Seven Green Trends for 2010

Here is an article on seven predicted Green Trends expected to be dominant in 2010.

What do you think of these trends?

Are there any trends you think will emerge this year?

We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Plastics Manufacturer’s Ethics underscore commitment to sustainability

In response to a recent article on The Province, by Dave Nicholas, PFB CORPORATION clarifies its application for emissions permit for its Plasti-Fab plant on Annacis Island. Plasti-Fab operates as a manufacturer in the plastics material and resin sector. PFB Corporation voluntarily reports on all environmental impact elements for its North American manufacturing facilities, underscoring their commitment to sustainability.

The article talks about VOC emissions and the company’s voluntary self reporting in regards to the impact of their operations on the environment.  The article states that the company’s emissions would be 0.1 per cent
of the 108,000 tonnes of volatile organic compounds emitted annually in Metro Vancouver in 2005.

In the article, Environmental Control Officer, Don Miller, notes that he “has nothing but appreciation for the company’s ethics.”

You can read the comments from the company regarding this article at http://www.plastifab.com/VOC%20emmissions%20Delta%20Press%20Release.pdf

Lakeside Green Cottage – Open House

You’re invited to a preview of

The Lakeside Green Cottage

Saturday, May 8, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At 174 Vine St., Lakeside, Ohio

The Lakeside Green Cottage is a model of sustainable construction that maintains the design and character of its historic community. You’re invited to tour this high-efficiency home, now in its final phase of construction, and discover how eco-friendly building technology and historic character can go hand-in-hand.

Learn more about the project and the Chautauqua community of Lakeside.

Come for the open house, stay for…

Lakeside Daisy Day and the Lakeside Association’s Annual Plant Sale

Celebrating the hearty yellow flower that grows only on the Marblehead Peninsula, Lakeside Daisy Day will be marked with events throughout the area, including Lakeside’s Annual Plant Sale on the steps of Hoover Auditorium. For more information visit www.LakesideOhio.com or www.LakesideDaisy.com

Is it a SIP?

Is a SIP:                             

 

1. A Stress-Skin Panel?

2. A Foam Core Panel?

3. A Curtain Wall Panel?

3. Insulated?

4. Uninsulated?

5. Structural?

6. Non-Structural?

7. All of the above?

8. None of the above?

9. Some of the above?

There is some confusion in the marketplace today resulting from sloppy use of terminology which could be confusing to the consumer. The term SIP is a contraction of a term used to describe a family of building components that can include Sandwich Panels & Stressed-Skin panels which include insulation made from a variety of skins and cores. The long history of SIPs has been laced with many changes. The basic concept of a SIP is one of doing much more with less. The basic engineering premise behind SIPs is to use less material to produce a building component that is both relatively light and tremendously strong. The early years of SIP development preceeded the common use of insulation in buildings and the advent of rigid foam insulations. Prior to the use of rigid insulation as the core and shear transfer media for a panel, the space between the skins of a panel were made of other materials, such as cardboard, eggcrate style fillers and lumber. One of the early applications and still in common use today was the production of hollow core doors using thin wood veneers and eggcrate style wood fiber centers. In higher stress applications like building panels these early panels used lumber  to secure the skins against buckling and transfer shear stresses between the skins. Connections between the skins and lumber were through nails, screws and adhesives. These panels did not normally contain insulating material, but by the nature of the trapped air space and airtightness, they undoubtedly performed better thermally than uninsulated stud frame construction.

New insulation material technology in the form of rigid foam plastic and fiberglass found their way into the market place after World War II. Fiberglass offered greater insulating ability than a trapped air space and could be used in a SIP built with lumber. This configuration could certainly qualify as a Structural Insulated Panel. The rigid foam insulations provided a new option to the core of a panel. It was discovered that simply laminating the rigid foam between skins produced a thermally and structurally superior building panel without the reliance on lumber in the core. The American Plywood Association, USDA Forest Products Lab and others did extensive engineering and testing of these two basic types of panels in the 1950’s and 60’s. The design characteristics of panels using both lumber and foam cores were mathematically modeled and the equations tested to verify their accuracy in predicting performance with various types of skins and cores under different load conditions.

These researches lead to the publication of two key documents, which detailed the methodology for calculating the performance of the two basic types of panels. Terminology was created and defined in these publications to differentiate between two types of panels. Panels, which relied on a foam core sandwiched between facings for their structural performance, were defined as Sandwich Panels. Panels, which relied on lumber materials instead of foam in the core of the panel, were defined as Stressed-Skin Panels. The APA published these definitions, details and mathematical formulas in two publications:

1. PDS (Plywood Design Specification) Supplement Three—Design and Fabrication of Plywood Stressed-Skin Panels.
2. PDS (Plywood Design Specification) Supplement Four—Design and Fabrication of Plywood Sandwich Panels.

 

In the 1960’s APA succeeded in getting these Specifications adopted by the Model Building Code Agencies. Supplement Three was updated in August of 1990 and Supplement Four in March of 1990 and these revisions were adopted by the three Model Building Codes agencies, BOCA, SBCCI, UBC. These three agencies later merged into the International Code Council (ICC). The engineering criteria set forth in these APA Supplements were the basis for design calculation and testing of all Code Listed Structural Insulated Panel Systems starting in the early 80s.

More recently in 2007 the International Code Council (ICC) incorporated the Prescriptive Building Standards for SIP wall systems, developed by the Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) into the International Residential Code (IRC). See the attached PDF. The Prescriptive method defines the term SIP as “Structural Insulated Panel (SIP): A structural sandwich panel which consists of a light weight core securely laminated between two rigid facings (such as wood structural panels).”

 

 Following are some Frequently Asked Questions about SIPs.

Question: Is a Sandwich Panel a SIP? Todays Structural Insulated Panel is most commonly known as a lamination of Oriented Strand Board Skins OSB or Plywood and rigid plastic foam core insulation. This Panel, correctly referred to as a Sandwich Panel, is certainly a Structural Insulated Panel (SIP)

Answer: Yes, Always.

Question: Is a Stressed-Skin Panel a SIP?  This is one of the most abused terms in common use in the panel industry. If the Stressed-Skin Panel does not contain insulation it could not be correctly referred to as a Structural Insulated Panel but only as a Structural Panel SP. If it were insulated with fiberglass or foam it could be correctly referred to as a SIP. This term has also seen many confusing variations such as: Stresskin, Stresskinned, Stress Skin, Stress Skinned. These terms are commonly used interchangeably and could lead to a problem if the customer orders a Stressed-Skin Panel and the building inspector approves the use of Stressed-Skin Panel and what arrives is a Sandwich Panel SIP as defined now in the IRC. Or worse, if a Sandwich Panel is expected and a Stressed Skin Panel arrives with no insulation.

Answer: No in most cases, but yes in some.

Is a Foam Core Panel A SIP? Foam Core Panel is a non-specific term in reference to the Building Codes. It has commonly been used in describing a Sandwich Panel, but confuses the purer definitions APA established years ago. Strictly speaking a Stressed-Skin panel could be insulated with rigid foam. If this were done would it then qualify as a Foam Core Panel? In my opinion this term should be discarded.

Answer: Yes, but let’s not use the term again.

Is a SIP structural?  By their nature SIPs are structural. They are intended to carry loads.  If they were not intended to carry loads there would be little need to securely laminate a Sandwich Panel or Nail a Stressed-Skin Panel. Sandwich Panels and Stressed-Skin Panels as types of SIPs carry and transfer loads in similar fashions. In recent years it has become a poor practice to refer to panels attached to other structural systems such as steel framing, timber framing, etc, as non-structural panels. Panels used in these applications are also commonly referred to as curtain wall panels because they close these structures with a curtain like affect. I think this is also a poor way to refer to a SIP, after all would you want the panels attached to one of these systems to blow around in a curtain like fashion. No, of course not. We expect and need the SIPs used in these applications to be rigid structural members. They must resist significant wind loads when used on walls and support snow, wind and dead loads on roof applications.  In most cases they also contribute significant racking diaphragm stiffness to the Structural framework. It is hard to imagine how we could refer to these panels as non-structural curtains. The only type of load curtain wall panels do not normally see is axial load in walls. Even in walls however we expect the panels to support windows, doors and often other structural components such as beams.  These are axial loads.

 Answer: Yes, Always

 

Is a SIP ever Non-Structural?  Language and terms are ever changing. But our ability to communicate precisely without confusion is founded in the understanding of the evolution of these terms and definitions. If the buyer is to get what they expect it is essential that the terminology is well understood and conforms to legal definitions.  If a manufacturer or builder is prone to using inappropriate terminology and glossing over a lack of technical data that is in strict conformance with the Building Code, be very cautious.

Answer?  Never

Prescriptive Method SIPs HUD

Lakeside Green Cottage Raising Photos

Thought everyone might be interested to see the photos from the raising we did two weeks ago.

You can check them out on the Riverbend Timber Framing Flickr page here:

Riverbend Flickr

Don’t forget to leave some comments we’d love to hear what you think!

Lakeside Family Hosts Old-fashioned “Barn Raising”

Visitors are invited to experience the romance and camaraderie of an old-fashioned “barn raising” Saturday and Sunday, January 23-24, in the Chautauqua community of Lakeside, Ohio. Homeowners Frank and Brenda Baker will lead a crew of family and friends in raising the timber frame of their new cottage by hand, and look forward to a celebratory event with plenty of guests.

“People have always enjoyed the fellowship of coming together to build something,” Frank Baker, founder of Riverbend Timber Framing, said.  “I think it’s in our DNA.”

Timber framing is a centuries-old building method prized for its sturdiness, longevity and beauty.  The massive timber “bones” of the cottage will be assembled like a puzzle at the site, joined with wooden pegs, then lifted into place by the volunteer crew.

“All the joinery is pre-cut, and it’s really neat to see how the pieces fit together,” Baker said.  “It’s a fascinating process, and you don’t get a chance to see it too often.”

The raising will take place at 174 Vine Street in Lakeside, with work planned to begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. For maps and directions visit www.LakesideOhio.com/directions For more information contact Riverbend Timber Framing at 888-486-2363.

Case Study: Ultra-Efficient ‘Hybrid Home’ Utilizes High-Performance Building Techniques

Here is a great recent article from Eco Home Magazine about a recently built Ultra-Efficient Hybrid Home. Give the article a read:

http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/news/2010/01/case-study-ultra-efficient-hybrid-home-utilizes-high-performance-building-techniques.aspx

Here is a quick excerpt from the article:

Utilizing several high-performance building techniques designed to make it ultra insulated and efficient, a 4,200-square-foot home in rural Pennsylvania was constructed using a systems-built approach for its three separate living areas.

The LEED-H Silver home in Kennett Square, Pa., features a Superior Walls’  Xi insulated precast concrete foundation, timber framing, and structural insulated panels (SIPs). It boasts a HERS rating of 51, 34 points below the Energy Star target threshold.

Let us know what you think in the comments section!

Lakeside Green Cottage

Last June our 100 year old seasonal cottage in Lakeside, Ohio www.lakesideohio.com took a direct hit from a 100 year old maple tree during a storm that came across Lake Erie. We loved the funky old cottage but we knew from the outset that repair versus replacement would be the major decision in front of us. After months of debate, evaluation, structural analysis, historical study and consultation with experts and some not so experts, we finally decided that the Greenest thing we could do was salvage what we could from the old cottage and build a new, state of the art Green Cottage. Tearing down the funky but appealing old structure and the history that would go with it was a tough decision. We also knew that we may have difficulty getting the Lakeside community to accept the idea of tearing down one of its treasured architectural structures. The entire Lakeside Community is on the National Historic register.
 It initially seemed that the Greenest thing to do was to repair the old cottage. We had already been planning to repair it and spruce it up, but the tree forced us into action. But how do you economically and esthetically repair something that had no real foundation, no level or square floors or walls, would not meet any current building code, had antiquated cobbled wiring and plumbing, a compromised fireplace and chimney (the only heat source), no insulation or subfloors, inoperable and deteriorating old windows, multiple broken structural members, hidden areas of rot, and a roof way past it’s prime. As we considered all the options, repairing the cottage was looking more like the classic money pit.
So we decided to rebuild. Once that decision was made, we were excited at the opportunity to build what would be a much better cottage and would also be a state of the art Green Cottage. For 30 years we have been advising and supplying sustainable design and materials to clients. Now we had an opportunity to incorporate all we have learned into our cottage. With all the experience and the resources available, that should be easy, right? If only that were the case.
I’ve heard it estimated that there are over 30,000 decisions to be made in the construction of the average home. Add in the considerations to make that home truly green, the complexity grows immensely even for folks like us who have had experience with Green and sustainability thinking.
In an effort to assist those hoping to build their own Sustainable Green Home, we will chronicle the path of how we have made our Green choices, developed Green specifications and rationalized decisions where Green was more like Gray. We’ll be keeping a log here on Greenspeak as the project progresses. Follow this link for a general overview of the project http://www.riverbendtf.com/downloads/prospectus.pdf and follow Frank’s Green Speak for updates on the process.

How do SIPs compare in cost to sticks?

SIP Cost Comparisons

Attached is a presentation I have given a few times to the National Association of Homebuilders addressing the question of how do SIPs compare in cost to stick framing.

The simple answer to the questions is that SIPs cost less.

They only cost more more when they are compared to homes that are built to the lowest standards allowed by the building code, HVAC sytems are not downsized and home ownership costs are not considered.

 In locations where code mandated energy performance standards are relatively high, SIPs compete on a first cost basis with stick framing very nicely, while still delivering better performance, comfort, lifetime savings and many other benefits.

Since the vast majority of homes are built to code minimum standards, builders who build to these minimum standards will invariably suggest that SIPs cost more. But builders who must build to high standards or choose to such as Green Builders, will tell you that SIPs cost no more and usually less when HVAC system cost reductions, cycle time savings, stick frame air sealing  and labor cost reductions are factored in.

To the homeowner SIP homes cost less, for they pay the utility bill, the builder does not. Builders typically are fixated on only one thing and that is profit, thus they focus on building as cheaply as they can to drive down first cost so they can maximize profit margin. They are seldom interested in the cost of ownership.

Wrong Turn Taken: Embodied Energy & LCA

Have you seen the claims of cellulose insulating materials to be the “Greenest of the Green”? Embodied Energy is used as a basis for the claim. Cellulose has many noteworthey Green attributes, but if you look to the footnotes on the embodied energy tables for insulating materials you will see that the numbers include the “caloric BTU value of the EPS”. That is to say that the BTU value of the EPS was included as if the EPS feedstock were going to be burned for fuel. Cellulose insulation on the other hand does not include the BTU value of the wood it is made from if the wood were burned thus severely distorting the comparison of cellulose to EPS insulation. Petroleum and Natural Gas which are the primary feedstocks in EPS should be viewed as  minerals, of which there is a finite supply.  The choice seems to be; should we burn gas and oil and dump more CO2 and other pollutants into the atmosphere or make it into a durable good that can be recycled indefinitely and save huge amounts of energy with that durable good.

Embodied energy is a factor used in Life Cycle Analysis LCA to compare the merits of materials, processes, etc. When embodied energy includes all the important energy inputs into the extraction, transport, processing and disposing or recycling of a material it can be very useful. However if a short term view is adopted which puts more  emphasis on supply side dynamics than on preservation of resources then we have a distorted result which can lead us down the wrong path of material selection. Most of the best known LCA tools, like the Athena model, treat EPS in this fashion.  I would strongly argue that including the energy value of burning a raw material in embodied energy calculations is just this type of inappropriate emphasis on short versus long term environmental vision. We should be preserving petroleum products for long term durable goods manufacture, which in the case of EPS insulation, saves about 100 times more energy over the life of a building than the energy used to produce it. And the bonus is that we still have the polystyrene molecule to reuse over and over again and the carbon in the petroleum is sequestered keeping it out of the atmosphere. Since plastics account for less than 3% of all petroleum and natural gas consumption and in most cases is very recyclable, its makes much more sense to preserve oil and gas for these types of use and replace them with renewable energy sources. This would be a Win, Win, Win for us all.