Thursday, December 28, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
Kermit's Lament
Here's the famous plaint by Kermit the Frog:
It's not that easy bein' green
Having to spend each day
The color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer
Bein' red or yellow or gold
Or something much more colorful like that
It's not easy bein' green
It seems you blend in
With so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over '
Cause you're not standing out
Like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky
But green's the color of spring
And green can be cool and friendly like
And green can be big like an ocean
Or important like a mountain
Or tall like a tree
When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why
But why wonder, why wonder?
I am green and it'll do fine
It's beautiful and I think it's what I want to be
It's not that easy bein' green
Having to spend each day
The color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer
Bein' red or yellow or gold
Or something much more colorful like that
It's not easy bein' green
It seems you blend in
With so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over '
Cause you're not standing out
Like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky
But green's the color of spring
And green can be cool and friendly like
And green can be big like an ocean
Or important like a mountain
Or tall like a tree
When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why
But why wonder, why wonder?
I am green and it'll do fine
It's beautiful and I think it's what I want to be
Water - Capturing, Using, Disposing
Today I was thinking about our systems of water supply and disposal, and came up with the following thoughts:
1. Wastewater Disposal
In Maine, most households dispose of wastewater the old-fashioned way - in a domestic septic system. How green (or not) is this practice? Here's an excerpt from the Michigan State University Department of Agricultural Engineering.
"What is the environmental impact of septic systems?
The environmental impact of a septic system depends upon the environment in which it functions. A septic system in very sandy soils with a shallow water table and no clay soil between the bottom of the septic system soil absorption trenches and the water table will contribute nitrate to the groundwater. If there is a clay layer protecting the groundwater, it is likely that very little nitrate will reach the groundwater. Also, septic systems in very permeable soils can result in pathogenic bacteria and viruses reaching the groundwater. However, after a system has been in use for a while and a "biomat" or soil-clogging layer is formed in the soil absorption system, the removal of bacteria and viruses in the soil is very efficient. This is because the biomat slows the rate of water entry into the natural soil and produces slow, unsaturated flow through the natural soil. This greatly enhances the ability of the soil to remove pathogens.
Failing systems that result in water coming to the surface are a public health hazard and can cause surface water contamination by nutrients and pathogens. If a system is functioning hydraulically (i.e. accepting the water) in a slowly permeable soil there will be very little environmental impact."
Link: http://www.egr.msu.edu/age/aenewsletter/1_may_june_02/loudon.htm
Bottom line: Standard septic systems seem to be fairly green as is.
2. Rainfall Capture
A number of standards-setting bodies are starting to encourage rainfall capture for domestic water supply. (See LEED pilot standards for homes at http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=855, page 46.)
Now, this may be overkill at the site of the Solar Barn, which is situated high on a slope in Mid-Coast Maine, where it enjoys copious rainfall year-round. (See http://countrystudies.us/united-states/weather/maine/rockport.htm) In a real sense, the groundwater onsite acts as a rainfall storage system, which can be readily tapped with a conventional drilled well.
Nevertheless, I did some back-of-the-envelope calculations to determine what fraction of a typical household’s water use could be met by the rain falling on the roof of the Solar Barn, a rather small building as houses go.
Dimensions of Solar Barn floorplan: 30’ x 20’
Area covered by roof: 600 sq.ft.
Annual rainfall in Rockport (approx.): 48”, or 4’
Total volume of rainfall available for capture: 600 sq. ft. area X 4 ft. annual rainfall
= 2400 cu.ft. per year
1 cu. ft. of water = 7.48 gallons (See http://www.onlineconversion.com/volume.htm)
Annual volume of rooftop rainfall = 2400 cu. ft. X 7.48 = 17, 952 gallons
So how much water does the typical American household use? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, total domestic water use in the US is 5.9 billion gallons per day. (See http://www.epa.gov/OW/you/chap1.html) Divide this number by the total number of US households, approximately 110 million (See http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005055.html) , and we get approximately 54 gallons per household average daily water consumption. Multiply this figure by 365 days in a year, and you get an average household consumption of 19,710 gallons of water per year.
Note that this is darned close to the annual rooftop rainfall for the Solar Barn – approximately 10% more. Given that water use in the Solar Barn will naturally tend to be lower than the typical household, since the Solar Barn will be used as workspace, not a principal residence, the rainfall captured should be more than ample. Full residential service for a family of four could probably be accommodated from a roof this size with only minor efficiencies in the conventional uses of water.
More interesting to me is the fact that rooftop rainfall is such a copious source of water, at least in the rainy East Coast. Even small roofs can provide abundant water for a family. In light of the fact that rainwater is, in principle, fairly pure distilled water (at least until it hits the dirty roof), this is a source of good-quality water that bears more thinking about, in my view.
3. Levels of Use
One major source of water waste is a fundamental design principle of our current water use system. That is, water is conceived of as existing in one of only two states: “clean” (i.e. clean enough to drink), or “dirty” (sewage).
A moment’s thought reveals that there a number of possible states in between these two extremes. Thus the concept of “graywater”, water is that not fit to drink but is not highly contaminated. An example is the water used in cooking – after we boil our eggs, the leftover water is fairly sanitary, but we wouldn’t want to drink it except in case of dire necessity. The current practice means that we water our plants with potable water, and dispose of perfectly sanitary water with the sewage.
Systems to capture and use graywater, for example to water plants, are getting a new look these days. One recent, somewhat fanciful approach is highlighted here (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/12/cycle_of_water.php)
The problem with graywater systems, of course, is that it adds complexity to the water distribution and use system. We either need different kinds of faucets (one for clean, one for gray) or we need to be a lot more aware of what we are using our water for at each point of use. An idiot-proof system that did not add a lot to cost would be an interesting addition to the green building designer’s toolkit.
1. Wastewater Disposal
In Maine, most households dispose of wastewater the old-fashioned way - in a domestic septic system. How green (or not) is this practice? Here's an excerpt from the Michigan State University Department of Agricultural Engineering.
"What is the environmental impact of septic systems?
The environmental impact of a septic system depends upon the environment in which it functions. A septic system in very sandy soils with a shallow water table and no clay soil between the bottom of the septic system soil absorption trenches and the water table will contribute nitrate to the groundwater. If there is a clay layer protecting the groundwater, it is likely that very little nitrate will reach the groundwater. Also, septic systems in very permeable soils can result in pathogenic bacteria and viruses reaching the groundwater. However, after a system has been in use for a while and a "biomat" or soil-clogging layer is formed in the soil absorption system, the removal of bacteria and viruses in the soil is very efficient. This is because the biomat slows the rate of water entry into the natural soil and produces slow, unsaturated flow through the natural soil. This greatly enhances the ability of the soil to remove pathogens.
Failing systems that result in water coming to the surface are a public health hazard and can cause surface water contamination by nutrients and pathogens. If a system is functioning hydraulically (i.e. accepting the water) in a slowly permeable soil there will be very little environmental impact."
Link: http://www.egr.msu.edu/age/aenewsletter/1_may_june_02/loudon.htm
Bottom line: Standard septic systems seem to be fairly green as is.
2. Rainfall Capture
A number of standards-setting bodies are starting to encourage rainfall capture for domestic water supply. (See LEED pilot standards for homes at http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=855, page 46.)
Now, this may be overkill at the site of the Solar Barn, which is situated high on a slope in Mid-Coast Maine, where it enjoys copious rainfall year-round. (See http://countrystudies.us/united-states/weather/maine/rockport.htm) In a real sense, the groundwater onsite acts as a rainfall storage system, which can be readily tapped with a conventional drilled well.
Nevertheless, I did some back-of-the-envelope calculations to determine what fraction of a typical household’s water use could be met by the rain falling on the roof of the Solar Barn, a rather small building as houses go.
Dimensions of Solar Barn floorplan: 30’ x 20’
Area covered by roof: 600 sq.ft.
Annual rainfall in Rockport (approx.): 48”, or 4’
Total volume of rainfall available for capture: 600 sq. ft. area X 4 ft. annual rainfall
= 2400 cu.ft. per year
1 cu. ft. of water = 7.48 gallons (See http://www.onlineconversion.com/volume.htm)
Annual volume of rooftop rainfall = 2400 cu. ft. X 7.48 = 17, 952 gallons
So how much water does the typical American household use? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, total domestic water use in the US is 5.9 billion gallons per day. (See http://www.epa.gov/OW/you/chap1.html) Divide this number by the total number of US households, approximately 110 million (See http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005055.html) , and we get approximately 54 gallons per household average daily water consumption. Multiply this figure by 365 days in a year, and you get an average household consumption of 19,710 gallons of water per year.
Note that this is darned close to the annual rooftop rainfall for the Solar Barn – approximately 10% more. Given that water use in the Solar Barn will naturally tend to be lower than the typical household, since the Solar Barn will be used as workspace, not a principal residence, the rainfall captured should be more than ample. Full residential service for a family of four could probably be accommodated from a roof this size with only minor efficiencies in the conventional uses of water.
More interesting to me is the fact that rooftop rainfall is such a copious source of water, at least in the rainy East Coast. Even small roofs can provide abundant water for a family. In light of the fact that rainwater is, in principle, fairly pure distilled water (at least until it hits the dirty roof), this is a source of good-quality water that bears more thinking about, in my view.
3. Levels of Use
One major source of water waste is a fundamental design principle of our current water use system. That is, water is conceived of as existing in one of only two states: “clean” (i.e. clean enough to drink), or “dirty” (sewage).
A moment’s thought reveals that there a number of possible states in between these two extremes. Thus the concept of “graywater”, water is that not fit to drink but is not highly contaminated. An example is the water used in cooking – after we boil our eggs, the leftover water is fairly sanitary, but we wouldn’t want to drink it except in case of dire necessity. The current practice means that we water our plants with potable water, and dispose of perfectly sanitary water with the sewage.
Systems to capture and use graywater, for example to water plants, are getting a new look these days. One recent, somewhat fanciful approach is highlighted here (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/12/cycle_of_water.php)
The problem with graywater systems, of course, is that it adds complexity to the water distribution and use system. We either need different kinds of faucets (one for clean, one for gray) or we need to be a lot more aware of what we are using our water for at each point of use. An idiot-proof system that did not add a lot to cost would be an interesting addition to the green building designer’s toolkit.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Description of the Project
The Maine Solar Barn project is an effort to create an intelligent alternative to conventional building design and construction.
We aim to create a functional, beautiful, economically feasible structure that incorporates the latest thinking in sustainable, ecologically sensitive architecture and home building.
To this end, we have dedicated ourselves to the highest standards in sustainability in the entire process of designing, building, and inhabiting this structure. We will look widely for guidance and inspiration, from standards-setting bodies (such as the United States Green Building Council and their LEED certification process, as an example), practitioners in the field (such as Tedd Benson of Bensonwood), leading architects, and academics and other thinkers. We expect the structure to have a zero (or better) net carbon balance, and to be a net energy producer over its lifetime.
In part, we want this project to be an answer to the question of what one small group of people can do to help save the planet from catastrophic climate change due to emissions of greenhouse gases.
We aim to create a functional, beautiful, economically feasible structure that incorporates the latest thinking in sustainable, ecologically sensitive architecture and home building.
To this end, we have dedicated ourselves to the highest standards in sustainability in the entire process of designing, building, and inhabiting this structure. We will look widely for guidance and inspiration, from standards-setting bodies (such as the United States Green Building Council and their LEED certification process, as an example), practitioners in the field (such as Tedd Benson of Bensonwood), leading architects, and academics and other thinkers. We expect the structure to have a zero (or better) net carbon balance, and to be a net energy producer over its lifetime.
In part, we want this project to be an answer to the question of what one small group of people can do to help save the planet from catastrophic climate change due to emissions of greenhouse gases.
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