More Energy-Saving Homes

Following up on a previous post, the Wall Street Journal recently ran an article ($) on the burgeoning market for energy efficient homes. Such "green" homes are increasingly moving to the mainstream. They are even becoming fixtures in new housing developments, not just in custom-built houses. Nationally, green homes are projected to increase to between 5% and 10% of U.S. housing starts by 2010, from 2% in 2005, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Below are examples of some of the features called out in the article

The water in this house is heated by solar power; the flow is directed to a small black box on the roof. This feature, plus strategic window positioning and heavily insulated walls, makes the home 10 times more energy-efficient than before its 2005 remodeling.



This home has unusual features such as the pictured salvaged airplane flaps used for shading.



This home has 20-inch-thick straw-bale walls. In the winter, the sun shines into the porch and light is absorbed by the concrete floors, to help maintain heat.



Fabric overhangs shade the windows against the summer sun in this house, cutting down on cooling bills. The raised structure allows the floor to be insulated.