(SCROLL DOWN PAST TEXT TO VIEW OUR GREEN PROPERTY LISTINGS)

May 2009:

Our featured green homes are mls #902296 and 901265.

502 Camino Tres Arroyos is built with adobe and agriboard high energy performance panels for insulation value of up to R-25.44.  It is made of recycled and compressed wheat and rice straw.

22 Lamy Station Trail is built with rastra block or performance wall- a composite of concrete and recycled foam for insulation value.  The blocks have hollow cores that make them light for stacking and then are filled with concrete.  Rastra homes are high on the ‘green’ list because they are energy efficient.  They also cut out the need for fiberglass insulation, tar paper and wire mesh during construction.  Exterior and interior walls can be plastered directly on the rastra block.  Rastra walls are also highly fire resistant and provide for good sound proofing from outdoor noises.

Please take a moment to view photos of this exceptional green homes!

STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION:

This technique for constructing walls has been recently revived as a low cost alternative for building highly insulating walls. The technique was practiced in the plains states in the latter 1800’s and early 1900’s. Many of the early structures are still standing and being used. The technique has been applied to homes, farm buildings, courtyard walls, outdoor benches, well houses, and more.

Straw is also being used as a building material currently in sheet materials such as sheathing and wall panels. However, the approach of using bales directly, despite its history, is a new technique from a regulatory standpoint. Building walls with straw bales can be accomplished with unskilled labor, and the low costs of the bales make this technique economically attractive. However, it is important to realize that the cost of straw bales will differ depending on what time of year they are harvested and how far they need to be transported. They are cheaper at the time of harvest rather than after they have been stored from the previous season and, of course, cheaper if they are transported shorter distances. Bales must also be protected from getting wet. Costs also begin to rise when one considers the type of stucco and its application. A mud plaster taken from site soil, applied by the owner/builder, and maintained by the owner is quite inexpensive, but may take a long time to apply. A cement stucco applied by a contractor is accomplished quickly and lasts a very long time without any maintenance, but also costs money. As with any style of construction, the more labor input by the owner and the less by the contractor, the less costly it will be.

Two basic styles of straw bale construction have been used: post and beam construction with straw bale infill, and structural straw bale construction or “Nebraska” style (the weight of the roof is supported by the bales). There are a number of straw bale buildings now located in the Santa Fe and Taos areas.

Solar Energy Conversion Offers A Solution To Help Mitigate Global Warming. Solar energy has the power to reduce greenhouse gases and provide increased energy efficiency, says a scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, in a report published in the March issue of Physics Today.

Currently, between 80 percent and 85 percent of our energy comes from fossil fuels. However, fossil fuel resources are of finite extent and are distributed unevenly beneath Earth’s surface. When fossil fuel is turned into useful energy through combustion, it often produces environmental pollutants that are harmful to human health and greenhouse gases that threaten the global climate. In contrast, solar resources are widely available and have a benign effect on the environment and climate, making it an appealing alternative energy source.

“Sunlight is not only the most plentiful energy resource on earth, it is also one of the most versatile, converting readily to electricity, fuel and heat,” said Crabtree. “The challenge is to raise its conversion efficiency by factors of five or ten. That requires understanding the fundamental conversion phenomena at the nanoscale. We are just scratching the surface of this rich research field.”  Excerpt from article – Science Daily- March 12, 2007

We have the ability to search for homes that are built with alternative materials such as rastra block, straw bale, pumice crete or adobe and heated using solar energy. All of these materials contribute to better insulation value and, therefore, lower heating and cooling requirements. Many homes in the Santa Fe area are oriented for passive solar gain or have active solar components to heat the home or hot water systems. As we take more responsibility for how we impact the environment, we will begin to value green homes more and their market value should increase. Please let us know if shopping ‘green’ is a priority for you. Remember that when you call PNM to have your electric account established, you can ask for the Sky Blue program which is wind powered. Thank you for doing your part!

-Melissa & Amber