloudy and rainy during the winter, with temperatures between 30 and 50 degrees and sometimes dropping to 20. I couldn't imagine getting enough sunlight to effectively heat the house.

[qdewill]

So far it has worked in WA and OR.

[g8rfreak717]

How does this work in Florida where a basement would be filled with water?

[qdewill]

You are correct that in areas where basements are out of the question, there are different design parameters. It would not work the same way, and would not have the same design goals.

[sorrellindustries]

Clever, but someday, inevitably there will be a forest fire, then goodbye log home. I am sure it is fire retardent treated but still a concern In colorado mountains many new homes have shake shingles, might as well roof with match sticks.

[qdewill]

Large timbers have an excellent fire rating.  It is the small stuff, like in framed houses, that burns quickly. In a true forest fire, a heavy timber home would eventually burn, as would just about everything else - except for the random hops and leaps of fire.

[FatJan]

An awful lot of trees were felled for this impressive looking structure. Not that I am a tree-hugger, but should'nt we be using more eco-friendly building materials that should be more affordable? Not many can afford a house like this.

[qdewill]

Again, as in the response above, wood IS eco-friendly. What other material cleans the air and makes it more breathable. Proper forest management and replanting are the KEY.

All new things are expensive until they reach a large production/distribution point where prices can come down. If everything had to be affordable to get going, then we would have nothing.

[FatJan]

yeah, cut down more trees! Kill the ozone while you're at it. HOw about coming up with eco-friendly methods and building materials?

[qdewill]

Wood IS eco-friendly if the trees are harvested at the right point in their life cycle, if the forest is cared for properly, and if the trees are replanted in a ratio of several planted for one harvested.

[zupf]

That's right. You Southern fellas build a nifty house.

[zevno]

Attractive home. Great passive solar concept. Seems like it would be even better if they used concrete or something else on the main thermal wall, instead of logs. One thing I don't like about some homes with sun spaces or trombe walls, is the main rooms are like a house within a house, which cuts you off from the outside. However, energy-wise, this kind of passive design makes a lot of sense.

[qdewill]

Zevno - Wood holds more heat and longer and at the correct temperature for human comfort, than concrete.

Also, it is renewable.

By having the double North Wall, there can be windows (in pairs) in a wall that is normally considered "taboo" for windows. This brings in more daylignt. Also, the wall between the Sunspace and interior has lots of glass, and the careful positioning of skylights and windows brings in even more light. So that is not a problem.

Regards,

Emily at Enertia

[zevno]

Emily - Everything I've read says that logs have poor "K" value; the ability to store and then release thermal energy. Once I considered a log kit home but decided against it for that reason.

Both adobe and concrete are MUCH better for thermal storage. Also, it isn't LIGHT that is an issue in houses with solar spaces, but the feeling of being separate from the outdoors. The homeowner says in your video, he likes the sunny solar space. I like the sun right in my living room.

[qdewill]

I very much disagree regarding the thermal storage ability of wood. It far outperforms concrete and adobe per inch of thickness, and at temperatures that are comfortable to people (especially Southern Yellow Pine - not all woods are equal). But this is why there are lots of building materials and lots of designs. Everyone can have his/her choice.

[andrewmoyer]

Wood is an excellent thermal insulator, which is why trees and wooden spoons use it :-P

If you can manage to pump it up with thermal energy, it will take a while for it to dissipate, i.e. an entire night.

Plus, it's simple, cheap, strong, light weight, completely renewable, and often available locally.

[milotacsbil]

Nice video. It would have been nice if the video showed how the home is cooled during the summer.

[andrewmoyer]

The video does show this at the very beginning of the convection demonstration.

Air enters basement from outside.

Basement cools air.

South wall re-heats air slightly causing it to rise.

Heated air exits vent in the attic.

The cycle repeats.

It's an automatic way of "transfering the cold" from the basement into the rest of the house without a mechanical pump.

Brilliant and simple.