{"product_id":"9780976491132","title":"Energy Free: Homes for a Small Planet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEnergy Free\u003c\/em\u003e is designed to equip building professionals and homeowners alike with a toolkit for creating homes that use no more energy than they produce—this means homes that are free from the vagaries of energy-price fluctuations and that help to free society of the high political and environmental costs of fossil fuels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndividuals and institutions have been working toward \"zero-energy\" homes for decades. This volume is the first record of those collective efforts, distilling their experience into a practical and comprehensive how-to guide. The author includes resource information and step-by-step guidance on how to make decisions that will yield an energy-free residential project, whether a single-family home or multifamily building, new or existing, in an urban or a rural setting. The unique needs and opportunities of each context are addressed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe principal topics include:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e  \u003cli\u003eProject boundaries (why you have to consider not only your home's behavior, but also your own)\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003ePrioritizing strategies (e.g., insulation vs. photovoltaics)\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eEconomics (including payback periods and incentives)\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to minimize a building's energy needs\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to minimize your energy needs\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eHow to power the energy needs that remain\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cli\u003eThe critical role of integrated project planning\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEnergy Free\u003c\/em\u003e offers a wide array of resource information, including detailed window and insulation comparisons; assessments of the relative contribution of different building elements; and overall performance. It draws on research and empirical data from myriad sources, including the Department of Energy's Building America program; Sacramento Municipal Utility District's House of the Future; Passiv Haus Institute in Europe and the Passive House Institute of the U.S.; Florida Solar Energy Center; Living Building Challenge; Affordable Comfort, Inc.'s, Thousand Home Challenge; and many pioneering individual home projects across North America.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Green Building Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47034547241200,"sku":"9780976491132","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780976491132_p0.jpg?v=1763878961","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780976491132","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}