Airtight Houses Lower Energy Costs
<p><span word="We">We</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="aware">aware</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="ordinary">ordinary</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="homes">homes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="indeed">indeed</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rest">rest</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="energy">energy</span>-<span word="efficient">efficient</span>.</p><p><span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="goes">goes</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="heating">heating</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cooling">cooling</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="wasted">wasted</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="warm">warm</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cool">cool</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="escape">escape</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="fireplace">fireplace</span> <span word="chimneys">chimneys</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thin">thin</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="poorly">poorly</span> <span word="fitting">fitting</span> <span word="windows">windows</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="doors">doors</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="inadequate">inadequate</span> <span word="insulation">insulation</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="passive">passive</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="loses">loses</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="none">none</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Imagine">Imagine</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="thermos">thermos</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="estate">estate</span> <span word="developer">developer</span> <span word="Brendan">Brendan</span> <span word="O">O</span>'<span word="Neill">Neill</span>. "<span word="You">You</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="insulation">insulation</span> <span word="everywhere">everywhere</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="basically">basically</span> <span word="completely">completely</span> <span word="sealed">sealed</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="build">build</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="unlike">unlike</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="thermos">thermos</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="windows">windows</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="sealed">sealed</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="triple">triple</span>-<span word="glazed">glazed</span>. <span word="There">There</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="insulation">insulation</span> <span word="completely">completely</span> <span word="surrounding">surrounding</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="building">building</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="airtight">airtight</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="possible">possible</span>."</p><p><span word="A">A</span> 147-<span word="square">square</span>-<span word="meter">meter</span> (1,580-<span word="square">square</span>-<span word="foot">foot</span>) <span word="passive">passive</span> <span word="house">house</span>, <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="presented">presented</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="O">O</span>'<span word="Neill">Neill</span> <span word="Development">Development</span> <span word="Corp">Corp</span>. <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="demonstration">demonstration</span> <span word="unit">unit</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="outside">outside</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="prefabricated">prefabricated</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="brought">brought</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="site">site</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="boxes">boxes</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Once">Once</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="together">together</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="roughly">roughly</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="weeks">weeks</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="ahead">ahead</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="finish">finish</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="areas">areas</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="drywall">drywall</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="weren">weren</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="done">done</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="carpeting">carpeting</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="room">room</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="final">final</span> <span word="touches">touches</span>," <span word="O">O</span>'<span word="Neill">Neill</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="If">If</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="place">place</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="together">together</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="months">months</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="total">total</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> $325,000, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="about">about</span> 17 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="constructing">constructing</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ordinary">ordinary</span> <span word="house">house</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="estimated">estimated</span> <span word="utility">utility</span> <span word="bill">bill</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="around">around</span> $20 <span word="monthly">monthly</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="one">one</span>-<span word="tenth">tenth</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="average">average</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="size">size</span>.</p>
页:
[1]