Water heater replacement just like anything in energy efficient construction and building should be looked at as a whole systems approach. Let’s say you have an old tank heater that needs to get replaced, here are the important things to consider:

1. Is it electric or gas?
2. If it is electric, is there a gas line nearby and will it be easy to install a vent pipe?
3. Where is is located? Is it more than 10 feet away from the source and does it serve sources that are located in different parts of the house?
4. If it is far from the source, can it be relocated to get it closer?
5. Are the sources spread out all over the house? (kitchen on one end, master bath on the other and guest bath over the garage….)

Answer those questions for yourself and you can come up with a good solution:

1. If it is gas, stick with gas and install a tankless gas heater
2. If your answer to question 2 is yes and yes, make the switch and install a gas heater
3. If your answer is yes, consider decentralizing your water heating system and install multiple smaller heaters to reduce your pipe runs from the heater to the source
4. If your current water heater location is pulling water from one end of the house to the other, consider moving the location of the water heater as close to the source as you can.
5. If your sources are spread out, you might be best served with 3-4 smaller electric heaters that can be installed under cabinets or in small closets. This is of course if your electrical service is adequate.

Just like anything else in a green building or remodeling project, you have to look at the whole picture – especially when it comes to the electric vs gas debate.. and btw – do not listen to your plumbers opinion, because it will always be gas. If you are remodeling your entire house, replacing plumbing, upgrading your electrical service and have the luxury of deciding exactly where your water heaters are going to be located, electric water heaters have some benefits:

1. Less expensive in initial purchase price
2. No gas lines to run
3. No exhaust venting and addtl wall/roof penetrations

Now the bad:

1. The good ones draw quite a bit of power – anywhere from 80-120 Amps – this means if you have 3 of them you need a quite sizable electrical service which can get costly if you’re not already upgrading your service anyway
2. Flow-rate – even the best electrical tankless hot water heaters have an inferior flow-rate to their gas counterparts which means you have to be very careful and thoughtful during the planning phase.

So when it comes time to replace your old water heater, you have to consider much more than just the actual piece of equipment. And that’s where we come in. EGC specializes in building energy efficient, comfortable and healthy homes. Your path to energy efficiency can start with replacing your water heater, but you have to do it right.

We are huge advocates of decentralized systems – gas or electric – because to us, the most efficient system is the one that wastes the least amount of water and has the least amount of heat loss from heater to source.  How many gallons of cold water do you run down the drain each morning before your water gets hot ??

Why performance testing should be mandatory

There’s a big debate in the green building industry about performance testing – should it be mandatory for new and existing construction and how much good will it do?

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As reported in the American Statesman on June 10, 2009 Austin just released the results of the first 310 homes that received energy audits under the new ordinance. The ordinance requires sellers to get energy audits of their homes and disclose the results to potential buyers. Austin Energy compiled these numbers from the first wave of audits:

86% of homes had ducts that leaked more than 10% – the rate considered acceptable for energy efficiency

The average amount of air leakage was 22% – WOW! This is the average of all homes tested – 1/4 of energy lost in leaking ducts.

The average loss in hard $$$$ is $260.00 a year per home. This is $260.00 of wasted electricity per home per year.

807,840 Total annual kilowatt-hours of electricity wasted by these houses — enough to power 67 average-size homes for a year

1 million Pounds of carbon dioxide emitted annually to produce the wasted electricity

$500 Average cost to seal ducts, after Austin Energy rebates, with a $120 average annual savings

$661 Average cost to add 6 inches of attic insulation, after rebates, with an average annual savings of $90

Now that’s some hard facts. How can anybody argue against performance testing?

Dallas does not have an ordinance like this – yet! But it would be in the interest of all consumers to know how efficient (or not) their house is before they buy it. If you are in the market for a new home in Dallas and would like to get it evaluated for energy efficiency before you buy, just give us a call at 214.550.5076 or email us to info@EGCDallas.com.

From the Home Star Website: “HOME STAR is proposed new legislation to create jobs in existing industries by providing strong short-term incentives for energy efficiency improvements in residential buildings. The program will move quickly, with a minimum of red tape, and will act as a bridge to long-term market development of existing industries. This initiative establishes a $6 billion rebate program to encourage immediate investment in energy-efficient appliances, building mechanical systems and insulation, and whole-home energy efficiency retrofits. HOME STAR will rapidly create jobs in both construction and manufacturing, while saving families money on their energy bills. It will build on current state programs and existing industry capacity for performing both retrofits and quality assurance, using federal standards and incentives as a common platform to lower program costs and increase consumer awareness.” – This is an excerpt from the Home Star website, but let me put this in very clear terms for you:

You remodel your home, you make it more energy efficient = Uncle Same gives you money back!

Well, it’s not quite as simple as that. You have to follow certain rules to qualify for the rebates and there are two paths you can follow to qualify for the rebates, the Silver Star and the Gold Star path. For more detailed information on the rebate paths, check out the Home Star Coalition website. If you want to find out more about how your next remodeling project can get some money back from Uncle Same, check out the resource links below. One that I find specifically informative is a summary by Houston Neal – Cash for Caulkers – The Definitive Guide To The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010. It details all the rebates and requirements. Check out his article, I think you’ll enjoy it.

Other sources:

Home Star
Efficiency First

Written by Marc Kleinmann
Principal / Lead Project Manager
EGC Custom Homes

Stay tuned for our upcoming videos in this series. Part 2 will go over the results and explain what the next steps are in making this home more energy efficient. Interested in making your home more efficient? Well, I guess now you know who to call.

Written by

Marc Kleinmann
Principal/Lead Project Manager
EGC Custom Homes

How about that idea…… ditch the stock and invest in your home! Energy efficiency is becoming more and more important for homeowners in Dallas. So it comes as no surprise that people all over the country are finding that an investment in their home is the best decision they can make. So how about investing  in a home energy retrofit? Besides the obvious – a much more comfortable home and less strain on the environment – it also appears that an energy upgrades have a better ROI than Microsoft stock these days.

Below is an article written by Anne Maertens of EnergySavy.com and Anne was kind enough to give us permission to re-post her article.

Times are tough. If you’ve been unemployed in the last few years, your savings have probably dwindled as you’ve struggled to make ends meet. If you haven’t lost your job, then you’ve hopefully been saving and investing small amounts. But the stock market has been a mess over the last five years, and interest rates for CD’s and treasury bonds are tiny. If you’re fortunate enough to have money to invest, where should you put your money to guarantee a good return?

Here’s a new investment idea for you: a home energy retrofit. Make your home more energy efficient through low-tech and cost-effective measures like insulation, furnace replacement and sealing your heating ducts.Huh? Why put money into your house with home prices going the way they’ve been. Well, this isn’t about increasing the resale value of your home: though you can expect that it will at least help. All you really need is to live in your home for five years for this to work in your favor due to the lower utility bills you’ll see every month. To illustrate the impact of doing a home energy retrofit as an investment, here’s a simplified example. Let’s say five years ago, a homeowner in Dallas named James was deciding between buying $10,000 of Microsoft stock as an investment or spending that same amount of money on a home energy retrofit to reduce his utility bills. What would have been the better five-year investment? The Microsoft stock worth $10,000 in June 2005 would have turned into just $10,700 five years later (a return of 7 percent over five years), including the increase in stock price and the dividends paid out over the course of the five years. But it turns out that the home energy retrofit would have been the much better investment. If James had spent $10,000 on a retrofit for his 2,000 square foot home in Dallas, including installing a more efficient heating system, efficient lighting, and attic and wall insulation, the investment would have returned 36 percent over five years, in terms of lower utility bills and increased resale value: even assuming that he only gets back half of the value of his investment at the end. So… Retrofitting your home is a better investment than the stock market. And that doesn’t even consider the fact that you’ll be more comfortable in your home and you’ll help reduce our country’s dependence on foreign energy sources.If you’re interested in learning more about how to do a home energy retrofit, who to do it, and how to get as much of it paid for by your utility and the government, estimate your savings at EnergySavvy.com.

I guess this says it all. Have an appetite for a home energy retrofit now? Contact the experts at EGC Custom Homes.

And another big announcement in the award circle this week – this one in the category for energy efficient homes. A home built by Swiss architect Peter Schuerch, principal of firm Halle58 won the 2010 PassivHaus award. Built in Bern, Switzerland, the home is a stunning example of how proper design and siting can overcome misconceptions about energy efficient design & construction – the facade of this project consists of over 50% glazing, yet it achieves energy efficiency far exceeding european standards. 76% of the hot water supply of the structure is produced through solar collection and the wall assembly creates a stunning R-value of 52!!! How about that? This design shows that energy efficient homes don’t have to be boring, minimalise glazing and have large overhangs – efficiency results can be achieved with smart design.

There were many other interesting projects entered in the competition. If you are interested in a full list of the 2010 award winners, click here.

Now this is exciting! It is not every day that the US prevails over its European competition when it comes to energy efficient design and technology. But this time around it actually happened! The very talented team from Virginia Tech University just did it….. they won the European Solar Decathlon! Congratulations! I’d like to mention that the University of Stuttgart (my home town) scored a remarkable 3rd place in the competition, but back to the winners………

The LumenHaus is a remarkable project. It emphasizes integrity and endurance. The design decisions and material selections for this project aim to reduce indoor pollutants, minimize global warming, reduce waste, include recycled content, represent low embodied energy in manufacture and harvest, limit destruction to habitat, and rapidly renew resources. The best way to address issues of energy in buildings is to use as little as possible. The pavilion architecture allows low-energy patterns of use through passive heating, solar shading, and cross ventilation. Computer automated controls allow the house to automatically adapt to changing environmental conditions. Living in smaller and adaptable houses uses fewer resources, and the prefabricated construction process reduces waste and increases efficiency. Through that we can downsize our dwellings while improving the quality of life.

Watch the video below for a detailed presentation of the features of LumenHaus.

We think that homes like this will hopefully be the standard for future residential construction. While construction cost and ROI are definitely still an issue for projects like this, I think this project is a wonderful demonstration of what can be done with technology that is available today. It is our task and mission, to make projects like this build-able and affordable for our clients. EGC Custom Homes applauds the talented team at Virginia Tech for their achievement.

I have to admit I love Mid-Century Modern architecture  and I feel very fortunate to get the chance to work on this fabulous house.

Built in 1958 by famous Texas architect O’Neil Ford, this home is one of the architectural gems in Dallas. It has been kept in great shape over the years and all repairs and upgrades were done in a way to preserve the architectural integrity of the home itself. This has its pros and cons, especially when it comes to energy efficiency. At 4,678 sqft the home is an energy hog…. so the homeowners have enlisted EGC Custom Homes to come up with a game plan how to make this beautiful residence more energy efficient without destroying the architectural integrity.

Our first course of action will be to perform a home energy audit. Besides the very obvious sliding doors with no weatherstripping, numerous open roof penetrations, single pane glazing and a very old and outdated HVAC system – this audit will show us the actual performance of the home based on scientific measurements and calculations. The resulting report will establish a so called HERS (Home Energy Rating System) index.

The HERS Index is a scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). It establishes a scale  in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.

Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20% more energy efficient.

A home energy audit is performed by trained and licensed home energy raters. EGC works with one of the best companies in the Dallas Metroplex – Tex Energy Solutions. As part of the audit, the rater creates a plan of the home and assesses several vital parts of the structure, such as thickness of the walls, insulation, age and efficiency of the HVAC system, percentage of glass compared to solid walls etc etc etc. In addition to that, the raters perform a “blower door” test and a “duct blaster” test. These tests measure the air loss and infiltration of the home itself as well as that of the duct system.

After all of these tests and assessments are completed, the results and values are entered into a computer and specialized software calculates the HERS index. Based on these calculations the rater can then make specific recommendations on how to best improve the energy efficiency of the home. These recommendations are then discussed with the homeowner and EGC Custom Homes performs the work. But it doesn’t stop there. Any serious remodeling contractor or home builder should then perform and “out” test. Essentially it is the exact same audit as before – except it is done AFTER the work has been performed. Why is this important you ask? Iit is important because we can then provide measured and certified results of the improvements to our clients. Example: Before we did the retrofit your HERS index was 108 – after we performed the work the HERS index is now 82 – A measured 26% improvement.

This home will be challenging, but challenging projects are what we live for. If you are interested in the process and the outcome, check back soon – I will be posting several more videos and blog posts detailing the testing, our findings and the actual energy retrofit work we will perform.

Article written by:
Marc Kleinmann

The EPA is finally taking a hard stance on lead safety rules. On April 22, 2010, the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) regulations became effective and will be enforced by the EPA. This means contractors working on homes built prior to 1978 must meet the EPA guidelines for projects that might disturb lead. Contractors must seal the work area, post warning signs, and clean using special equipment. They are required to be certified through the EPA and can be fined heavily if there are infractions.

Many homeowners and real estate agents still don’t know about about these new regulations and what it means for their properties, that’s why I’ve decided to write this article.

So why is this important for you as a homeowner or real estate agent?

Lead can affect children’s brains and developing nervous systems. This can result in learning disabilities, reduced IQ, and behavioral problems.  Pregnant women exposed to lead can pass the poison along to their fetus.

Lead can cause hypertension, high blood pressure, and other dangerous and painful ailments.

Lead dust is the most common way people are exposed to lead. It is invisible and toxic. People can also be exposed to lead through lead paint chips and lead found in soil. Lead paint was banned in 1978 for use in residential dwellings.

Lead dust can be disturbed through remodeling and can endanger you and your family.

How do these regulations affect my property?

If you are planning on remodeling your pre-1978-built home, be sure to consider the safety of your family above all.
Our advise: Do not attempt to do the project yourself until you understand the dangers of lead and how to handle it. Only hire a contractor that is certified by the EPA. A certified professional went through EPA training and knows how to keep you and your family safe. Be sure to ask contractors that you interview if they have been trained to perform lead-safe work practices and ask to see a copy of their certificate. They should also provide you with a brochure entitled “Renovate Right”, which was published by the EPA and contains valuable information about lead.  Remember, your health and that of your family is the top priority.

More information on the details of the new regulations can be found here.

http://www.epa.gov/lead/index.html

EGC Custom Homes is a EPA certified firm and all our superintendents and trade contractors have been certified and have undergone the mandatory EPA training. So if you decide to hire us for your project, we can ensure that proper safety practices are followed – not just by us, but also by our trade contractors -to keep you and your family safe.

Written by:

Marc Kleinmann
Principal/Lead Project Manager
EGC Custom Homes & Renovations

As we are waiting to find the perfect lot for this modern Masterpiece, this project has been in planning for years. Once built, this project will feature many energy efficient features. Our Picasa page shows more interior and exterior renderings. The final plans will have to be adjusted for the lot it will be built on. We intent to achieve LEED and Green Built Texas certification for this home.