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May 10, 2001
Alternative energy house keeps utility bills at bay
Thoughtful plan saves fuel
By Elizabeth Campbell
To walk into Joyce and Adam Steinberg's house is a little like walking into a tree house. It's airy, full of light and there's the trunk of a burr oak holding up the main beam --- the first sign that you are entering an environmentally friendly home.
The Steinbergs live in an active/passive solar home on 10 acres in rural Lodi. Adam Steinberg, who has a background in science and works for the University of Wisconsin-Madison in their Biochemistry Department, knew that he wanted to build a home that used alternative energy sources and that didn't add to the pollution problem. "I wanted to build this way," says Steinberg, "because it makes so much sense. I went to college and started to learn more about natural science and ecology and how we are doing so many things wrong - how much energy we waste...
The Steinbergs spent four years searching for the "perfect piece of property" on which they could build their dream house. "The first thing you want to do before building your solar house is to see where the sun is at its lowest point, which would be on December 21, " Steinberg says. He goes on to say that the house should be south facing and, ideally, built into an embankment.
Steinberg's home design includes active/passive solar heat, a radiant in-floor tubing system, and site orientation that takes advantage of the sun's position during different seasons. They have an expansive outdoor garden, and along their south facing window inside, a greenhouse space where they grow everything from bananas to guavas, and behind their kitchen is a root cellar.
They completed building the house in 1999, well-timed, it seems, considering fuel prices hit an all-time high this winter. Because their heat source is the sun, a wood burning stove and, in extreme circumstances, LP (liquid propane) - used in a highly efficient boiler system - the Steinbergs felt very little of these high costs. "There are sunnier places to build," Steinberg remarks "like the Southwest, but I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
Steinberg grew up on the south side of Chicago and moved to Wisconsin when he was 12 because the gangs in the city were getting to be a serious concern. "At first I hated it, he says of Wisconsin. " From the south side of Chicago to a dairy farm - it was like night and day. But my mom said I should give it two weeks. After those two weeks, I never wanted to leave. Nothing compares to Wisconsin and there's enough solar and wind energy here for any alternative energy house."
In the winter, the direct rays of the sun shine in through the south facing windows of the Steinberg's Lindal-style home and fall on the concrete tiled floor, warming it so it gives off heat as convection energy. This heated concrete, in turn, warms the water that flows through a radiant in-floor tubing system that lies beneath the tiled floors. There are three systems of tubes: the sun loop, which receives the sun directly, and the left and right loop. The sun-heated water from the sun loop flows back to the boiler room and is distributed to the left and right floor loops through a three way mixing valve. This does two things. It allows the heat from the sun to warm the portion of the house that is in the shade, and it also allows the rest of the tiled concrete floor to absorb and store the sun's energy for the nighttime.
When sunny days are scarce and temperatures dip below 20 and linger, the propane-driven boiler automatically turns on. Normally, the Steinbergs bum wood as an auxiliary source of heat, but during very cold nights or when they are out of town, the boiler is a necessary back-up. We bought the smallest boiler we could find," Steinberg says, and it uses very little energy. "It's a Viessmann from Germany, 40,000 BTUs, and still it's too big." he said.
Just as important as tapping the sun's heat in the winter is keeping out the sun in the summer. To solve this, the south side of the house boasts an overhang that prevents the summer sun, which moves across the sky at a higher angle in the summer, from shining in and adding unwanted heat. Also, three sides of the house are built into an embankment. "This provides natural insulation from the cold in the winter and the heat in the summer," Steinberg explains.
The Steinbergs built their house using insulated concrete forms (ICF). ICFs are Styrofoam blocks that fit together like Legos. Top and bottom edges of each block overlap, and then are stacked and aligned to produce the 14-foot wall Of the house. It sounds flimsy, but even the big bad wolf would have a hard time blowing down this house --- concrete is poured into the ICFS in four-foot lifts around the home. The result is a strong house that is hurricane and tornado proof. "It was perfect," Steinberg says, "ICFs are very easy and quick to build with and are extremely energy efficient.
"It's sealed in here," Steinberg continues, "which is good for energy efficiency because there are no drafts, but the problem is if you don't have air circulation you'll kill yourself with carbon monoxide poisoning." To solve this, the Steinbergs use an air-to-air heat exchanger which throws out the stale indoor air and replaces it with fresh air from outside, and it does this with minimal energy loss --- about 86% of the heat from the inside air is recovered and transferred as new clean air.
Although Joyce and Adam Steinberg had the advantage of building from scratch, allowing them to incorporate their conservation-minded values, Steinberg recommends a number of changes that could be made to improve energy efficiency in traditional homes. "First check to see that you have adequate insulation," Steinberg says, "Next," he says, "make sure your house is sealed."
Sealing cracks at the ceiling level, most importantly, and around windows and doors prevents the warm pressurized inside air from being sucked out by the lower pressure cold air outside. "Many homes have insulation in their attics so it is often difficult to fix those ceiling cracks," Steinberg says, "but if you can get to those air leaks it's worth it, since the air at the top of the house is the warmest, and most subject to drafts."
Because air conditioning is one of the biggest draws on electricity, Steinberg encourages people to add an awning or overhang to south-facing windows, which will help keep out the summer sun and keep the house cooler.
"Having the right appliances are important too," Steinberg says. To save energy he recommends a front-loading washing machine, a refrigerator unit with the freezer on the bottom, a highly efficient boiler and/or wood burning stove. Their wood stove, a Waterford from Ireland, will burn all day on two nice logs.
Installing fluorescent light bulbs will also help cut down energy costs. "With fluorescent bulbs, 33 watts of electricity will give you 150 watts of light, 11 watts will give you 60," Steinberg says, "and they last 10 to 15 years." Fluorescent bulbs are a little more expensive, but worth it for the energy they save over their life span, he says. "The quality of light in fluorescence is now as good or better than the regular Tungsten bulbs. There's daylight, soft light and even dimmable fluorescents available now." he said.
Finally, Steinberg talked about static electrical appliance drain. "Many things in the home are taking energy even when they're off.' The TV may be off but it is actually on; it's got power going to it - waiting for you to push the remote button. The VCR, the stereo, the microwave, and your computer all can be connected to a power outlet that can be switched on and off (keep in mind that you will lose your programming when you do this)." A computer in sleep mode, Steinberg says, uses as much energy as an operating 19-inch TV! Laser printers are another huge drain of energy because they must stay hot and ready to print. "Inkjet printers are better because they can be turned them off when you're not printing," Steinberg says.
Though the Steinbergs follow their beliefs about conservation, their comfort does not seem to be compromised. "The environment is so pleasing and nice here." Steinberg says. "There's the sun coming in throughout the winter and it's comfortable and cool in the summer. People walk in here and they immediately comment on how pleasant it feels. It makes you feel good to build your house this way.
People interested in building a solar home or building with low energy-use technologies or with ICFs should feel free to contact the Steinbergs.
Photo by Gary N-Ski
© Copyright 2001 Hometown News Limited Partnership, Inc.
Lodi, WI 53555