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.
(c) 2012 Tulsa World. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
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