[Greenbuilding] Heat pump vs radiant

[David Wentling]

Here is a link to the Earthship website which mentions they can be built in nearly any climate. http://earthship.com/Designs/global-model

I have read of Earthships in Ireland that work! We need to push the envelop of understanding. I agree that the Passivhaus criteria might be hard to reach for certification, though a reasonable goal to work toward.


 
David Wentling
ConservFirst.com
Raton NM


________________________________
 From: Alan Abrams <alan at abramsdesignbuild.com>
To: Green Building <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org> 
Sent: Friday, July 26, 2013 3:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Heat pump vs radiant
 


Genarro--

for the past day I have been trying to assimilate three concepts:  passive house, earthship, and new york.  I am able to imagine any pair together, but I am having difficulty fitting all three between my ears at one time.

It's because I can't imagine a more difficult wall system to adapt to high levels of insulation, air tightness, and indoor air quality than earth packed tires--and that, in a demanding climate.

by the same token, I stayed in a classic Michael Reynolds earthship B&B a few years ago.  The ship had touched down in the high desert west of Taos.  It was late October, and I watched as the snow line crept down the slopes of nearby Sangre de Cristos over the course of the week.  We were just getting touched with frost in the morning, but the interior of the ship--completely uninsulated--was cozy warm.  The Dobsons claimed that little if any supplemental heat was required throughout the winter.  It should be noted that the walls, which undulated as the adobe plaster wove its way over the different sized tires, was uniquely beautiful.  The surface was punctuated by pinpoints of light from countless wine bottles embedded in the walls (Professor Dobson had a prodigious capacity for wine himself, as we learned during the evenings he shared with us).

but southwestern sun at 7000' above sea level is a different star than the one that shines east of the Appalachians.  The point being, I think there is something to be said for most any mass wall approach where there is sufficient insolation--but that to try to use approach here--particularly a tire wall system--seems on the face of it like putting socks on a rooster.    

More generally, it is to suggest that an esoteric approach works best in a functional context.  But I know you are a careful thinker, and must have considered all this already.  So I am interested in learning more about your rationale.

AA

   

I  


On Thu, Jul 25, 2013 at 2:59 PM, Gennaro Brooks-Church - Eco Brooklyn <info at ecobrooklyn.com> wrote:

It is being built on a horse farm so we will not be invading any natural habitats. Just farmed fields.
>
>
>Gennaro Brooks-Church
>Director, Eco Brooklyn Inc.
>Cell: 1 347 244 3016 USA
>www.EcoBrooklyn.com
>22 2nd St; Brooklyn, NY 11231
>
>

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