I want the house to be as energy efficient as possible and Iwant to have the means to keep myself warm and cozy during extended power outages. I want to be able to live in the house cheaply when I'm old. I want to impact the environment as little as I can and still stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
......
What about concrete, with insulated forms? Construction is reportedly 5% higher than conventional wood, but its hard to knock it down, and its supposed to be efficient. I'd want to face the outside of the front with brick, I think. Is there another construction material that I should consider that maybe I haven't looked at? I'm going to talk to someone I konw this week who does the concrete work and get a better feel for costs, etc. but am still open on this one.
Two words - "Thermal mass". Your ICF idea is a good one. The concrete provides mass, which is resistant to temperature variations. The foam insulation on the panels provides an energy barrier which takes this mass and keeps it even more thermally stable. There are forms for wall thicknesses (excluding the foam cladding) from 3" to over 6". The thicker the wall, the more mass. The more mass, the more thermally stable the interior will be.
60% of the heat migration in most modern homes is through the ceiling. In an ICF home is it more like 80%. You will want a minimum of 12-14" of blown-in insulation. More preferable would be expanding foam. It's higher initially, but 6" of expanding foam on both the ceiling joists and roof will turn your house into a big thermal pocket and will seal the home. So well, in fact, that you will want to consider an air exchanger to allow for fresh air.
In addition to being highly energy efficient, the ICF and expanding foam applications are usually recognized as having substantial liability reduction benefits for fire retardance, security, and weather resistance. Check with your insurer, but I bet you will receive a
substantial reduction in insurance premiums. Add a steel or other type of impact-resistant roof for further premium reductions, as well as reductions in long-term maintenance costs. If you are lucky you might be able to partner with your insurer to use your house as a prototype or 'example' home for your area.
I'm hoping there are some big breaks in fuel cells in the next several years, too.
I wouldn't worry about fuel cells, solar, or other expensive exotics right now. The money required to implement exotic technologies can be more effectively used in making the house more efficient and reduce potential long-term maintenance costs.
Think in terms of stand-by energy storage. In this case, propane/butane in a 300-500 gallon tank. You can heat and cook with it, and in an emergency you can get a propane-fueled refridgerator for cold food storage. You can also use it as emergency heat by providing a lines in the home where you can hook up some direct-vent catalytic heaters. I have to disagree with Art here - in a well-sealed home do NOT use your stove as a heat source unless you enjoy carbon monoxide poisoning!! Get something designed as a direct-vent unit.
Heat pumps are good if you have electricity, but I would put some serious thought into adding a "parlor stove" located centrally in the home. Nominally it would be a conversation piece and design element that would provide some supplemental heat and coziness. However, it could also function as an emergency heat source if A) the electricity fails and B) you run out of propane. If your home is efficient enough it could potentially serve as the full-time primary heat source, depending on how the cost of wood compares to the cost of other heat sources.
Also, consider design elements that take advantage of your location. If you can, design in many large south-facing windows with an overhang that provides shade in summer but allows the sun to shine through the windows in winter. The proper overhang depth is dependent on your latitude. Thermally efficient low-E windows make this less of an issue than has been previously, but you can still gather an amazing amount of heat by putting dark-colored area rugs on the floor wherever the sun shines. Heck, you could even use black towels from the dollar store, I guess. In other words, you have another heat source that doesn't cost anything other than the removeable dark floor covering of choice.
Another thing I need to look at is general contracting. Need to figure out what the limits are on those contracts. For instance, I know someone who can do the electrical work and excavation, and flooring installation, and would give me great deals on it. I can get very good discounts on things like cupboards and plumbing, etc. and I can do some of the work myself, especially the finish type things. Need to make sure I can work it out to use these sources, and still have a general contractor. I'm not knowledgable enough to do the job without one.
Well and septic systems are quite a lot below what any of you suggested, at least in this area. I've paid for both and the costs were significantly lower.
Anyway, I'll be working on this for a couple of years and I'm sure you'll all be glad when I eventually just do it and you can quit listening to it.
You have the luxury of time. Start talking to contractors now. Do you have a college or university in your area with an architorture department? Propose this to them as a project and see if you can get some design work out of them. You might even research federal grants to see if you qualify under energy efficiency, alternate construction types, or gender.
Hope this helps!
Brad
