Chapter 11 Activity: Energy and Environmental Evaluation
Select a property to evaluate. It could be where you live now (apartment, residence hall or house), the home of your parents or a good friend, or a new/model home in a housing development in your area. If there is a housing development being constructed in your area, they often have open house hours when you can tour models and ask questions. Once you have selected the property to evaluate, gather and summarize the following information as best you can. Construct a poster illustrating the results of the evaluation and keep the notes from your visit to the property as field notes to be included with your poster.
The Questions…
- Orientation…
- Is there good exposure to the south?
- Are there windows on the south to help collect solar energy?
- How does the exposure of the north, west and east wall affect efficiency?
- Is there an overhang on the south to shade windows in the summer?
- What has been done with landscaping to help in the winter? Summer?
- Windows and Doors
- What is the quality of the windows?
- Describe characteristics that make the windows efficient or inefficient.
- Are the exterior doors insulated? How can you tell?
- Do you see any gaps around the windows and/or exterior doors?
- What is the condition of the caulking and weather stripping?
- Heating and Cooling
- What type of heat is used?
- Is the heating choice practical for the structure and climate?
- What heat delivery system is used (wall heat, ducts, radiators)?
- If ducts are used, where are they located?
- Are the heating system fixtures well placed?
- Lighting
- Is lighting adequate inside the building?
- Are energy efficient lamp types used inside and outside the building?
- Are any compact fluorescents used on the property?
- Water Heating
- What fuel type is used for water heating?
- Is the fuel type an efficient choice?
- Are water heaters and hot water pipes insulated?
- Structure and Insulation
- Are the exterior walls of 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 construction? Are the exterior walls insulated?
- Is the roof vented?
- What color is the roof and why is this important?
- What are the insulation levels and types of insulation used in the building?
- Appliances
- What appliances are available and are they energy efficient?
- Why or why aren’t they energy efficient?
- Building Age and Condition
- How old is the building?
- Does the age of the building contribute to potential environmental problems?
- Is the building in good repair and well maintained?
- Waste Management
- Does the property have municipal or private sewage disposal?
- How is trash collection provided?
- What is done with hazardous waste?
- Are there recycling facilities? Are they used?
- Is there a program to encourage resident recycling?
- Water
- Do the residents get their water from a municipal or private source?
- Is the water supply adequate and good quality?
- Is there any water treatment equipment in use in the building? What is the purpose of the water treatment?
- Is there any native or water conserving landscaping?
- Air Quality
- Are heating and cooling equipment filters changed regularly?
- Is the heating and cooling equipment maintained regularly?
- Does the property have carbon monoxide detectors?
- Does the property have any other type of ventilation equipment?
- Is the property designed to provide adequate natural ventilation?
- Has the property been tested for radon?
- Are there any other air quality issues in the property?
- Maintenance and Other Issues
- Is a pest control method used?
- Are hazardous products used and stored correctly?
- What types of cleaning products are used and where are they stored?
- Is lead an issue inside or outside of the property?
- Is there asbestos in the property and is it a problem?
Based on the questions above, prepare a poster illustrating some of your results. Highlight (bullet) the energy and environmental strengths of the property. List recommendations for changes. Include some photos of the property on the poster if possible. Turn in your field notes with the poster.
Developed by Kathleen Parrott and JoAnn Emmel