Solar Basics, Part 2

In my opinion, our sun offers an energy source that is virtually inexhaustible, plentiful, and relatively easy to harness. Solar energy should and will be a huge part of our overall energy solution. Following is what I consider to be the Basics of Solar.

As I see it, solar energy is harnessed by three means – Passive, Thermal and Photovoltaic. In my previous post, I addressed Passive and Thermal Solar.

Photovoltaic Solar
Technology becomes the harnessing mechanism here. The photovoltaic process is a simple transference of the suns radiation into electricity. Specifically, silicon chips (similar to those used in computer technology) absorb the suns rays, photons from the sun force electrons into a state of high energy, which then creates direct current electricity. This electricity can be stored in rechargeable batteries, or run through an inverter to be converted into alternating current for home use.
At present, a photovoltaic system in a residential application should be considered supplemental to grid-supplied power, not a substitute for. The inefficiencies and technological realities do not yet allow this system to afford its user energy independence. The addition of an array of batteries to store energy does add a certain degree of grid independence, not total, but also adds a significant cost to the system.
The future of Photovoltaic Solar technology (pun alert) is bright. Many of the brightest minds that helped shape the PC revolution have started to shift over to PV. It seems certain that the technology will become more efficient and cheaper over time. Even now, there exist significant tax breaks and other incentives for those willing to venture headfirst into our energy future. For those who make the commitment now, they do so out of an understanding of a societal need to shift our energy resource perspective, not out of a desire to save money. In time, we will all be able to realize the advantages of PV for all the right reasons.

Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

Solar Basics, Part 1

In my opinion, our sun offers an energy source that is virtually inexhaustible, plentiful, and relatively easy to harness. Solar energy should and will be a huge part of our overall energy solution. So, you might ask: How do we harness the sun’s energy? I’m glad you asked. Following is what I consider to be the Basics of Solar.

As I see it, solar energy is harnessed by three means – Passive, Thermal and Photovoltaic. Following is a quick overview of Passive and Thermal.

Passive Solar
This is the direct interaction of our environment & us with the sun. There is no physical mechanism that serves to harness the energy. Instead, there is an intellectual mechanism – common sense.
We are a witness of and participant in Passive Solar every day. It is the warmth of the sun’s rays on our skin or the movement of air as it warms and shifts. Common sense serves to remind us to use sunscreen when exposed for prolonged periods of time. Common sense should also afford us the knowledge to take advantage of Passive Solar energy in our homes.
Given the opportunity, a home should be oriented on an east/west line, exposing it to the travels of the sun in the south. With a proper overhang, the suns heat can be blocked during the warm summer months when it travels high, and allowed inside during the cooler winter months when its warmth is welcome. Light can be allowed in through the use of clerestory windows configured in a way such that the light is forced to reflect and diffuse before entering the interior spaces, which also serves to eliminate the damaging UV rays.

Thermal Solar
This is the harnessing of the sun’s heat. Generally, it is used for the purposes of heating water. Most commonly, it used to heat pools or to supplement the task of a water heater.
The harnessing mechanism here is a heat-absorbing element through which water is pumped and subsequently distributed. In its most simplistic form, this mechanism is comprised of black, or dark, pipes or tubing enclosed in box with a glass panel. The heat is trapped and absorbed by the pipes or tubing and transmitted to the water as it passes through. Of course, it’s not a perfect system, as more energy is required to pump the water through the somewhat larger network.

Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

The End of Oil

So, apparently, we as a species are facing the end of an age that has defined our time on earth, perhaps more than any previous period of time. We are on the precipice of the end of oil. Within the big picture of the entire history of the universe, our love/hate relationship with the age of oil will be merely a blip in the continuum. We will find ourselves on the other side either living more as we did 200 years ago, or thriving in a new age of technological innovation and global enlightenment. I’m hopeful for the latter.
I’m confident that we, as the dominant species of this relatively small rock, can and will overcome greed, hunger for power, and lack of foresight to unite in a common goal to explore for and harness new sources for energy.
The dialog is presently at a fever pitch. The question I would put forward is this: Why didn’t this dialog, once begun, continue on to its conclusion over 30 years ago during the energy crisis? The cynical answer is obvious: Big Oil wasn’t prepared to take control of whatever new technology or resources might emerge, and thus, began the process of squelching and/or buying up these new technologies and resources as they emerged (“Who Killed the Electric Car?) Another explanation might be that we, as consumers, weren’t ready or eager to make the necessary sacrifices that such a large-scale shift in life-style and perspective would require.
In any case, here we are. Myriad possible energy sources are being investigated, and, over time, the most feasible and effective will filter out and vie for the position of successor to oil. I’m betting on solar, though I think the final solution will be a combination of several energy sources and technologies. So, it is now incumbent upon me to become more educated about these energy sources and technologies and how they will impact the spaces where we live and work, and then to subsequently share the knowledge.

Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

CAD vs. Design

“CAD drawings are the worst. I just can’t get a grasp on how a space looks and feels from a CAD drawing.”

That sentiment was expressed to me recently by a client while in the midst of a discussion about the renovation of her front entry and living room. She made the statement very matter-of-factly. It wasn’t surprising to hear it from her. Over the period of time that I have been working with her, she has gained a great appreciation for the ability to view her home 3-dimensionally. I always have my laptop nearby when meeting with her, just in case.

It’s an interesting challenge to convey the value of a design process that does not necessarily begin with the production of working drawings. There seems to be universal consensus that working drawings are the design process.

To me, a good set of working drawings/construction documents have a distinct purpose. They present a detailed description of a project written in a language that is understood by everyone involved (designer, client, contractors, craftsmen, inspectors, et al), and they offer tangible details regarding dimensions, connections, materials, etc. But as a design tool they are, at best, adequate.

Working drawings do not provide a profile of the shade patterns as the sun interacts with a structure during various times of the day and various months of the year. They do not afford unlimited, visual relative comparisons of materials and colors. And they cannot begin to afford important intangible information that allows one to achieve a sense of flow between spaces, or to attain an awareness of the qualities a space may offer to those interacting within it such as comfort, contentment and ease. Solutions to issues such as these need to be explored and established during the design phase that occurs before commencement of working drawings.

With my clients, I utilize 3D software to design their projects. This allows them to bridge the gap between concept and reality while at the same time revealing possible issues that might not otherwise become known until the construction phase.



Unfortunately, the importance of this phase has been minimized with the emergence of the phenomena of the big builder offering generally out-dated, impractical and inefficient floor plans, leaving the homeowner with few options. This approach has very little thought or energy dedicated to design. And, as a result, we now have an over-standardization of materials, homes that do not reflect the lifestyle of the homeowner, and a quality of construction that is suspect. What’s worse, we, as a culture, have accepted it.

I gleaned a small measure of satisfaction from my clients comment. Though, for most, making such a statement would require a small epiphany.

Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

Too Many Castles, Not Enough Homes

If you've driven through North Scottsdale or Paradise Valley lately, you most likely have witnessed a good deal of home construction. The Luxury Home market has not suffered from the same downturn as the more median-priced home market. What the high-end housing market is suffering from is a lack of creative and common-sense design, and the inability to grasp the concept that the vast majority of us do not need and cannot fully utilize a 10,000 square foot home.
It seems most builders find it easier and more profitable to reuse floor plans and offer minor alterations to consumers as options. Often the only recognizable difference between homes on the same street is color and choice of stone veneer. But the consumer is not a victim, but, rather, an accomplice because they are eager to add their voice to the vanity-driven "bigger is better" mantra.
The exterior details on these McMansions (super-size it please!) consist mainly of eye candy that has become cliché and ubiquitous - arches that serve no purpose, ostentatious front entries, and cultured stone veneers applied in away that offer no hint of the structural functionality that their natural stone cousins once offered.
The interiors of these behemoths - at least those I have been in - are impersonal, offer an inefficient, wasteful layout, and feel more like a castle in need of defending rather than a home that offers shelter, comfort and functionality.
My wife and I, along with two cats and a dog, live in a 1550 square foot home and have never pined for more living space. Additionally, I would venture a guess that our 30 year old home is better built than the McMansions sprouting up like weeds today.
Recently, a very well-known architect made the following statement regarding these same weeds - "In twenty years, they will all be gone."
When that does happen, perhaps, as a society, we will be enlightened enough to appreciate a new mantra - "less is more."


Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

Building Green is Oh So Trendy... But What is Green?

The Green Bandwagon is getting full. Instead of blindly diving onto it, I've decided to take a more contemplative, deliberate and cautious approach. What is Green? Myriad people and organizations define green. The National Association of Home Builders has their Official Guidelines, The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has their Green Building Rating System™, here in Arizona we have organizations such as AKA Green offering green products and educational resources to the public and the building community, as well as the City of Scottsdale which has put in place a Green Building Program to service both the public and the building industry. And, on top of that, we all have our own opinions and philosophies.

Green can be applied to design and construction of a home in several ways:

Use of Technology such as photovoltaic solar cells, high SEER heating and cooling units, CFLs and thermal pane, low-E windows

Choice of Materials such as permeable material for driveways and e-crete block which is infused with air and insulative materials and can potentially serve as a final finish

Consideration of Resources by using passive solar cells to absorb heat from the sun, water reclamation and gray water irrigation, and use of local materials

Use of Common Sense as applied to structure orientation, placing the return air below ground, installing duct work within the insulated building envelope, allowing for cross ventilation, use of passive heating and natural lighting, and installing natural landscape that requires little or no maintenance.

Over time, we will, as a culture, define and re-define what Green is and how best to implement Green strategies. Technology will change quickly, and the cost of going Green will, most likely, come down. Until then it's wise to become educated consumers so as to best be able to utilize all possible means by which to save our environment. For more, visit my Green Home Design Page.


Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com