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Design For Efficiency From the view of earth at night, it becomes obviously apparent that the earth is wasting a large portion of it's energy on inadequate lighting of the sky. Over $160 billion a year is spent by Americans alone to heat, cool, and provide water and electricity to our homes. We spend 21% of this nations annual energy on homes, consuming significant amounts of electricity and natural gas while contributing about 17% of our nation’s emission of greenhouse gases. Not counting the damages and cost we apply to the landscapes of our country, to native peoples and wildlife, to oceans and wilderness, to clean air and the earth’s climate; all of which are priceless. How many of those costs can we eliminate by using resources more efficiently? While our homes are more efficient today than they were 30 years ago, considerable opportunity remains for greater home energy conservation and efficiency. Not only are the alternative methods saving nonrenewable sources, they are also practical and beneficial to the every-day homeowner. Alternatives to energy waste cannot only help our world and it’s delicate ecosystem, but it can also repay its expense and put money in your pocket. The design process allows us to use the maximum resources from our surroundings while taking the least tole on our surroundings; and ideally giving more back than we took. In all of the 20 different bio-regions, one construction method prevails. By integrating the various elements of a sustainable structures, we take the least possible tole on our environment, while preserving our technological capacity. By connecting all the parts, the emergence of a completely self-sufficient building paradigm will emerge and take over current processes of construction. Once our current understanding of sustainable structures evolves from freezing in the dark, to warm and cozy independence from the destructive influences of coal and nuclear power, we establish a firm foundation by which we can de-universalize the design process to fit each unique area. All present issues that concern ecologically aware individuals and groups can be adequately addressed with innovative architectural systems: That allow for the comfort of modern homes to be experienced with low to even no power in warmer climates. By combining diverse elements of structural design, we can accomplish the goal of providing comfort from indispensable resources. For those of us who are determined to improve our well-being and quality of living, while sustaining such a quality for future generations, integrating the many aspects of building design in our homes and business will make substantial progress more and more in the right direction. Building Placement and Orientation Building with Efficiency in Mind |