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top 10 ideas
passivehaus • revolving door • micro-wind turbine small bees • window shutters • milpas • cold air intake refrigerator • kid powered computer games
We started thinking about the JP Green House when we couldn't find a sustainable, residential model to visit anywhere in New England. There are any number of demonstration houses built to show off high efficiency and renewables products (though very few rehabs), but once completed, these "demonstration" residences become homes, open perhaps once a year for a quick tour (and in the case of the annual student-built demonstrations, they are junked after the competition). Few provide complete energy use information, none (that we could find) provide complete financial information.
We have since expanded our search and have not bee able to find any example in the US of a model low or zero-carbon impact residence that shares information, has a web presence and is regularly open to visitors. That is our intention for the JP Green House. (We assume fellow-travelers are working on similar projects around the world though, given the times.)
We are also committed to conducting an ongoing, experimenting effort, trying out a variety of approaches, rather than demonstrating one technique or product.
The first eight Top 10 ideas are...
On this page, we present eight "Top 10" ideas - please use the form below to nominate ideas for the last two slots!
#1 passivhaus design/construction by Placetailor
After decades of use and development in Germany, the super-insulation ideas first broached in the late seventies have had the kinks worked out. New materials and air circulation systems allow for construction of very tight air envelope combined with super-efficient insulation make it possible to retrofit our old storefront and do away with a traditional heating and cooling plants.
Passivhaus standards are suddenly in the news: featured recently in the New York Times, proposals have been made to bring the White House up to passivhaus standards, and Governor Patrick has made super-insulation a key priority for Massachusetts.
Idea #1, proposed by Placetailor, is to meet passivhaus standards in the JP Green House building retrofit.
Placetailors Kevin Young (l) and Declan Keefe (r) stand next to 14" structural insulation they are using in the passivhaus reconstruction of the Pratt House on Mission Hill in Roxbury.
#2 revolving door suggested by MIT students http://sustainability.mit.edu/drupal/projects/revolving-door
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11.366_REVOLVING_DOOR_FINAL_REPORT.pdf Size : 2.746 Kb Type : pdf |
#3 microwind turbine built by Ken + manufactured by motorwave
http://www.motorwavegroup.com/new/index1.html
#4 small bees bred by Golden Rule Apiary
#5 kid-powered video games under construction by Ken
#6 cold air intake refrigerator made by Freeaire
#7 milpas design by Green City Growers
#8 insulated shutters design by Placetailor