Download or read book Musings of an Energy Nerd written by Martin Holladay and published by . This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this fascinating collection of postings from his popular “Musings of an Energy Nerd” blog, Green Building Advisor's Martin Holladay cuts through the hype and myths about energy efficiency, sustainability, and green building to present the very best ways to make your home more energy efficient. Martin Holladay has been making weekly postings to his “Musings of an Energy Nerd” blog on Green Building Advisor since January 2009. Along the way, he has gathered a devoted following of “energy nerds” who await his weekly musings with rapt anticipation. For the first time, the 50 most popular postings have been assembled in book form to give homeowners a great opportunity to live a more energy-efficient life in their homes. The book begins with an overview of energy priorities, and a discussion of what we mean by terms likegreen and sustainable. Martin presents several options for energy upgrades for an existing house (from replacing windows to adding superinsulation) before looking at ways to improve the energy efficiency of a new house. Separate chapters follow on HVAC, domestic hot water, appliances, and renewable energy, before the book wraps up with an eye-opening chapter on useless products, scams, and myths (including Martin's list of “Stupid Energy-Saving Tips”).
Download or read book Essential Building Science written by Jacob Deva Racusin and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2016-11-28 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Down and dirty – a complete step-by-step guide to making, installing and living with beautiful, all-natural earthen floors Poor heat and moisture management are the enemies of durable, comfortable, and efficient housing, and good building design and construction starts with a solid understanding of good building science. Essential Building Science provides a highly visual and accessible introduction to the fundamentals of building science for residential construction. Part one covers the rationale behind high-performance design and the fundamentals of building physics, including thermal dynamics, moisture transfer, and hygro-thermal dynamics such as vapor drive and condensation. Part two teaches the vital critical thinking skills needed to consider buildings as whole systems and to develop thermal and moisture control strategies regardless of the specifics of the design. Case studies and examples from across North American climatic zones illuminate real-life problems and offer builders, designers, and DIYers the insights and tools required for creating better new buildings and dramatically improving old ones. Good science plus critical thinking equals high performance buildings.
Download or read book Pretty Good House written by Michael Maines and published by Taunton Press. This book was released on 2022-05-24 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pretty Good House provides a framework and set of guidelines for building or renovating a high-performance home that focus on its inhabitants and the environment--but keeps in mind that few people have pockets deep enough to achieve a "perfect" solution. The essential idea is for homeowners to work within their financial and practical constraints both to meet their own needs and do as much for the planet as possible. A Pretty Good House is: * A house that's as small as possible * Simple and durable, but also well designed * Insulated and air-sealed * Above all, it is affordable, healthy, responsible, and resilient.
Download or read book Water in Buildings written by William B. Rose and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2005-04-07 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive guide to understanding and managing the effects of water on buildings Water in Buildings: An Architect's Guide to Moisture and Mold is a detailed and highly useful reference to help architects and other design professionals create dry, healthy environments, without jeopardizing a project with poor liability management. Much more than a book of "quick fixes," this practical guide illuminates an essential understanding of the "whys" of moisture problems, including valuable information on how water behaves and how its performance can be anticipated and managed in building design. With a special emphasis on water's role in creating mold, an issue of growing concern and liability, Water in Buildings offers the most up-to-date information on rainwater management, below-grade water management, foundations, wall and roof construction, mechanical systems, moisture, and much more! Providing authoritative guidance to designers and builders, this definitive guide features: * Clear explanations of how water interacts with building materials and equipment * An in-depth exploration of the paths of leaks * Numerous case studies on such well-known structures as Mount Vernon, Independence Hall, and Wingspan (Frank Lloyd Wright) * Numerous descriptive drawings and photographs
Download or read book Toward a Zero Energy Home written by David Johnston and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors of "Green from the Ground Up" explore the design and construction of self-sufficient houses. With unequaled knowledge and a passion for the subject, the authors walk readers through the process of building and living in a truly green home.
Download or read book The Energy Smart House written by Editors of Fine Homebuilding and published by Taunton Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to making a home more energy efficient, covering conducting an energy audit, insulating the attic, installing replacement windows, choosing a housewrap, and more.
Download or read book A Tiny Home to Call Your Own written by Patricia Foreman and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2019-04-02 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unfetter and unclutter your life by learning how and why to transition to a tiny home Do you feel as though you're living in an expensive and ill-fitting home filled with too much stuff? Do you have too much space filled with too many things, constantly dealing with house maintenance and financial upkeep? Living in a tiny home could be the solution. But how do you know? Tiny house guru Pat Foreman examines the hows and whys of tiny-home living, to help you assess whether it's the right solution for you. A Tiny Home to Call Your Own examines: The many uses of tiny homes for all age groups and different socio-economic levels How smaller homes can buy you time, financial freedom, and an unfettered lifestyle Stuff-ology: understanding what things do and do not serve you Ecology and the Tiny House movement Pre-existing tiny house communities. From newlyweds to empty-nesters, downsizers to retirees, and everyone in between, A Tiny Home to Call Your Own will help you to find and create the living space and housing you love and that will serve you and your future.
Download or read book How Buildings Learn written by Stewart Brand and published by Penguin. This book was released on 1995-10-01 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A captivating exploration of the ever-evolving world of architecture and the untold stories buildings tell. When a building is finished being built, that isn’t the end of its story. More than any other human artifacts, buildings improve with time—if they’re allowed to. Buildings adapt by being constantly refined and reshaped by their occupants, and in that way, architects can become artists of time rather than simply artists of space. From the connected farmhouses of New England to I.M. Pei’s Media Lab, from the evolution of bungalows to the invention of Santa Fe Style, from Low Road military surplus buildings to a High Road English classic like Chatsworth—this is a far-ranging survey of unexplored essential territory. Discover how structures become living organisms, shaped by the people who inhabit them, and learn how architects can harness the power of time to create enduring works of art through the interconnected worlds of design, function, and human ingenuity.
Download or read book Repair Revolution written by John Wackman and published by New World Library. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every year, millions of people throw away countless items because they don't know how to fix them. Some products are manufactured in a way that makes it hard, if not impossible, for people to repair them themselves. This throwaway lifestyle depletes Earth's resources and adds to overflowing landfills. Now there's a better way. Repair Revolution chronicles the rise of Repair Cafes, Fixit Clinics, and other volunteer-run organizations devoted to helping consumers repair their beloved but broken items for free. Repair Revolution explores the philosophy and wisdom of repairing, as well as the Right to Repair movement. It provides inspiration and instructions for starting, staffing, and sustaining your own repair events. "Fixperts" share their favorite online repair resources, as well as tips and step-by-step instructions for how to make your own repairs. Ultimately, Repair Revolution is about more than fixing material objects: in an age of over-consumption and planned obsolescence, do-it-yourself repair is a way of caring for our lives, our communities, and our planet.
Download or read book Understanding Energy and Energy Policy written by Timothy Braun and published by Zed Books Ltd.. This book was released on 2014-11-13 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Activists, scientists and policymakers around the world have long argued that we need to find sustainable and secure solutions to the world's energy demands. At issue for citizens worldwide is whether we are scientifically literate enough to understand the potential policy choices before us. Understanding Energy and Energy Policy is a one-stop resource for understanding the complexities of energy policy and the science behind the utilization of energy sources. The multidisciplinary perspective presented in this book is necessary for readers to be able to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of potential energy policies. The book draws on case studies from the global North and South, from countries that are resource poor and resource rich, while providing explanations of the science and politics behind burning fossil fuels, and power created through nuclear energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, biofuels and water.
Download or read book City Rules written by Emily Talen and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-06-22 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: City Rules offers a challenge to students and professionals in urban planning, design, and policy to change the rules of city-building, using regulations to reinvigorate, rather than stifle, our communities. Emily Talen demonstrates that regulations are a primary detriment to the creation of a desirable urban form. While many contemporary codes encourage sprawl and even urban blight, that hasn't always been the case-and it shouldn't be in the future. Talen provides a visually rich history, showing how certain eras used rules to produce beautiful, walkable, and sustainable communities, while others created just the opposite. She makes complex regulations understandable, demystifying city rules like zoning and illustrating how written codes translate into real-world consequences. Most importantly, Talen proposes changes to these rules that will actually enhance communities' freedom to develop unique spaces.
Download or read book The New Carbon Architecture written by Bruce King and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2017-12-05 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soak up carbon into beautiful, healthy buildings that heal the climate "Green buildings" that slash energy use and carbon emissions are all the rage, but they aren't enough. The hidden culprit is embodied carbon — the carbon emitted when materials are mined, manufactured, and transported — comprising some 10% of global emissions. With the built environment doubling by 2030, buildings are a carbon juggernaut threatening to overwhelm the climate. It doesn't have to be this way. Like never before in history, buildings can become part of the climate solution. With biomimicry and innovation, we can pull huge amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and lock it up as walls, roofs, foundations, and insulation. We can literally make buildings out of the sky with a massive positive impact. The New Carbon Architecture is a paradigm-shifting tour of the innovations in architecture and construction that are making this happen. Office towers built from advanced wood products; affordable, low-carbon concrete alternatives; plastic cleaned from the oceans and turned into building blocks. We can even grow insulation from mycelium. A tour de force by the leaders in the field, The New Carbon Architecture will fire the imagination of architects, engineers, builders, policy makers, and everyone else captivated by the possibility of architecture to heal the climate and produce safer, healthier, and more beautiful buildings.
Download or read book The New Net Zero written by Bill Maclay and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2014 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new threshold for green building is not just low energy, it's net-zero energy. In The New Net Zero, sustainable architect Bill Maclay charts the path for designers and builders interested in exploring green design's new-frontier net-zero-energy structures that produce as much energy as they consume and are carbon neutral. In a nation where traditional buildings use roughly 40 percent of the total fossil energy, the interest in net-zero building is growing enormously--among both designers interested in addressing climate change and consumers interested in energy efficiency and long-term savings. Maclay, an award-winning net-zero designer whose buildings have achieved high-performance goals at affordable costs, makes the case for a net-zero future; explains net-zero building metrics, integrated design practices, and renewable energy options; and shares his lessons learned on net-zero teambuilding. Designers and builders will find a wealth of state-of-the-art information on such considerations as air, water, and vapor barriers; embodied energy; residential and commercial net-zero standards; monitoring and commissioning; insulation options; costs; and more. The comprehensive overview is accompanied by several case studies, which include institutional buildings, commercial projects, and residences. Both new-building and renovation projects are covered in detail. The New Net Zero is geared toward professionals exploring net-zero design, but also suitable for nonprofessionals seeking ideas and strategies on net-zero options that are beautiful and renewably powered.
Download or read book Civilization Critical written by Darrin Qualman and published by Fernwood Publishing. This book was released on 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The modern world is wondrous. Its factories produce ten thousand cars every hour and ten trillion transistors every second. We carry supercomputers in our pockets, and nearly a million people are in the air at any time. In Civilization Critical, Darrin Qualman takes readers on a tour of the wonders of the 21st century. But the great strength of our modern word is also its great weakness. Our immense powers to turn resources and nature into products and waste imperil our future. And plans to double and redouble the size of the global economy veto sustainability. So, is our civilization doomed? No. Doom is a choice. We can make different choices. Qualman demonstrates that a 19th- and 20th-century transition to linear systems and away from the circular patterns of nature (and of all previous civilizations) is the foundational error—the underlying problem, the root cause of climate change, resource depletion, ocean’s full of plastics, and a host of mega-problems now intensifying and merging, with potentially civilization-cracking results. In this sweeping work, Qualman reinterprets and re-explains the problems we face today, and charts a clear, hopeful path into the future.
Download or read book Builders of the Pacific Coast written by Lloyd Kahn and published by Shelter Publications, Inc.. This book was released on 2008 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In 2004, Lloyd Kahn discovered a group of unique carpenters along the Pacific Coast of North America. Over a two-year period, he made four trips north from his home in the San Francisco Bay Area, up the coast, shooting the photos that appear in this book." "To preserve homeowners' privacy, specific locations are not given, but suffice to say this book focuses on the Pacific Coast north from San Francisco up to and around Vancouver Island, British Columbia, latitudes 37 to 49 degrees." "There's been a vortex of creative carpentry energy in this part of the world over the last 30 years. Many of the builders shown here got started in the countercultural era of the '60s and '70s, and their work has never been shown in books or magazine articles."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book The Intimate Connection written by Dr. Kevin Leman and published by Revell. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Creating a happy, lifelong marriage is about much more than physical compatibility. It's about a lifestyle of 24-7 intimacy that bonds couples in a mutually satisfying relationship. In The Intimate Connection, bestselling marriage expert Dr. Kevin Leman explores key secrets to the love life couples crave. He helps readers - understand each other's needs, backgrounds, and personalities (and how those factors influence every marital interaction) - talk so their spouse really listens - turn negative game-playing into positive behaviors that help couples grow closer - create deep, long-lasting intimacy that's divorce-proof Whether couples are new to marriage or have been married a long time, Dr. Leman's time-tested strategies will create the kind of exciting intimacy, mutual respect, and fulfilling communication that will keep husbands and wives in each other's arms for a lifetime.
Download or read book The Home Comfort Book written by Nate Adams and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-11-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are rooms of your house uncomfortable or unusable at different times of the year? Is your home drafty in winter? Do you get hit with a wave of heat walking upstairs in summer? Are mold or pests frequent problems in your home? Do you get big icicles in winter? Do you suspect your home is making you sick? Do you sleep better out of your house? Do you have a damp, dank basement? How about air quality problems like dust or odors? Are you ready to solve those problems? Then this book is for you.Before you can solve a problem, you need to understand what is causing the problem. This book explains how your home actually works so you can address root causes, not symptoms. We've seen far too many folks waste thousands of dollars addressing the wrong problem. Armed with this book, you can find the right pros to solve problems, understand if the work was done right, and even DIY many things yourself.This is the book I wish I had when I entered the Home Performance eld. It connects theory to action and shows real world examples of work being done and the results achieved. It assumes you're a building science novice as well as smart and willing to learn.You'll learn about how your home works, what to look for in a new heating and cooling (HVAC) system, what kinds of insulation work best and why, how to choose and install the right bath fan, and more. Everything in this book is backed up by field experience, data, and an overwhelming passion to do things right the first time.
