Sustainable Homes
- jim mason
- jimm1
Key Points
- homes can be partially or fully self sustainable on utilities etc
- clean water sources
- sustainable waste management practices
- land to grow food, create oxygen
- excellent soil
- excellent forest
- excellent solar, wind energy sources
- well designed green houses for longer growing seasons
- environmental risk factor analysis forward
References
| Reference_description_with_linked_URLs__________________________ | Notes__________________________________________________________________ |
|---|---|
| First Street Foundation - climate risk factor model by location | |
| environmental risk factor analysis by property location going forward | Researchers at First Street used their model to create an online tool called Risk Factor to give people hyperlocal snapshots of how their property is affected by extreme temperatures |
| https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-could-see-extreme-heat-040100180.html | extreme heat trends in US |
| https://www.noaa.gov/stories/july-2022-was-third-hottest-on-record-for-us | NOAA monthly climate report |
| https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/principles-lifelong-meaningful-relationships-ray-dalio/ | Ray Dalio on life long relationships |
| https://unherd.com/2019/12/is-this-the-end-for-labour/ | Paul Embrey on what liberal UK voters really want and why they voted conservative in 2019 |
| https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_sowell_163937 | Thomas Sowell on "Johnny doesn't know what thinking is" ** |
Key Concepts
Marnie Custom Homes in Delaware
https://magazine.modernhb.com/modern-homes-builders-issue-130/0694410001702374361
page 28
Solar Energy for Homes
solar-energy-The Pros and Cons of Solar Energy _ Constellation.pdf link
solar-energy-The Pros and Cons of Solar Energy _ Constellation.pdf. file
investopedia >> solar-power-home.asp
Solar panel costs value
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/home-improvement/average-cost-of-solar-panels/
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/solar-energy/how-much-do-solar-panels-cost.html
good estimator for kwh required
estimating solar installation costs
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/solar-panel-cost
$4 per watt or $20000 for a 5 kwh system
1 panel generation per hour
A General Solar Equation
There are various equations for calculating how many solar panels and the amount of power needed for a household. Here’s a general example:
The average energy needs of a U.S. household is a 6.62-kW solar system to match the 9,000 kWh of average energy usage by U.S. households each year. And, the typical solar panel makes 320 watts of electricity in ideal sunny conditions. Here's how many solar panels that equals.3
Divide 6.62 kW (the system size) by .320 kW (the wattage per panel) = 20.69—rounded up that’s 21 panels. While your home is far from average, this is how you can calculate your own rough estimate
Solar Power Variables
Many factors go into calculating the best solar system size. Some of these variables include your home’s energy usage, your roof's available square footage, the solar panel wattage, and amount of sun the solar panels will receive.
For example, in Maine where sunlight is often at a minimum, homeowners prefer higher-rated panels that generate more electricity in comparison to panels typically selected for homes in sunny California. For all residences, high efficiency panels generate more wattage which means fewer panels on your roof.
Well engineered home in Maine $425K
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1321-Marion-Station-Rd-Dennysville-ME-04628/2068743710_zpid/
PES - Photon Energy Systems - an alternative to traditional solar panels
https://wavja.com/wavja#1340c44d-2bf1-436b-aa56-d90ce20a02ce
not ready for high volume, cost efficient production yet – 5 years to affordability ??
Portable Desalination System from MIT in Development
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mit-engineers-created-portable-device-212012910.html
the MIT team’s device relies on a process called ion concentration polarization (ICP), which utilizes an electric field sent through membranes above and below a channel of water. The field repels charged particles and contaminants into a separate channel of water that is discarded. This allows clean, drinkable water to be produced. “We apply an electric field in the water flow and the electricity helps remove the particles like salt in the water,” Yoon explained. “That’s the basic principle of the device’s desalination process.”
Sustainable Farming
Cover crops improve soil, yields, lower fertilizer
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ancient-farming-practice-makes-comeback-100018486.html
yahoo.com-Ancient farming practice makes a comeback as climate change puts pressure on crops.pdf link
yahoo.com-Ancient farming practice makes a comeback as climate change puts pressure on crops.pdf file
growing movement to bring back an ancient agricultural practice called cover cropping that was once used to rejuvenate soil but now also likely comes with the added benefits of both mitigating climate change and protecting against its ravages.
“My biggest driver is trying to save money,” he said. “I’ve cut our fertilizer use by 20%, we’re skipping a herbicide application and my fields hold more water.”
Cover cropping is no panacea to the many struggles farmers face as they operate within the razor-thin margins of agriculture. It can be costly — as much as $35 an acre, takes several years to really make a difference, requires new timing and sometimes new equipment and can increase pest infestations.
But after a few years, fields planted in cover crops store thousands more gallons of water than bare fields during torrential rains, resist weeds' encroachment more, hold together better against erosion, survive droughts better and capture more carbon in their soils.
What’s planted varies but can include grains such as rye, barley and oats, vegetables such as radishes, and peas and nitrogen-fixing plants like crimson clover.
As soon as the cash crop, usually soybeans, corn, wheat or cotton, is harvested, the farmer plants the cover crop – often directly into the left-over stubble.
The cover crop grows up just a few inches before winter comes and then goes dormant. In the spring it starts growing again while the fields are warming and drying before farmers plant. All this time it keeps weeds down by out-competing them and helps the soil absorb heavy rains.
When it’s time to plant, the farmer kills off the cover crop, either by running a heavy “crimp roller” over it or spraying herbicide. The cash crop is then seeded straight into what to a traditional farming eye might look like a messy field.
Potential Value Opportunities
Potential Challenges
Candidate Solutions
Step-by-step guide for Example
sample code block