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The CharityWorks GreenHouse From A to Z !. CharityWorksGreenHouse.com. CO2FreeLiving.com. Intro: What Makes a Home Green?. Here are some answers… Reducing the amount of electrical energy consumed which lowers our carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
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The CharityWorks GreenHouse From A to Z! CharityWorksGreenHouse.com CO2FreeLiving.com
Intro: What Makes a Home Green? Here are some answers… • Reducing the amount of electrical energy consumed which lowers our carbon emissions into the atmosphere. • Using passive solar design (site orientation, shading, natural ventilation, building materials). • Using renewable energy systems like solar hot water, photovoltaic electricity, wind turbines, and geothermal heating and cooling systems. • Using water saving fixtures and techniques to help conserve water. • Recycling and reusing materials to reduce the amount of trash and debris going to landfills. • Making our homes more energy efficient by using energy efficient lights and better insulation. • Collecting and reusing rain water for our gardens and lawns.
Chapter 1 Recycle and Reuse • The circa 1951 red brick house was first deconstructed by hand. • Salvageable bricks were separated and stacked. • Wood was removed and stacked for reuse. • Remaining brick and block was crushed to be reused as gravel. • Asphalt shingles were recycled. • Windows were donated to Habitat for Humanity. • As a result, were able to salvage and recycle 97% of the original house!
Chapter 2 Wall and Roof Design • The Foundation walls are prefabricated and use less concrete and are better insulated than typical walls. • Tubing was installed in the floor for radiant heat. • For the walls and roof, we used SIPs panels (Structural Insulated Panels). • SIPs panels are very well insulated and use less wood. • A SIPs panel is built with a foam core and wood from fast growing trees.
Chapter 3 Solar Hot Water Panels • The GreenHouse will use solar panels to provide hot water for the house. • Solar panels collect the sun’s thermal (heat) energy and use it to make hot water which reduces the need for electric water heaters. • Solar heating systems can be classified as passive or active. • Passive heating is what happens to your car on a hot summer day. (No mechanical equipment is needed for passive solar heating) • Active heating systems require a mechanical collector to absorb and collect solar radiation. • Solar energy is free, and its supplies are unlimited. • Solar energy produces no air or water pollution.
Chapter 4 Photovoltaic Panels • The GreenHouse will use solar panels to generate electricity for the house. • Photovoltaic energy is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. • A photovoltaic cell, commonly called a solar cell or PV, is the technology used to convert solar energy directly into electrical power. • A photovoltaic cell is a nonmechanical device usually made from silicon.
Chapter 5 Cool Lighting • Solar tubes capture and direct the suns rays into a tube that reflects daylight down into the house. You will see these in the laundry and powder rooms of the GreenHouse. • Solar tube lighting reduces the amount of electric lighting needed in the house. • Fluorescent lighting is very energy efficient. • Fluorescent lighting is relatively cool and therefore does not generate a lot of heat in the house. • LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lighting is another cool type of light which uses even less energy. You will see mostly LED lighting throughout the GreenHouse.
Chapter 6 Geothermal Heating & Cooling • Geothermal energy is heat from within the earth. • Just below the Earth's surface, the temperature holds nearly constant between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. • For most areas, this means that soil temperatures are usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer. • Geothermal heat pumps use the Earth's constant temperature to heat and cool homes and buildings. • Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat from the ground into buildings in winter and reverse the process in the summer.
Chapter 7 Green Roofs & Cisterns • Green roofs are roofs made of plants and grasses. • Green roofs help keep the house cool which reduces the energy needed for air conditioning. • Green roofs absorb rain water and reduce storm water runoff. • Cisterns are underground tanks which are made of concrete or recycled plastic. • Cisterns are used to collect rain water which can then be used for irrigation. • Using cisterns and rain gardens, which help filter the water, can greatly reduce storm water runoff which helps keep our rivers, lakes, and oceans clean.
Chapter 8 A Walkable Location • 17% of GreenHouse Gas Emissions (which are mostly C02) are generated by driving our cars, according to the EPA. • From the GreenHouse, it is a short walk to the grocery store, cleaners, bank, and a great pizza place! • The Metro Bus stop is a block away which will take you to the West Falls Church Metro Station. • From the Bus stop, it is only a 30 minute trip to the White House by bus and Metro Train!
Cool Facts… Did you know? • 124 million tons of construction debris is buried in landfills every year. • In the United States, 33 million tons of wood from construction is buried in landfills. • When this wood decomposes, it releases 5 million tons of carbon in the air which is equivalent to 3,736,000 cars. • If we improve energy efficiency by 30% over the next 20 years, its equal to removing 132 power plants or 790 million less metric tons of CO2. • Energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest and cleanest way to extend our world’s energy supply. • Driving one car for one year produces about 6 tons of CO2. • Heating the average home produces about 15 tons of CO2 per year. • In the US, 20% of greenhouse gas emissions come from home energy use.
What You and Your Family Can Do… • Change 5 lights to more energy efficient lights. • Use Energy Star qualified appliances and products. • Heat and cool your house smartly. • Seal and insulate your home. • Use green power or renewable energy. • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle • Be green in your yard. • Use water efficiently.
The story continues… • The GreenHouse Team is partnering with CharityWorks this Fall to decorate and furnish the house using green, sustainable products and materials. • CharityWorks will open the house for 3 weeks in October. • Proceeds from the CharityWorks GreenHouse will benefit regional charities including the McLean Project for the Arts and the Friendship Public Charter School. • For more information, visit www.C02FreeLiving.com or www. CharityWorksGreenHouse.com We look forward to seeing you in October!
Please Join Us! • A limited number of extraordinary sponsorship opportunities are available for the GreenHouse. • For details, please contact Mark Lowham, GreenHouse Chairman at (703) 966-6949, mclowham@west-group.com or Victoria Sabo or Deanna Belli, GreenHouse Co-Directors at (703) 286-0801, info@charityworksgreenhouse.com
