Hi anyone who can help just off the top of their head
I have this research project which I need help with finding the latest and best ideas for a green building
What would you recommend for:

(1) The type of truss or frame of the roof and shape/angle of the roof
(2) The material for building and the framework etc concrete/timber/steel
(3) What would be the best material for the floor
(4) What is the best solar energy system
(5) What is the water and heating system
(6) What is the best ventilation system
(7) Know any cool one story building designs
(8) What is the best insulation

If you guys have any good or future ideas that would be awesome.
I was thinking of having big water tanks built into the building
Stuff like that would be great

Thanks heaps
T-Dawg

Hey T-Dawg Check out: http://www.zeroenergyhomedallas.com/ to get some great ideas that are real, and work. Good luck!

A lot of your answers will depend on variables such as what the building is going to be used for, where the building is to be located, any proposed budget for the building, etc.

Thanks JakeG

There is no budget, hot location and it is to be like a pub/function area

IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A MERCEDES MAYBACH YOU SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT OUT OF A VOLKSWAGEN YOU CAN`T DO IT!! But I promise to build you a 850,000$ Home for 480,000 investment. Totally passive and totally made from Europe skype: rolftruhoel

Paintable Solar Cells you can check it out on You Tube and of course the Nansulate product line, just a few of the latest green ideas.

T-Dawy,

Try this!

1.   Steel - Staying away from wood will prevent 'Rot, Termites, Mold, Warping and it adds fuel for fires'

2.   Pre-Insulated Steel Framing System, check  www.KwikBuildPanels.com

3.   Need to know if you are on a slab or sub-floor

4.   Depends on your location, it could be PV's, Wind or Geothermal

5.   Again more info is needed on location, it may be 'Passive'

6.   -------

7.   -------

8.   EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) the R-Value remains unchanged for the life of structure


Good Luck,


David, Kwik-Build Panels

We are fond of this 14,000 sq. foot commercial office condo, the "no-wood" SIP shell walls and roof , was erected in just 10 working days
Made with 25% recyled skin materials and recyclable skins and EPS core, USDA approved interior skin finish make for a cleaner IAQ

Check out this site for some potential ideas -

http://www.designcoalition.org/articles/Lansing-LHJ/details.htm

Google Hercuwall.

It was the featured wall system product at the GreenBuild Convention & Expo last week in Phoenix. Amazing system.

Well I have been a Green builder for many years here in florida
1-2-8 can be taken care of with Steel SIPs
3- Polished concrete
4-5-Solar Eletric & hot water
6-matters what area you are in, Fla Heat pumps with air exchange air unit.
7.Steel SIPS can be built and finished to any building shape ............ Me round or square Hip roof

And all this fits to USGBC & FGBC green building guide lines

Ralph Locke,Deland,Fl
Environmental Construction & Consulting Inc
www.Flagreenbuilder.com...........386-490-4599

I would step back and consider the architecture first. From there you can apply all of the sustainable techniques.

T-Dawg, Add ICF to the mix of research options. Can't be beat for strength. Difficult to beat for sound transmission (STC), Fire Rating and themal envelope. Regards.

Geothermal if hvac is needed.Not big on solar unless your in an area of 200+ days of sunshine per year. Wind is also site specific if it is truly viable. Geothermal works almost everywhere..almost. Eric

Posted By TexasICF on 19 Jan 2010 09:09 AM
T-Dawg, Add ICF to the mix of research options. Can't be beat for strength. Difficult to beat for sound transmission (STC), Fire Rating and themal envelope. Regards.

Texas ICF,

what is the fire rating of your ICF walls?

Chris,

UL Classification 4 hours (6 inch concrete) 11 1/4 inch including foam -- SEE U930. One or two other ICFs have 4 hour ratings (with 6 inch concrete) but NUDURA is the only one with a UL classification using 1/2 sheetrock and no additives (e.g. fibermesh or other). Virtually all ICFs have a 3 hour ratings and several have UL ratings to 3 hours - many have ratings that are not on the UL level - yet performance will be similar. One or two may have UL with 8 inches concrete of 4 hours. Regards.

Green buildings are usually very eco-friendly and are designed to make the best use of energy. They may supplement their 'grid' power with solar or wind energy. They are properly insulated and usually have extremely energy-efficient and UV-protected windows. They rely on eco-friendly building supplies and decorations, using recycled products where available. A new fad is a 'green roof', which means that flat roofs are being turned into gardens which help keep rain out of city sewer systems and also help to cool the building while fighting pollution.

Howdy TDawg!!

Here are some thoughts from my corner of the world...

(1) The type of truss or frame of the roof and shape/angle of the roof:  I am a big believer in the Hybrid WOOD STEEL design...  I may be biased since my Dad was the one who kinda came to that conclusion after almost 20 years of trying to find the best bang for the buck combination.   And then he put together a system that has proven to really work over the years...   It pretty much uses steel where steel is needed and wood where wood serves best.   I am not sure self promotion is accepted here - so suffice it to say you can find at least 2 or 3 companies that do HYBRID building systems - but as with everything - do your homework and ask questions.  As for the shape - it would depend on the look you want + if you are to use passive solar heating and/or solar panels.  Some single sloped or offset peak designs can make for a more efficient use of the space and location of your building site... 

(2) The material for building and the framework etc concrete/timber/steel - Once your superstructure is taken care of using steel for your main structure for durability and wood for your secondaries to create advantageous thermo breaks as well as make it all a whole lot easier to work with, for your envelope, your interior finish and to insulate....  then you can use just about ANY product(s) that will meet an optimization of your overall expectations including insulation value, waste, environmentally responsible, life span, overall suitability to other points mentioned below and budget.   You see, in my experience, having a GREEN building is not only about it's energy efficiency, but of course includes the whole "closed loop" idea of what happens before, during and after construction with time, all resources including any disposal(s) thereof, money and human resource management -- they all have an impact on the overall carbon footprint, and all need to be considered as much as possible with the budget and location constraints!  (i.e. you may be able to get the best solar panel system on the market - but if it has to be shipped from the opposite side of the world - how much of that "efficiency" do you lose in GETTING IT THERE... --> those sort of things...)

(3) What would be the best material for the floor --  while not my specialty - again - looking for what you can get locally - in budget should probably be a primary consideration -- that said I hear alot of great things about radiant floor heating - with properly insulated (using reflective EPS board) layers beneath concrete.

(4) What is the best solar energy system - That is an area I do want to have more info on myself --  as the ROI starts to come down - they are becoming more viable as a true option for alternative energy and sustainanbility of the overall project.   Again if the total capital investment is too high for the ROI, then that kind of skews the true GREEN value of the project!!  But definitely an interesting option to consider for "getting off the grid"!!  :D

(5) What is the water and heating system - Geo Thermal is getting rave reviews from many of our clients - but it too has a decent initial capital cost to it...  properly insulating your building should be the first priority under this category...  the better you can address ALL 3 forms of heat loss/gains with the least of capital/material/labor costs the better!  (Check out EPS core insulators with reflective and strong material coverings...  - they easily address conduction, convection and radiant heat transfers with the most bang for the buck)

(6) What is the best ventilation system - another area that requires good study and knowledgeable experienced guidance ...  this will depend on how "tight" you insulate your building and know that there are no less than two almost opposing schools of thought there ....  do your homework, ask questions, make the best choice decision for YOUR SPECIFIC system ...  one answer won't necessarily apply to all systems!!

(7) Know any cool one story building designs - if you want real cool cutting edge real outside the box designs - check these guys out:  holistichouseplans - you can google them. While we know them fairly well - we are not affiliated and are not compensated by them!!

(8) What is the best insulation - we prefer to use the P2000 Insulation System as the all in one application type super insulator I was referring to above!!  You can google them as well  -- > P2000 insulation..  Ask questions - do your homework! No two buildings are truly alike!

Hope this helps!

Great post!

Thank you for the opportunity,

Martial

Hi T-Dawg:

great CMK
and
Drift~ websites  with info posted above!

35 years HVAC and 32 GeoThermal ans Solar installs since 1980 with controls STILL LEARNING:
 
Note:  mini-splits have a place with one to three modular HtP's internal fancoils
but
for public HW and Cooling, more heat gain needed to be known,  -info needed:


There is a 100% Priority HW On-Demand that replaces "instant" but
within Cooling and Heating a Geo-T and what's called a HW generator: DeSuperheater spins off about as much as a small electric 3500 wat for under 1000 watts avg... if
HVAC and HW could be one simple unit on a frame above a small tank of 25-35 gallons ( foot print under 32x32 x~ 90" height in a closet with filter return grll, as HUD has called the "LEAST COSTLY IN 7 YEARS" reviewing all overhead of any HVAC.

Forced air can filter in dusty traffic of the public.
lotta traffic: Could be as much as 1-ton a/c per 250 sq ft!

can you put some detail on a load sheet

www.GEOPros.org (rough, starting site, but click logo for a successful beginning and I use for both Comm and Res custom, as I have PERFORMANCE GUARANTEED
GT ground loop and solar designs and installations since 1980.

Fax or pdf there

(FREE INFO)

Note: You can PRE-COOL
any structure
WITHOUT a compressor
and JUST a ground loop, by practical design build, that also pre-heats
working on fresh-air intake HX Heat-Energy eXchange,  24/7 almost all of the year, as an EARTH-COLLECTOR of energy transfer
from ECL Earth Coupled Loops- using ground temps ~ 37-67 degrees available, when you need pre-cooled and/or Pre-heated Air:
Closed fluid-loop design, and a fan-coil can even be with a simpler axial fan ventilation standard unit...WORKS 24-7
schools used since 2007
upto 84% less energy that compressors has been experienced, but hard to believe, and but just think of how one can Bring the heat beneath the feet up to a project for generally any use of over 70% FREE ENERGY that is available with Solar, etc hybriding into the system.

On a loop of Solar Hybridding to this ECL System, collectors soar in efficiency when the loop is below 60-deg to as low as 27-degrees (regulated lows) recirculated into a Solar System !

....

Nice discourse from so many!

Hey, JP,

Check your Private Messages.