THE ENERGY CONSCIOUS BUILDER

GOAL:

To educate future home builders and buyers to recognize energy efficient homes.

OBJECTIVE:

Students (future builders) will be able to identify energy saving ideas used in home construction.

LESSON/INFORMATION:

A builder who constructs energy efficient homes will have customers who enjoy lower utility bills. This means dollar savings to the home buyer. As future builders, we need to know what and how to speak to potential clients with respect to our energy saving ideas. The organization of ideas is very important and can ultimately lead to a construction contract.

To help your clients better understand some of the energy efficient construction terms, prepare a hand-out with brief definitions and explanations. For example:

1. Encourage the use of exterior wall insulation of a minimum R-19

2. Encourage the use of ceiling insulation of R-30 to R-38.

Some customers may not understand the R-Value ratings attached to insulation. A brief definition of R-Value such as, "R-Value refers to the ability of a building material to resist heat flow from one side to the other." will help. The greater the R-Value, the more effective the insulation.

3. Encourage the use of double pane windows and advocate 10% glass area or window area on the exterior walls.

Window units with multiple panes have a higher resistance to heat flow. Space between the panes acts as an insulating area. The width of the space, optimally between 1/2 inch to 5/8 inch, has a positive effect on the window's thermal performance.

4. Use insulated exterior doors.

5. The use of foam sealing, caulking, and weather-stripping helps in preventing air infiltration.

Air infiltration into a home accounts for one-fourth of the air conditioning energy bill. Explain that as a builder you will use proven methods, such as caulking, sealing, and weatherstripping, to prevent infiltration.

6. Use an energy efficient water heater that is centrally located and wrapped in insulation.

7. Select an energy efficient heat pump with a SEER 10, a COP 2.0 with R-6 duct work.

Air conditioners are given a SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) by the industry. The higher the SEER rating, the greater the efficiency. An air conditioning unit that has a rating of SEER 10 is 25% more efficient than one with a rating of 8.0.

8. Incorporate ridge vents with continuous soffit vents.

9. Use light colored roofing. This may be metal, asphalt shingles or clay tiles. Whenever possible, let the client touch a dark colored roof tile and a light colored one that has been in the sun for some time. Clearly the dark colored will be hotter than the lighter colored one. Emphasize to your customer how important color is when selecting roofing.

ACTIVITY 1:

Which initials E.C.B. (Energy Conscious Builder) or A.B. (Average Builder) would be appropriate for the following statements.

_________1. Use insulated exterior doors.

_________2. Use light colored shingles.

_________3. Always seal sole plates.

_________4. His house has 10% glass area.

_________5. He demands air infiltration control.

_________6. He is concerned with the use of hazardous building materials in the home.

_________7. He uses energy efficient water heaters.

_________8. All windows are double pane.

_________9. The ceilings in his homes have R-30 insulation.

________10. The walls in his homes have R-19 insulation.

ACTIVITY 2:

Define the following terms:

soffit vent:

ridge vent:

SEER:

R-value:

ACTIVITY 3:

Examine your own home. List as many energy saving devices as you can find.

INFORMATION CHECK:

Read each statement carefully. Which statements would be true ("T") and which will be false ("F").

1. The walls of a house should have a R-10 value.

2. The windows only on the north side need to be double pane.

3. Caulking and sealants should be applied only to exterior walls.

4. Using dark roof shingles is best becuase mildew will not be noticeable.

5. All water heaters should be wrapped with insulation.

6. Ridge vents are not practical becuase heat/cooling loss is greater.

7. Soffits should be tightly sealed to prevent air infiltration.

8. Home builders should encourage clients to select R-30 to R-38 for ceiling insulation.

TEACHER'S NOTES:

ACTIVITY 1:

Explain to the students that all the answers to the quiz were "Energy Conscious Builder" because all builders will have to be energy conscious as our energy supply dwindles. Point out that all homeowners will have to make better use of energy if they are to enjoy the benefits of their shelter.

ACTIVITY 2:

Check spelling and sentence construciton. Definitions will be similar, sentence construction will vary.

ACTIVITY 3:

Let each student discuss their findings.

INFORMATION CHECK:

1. False

2. False

3. False

4. False

5. True

6. False

7. False

8. True

REFERENCES:

SLEMCO's Builders Guide - Design One - for Energy-Efficient Construction. SLEMCO. 1988.

Comments or questions to: TechAsmt@LA.GOV

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