Saving the environment and your money begins in the design process. Saving energy is often a top concern of homeowners, whether driven by a desire to lower their utility expenses or tread lightly on the earth. Each year we see new technologies that help make saving...
With energy costs on the rise, it’s not just environmentally friendly to keep your energy consumption reined in—it’s wallet-friendly too! And the best time to consider your energy savings is when you’re building a new home. If you plan appropriately, it’s possible to build a “zero-net energy” log home. Also called “energy neutral” or “net zero,” zero-net energy (ZNE) homes actually collect or produce more energy than they use, making it possible to live independently from the energy grid. “A zero-…
This issue’s theme is legacy log homes—building a log home now that will be passed down to future generations. It makes sense to build the best possible log home using the highest quality of materials that will withstand all weather conditions, pests, and other natural elements. It also makes sense to build a log home that is energy and water efficient. Energy costs are on the rise now and there’s no telling how high they will go in the future. Water, a most precious resource, is also worth conserving t…
You hear a lot of lingo when talking about the environment and building: LEED certification, efficiency, green building, eco-friendly, sustainability. It can be overwhelming! But the simple truth is that making sensible choices in your home’s design can lead to lifelong benefits. A home that’s easy on the environment will also have lower annual operating costs, higher resale value, will consume less energy and water, and be a healthier place to live for years to come. Here are some areas of the interior…
High fuel costs and economic pressures have prompted more homeowners to ferret out ways to save money on the energy costs associated with their homes. To help, the National Association of Home Builders’ Log Homes Council offers these nine simple ways to reduce energy costs, increase comfort, and make your log home a little greener. Use Passive Solar. Site the home to take advantage of the sun. In colder climates, a southern exposure for the family room and kitch…
Did you know that the heating and hot water system you choose for your log home will contribute to over 50 percent of your yearly energy bill? That fact alone—not to mention any cooling costs—should make log home owners take a step back and put some careful considerations into the water and HVAC systems that will go into their new abodes. Fred Ruckel of New York isn’t taking any chances with his new log home. Ruckel, a marketing and advertising professional who also runs the website www.greenlogho…
If you are planning to build a new log home, now is a great time to think about energy efficiency and your carbon footprint. Log homes are already energy efficient because of the thermal mass of the logs—they require less energy to heat and cool. But there is a lot more you can do to hold your energy costs down and make your home both comfortable and healthy to live in. In this issue, we’re looking at solar energy, particularly the use of photovoltaic panels. Why Go Solar? Energy from the sun is renewab…
When Barry Ivey and Lany Sherman sit down to design a log home these days, some of their customers’ first concerns fall under the “environmentally conscious” category. Looking to incorporate green elements into their homes, both new owners and those looking to retrofit existing structures are concerned about site sustainability, environmentally friendly materials and construction methods, and water and energy efficiency. “We’re seeing a strong desire for environmentally …
Going green is easy these days, especially when you are building a new home. With the cost of fossil fuels increasing annually and the damage they cause the environment more evident every day, it’s a good time to reduce your carbon footprint, save some money on utilities, and make your living environment comfortable and healthy. Adding an alternative energy system to a log home is no more difficult than installing a standard HVAC system, but it does require a different set of skills and equipment….
Collect heat from the sun through windows. Ideally, windows should face within 30 degrees of due south. Absorb that heat with a storage element such as a masonry wall, a stone floor, or a water container that sits in the direct path of the sunlight. Store the heat you’ve soaked up within that wall, floor, or container. The right materials will do that naturally. Distribute heat from the storage element to different areas of the house via conduction (the way heat moves through …
When Doug and Laurie Pooch built their central Iowa log home in 2005, they opted for a geothermal heating and cooling system—a unit similar to the one in their previous house. The Pooches, who are the owners of Cabin Fever Construction and dealers with Expedition Log Homes, say they simply wanted the same energy savings their customers look for. “We had geothermal in our previous log home and were pleased with it,” Doug says. “We wanted to make our home as energy efficient as possible and lower our long…
Twenty to 40 percent of an average household heating bill is just for hot water. And that’s just for common household hot water usage, such as laundry, baths and showers, and dishwashing. Most of us rely on a conventional storage water heater, whether it is powered by electricity or gas. It provides all the hot water we need, as long as its size is designed for the number of people in the household. It has a fairly long life, maybe 15-20 years, and when it goes we replace it with another standard …
