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Net Zero Home Beating the Heat in Houston
Last year, record heat waves across Texas made for a sweltering summer. While triple-digit daytime temperatures in Houston is certainly not uncommon, trying to stay cool when the minimum temperature is a sweltering 80 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity means that many Houston residents were forced to blast their AC throughout the day. In fact, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reported that during the 2018 summer heatwave, energy demand across the state of Texas set an all-time system-wide peak demand record two hours in a row, topping out at incredible 73,259 megawatts (MW)between 4 and 5 p.m.
Of course, heat waves aren’t the only natural phenomenon that affects people living in Houston. Its location on the Gulf Coast also makes Houston extremely susceptible to hurricanes. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dropped over 60 inches of rain on the city over a period of a few days. The accumulated 33 trillion gallons of water that fell over southern Texas directly led to $125 billion dollars in property damage as severe flooding affected tens of thousands of homes.
With this extreme climate, finding ways to build energy-efficient, resilient homes in the Houston area is certainly a challenge. Houston has a reputation for large and luxurious homes. With a median square footage of over 1,900 square feet, Houston homes are considered to be the second-largest in the nation.
Can a larger-than-average home be sustainable? It sure can! The SmartLux on Greenpark is a perfect example of a large home that combines unrivaled luxury with supreme energy efficiency measures. The SmartLux showcases how it is possible to find ways to build smart, energy-efficient, and sustainable homes for Houston residents.
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4,500 Square Feet of Energy Efficiency
When it comes to home sustainability, size certainly does matter. Larger homes not only require more materials for construction, but they will also usually require more energy to heat, cool, and power. Despite these challenges, large homes will certainly continue to be built across the country, so making those homes as sustainable and energy-efficient as possible is a priority for many builders and developers.
One of the challenges of having an airtight, energy-efficient home can be the health and quality of indoor air; the SmartLux also includes several features to enhance interior air quality. One line of the tri-generation system sends hot water to a desiccant located in the attic. This helps to dehumidify the home, which was a major consideration since both homeowners suffered from allergies and sinus problems. Special air filters that have the ability to remove even the most microscopic allergens were also incorporated. Both of the homeowners claim to have had zero allergy problems since moving into the home.
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
