Articles on energy-effective solutions.
by Lucas Johnson

If only net zero energy buildings were like cheap baseball caps.  One size would fit all.  Unfortunately, reality is very much case by case and often times there are circumstances that prevent a correct fit from being achievable.  These limitations come most often in the vehicle of a financial excuse, but can also be the result of serious design constraints such as weather patterns and roof space.  Also, keep in mind that most clients will not understand net zero design so it will be an uphill battle to convince them to increase a project’s complexity and timeline.

…and how to use efficiency as a lever

Efficiency is simply doing the same thing with less input.  Efficiency does not actually change anything; it just allows more of the same to occur with less impact. When economic growth is taken into account, efficiency becomes a slippery slope.  In order to become “sustainable”, we must change the fundamental manner in which we utilize energy.  Efficiency is not enough. For a more in depth discussion of this issue, please see my first article titled, “Integration is Effective”.

The need for integrated incentives

As a small business owner my desk often appears to be a 3D model of a downtown area constructed by paper.  As I move forward with the delivery phase of my energy-effective design services, the tallest “buildings”, the skyscrapers of paper, are those built of everything that goes into securing the incentives that make my projects feasible.  This ends up as a waste of my energy and a waste of natural resources while also dampening the rapidity that will be required to make the changes we need.

The motor hums as the boat glides through a totora reed passageway to the floating islands of Lake Titicaca.  The Uros people have been living on islands constructed of dried totora reed for thousands of years, yet have also experienced a close relationship to the modernizing landscape around them.  From the floating islands one can still easily see the port town of Puno, complete with dirty streets and fossil fuel emissions.  In contrast, the immediate surroundings are built with carbon-negative materials, are 100% solar powered, and exist in harmony with the dynamic equilibrium of nature.