SPECIAL REPORT Energy-wise - alternative energy for homes

How to lower utility bills now and year-round

Rolling blackouts and skyrocketing utility bills have claimed Westerners' attention over the last year, but in fact they have only raised the stakes on an issue that has long been important here: energy conservation. The difficult truth is, energy is always a concern in the West. As homeowners, we can improve our situation in two ways: by using less energy and by wasting less of what we do use. To assist you in creating an energy-efficient home, this nine-page Special Report offers specific ideas you can put in place right away, longer-range solutions, and reports on products you can use. We feature two new homes that utilize many energy-saving strategies.

In California, a demonstration home

As you see on the previous page, the curving roof, shading trellises, slender windows, and colorful stucco walls of this 2,900-square-foot home create a distinctive, contemporary look that disguises the house's role as part-time power plant. It's also the greenest house in town, utilizing structural steel with recycled content, recycled cellulose insulation, and sustainably harvested lumber.

The structure sits on a sunny corner lot. Photovoltaic panels on the roof convert solar energy to electricity During the day, excess electricity generated by the panels is sent to the utility company. At night, when the house needs more power, the utility company supplies electricity. The big challenge--particularly until deciduous shade trees on the south and west sides grow in--is limiting the impact of the sun. The main facade faces west. The house is cooled by shading devices on this side-steel-and-wood trellises in front of the windows and an arbor of vine-covered metal cables.

Windows--extensive on the south wall to capture winter sunlight--are equipped with low-e glass (allows in maximum light and minimum heat). A system of sensor-driven exhaust fans draws cooler air from the lower level across a water feature in the entry to displace any built-up summer heat in the upper part of the house.

DESIGN: Cathy Schwabe, Esherick Homsey Dodge & Davis Architects, San Francisco (415/285-9193); Drew Maran Construction/Design, Palo Alto (www.drewmaran.com; visit this website for information on occasional house tours offered by owner-interior designer Sandra Slater)

In Arizona, an A for energy This 2,000-square-foot house, located in Prescott, Arizona, was designed and built by Brad Tito, a college senior studying sustainable development. He worked with an experienced local contractor, James Lazok.

The 2-foot-thick west-facing walls contain straw bales, which serve as low-cost insulation with an R-value of almost 40, double the usual amount. A 16-inch-thick south-facing wall between the greenhouse entry and the living room resembles striated sandstone. Made of cast earth (a mixture of soil and gypsum that is poured, like concrete, between forms), the wall is both decorative and functional: It serves as a beat-storing mass. In winter, low-angled sunlight strikes the wall, which stores the radiant energy and later releases it to the interior. In the summer, Tito opens the greenhouse entry to the cool night air; once cooled, the wall draws heat from the interior spaces.

Other energy-saving strategies include recycled cellulose insulation in the walls and triple-glazed, argonfilled windows with a U-factor of .28 (compared to .60 for conventional glass).

The roof-mounted array of fourteen 75-watt photovoltaic panels with battery storage is sized to meet the home's electrical needs, although the system is also connected to the local power grid. Compact fluorescent lamps and energy-efficient appliances help reduce electrical consumption.

Tito says, "The previous house I lived in on this site was about one quarter the size of my new one, but it consumed more than four times the energy I'm using now" In January, for instance, he paid $22 for gas (used for cooking and water heating) and $4.23 for electricity. That says it all.

DESIGN: Brad Tito, Lazok Tito Consulting, Prescott (520/777-0340)

Top 5

energy savers for warm weather

1 Check the ducts. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory say leakage of conditioned air from broken or disconnected ducts accounts for 20 to 40 percent of energy loss. You can have a pressurized "duct blaster" test performed to check for leaks. Repair ducts with mastic or special metallic-backed tape.

2 Turn up your air-conditioner thermostat (or turn it off). By setting it to 78[degrees] while you are home and at 85[degrees] while you are away, you can significantly trim your energy bill and contribute to a lighter load on the power grid. Fans can help make the higher temperatures comfortable.

3 Insulate. Upgrading ceiling insulation to an R-value of .38 (an A-value measures resistance to heat flow) keeps heat captured in the attic from entering living spaces.

4 Shade west-facing windows. Use awnings, trellises, shadecloth, or trees to block the sun on the exterior. Inside, draw curtains or use reflective blinds.