Sustainable Community: New Orleans

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Sustainable Community New Orleans

• Yan Gao, Olivia Hoylman, Emily Fliegel, and Harsh
  Sultania

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Group Assignments
Yan Gao Energy Options, Not-for-Profit Organizations, Heating/Cooling, and PowerPoint.
Olivia Hoylman Why New Orleans, Building Materials, Waste Management, and PowerPoint.
Emily Fliegel Water, Waste Water, and Floor Plans (CAD).
Harsh Sultania Neighborhood Layout (CAD).
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Design Objectives

• Our objective is to create a sustainable
  community that is interdependent for resources
  and is budgeted in terms of systems based off of
  the local GDP. We achieved this by following the
  design process until the ideal model resulted.

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Location New Orleans

• The historic port city of New Orleans, Louisiana
  is known for its roots in jazz. This major city
  is located across the Mississippi River and along
  the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, in 2005 this
  city was the site of Hurricane Katrina, one of
  the most destructive hurricanes in history.
• This location is ideal for creating a sustainable
  community because of the natural resources of the
  location and the resources available to a large
  city. In addition, it is quit literally a clean
  slate for rebuilding because most of the homes
  there were wiped off of their foundations from
  the hurricane.
• The Real GDP of Louisiana, per capita, is
  32,842.

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Neighborhood Layout
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Neighborhood Layout
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Neighborhood Layout
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Neighborhood Layout
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Neighborhood Layout
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Neighborhood Layout
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Neighborhood Layout
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Neighborhood Layout
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Floor Plans Plan 1
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Floor Plans Plan 2
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Floor Plans Plan 3
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Selected Floor Plan

• Plan 2 because it had the most space, was the
  most sustainable, and it required the least
  material.

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Building Materials Flooring

• Cork- Prominent in the 1900s, cork is sustainable
  and competitively priced. Cork is made from the
  bark of oak trees it can be harvested safely
  every nine years. In addition, cork is not made
  highly of chemicals. Also, cork can be made from
  recycled bottle stoppers. Some of the major
  benefits of cork are its comfort and insulation
  benefits. The unique composition of cork, which
  is 50 percent air, reduces stress on your feet.
  Also, cork has a naturally high indoor air
  quality and it has sound absorbent properties.
  While there is a range of prices for cork it is
  comparable to wood flooring. The recent demand
  for this type of flooring has expanded the
  patterns and varieties available.
• Bamboo- Bamboo flooring is made from compressing
  dried bamboo fibers under heat into pieces of
  floorboard, which makes it durable. Most bamboo
  grasses reach maturity in 6 years compared to the
  60 years it takes wood to mature. Bamboo is
  visually appealing and is hypoallergenic. In
  addition, it is very comparable to hardwood in
  terms of price and look. A major drawback to
  bamboo is that it is mainly imported from China,
  which add costs.
• Carpet- Carpet manufacturing has become more
  sustainable from the numerous ways it can be
  recycled after use. The types of carpet sold
  today have a wide range of recycled content.
  Also, manufacturers have reduced energy and water
  use in production. An improvement for carpet is
  carpet tiles, which are more adaptable to
  different types of spaces and can be easily
  replaced.

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Building Materials Insulation

• Insulation is measured by R-values, which measure
  the resistance of the material to heat flow it
  ranges from R-1 to R-60. The higher the R-value
  that greater and more restrictive it is to heat,
  usually this also means increased price. Homes
  should be insulated with a material that has an
  R-value of at least 30.
• Wool- Sheep wool is ideal in that it mimics
  nature because sheep live in extremely cold
  environments. The fibers are compressed to form
  air pockets, which maintains the temperature in
  homes. In addition, wools outer layer is
  hydrophobic while the inner layer is very
  absorbent. Wool has an R-value of 3 to 4 per
  inch of thickness.
• Aerogel- Aerogel removes the liquid from silica
  to make it light and have a composition of 90
  percent air. This insulation has an R-value of
  10.3 per inch thickness but is quit expensive.
• Polystyrene- Consists of a form of plastic that
  adds structure to the walls it is insulating
  while resisting heat flow. It has an R-value of
  3.8 to 4.4 per inch thickness. In addition, it is
  recyclable.
• Icynene- Completely seals the walls from a spray
  of castor oil, which maintains the air pockets as
  it solidifies. It has an R-value of 3.6 per inch
  of thickness. However, it is extremely expensive
  and requires a ventilation system.

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Building Material Roofing

• Green Roofs- Made up of shrubs, trees, and native
  ground cover. Provide support, drainage, improve
  air quality, and reduce energy costs.
• Metal- Most are comprised of recycled material
  and can be recycled themselves after their
  lifespan. Also, they are durable and excellent
  for collecting rainwater for watering.
• Slate- Natural stone require a lot of energy to
  extract but has longevity.
• Cooling Roof- Reflects the heat instead of
  absorbing it, vinyl roofs reflect 80 percent
  compared to a standard asphalt roof that reflects
  between 6 to 26 percent.

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Building Materials Support

• Restored Pine- Based off of my piecewise
  comparison of specifications for building
  materials, a reused material is five times more
  important than a recycled one in terms of
  sustainability. Therefore, the use of 600 year
  old restored pine that has be coated to maintain
  the integrity of the wood is the ideal solution
  for the main support material of home in the
  community. In addition, since there are countless
  abandon homes in New Orleans that have this
  antique pine, the prices are relatively cheap for
  its quality.

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Building Materials Windows

• Metal- Extremely durable with a lightweight
  frame. However, it easily conducts heat, which in
  turn makes it a poor insulator.
• Fiberglass-Have become more popular in recent
  years because of it thermal performance and
  alternative to vinyl.
• Vinyl-Typically made of PVCs (polyvinyl
  chloride) this type of material is water
  resistant and cheap but not durable in the long
  run.
• Wood- Is a very adaptive material depending on
  whether types but requires a lot of upkeep.
• In addition, the windows will be filled with
  inert gases that have a higher thermal
  performance such as Krypton or Argon. Also
  reflective coating which aim to prevent light
  from hitting the surface of the window rather
  than preventing the absorbance of heat will be
  added to the surface of the window to increase
  energy savings. Lastly, the windows will consist
  of double paned glass to prevent heat loss.

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Building Materials Doors

• Fiberglass- Extremely light weight material that
  still is thermally efficient. It can also be
  recycled after its lifetime.
• Wood- Eco-friendly depending on whether the wood
  is local and/or has a high recycled content and
  whether or not the wood was treated with
  additional chemicals such as formaldehyde.
• Steel- Has a high recycled content in it, is
  durable, and it is sturdy.
• Also, the homes with be equipped with doors that
  are weatherstripped to further prevent heat loss
  from the home. It does this by creating a seal
  between the bottom of the door and the floor.

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Heat Loss

• Heat loss is calculated by taking into account
  the u-values of a specific building material, the
  surface area of the material, and the temperature
  change.
• The selected floor plan has walls with a square
  footage of 2,068, doors with a square footage of
  32, floors with a square footage of 1,600,
  windows a square footage of 367, and a roof with
  a square footage of 800.
• The overall heat loss of the home is 4,793 BTU
  per hour.

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Energy Options

• Louisiana has a rainfall of 60-65 inches
  annually, an average high temperature of 77.6
  degrees Fahrenheit , and a average low
  temperature of 58.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Wind Energy uses wind turbines to make
  electricity and windmills for the mechanical
  power. Also, wind pumps for water pumping or
  drainage,. At most only 59 of the wind is
  converted to energy depending on size of
  turbine. In addition, a wind source a 1MW turbine
  operating at a 45 production rate will generate
  about 3.9 million kW of electricity in a year.
  Which is enough to meet the needs of about 500
  households per year, can cost 2000-2800 per kW
  range, on the other hand a 1MW turbine can cost
  2 million. The average wind speed for New
  Orleans is 8.2 miles per hour.
• Hydropower Energy comes from the energy of
  falling water (the kinetic energy of flowing
  water). The micro hydro type of hydropower can
  produce up to 100 kW of electricity just using
  the natural flow of water, which can be
  transported over long distances. Power (Height
  of Dam) x (River Flow) x (Efficiency)/11.8 (Dam
  Required), which is 8000-13000 per kW of
  capacity installed.
• Solar Energy is only 11-15 efficient per 10watts
  per square footage, which costs around 6-7 per
  watt. A 5 kW system would cost around
  25,000-35,000 to install but would require
  little maintenance after installation. However,
  electricity is only available when sun is
  shining.
• Geothermal Energy uses steam produced from
  reservoirs of hot water found a couple of miles
  or more below the Earth's surface. This option is
  sustainable because the heat extraction is small
  compared with the Earth's heat content. On the
  other hand though it is very expensive to drill.

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Energy Costs

• The electricity price, per kWh is 7.16 cents for
  Louisiana.
• The electricity costs per month are lighting-
  1.00, kitchen appliances- 20.88, laundry-
  6.49, personal care- 40.35, and miscellaneous-
  14.52. This brings the total cost to 83.27 per
  month.

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Water

• Specifications Approximately 350 gallons per
  day, low cost, requires little energy and
  maintenance, and can remove cryptosporidia and
  giaridia.
• The best solution was the gravity filter because
  it effectively removes all pollutants including
  cysts, requires no energy needed, and is high
  maintenance.

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Heating/Cooling Forced Air

• Forced Air is when air is heated in a furnace and
  then distributed through ductwork into the rooms
  of the home.
• The advantages are it is the only distribution
  method that can be used for cooling, the air may
  be filtered, humidified, and dehumidified, it is
  inexpensive, and it is fuel efficient.
• The disadvantages are that it requires ductwork
  and takes space in walls, the furnace fan can be
  noisy, it may distribute allergens with moving
  air, and it requires filtration and maintenance.

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Heating/Cooling Radiant Heat and Hydronic

• Radiant Heat works through radiation or a direct
  transfer of heat from hot to cold surfaces, which
  is most commonly provided through hot water
  tubing directly below the floor surface
• The advantages are that provides comfortable
  evenly distributed heat, it is energy efficient,
  and it doesnt distribute allergens. The
  disadvantages are that it slowly heats up cycle,
  it is expensive to insulate, it is difficult to
  repair, and it requires a separate ductwork for
  cooling.
• Hydronic or hot water baseboard uses hot water
  heated by a boiler that is then piped into
  fin-tubes along walls to heat space by radiation
  and convection. It can use standard gas,
  oil-fired boilers, wood-fired boilers, or solar
  water heaters as energy sources to heat the
  liquid.
• The advantages are that it is energy efficient,
  quiet, doesnt distribute allergens, and uses
  little electricity. The disadvantages are there
  is a slow temperature increase and it requires
  separate ductwork for cooling.

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Heating/Cooling Steam Radiant and Geothermal

• Steam radiant is when cast iron upright radiators
  radiate heat with steam, which is then
  distributed with steam piping and radiator units
  throughout the home.
• The advantages are it is efficient, comfortable,
  and it warms spaces up quickly. The disadvantages
  are that it takes up space, it is not visually
  appealing, and it requires separate ductwork for
  cooling.
• Geothermal heat pumps use ground loop geothermal
  systems, where the heat is taken from or
  deposited to the earth by use of a ground loop
  pipe.
• The advantages are it can save 30-70 on home
  heating and 20-50 on home cooling, it provides
  both heating and cooling, it can also heat water,
  it is renewable, it is an emission free energy
  source, and it requires no maintenance cost. The
  disadvantages are the systems are not cheap to
  install and it may cost 12,000- 16,000.
  However, it can save up to 1,500 annually.

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Waste Management

• Obviously, traditional landfill waste is still
  necessary for certain products like for instance
  hazardous waste. On the other hand, the green
  ways in which waste can be handled are
  recycling, composting (organic waste energy), and
  landfill-to-gas energy.
• Everyday, the average American disposes of 4.5
  pounds worth of trash, which adds up to 1 ton of
  garbage per person per year.
• Recycling is encouraged in the community through
  weekly recycling pickup on the same day as trash
  is picked up, recycling stations that are located
  in public area to discourage impulse waste, and
  by creating an incentive program that rewards
  those who recycle with coupons for local
  businesses.

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Waste Management

• Our 110 landfill-gas-to-energy projects
  currently generate enough energy to power 400,000
  homes every day offsetting almost two million
  tons of coal per year. A similar model based off
  of Waste Managements would add to the
  sustainability of the community. Energy is
  created from waste in two ways combustion and by
  collecting landfill gas. Landfill is gas is a
  mostly composed of methane and some of it is
  naturally produced from biodegrading waste.

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Waste Water

• Specifications were must remove bacteria and
  nutrients, must be able to fit 350 gallons at a
  given time, require little or no electricity and
  maintenance, and be eco-friendly.
• The best solution was to construct wetlands
  because it requires no electricity, it is
  eco-friendly, it fit the geography perfectly, it
  cleans bacteria along with other pollutants, and
  is high maintenance.
• Other solutions include composting toilets which
  reduce the needed water amount, a hydrophobic
  coating on house that reduces the amount of water
  absorbed into house, and the use of gravity to
  distribute water.

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Not-For-Profit Organization

• Average Salary 49,000
• The benefits of having the main career
  opportunities for community member in a
  not-for-profit organization are that the
  business has access to grants, it qualifies for a
  tax-exempt status, it creates positive community
  involvement, and it comes with limited liability.
• Based off of the real GDP and the average salary
  for a not-for-profit entry level career, we
  designed all the systems of the home around a
  budget of 250,000, which would be practically
  for the community members to pay off with a ten
  year mortgage.

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Overall Systems Diagram
Waste
Energy
Materials
Water
Heating/Cooling
Home
Waste Water
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Works Cited

• CalRecycle. California Government, 5 Mar. 2012.
  Web. 12 Oct. 2012.
• Kim, Jong-Jin, and Brenda Rigdon. Sustainable
  Architecture Module. Ann Arbor National
  Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education,
  1998. Print.
• WM. Waste Management, 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2012.
• www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/states
• www.greenenergychoice.com/green-guide/renewable-en
  ergy-types.html
• www.psnh.com/RenewableEnergy/For-Home/Geothermal-T
  o-Heat-or-Cool.aspx
• energy.gov/energysaver/articles/active-solar-heati
  ng
• energy.gov/energysaver/articles/radiant-heating

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Questions?