Green living; green living

Aug 20 - Tulsa World


Imagine a house where you're careful to turn off the lights in rooms you're not using - but you're not obsessive about it.

You, your husband or wife, and two or three kids live conservatively enough but don't have to scrimp on energy to the point of unplugging your modem and wireless router when no one's home using the Internet. The latter is terribly extreme and probably has a minuscule impact on your energy bill.

Still, who wouldn't want a home so energy-efficient that each month's electric statement boils down to one vacuous number: 0.

Such is the case for what is thought to be the first Bosch Net Zero home built in the U.S., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this month. The ultra-efficient home, in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga., is about 1,700 square feet, has three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. By employing geothermal heat and solar voltaic panels, it incurs no electricity cost and actually generates more energy than it needs.

Closer to home, local builders continue to make their own ventures into green construction. Although a zero-dollar energy bill hasn't turned up in builder Shelby Navarro's mailbox, he said he did see a difference when he and his wife spent some time in the "green" Cherry Street townhome where the bills they generated in the 1,700- square-foot home were never more than $100.

The home, which Navarro and his partners built, includes a grass roof, a geothermal climate control system, tankless hot water and an exhaust recovery system in addition to energy-efficient appliances, recycled carpeting and a rain-screen system outside. It is one among many of Navarro's projects around the Tulsa area that follow his architecture firm's concern for the environment.

He was raised this way. His grandfather had solar panels on his house in the 1970s. Conservation sort of weighs on his mind, said Navarro, CEO of ONE Architecture.

"We're sharing this (Earth)," he said. "We're borrowing this world for our children and grandchildren."

Saving the Earth and energy doesn't have to be hard, it just takes mindfulness - a different mind process, he said.

Which is what Molly and Larry Krumme were thinking when they bought a piece of property in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood overlooking Tulsa. They hired Navarro and his team and said yes to the measures that would help make their home green: bamboo flooring, geothermal climate control, a cistern that collects rainwater, a green - grass - roof, structural insulated panels, paneling and even buffalo grass.

It was the view from the location that was especially appealing. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the east side of the house speak to this but double as a green feature, as well. Lights are necessary only in the Krummes' great room, for instance, at nighttime. In the winter, the sun brings a measure of warmth to the home, so less energy is needed to comfortably heat it.

The summer, especially like this one and last, is a different story.

"We're really happy with this house," Molly Krumme said. "We're really happy that we did this." But once you've spent some time with it, you wonder whether you'd do some things differently.

Going green is not as inexpensive as some might think, Krumme said. Or at least not at the outset.

The geothermal isn't inexpensive. Depending on how a homeowner uses it and how long they stay in their home, Krumme said, "I imagine that eventually it could pay for itself.

"The way we built this house and the limitations of the geothermal in this situation make it much less likely that I'm going to ... pay off what it cost to put the geothermal in," Krumme said.

The electricity bills for the Krummes' current home is about $100 to $150 less than their previous home, which was about 3,000 square feet. Their Reservoir Hill home is between 2,700 and 2,800 square feet.

Nationally, private residences account for almost 25 percent of all energy use. According to the government-funded program Energy Star, the average American household generates about a $2,200 energy bill annually.

Interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy has been around for years but really kicked up in popularity only in the past few years. And although energy use has steadily increased over the past 25 years, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy reports that the rate is slower in comparison to the country's rate of population increase.

"This isn't just about energy," he said. "As (utility bills) become costly, people will realize sustainability will not be something for hippies and tree huggers. More will take notice. People will want to make decisions that help the planet."

On a ground level, energy efficiency and sustainability will mean healthier interiors, living environments, lower energy bills and less work around the house on weekends. Such benefits mean it's getting easier to become green, he said.

For those interested in undertaking the building of their own green home, Molly Krumme praises its possibilities but also offers a word of caution.

"Don't assume that, 'I'm going to pay $50 for my electric bill, I'm going to pay everything off in five years,' " she said. "I won't say that can't happen, but don't make that assumption."

Use less

Here is an excerpt from ONE Architecture CEO Shelby Navarro's sustainability plan. "It's not hard to save energy and be mindful," Navarro said. "It takes a different mind process."

August - Simple water-savers - turn off the faucet while shaving, brushing teeth, lathering hands, etc. Take a five-minute shower (or less). Dual-flush toilets are a great option when remodeling. Existing toilets can be made more efficient by using a tank bank or a float booster.

September - Remodeling/repainting - utilize finishes with low and no VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Paints, primers, glues, sealants, etc. all can affect air quality, so hold the VOCs. Also, use reused or recycled products when you can. Denim insulation, recycled paper countertops, you bet!

October - Think of new things to recycle - paper, glass, plastic, aluminum... sure, but what about cardboard, computers, electronics, old clothes? If you aren't already doing the basics, get started now. tulsaworld.com/met If you still have extra stuff, someone will want it, try Craigslist or eBay. Garage sales are fun, too.

Bravetta Hassell 918-581-8316

bravetta.hassell@tulsaworld.com

Originally published by BRAVETTA HASSELL World Scene Writer.

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