Hi guys,

Im new but very glad to be here and hope to learn a lot.

I'm building a new home in a few months (Approx. 4000sqft), still finalizing the pre-planning stages. The home is being built in the Caribbean so no real "seasons" just sunny & hot year round. The cost of electricity here in the islands is very expensive as well so energy efficiency here probably pays off at least twice as fast as most places in the US. As an Example I pay the equivalent of US$600 a month for my 1300sqft condo (that obviously isnt energy efficient at all) just for electricity. A drawback to living here is that there isnt always the easy access to materials and expertise you guys may have the in the US, although Florida is only a 1hr flight away so importing isnt that big a deal.

I will post up the plans/renderings of the new home later. Im basically looking to build as energy efficient (+ cool gadgets) while not breaking the bank, maximizing value for money if you will.

So far I'm looking to incorporate into the home:

- Pre-Designed Steel Construction (155mph + wind resistant)
- PGT Winguard Impact Windows (Tinted) & Doors + Low-E Glass option
- BASF Walltite Eco Spray Foam Insulation
- Takagi tankless waterheater
- Custom 2KW Solar Pergola
- Liquid Propane/Energy Star Appliances  (Viking & Bosch)
- 21 Sear Lennox HVAC Units
- LED Televisions throughout
- LED Lighting throughout
- Eco-friendly Toilets
- Eco-friendly Shower heads
- Solar landscaping lights


Other notable home features:
- Metal Standing Seam Roof (Espresso Brown Color)
- Control4 Home automation system (HVAC, TV, Music, Lights, Drapes, Security)
- Lennox 17kw standby generator
- Travertine & Wood floors
- Cat5 Data cabling troughout
- Delta touch faucet (Kitchen)
- Popup electrical outlets (Kitchen)
- Kohler Crevasse sink (Kitchen)
- Custom concrete pool
- Hurricane rated garage doors
- Trex Decking 30' Boat dock (Espresso color)
- Kohler DTV shower system (Bathroom)


Some things Im still looking into incorporating into the home...
- Best cement board to use to hang onto the walls, especially exterior walls? (ideally an insulted type)
- Building wrap/radiant barriers?
-

Would be interested to hear all of your comments on the proposed eco/energy components or any other aspect of the home, as well as suggest what you would ideally put in such a home.


Thanks guys,

Jimmy.

Renderings & Plans....

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/8189/frontrendx1.jpg

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/9756/toprendx1.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/1135/rearrendx1.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4048/floorplanx1.jpg

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9900/floorplanx2.jpg

I would use a white roof (galvanized and painted), large overhangs and Ipe or similar wood instead of Trex. Also a water storage tank, dehumidifier, solar water heater, ceiling fans and a whole house fan (for the times when you can get away without using AC).   I wouldn't use LED lighting (not as efficient as florescent).  Nothing steel on the outside of the building. I assume you have no chance of flooding?

Posted By jonr on 27 Feb 2010 10:52 PM
I would use a white roof (galvanized and painted), large overhangs and Ipe or similar wood instead of Trex. Also a water storage tank, dehumidifier, solar water heater, ceiling fans and a whole house fan (for the times when you can get away without using AC).   I wouldn't use LED lighting (not as efficient as florescent).  I assume you have no chance of flooding?

Thanks for the reply. The roof garnered much debate, ultimately my wife is dead set on the colors. I know the lighter colors are most ideal in terms of reflectivity, is it really 'that' much better though? I have no clue what the differential should be there. Also the manufacturer claims that brown color is one of their solar reflective colors, still waiting on specifics on that.

Trex would appear to hold up better considering Im right on the water (saltwater), any specific reason(s) you suggest ipe or wood?

I have thought about the solar water heater, problem is I cant figure out a way to make it aesthetically clean...I hate to see traditional solar panels just sitting on the roof & things like solar tiles & laminates dont give very much bang for the buck from what I have read. Took me a while to come up with the solar pergola, here's a crude illustration of it.   http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/5369/88700948.jpg

- How is LED lighting not as efficient as Florescent? From everything I have read they are superior and given the very high cost of electricity here it pays itself back about twice as fast as in most US states. Please provide some additional clarity as my understanding is the exact opposite of your statement.

Thanks for the water storage tank, that will come in handy for landscaping.

Yes we do have chance of flooding when Hurricanes roll through. I've built the 2nd floor "Home theatre" to double as a hurricane shelter.

Thanks,
Jimmy.

On LEDs vs other lighting, just look at the lumens per watt.

I've used deck and docks of both and I prefer the rigidity/no sag and cooler surface of ipe. Ipe should last longer than you will.

I would build the whole house elevated to address the flooding issue.

I like outdoor showers (enclosed off the bathroom).  Nice to be outside, can use cooler water (or the rain) and it keeps the humidity out of the house.

Posted By jonr on 27 Feb 2010 11:14 PM
On LEDs vs other lighting, just look at the lumens per watt.

I've used deck and docks of both and I prefer the rigidity/no sag and cooler surface of ipe. Ipe should last longer than you will.

I would build the whole house elevated to address the flooding issue.

I like outdoor showers (off the bathroom).  Nice to be outside, can use cooler water (or the rain) and it keeps the humidity out of the house.

- On LED's, are you referring to brightness? While some have issue there are a few that are equally as bright as CF's. The real factor, to my amateur knowledge, is the costs associated with the replacements of the bulbs. Which in the case of CF's vs. LED is several times more based on my research. Plus there's the convenience of never having to replace a bulb (especially with high ceilings) for 10years.

- How does ipe hold up in saltwater? I've seen many wood docks here on island and over a span of 3-5 years they end up looking pretty worn out and usually have to be replaced/rebuilt in 10 years or so.

- Elevating the house is definitely a great idea and its already on the books.

- Outdoor shower is yet again another great idea. Thanks.

In addition to Jonr's excellent comments, I noted the following items.

1.  Be careful with travertine floors.  Travertine comes from a lot of different places with different characteristics, but I will assume you are talking about the classic "Roman" travertine.  The pores which give it character also make it easily breakable and make it miserable to clean.  Using "filled" material makes the cleaning easier, but does not help the strength.  I would not recommend the mass produced 30 cm x 30 x 6mm tiles for flooring.  The tiles are usually cut from waste or surplus material and some may have very heavy veining.  Breakage in shipping can also be a problem.  Fiberglass backing helps, but travertine floor tiles should be a minimum of 1 cm and larger piece sizes may need to be 2 or 3 (or more) cm thick.  The installation should insure they are fully bedded.  Travertine will also bleach in the sun. 

2.  The doors to you upstairs terrace appear to be over occupied space.  I would put the doors on a curb and be very careful of the waterproofing details.  A big overhang will help shield the doors.

Anything you can do to minimize solar gain (exterior shading, light colored roof, high performance windows, etc) will pay dividends in comfort and reducing AC load.  I have not look at your plans as far as orientation, but being able to open up and take advantage of the breeze is important.  Don't forget the ceiling fans!

You might also consider an ICF alternate or maybe SIP walls on the steel strructure.

Bruce

 

 

Jimmy,

For the roof, have you considered using colored aluminum standing seam instead of galvanized painted steel?  Aluminum should last longer than steel in the salt air.  If possible, use hidden clips to attach the roofing to the deck.  In other words, try to avoid drilling holes in the metal roof.  Screw holes through a metal roof tend to get larger over the years through expansion and contraction.

thanks for the suggestion guys and keep em coming. On the standing seam roofing, its actually aluminum not steel, sorry if I conveyed wrong info.

Can anyone provide feedback on the feasibility and typical cost of a Geothermal system, keeping in mind:
a) Im building on "filled" land (marl & other aggregates) right on the water (canal) so Im not sure if the thermal properties or depth requirement are doable.
b) Performance wise Im not sure how reliable it would be to cool a home in 80-90 degree temps year round (as compared to HVAC).
c) Im not familiar with what would be an optimal setup of a GT system in terms of materials, design, etc.

Jimmy,
I believe you will get more & better replies to your questions about geothermal by copying them to the Geothermal Heat Pump forum.

Geo could work if you put a loop in the canal. How will you build on marl? Ways I've heard used are either structural slabs (often post tensioned) or pilings (sometimes soil screws).

Ipe has no problem with anything short of constant salt water immersion.

A darker roof can be overcome with more roof insulation.  Depends on circumstances, but perhaps an extra 30%.

What will the deck railing be made of?

Here is a good reference on LEDs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_efficacy

Posted By jonr on 28 Feb 2010 10:14 AM
Geo could work if you put a loop in the canal. How will you build on marl? Ways I've heard used are either structural slabs (often post tensioned) or pilings (sometimes soil screws).

Ipe has no problem with anything short of constant salt water immersion.

A darker roof can be overcome with more roof insulation.  Depends on circumstances, but perhaps an extra 30%.

What will the deck railing be made of?

Here is a good reference on LEDs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_efficacy

So if ipe has the same type of lifespan, what are the advantages as you see them over the TREX?

Wouldnt want to put a loop in the Canal, based on everything I've read I think Im probably better off with the high efficiency HVAC, less complications/risk.

Are you estimating the roof color would conduct 30% more heat into the roof? If so thats a lot, I may have to rethink big time. Although that said I will have spray foam insulation in the ceilings.

Desk railing will be made of aluminum.

Thanks for the LED info.

I like the real wood look of ipe better and it has a more solid feel, especially when in the hot sun. Might just be personal taste though - I don't like vinyl siding either.

If the building is 75F inside and a white roof is 105F and a darker roof is 115F, that's a 33% increase in daytime roof heat gain to the interior (if you don't add extra insulation).

Is the 105/115F difference based on anything tangible (ie- past experience, study, tests, etc.??) Just trying to gauge how accurate that is.

It's a somewhat conservative figure for your roof (a flat roof would be much more).   Studies show ~20% cooling cost difference overall (because the temp differences is only in the daytime and the roof isn't everything). Sorry I don't have more exact data. This discusses your issue (people like darker roofs):

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/staff/papers/new_53.pdf

Posted By Whittakerj on 08 Mar 2010 10:44 PM
Is the 105/115F difference based on anything tangible (ie- past experience, study, tests, etc.??) Just trying to gauge how accurate that is.

It could actually be higher than that.  Curtainwall designs in the continental 48 usually use an upper temperature limit of about 160°, so in a place like Minneapolis, you should design for ±180° of themal movement (a problem you don't have:-).  Having a 30° roof temp reductions seems beneficial.  Walking across a sandy beach in the sun can be uncomfortable.  Walking barefoot across an asphalt parking lot in the sun can be painful. 

Bruce

And giving the roof a pitch of even 3:12 will induce a LOT of convection cooling to the exterior. If you're dedicated to a flat roof, follow the CA Title 24 requirements for low-angle "cool roof" roofing finishes of 0.70 minimum solar reflectivity, 0.75 minimum infra-red emissivity. Bright aluminum has high reflectivity, but extremely low emissivity.

BTW: Aluminum & saltwater aren't exactly compatible either, and need fairly good coatings to survive. Any nick or gap in the coating becomes a starting point for corrosion. Hard powder coat of CA Title 24 compliant materials come in a variety of colors if you're going for aluminum roofing. You might about finish & durability of your aluminum handrails in a saltwater environment as well.

What jonr said regarding ipe. In NJ there's a long section of ipe boardwalk that survived ~25 years of salt & sandy foot traffic before they re-treaded them...







...BY FLIPPING THE PLANKS OVER!

It's tough stuff- a bit hard on cutting blades, but with minimal maintenace will last & look great forever. If you want it to resist sun bleaching sealing it with a UV resistant sealer every year or two (or a sealer with a natural wood coloring agent such as Penofin, which uses rosewood oil pigments) keeps it looking great. Sun bleaching doesn't detract from it's longevity, if that's your preferred look.

This is a great roofing product for high wind areas

http://www.decra.com/

I agree - be careful with aluminum. There are marine grade alloys that will be fine and there are other alloys that will get chewed up.  Galvanized steel also does well.

Came across this:

Different roofing materials were tested side-by-side by LBL researchers; their peak temperatures are listed below. Ambient air temperature at the time of the test was 55deg.F.

* Black acrylic paint: 142deg. F

* Galvanized steel: 138deg. F

* Black acrylic paint infrared-reflecting film : 123deg. F

* Common "white" fiberglass/asphalt shingle : 118deg. F

* Clay terra cotta tile : 112deg. F

* Red acrylic paint: 106deg. F

* Light green acrylic paint: 104deg. F

* White acrylic paint: 74deg. F

* Hyper white" acrylic paint : 65deg. F