Green building Session has ended.

Do having a lot of windows and glass door increase energy consumption?

Hey, thanks everybody for "dialing" in. I enjoyed it. There's a lot to learn and consider.

Next week at the same time, Kent German will be hosting a forum on cell phones. Here's the link: http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12548_102-0.html?forumID=136&threadID=268321

Thanks again!
Martin

Just because a state or federal government pays someone to install a low efficiency energy capture on their roof does not make it right. Remember we are all paying the taxes so we are all contributing to people who install Solar on their rooftops. All we are saying is that that person who wants to dig into his or her pocket should place their investment where it gets the most power gain. The local residents use that power and send the investor the higher proceeds. It is simple no matter what the cost of photovoltaic our Solar Transfer solution will always be the best way to go if you want to make more money and yes "Save the Planet". A simple transplant of Al Gores panels somewhere else reduces CO2 2-3 fold. Now does everyone get it. We have talked to Bill Clinton and Al Gore about this issue but it seems the big money behind poor solar designs and installations will win out. Call your Senator ask them what they know about a SolarTransfer?
Is this worth investigating? or should we stay quiet and let everyone make a mistake?

Geothermal is one of those technologies that people just don't think about much. It's interesting to hear that it's worked out well for you. Anecdotally, I've heard similar stories--people like them because they work year round. On the other hand, an architect in Texas told me that the effectiveness of the system went down after 7 or 8 years, because they were just pumping so much heat down. I suspect geothermal for large scale power production will go up in the next couple of years.

Thanks for sharing your experience! A lot of these decisions hinge on location conditions and, let's face it, local installers with the right expertise.

This event is on Green buildings. And I would recommend posting your question in the CNET forums here:
http://forums.cnet.com/

Possibly the MP3 player forum here:
http://forums.cnet.com/5204-7595_102-0.html?forumID=71

Cheers!
-Lee

If you want to learn more about green homes of the future, I suggest you go to the Solar Decathlon Web site. Or (shameless plug), check out my coverage - videos, photos and more!

This is a DOE-sponsored competition where 20 universities build houses powered entirely by the sun--heating, cooling, electricity, everything. There were some neat designs and cool technologies that these students made, which will give you an idea where things are headed.

Sensors, Web-based control programs, solar, modular homes. Lot of neat stuff.

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9798161-7.html?tag=bl

More of a comment than a question I suppose.

There are cases where Geothermal is a better idea than solar thermal. I live in Seattle, where I installed both solar thermal and a conventional natural gas hot water/radiant heating systems.

In Seattle, you must have both systems in place; between April and October we use very litle natural gas, but in the dark wet months we do.

Geothermal is coming down in price. Were I doing the project today... I would do geothermal instead. Why? The upfront cost of just geothermal is about the same as a dual solarthermal/natural gas system. Unlike what I have, however, geothermal provides 24/7 year round hot and cold water. In places where the sunshine is less than ideal, geothermal is worth considering.

I have a question: Why is the portable media industry so obsessed with "pocket sized" HDD PMPs?!

I travel A LOT and need a video player on the plane to help keep me distracted -- to help me forget that my fat butt is crammed like a sardine up in the Unfriendly Skies. But most PMPs have only a 3-4" screen (iPod Video, Creative Zen Wide, etc., which are too small for nice viewing on a plane). And there are only a couple 7" options -- Archos comes to mind here.

My question is really this --

There is a HUGE market for Portable DVD players -- you know the ones with the flip up screens that play actual DVDs. I have one like this that I use on the plane. But because most of my trips are very long -- 14 hours or more -- I need to carry extra batteries, both for the unit and the powerful headphones, PLUS two or three cases of DVDs for extended trips. That means that my carry-on bag -- JUST FOR MY VIDEO OPTIONS -- is very large!

I want a hard drive based portable media player that has a minimum of 160 Gig and a minimum 7" screen.

It can be as large as my current portable player -- imagine how cool that would be, I could just carry a PMP that size and it would be large enough to house a massive hard drive, EXTRA battery space for super-long battery life, all kinds of space for extra stuff. With something like this, I would not need to carry so many extra external batteries or cases and cases of DVDs -- it would all be in one cool unit! (And to think of it, a FLIP UP screen would be PREFERABLE because it wouldn't get so scratched up!)

If the industry is selling so many portable DVD players, why hasn't it seen the market that I am talking about -- a market that says it wants:

7"+ Screen size
Massive HDD space (250 Gig would be even better)
Easy file transfer options
DVR options
All video and music protocols
etc.

I don't need a pocket player -- I need a really good one for the plane! And, obviously, so do a LOT of other people: Just look at the sales of portable DVD players!

Can CNET help get this ball rolling!! I NEED THIS!!!

I would be remiss in writing to a CNET audience interested in greening their homes if I didn't mention power strips. A lot of electrical gadgets suck juice from the socket even when they're not on. They're called "vampire" appliances. Use a power strip and just turn them on when you want--that'll save you a bundle on electricity. There are also "smart power strips" that can make decisions on when to turn things off. Of course, using the sleep function and turning your computer off is a little step toward greening your digital life

A lot of people are interested in solar electric panels -- I think that's what most people think when they think solar power.

But another thing that more people should at least consider is solar thermal. Basically, you put a flat black panel on your roof that heats up tubes filled with a liquid (usually an anti-freeze). That hot liquid goes to your basement and heats up your hot water. You could use it with radiant floor heating (WarmBoards is one product).

The pay-back on solar hot water is much quicker than solar electric and it should qualify for tax credits and the like. A more high-tech version of solar thermal are these evacuated tubes. Here's a picture of one--they come in different sizes.
http://www.news.com/2300-11392_3-6201572-4.html?tag=ne.gall.pg

The thing you want to look at when you buy windows is the R value, ie the insulating value. I know that's obvious but it's one of those things that makes a big difference when you consider how long you have your windows. This is one of those areas where replacing all of the windows in say, a single family house, is relatively expensive. But you can do it little by little. I haven't heard about gas escaping--I'd say check that you have a long warranty. Thanks Lee!

Germany is by far the biggest consumer of solar PV panels in the world. And they don't have a good sun resource compared to much of the United States. They do have very supportive policies. So a lot of this comes down to what you want--do you want to support a solar industry? That said, I think the decision to get them or not should make financial sense. And there are various ways you can look at it--payback for the initial investment, adding value to your house, etc. People could also get a home equity loan if the math makes sense to them. Some installers are starting to offer financing as well.

I know there are good ones and cheap ones... what are the differences--besides being well contructed vs. poorly?

Also some higher end double pane windows have argon/krypton gas in them? But if it's a gas--won't it eventually escape and leave the window less efficient?

I'm looking into replacing all my windows to save on my energy bill.

Thanks!
-Lee

If this is the same video I saw, John Doerr--one of the most successful venture capitalists in Silicon Valley--goes through the urgency of climate change and why he's investing in green tech. Here's a You Tube link, for AFTER this forum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuXJFbJNltg

Many installers and manufacturers will not want to here this but almost all residential Solar Installations are being done in error.
I will use Al Gore as an example here since he recently installed solar panels.
Let’s start off describing a Solar Transfer in its most basic terms.
Let’s say Al Gore had a house in Tennessee and one in Arizona. Let’s say they both are powered by coal fired plants. Would it not be better for the environment if Mr. Gore installed his solar panels in the State that gets the most solar constant? I calculations show that a simple solar transplant could generate 2 times more power and save the planet 2 times the CO2.

What is the best way to get the word out to slow solar installations? You see as soon as someone invest the $20,000-$30,000 it may be awhile before they are ready to invest again. Using the Solar Transfer logic that same investment could generate 2-3 times more power for 30 years! Tha is significant!

As a few people have noted, there's a LOT you can do to green up your house that has nothing to do with solar electric panels (photovoltaics). Government subsidies will likely remain for a while because distributed energy helps take load off the power grid and it's cleaner.

As another person noted, a solar electric or hot water system will add value to your house. The PV panels last 30 years.

There are a number of things you can do--many of which you just mentioned--that pay for themselves quickly. Air sealing is perhaps most overlooked, but hey who likes to work with caulk? That said, there are some utilities that have people who do energy audits (for free, often) and will do some of the dirty work. good comment!

More of a comment than question, but if some of today's participants would like to check out an exciting video on going green and what can be done. Go to iTunes and there's a video Podcast from "TED Talks" featuring John Doerr that's really informative.

Yes, CFLs need to be taken to your local hazardous waste disposal because they contain a small amount of mercury. There are options -- actually there are a growing number of CFLs on the market. You can get LED although that's still sort of niche, not quite at the hardware store.

Another possibility is what they call daylighting. setting up your house to maximize natural light when you want. There's a company called Solatube that does a daylighting appliance. It's cool and daylight is generally thought to be good for you. here's a picture of the solatube:

http://www.news.com/2300-11392_3-6167215-1.html?tag=ss

There are solar collectors designed specifically for heating pools. Makes a lot of sense, though I haven't actually used one.

Geothermal sounds like overkill for your application. Anybody have experience with geothermal out there? I've heard some people question whether it continues to work over the long term. I've also heard people who swear by it.

Don't forget that a PV equipped home can command a few more K when you put it up for sale.

Today I think the advice is to get the LOW HANGING FRUIT on your home. That is, the compact fluorescent lights, the caulking, insulation before you think PV, wind and other systems.

I can attest to this since I have almost 100% CCFLs, did the sealing and the insulation. Comparing to a neighbor their monthly heating bill hits 800 (plus) and last year on the worst month hit just a little over 300.

You can work with what you have and I made back every dime in under 2 years.

Is there other options to the fluoresent bulbs? I have seen studies about them and hyperactivity, what about disposal? I have installed motion switches in a bunch of the rooms. They are great!

Is there a difference to what I am thinking of the traditional office fluoresent and the compact you mentioned?

That sounds neat! I haven't seen green roofs in people's homes where I live. But yes, the idea there is insulation. The Genzyme Center, one of a few LEED certified Platinum green buildings, has a green roof. Sounds like it looks neat. One of the issues is finding somebody who actually knows how to do a green roof. Ask your neighbor!

Here are couple other easy options: composting, water barrels, recycling. that's all green.

I've been curious about this home that I see everyday on my way to work. The house's roof top is entirely covered with plants! As if the roof top was used as an open planter. Any idea what that's all about? Insulation?? Or just being different?

I am thinking of installing an inground pool. What kind of options are there to make it greener? I would like to heat it and I hve heard of geothermal but don't think it is practical.

There's a lot of cool technologies we could talk about. But my advice would be start with the small things--when put together, they can add up.

This is not glamorous...but more insulation, compact fluorescent bulbs, and energy-efficient appliances (like your fridge) can make a big difference.

Sealing your windows, etc. can also make a difference. Fiberglass won't keep cold air from seeping in.

Can we talk about why we think prospective buyers wanting to go Green need to research before they move forward? The reason Solar is having a hard time is that the Governor of California and others are pushing for rooftop installations of photovoltaic panels that simply do not pay for themselves. That means less people are interested in doing their part because the economics are just not there.

Up-front cost is definitely a big issue in the solar industry. That said, costs are going down as the industry scales up the volume of panels manufactured. And, as the industry gets bigger and the components are standardized, the installation cost should go down as well.

I bought a new house in a subdivision two years ago. I would like to star greening it but I don't know where to start other than plant trees.

yes, the solar industry is growing very rapidly. A lot of that is going into the commercial market, but solar electric panels are also happening on people's homes. It's definitely not an easy financial decision though for the homeowner. It's a lot of upfront money, on the order of $20,000-$35,000. Normally, you get a good chunk of that back in incentives. But these home installations probably don't pay for themselves for many years, like more than 10.

Do you see an increase in residential solar installations?

There's a lot of interest in green buildings in the commercial world. But you can green up your house, too. You just need to know a little bit about the options. A few things to think about are:
-Solar. what's the difference between solar electric and solar thermal?
-Wind. does that make sense on a small scale?
-Smart buildings with sensors, smart appliances and the like.

Hello, I'm Martin LaMonica, senior writer at CNET News. I cover green technologies here. I'm ready to take your questions on green buildings. So go ahead!

Ask the Editors Live: Green building

Ever wonder what makes a "green" building green? Well, you've come to the right place.

Our next upcoming Ask the Editors Live chat begins at 11 a.m. Pacific Time (2 p.m. Eastern), Thursday, October 18. Our host will CNET News.com reporter Martin LaMonica, who will be here to answer all your question and curiosities about green homes and buildings.

So get your green building questions ready for Martin and be prepared to get informed during this live chat event!

Click here for upcoming Ask the Editors Live events and past transcripts of events.