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The 2009 New American Home at the International Builders show
The 2009 New American Home, the official showcase home of the International Builders Show, features innovative design and cutting edge natural gas technology, providing home builders with an outstanding example for producing more energy efficient homes without sacrificing style. The 8816 square foot contemporary home is a near net zero energy home that includes active (photovoltaic cells) and passive (orientation and shading) solar design and a revolutionary natural gas heating and cooling system. It also features tankless gas water heaters and numerous indoor and outdoor gas appliances. The AISIN gas heat pump is the most efficient HVAC system on the planet. Energy savings on the cooling side are estimated to be 75%, with heating savings estimated to be 67%. The house achieves 76% whole house energy savings when compared to the Building America benchmark and achieves a Five Star-Plus HERS rating of 57. This is before factoring in the installation of a 12,000+ khz solar panel system striving for a net-zero level of electrical consumption. The 2009 New American Home is proof positive that the direct use of natural gas is a winning solution to our energy efficiency and environmental challenges. Here are some pictures we took during our tour.
The law of supply and demand…still working
As we continue to make the case on Capitol Hill for expanded exploration and production of natural gas on the outer continental shelf (OCS), I’ve encountered a recurring argument from staffers whose bosses would have no problem with putting OCS energy leasing bans back in place.
The price of natural gas is half of what it was less than a year ago, they say, and your own industry people (meaning the producers) tell us supplies are abundant. There is no real need, they conclude, for more access.
The point being missed in this argument, however, is that the economic law of supply and demand is still at work. Supply today exceeds demand, thus the drop in prices, whereas just a few years ago the reverse was true. Despite the cold winter so far, demand for natural gas is way down due to the recession. People are simply not buying things like houses or cars, and they are buying fewer of other things like clothes or even bottled water. And all of this impacts the demand for natural gas.
Think about what goes into a new car – steel, glass, plastic, aluminum, fiberglass – all of it is natural gas intensive. The huge drop in gas demand in the industrial sector, especially in manufacturing, has led to excess available supply, and indeed to lower prices. But now is not the time for complacency!
It may take several years for our economy to recover and while low energy prices may have lessened the sense of urgency we felt this past summer, our lawmakers need to look at the long-term reality of the situation. It will take years if not decades to find and bring new resources to market. Because of this lag, failure to act now to ensure we have the supply that the future economy will demand, will only ensure high-prices for all.
AGA at the Green Inaugural Ball
AGA is an enthusiastic “Green Sponsor” of the Green Inaugural Ball to be held on Jan. 19, 2009 in the National Portrait Gallery. This event is spearheaded by the wind and solar energy associations, who have welcomed participation by other like-minded groups — such as AGA — that support a diverse energy supply that maximizes energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Green Inaugural Ball celebrates the network of organizations, corporations, and individuals committed to creating the new energy economy that will repower, rebuild, refuel and restore America.
Events like this are important for us because it gives us a chance to network with other energy leaders so they understand how homes and businesses can reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint by using efficient natural gas equipment. And personally, it is like going to a reunion of all my favorite policy wonks from the Obama energy and environmental team as well as friends from past work for the Gore and Bill Clinton campaigns. My husband Dick Bradshaw was a Clinton appointee at DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EE&RE) and we are both really looking forward to going.
For more info on the Green Ball, see: http://www.greenball2009.org/
True Blue Natural Gas Blog from the American Gas Association (AGA)- Natural gas is ahead of the curve
- Spectra Energy receives the 2009 Natural Gas Video Award
- Natural Gas Market Indicators
- Sen. Murkowski, Energy Leaders Point to Natural Gas as Large Piece of the Climate Change Puzzle
- Diversification of natural gas supply is an essential consumer protection
- From Austin to Boston in a natural gas vehicle
- Natural gas, how about zero carbon emissions
- The real natural gas message in a climate crunch
- Let’s work together to protect our seniors
- Natural Gas Market Indicators
