8. Agricultural waste comes home.
Credit: Brian Stauffer
Today, you can buy building products made from the waste of several manufacturing sectors, but Michael Anschel believes “agricultural waste products are going to make their way into an increasing number of building products.” Diverting waste from landfills is a noble deed because it eases the demand for virgin natural resources. The trend has already started with products made from the waste of sorghum, palm, and wheat production, but look for the effort to be expanded into more categories, which will offer “everything from insulation to interior finishes, flooring, to all of the millwork products,” Anschel adds.
9. Energy monitoring affects behavior.
Human behavior is often forgotten in discussions about conserving energy or water. Even the most efficient product can be wasteful if used improperly. That’s why Kaplan Thompson Architects in Portland, Maine, included an energy feedback system in its award-winning BrightBuilt Barn, a LEED-certified, net-zero–energy building that was also used as a demonstration project for a new way to build houses. Using red, green, and yellow lights, the system lets the owners know their energy usage levels. Bulbs turn green when the building is using less energy than it’s producing, yellow when it’s borderline, and red when it exceeds usage goals. More sophisticated “dashboard” systems allow homeowners to see accurate energy consumption levels in real time. Studies have shown that when people see how much energy they are using, they will alter their behavior.
10. Energy modeling software shows us the way.
If you are seeking LEED certification, you are required to use a computer-based “energy modeling” tool, which simulates what energy use would be for a year of operation. “This is [employed] to measure energy use of a building and to quantify the savings attributable to the proposed design,” Seville says. Consultants believe the use of this tool will grow whether a builder is seeking certification or not. “Energy modeling software is very complicated and only accurate to a certain extent,” Seville adds. “It will get better and cheaper. It’s a terrible predictor for energy use, because behavior is the best tool, but it gives you some baseline to start from.”