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14 I The Lovell Chronicle I January 14, 2010
www. LovellChronicle.com
Swell Dwellings -part three of a series
New house utilizes green technology
BY BRAD DEVEREAUX
Construction is under way on a new
home in Deaver that will utilize many
green technologies when construction is
finished. The core of the home went up in
just a few days, and finish work is continu-
ing on that section. Construction will con-
tinue in phases over the next several sum-
mers to complete the house.
Construction began in November. Local
resident Chris Finley, a green construction
enthusiast who has been involved in a vari-
ety of construction projects over the last 30
years or so, is building the home with the
help of a few friends.
His current project and future home
will be a culmination of what he's learned
over the years, utilizing several differ-
ent technologies that will make the house
about self-sufficient once it's complete.
The two-story home-is completely
sealed in a way that might make many tra-
ditional builders cringe. But the home is
designed that way. It is built out of struc-
tural insulated panels consisting of a thick
slab of Styrofoam sandwiched between two
pieces of plywood. Finley ordered the cus-
tom designed home and the materials ar-
rived on the jobsite shortly after, ready for
Finley and his crew to assemble like a gi-
ant, energy efficient 3D puzzle.
The walls, roof, and other panels came
pre-cut for Finley's design from a Big Sky
Insulations factory in Belgrade, Mont. The
company specializes in creating the high-
efficiency R-Control panels inside a factory.
A CNC machine cuts the panels to make
a home that goes up in no time with little
cutting on the jobsite. This makes for an
easy time at the construction site that can
be handled by novice carpenters.
The panels are super energy efficient
and cost effective for the insulation they
provide. According to a representative of
Big Sky Insulations, the R-Control panels
used in Finley's house are the most rec-
ognized brand in the world. They provide
more insulation when compared with tra-
ditional batt insulation. Data supplied by
R-Control state that a 4 1/2-inch R-Control
panel is 45 percent more thermally efficient
than 2x4s with R-13 batt insulation.
Panels are available in varying thick-
nesses from 4 inches to 12 ¼ inches. The
thickest panels perform with an R value
(insulation rating) of up to 48.
Without exterior wall treatments, the
structure is truly a "green" house, made of
green colored wood.Thewood is green be-
cause it is coated with a blend of anti-mold
and borat chemicals to protect against ter-
mites, fungus and mold. The exterior can
be finished with any type of traditional
material, like brick or vinyl siding.
The panels have other advantages,
too, like being completely recyclable or re-
usable (the Styrofoam can be shipped back
to the plant to be processed into new pan-
els).
The sealed design requires smaller
heating and cooling units. The panels are
held together with long screws and are
structurally tough when tested against
real-world storms and earthquakes.
All of these factors add up to a home
that is affordable, strong, comfortable and
environmentally friendly.
The cement slab that serves as the
foundation of the house is laced with tubes
that will pump a heated glycol solution
Chris Finley and a few friends worked for a few days to complete the main part of
the home. The panels are labeled and pre-cut for installation. Finley's crew was made
up of people with carpentry skills, helping the home "to go up quickly. The system is
designed to be easy to put up at the job site.
from a boiler throughout the floor, essen-
tially turning the slab into a big radiator,
Finley said. The floor heats up andretains
heat, making the system very efficient. He
said the technology is getting to the point
where a glycol heated floor system can pay
for itself in about 6 years through energy
savings.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
The design is simple as the house cur-
rently sits, with a downstairs area and a
large open second level. Once Finley's vi-
sion is complete, the home will have a few
other additions that utilize different tech-
Chris Finley's home is being built on a country road just outside of Deaver. With the
main portion of the house standing, Finley plans to add to the building over the next
few years. The paneled section of the home (right) will eventually be knocked out to
open the downstairs to a passive solar heated sunroom.
ii i ii i i i i i ii i inn i i
nologies to make the home even more ef-
ficient and self-sustaining. Finley said he
will leave the home hooked up to the power
grid, but once it's complete, it will probably
be just about self-sufficient.
The next addition will be a 12-by24'foot
passive solar sunroom. Finley will knock
out one wall (stick built with 2x4s for this
purpose) on the lower level of the house
to open the sunroom room to the main liv-
ing quarters. The sun will shine in to help
heat the slab, lessening the need for the
boiler.
The top of the house will be outfitted
with active solar panels that will add to
the electricity bank.
Finley said the home's design is a big
factor in its efficiency, but he said it is
the little things that really make the dif-
ference, like using energy-efficient light
bulbs. Some of the little things are as
simple as a change in habits, he said.
Solar curtains, for example, can be
installed to help eliminate heat loss at
night. The solar curtains are affixed to
a track that seals off and insulates the
window completely when closed, but one
must get into the habit of opening them
every morning, Finley said, because if left
closed the sun's heat can break the glass
of the window. He plans to install solar
curtains at a later stage in the project.
Another important factor to consider
when building a solar house is to think
about landscaping. Strategically placed
windbreaks can help to conserve heat,
but trees that are planted small can be-
come a problem 10 years down the road
if they block crucial sun from hitting the
structure, Finley said.
After the passive solar room is in-
stalled next summer, Finley plans to
build a two-story addition on the east
side of the house, with a bedroom down-
stairs and a family room above.
Photovoltaic solar panels and a small
windmill will be installed on the proper-
ty to provide power for the well, Finley
said.
Finley said the problem with solar
homes is that they are sometimes too
hot in the summer. Finley addresses this
problem in his design with a few different
i
The insulated R-Control panels fit
together perfectly, with separate
Styrofoam sandwich to link two
panels together. The panels are
designed for simple installation
and great insulation. A bonding
agent and long screws hold the
structure together.
pecs
30,000
780 square feet
2 stories
3 days to build
R-48 insulation
Features
Custom design
Closed system
Low energy bills
Recyclable
Easy to buiil00
Cost effectwe
materials I ' f
Green energy
Passive solar
Active solar
Heated glycol floor
Windmill
techniques. The slab is not heated in the
summer, and naturally keeps the home
cool in the summer. Awnings are situ-
ated to prevent a lot of sun shining into
the home's windows during the summer
months. The main section of the home
has just a few strategically placed win-
dows to allow airflow through the house
when it is needed.
When you consider all of the technol-
ogies working together on this house, it
will be a technical and natural wonder,
showing off how far green technology has
come in recent years.
"I've done enough now to know what
works and what doesn't," Finley said,
adding that he and his friends have been
doing different projects with different
techniques for years, often getting to-
gether to talk about their progress. He
said the technology has been around for
a long time, but it is becoming more and
more efficient as time goes on.
Finley said he wants to spread the
word that green technologies are becom-
ing more efficient and cost-effective, and
are a great option for building a new home
or other structures.
Finley said one of his favorite things
about the design is that it will allow him
to leave the home for an extended peri-
od of time without worrying about pipes
freezing or other problems. Finley said he
will be able to just shut off the water and
leave during the winter, with the active
and passive solar heating doing most of
the work to keep the inside temperatures
in the 40s.
His overall vision includes using the
property to serve as a learning tool for uni-
versity students. Finley envisions shower
facilities and platforms with wall tents
for visiting students to use. Finley, along
with his son, Judson, is involved with
programs from Northwest College, the
University of Wyoming and Indiana Uni-
versity. He said students from Memphis
University have also spent time studying
in the Big Horn Basin and the school is
considering moving its field school from
Rapid City, S.D., to the Big Horn Basin.
"This project is a perfect opportunity
to make that happen," Finley said.
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