How Old Fashioned Energy Saving Building Methods Nearly Always Beat New Energy Producing Technology

Many years ago before air conditioning and heating, dwellings were built with an eye toward good science. They were often made of masonry or rocks that could withstand a lot of weather and visits from bad guys.

High ceilings were important in hot climates because heat rises. High ceilings kept the occupants of rooms cooler. Those builders knew a bit about physics.

Why, even the Romans knew some good science. They created the Roman arch for buildings and roadways that Patton used in WW II, a couple of thousand years later. They also built water collection and pipes to supply water to Rome and other places (Unfortunately they were made out of lead piping. Lead is toxic to brains.). They built thermal baths with wood burning ovens to heat water. They even utilized natural hot springs as did other people all over the world.

Many American farmers built houses with south facing windows and greenhouses to help control temperatures inside the structure.

And many people built underground or earth sheltered houses, root cellars, cisterns, spring houses and barns.

People from all over the world built structures from mud and rocks that had some thermal mass.

Castles in Europe often had interior wells and water storage because it made them more secure and able to withstand sieges for longer periods of time.

So why is everyone so carried away with the whole green thing like it’s all new science when it isn’t? The only new thing in all this excitement is solar panels, which are still far from efficient.

But it seems that most people just forgot about good science in building. We could afford to ignore good science when oil was cheap and there were still enough trees in the world to heat most of our dwellings.

Those days are over. Do you dread when your power and gas bills come in the mail? Air conditioning is the biggest expense for many people. But what if you didn’t need air conditioning? A house that is earth sheltered is cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

But the biggest indictment of building codes in the US is how poorly houses perform in storms. They literally blow apart. A masonry, earth sheltered or underground structure performs much better.

If you live in a hot climate you don’t want a wall of glass facing the mid-day or afternoon sun. If you are living in a cold climate you want that sun heating your space.

You might also want a gray water tank for your greenhouse and landscaping so you can grow some food and control your water bill. It’s just a container similar to a hot water heater or cistern. You can even treat the water to make it drinkable. Did you know some homes in dry Texas are able to capture enough rainwater in a cistern to supply the household year round?

So don’t get too hung up on all the high tech stuff. All of the methods to heat, cool and power your home will work better if you start with a good foundation. If your home needs less power to run, it will save you money for the life of the home.

A few years ago we lucked into a small, earth sheltered, passive solar house built in the 1970s. It’s cheap to heat and does not need air conditioning. We do not have a single solar panel although if heating keeps getting more expensive we may buy a few. We won’t need many because the house is already efficient. We have energy efficient appliances and plan to get a gray water tank.

Many people are building large houses with big expensive solar arrays to provide power and still have to buy more power from the local utility company. It’s terrible science.

Go out and find some old fashioned good science instead. It is a lot better bang for your buck.

Paula Stone is a veteran home buyer and seller. She works with her husband Ron in his note buying business and no doc jumbo loans business. Learn more at their websites, Sell My Note or Mortgage Buyer

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