Solar Energy Management LLC designs Zero Energy Structures
Marc Rutenberg / Solar Energy Management LLC
Solar Energy Management LLC worked with Marc Rutenberg Homes and has built five 4,500 sq. ft. zero energy homes. Every material and every building method is first questioned and analyzed for its performance and content before it is used. This means that new and better materials were used and implemented in almost every aspect of design and construction!
Starting with using state of the art aerated concrete. The first noncommercial application of Blue World Crete concrete – a concrete with NO Portland cement– has proved a success in our slab. Our masons from Gallo have learned how to use Xella/Hebel Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) to create a wall system that seems so similar to conventional concrete blocks, but has thermal, fire-resistance, and strength advantages that make a world of difference.
Why have we worked so hard to change these materials? The production of Portland cement alone is estimated to make up 5-8% of the worldwide carbon footprint. Conventional concrete blocks (CMU), the principle building materials for houses in Florida, is an inefficient insulator for both air conditioning and heating. This is because CMU can result in a negative R-value, meaning that the temperature of the block is higher in summer and lower in winter than the outside air. This means that during the 5-7 month long sweltering summers we have in Florida, our walls are even hotter than the outside air, causing our AC units to work harder and harder; the inverse in true in winter, taxing HVAC equipment – and in turn, our wallets and our atmosphere – far more than necessary
Not only is there extremely advanced technology going into the home but sometimes it’s the obvious and the simple that we’re doing better. For example, in the picture to the left, there’s a bright orange pipe sticking out of the ground. This pipe will protect the home and its occupants from radon buildup. While the home is already sited in a low-risk area for radon seepage, this pipe allows possible accumulation under the house to vent out the roof. During construction, the pipe is capped off to prevent clogging, but as soon as the roof goes on, it will extend all the way up and out.
Solar Energy Management LLC is proud to be the chosen solar designer for the Zero Energy America Homes
Contact us today to make your home a Zero Energy Home or to build a Zero Energy Home. Call 888-529-0770
The ultimate goal of our company is to help our commercial clients eliminate their electric bill. To help you achieve a Zero Energy building. A building that produces as much energy from renewable energy sources as it consumes, completely eliminating the carbon footprint of the building.
Solar Energy Managements LLC Commercial Path to Zero™
Steps to Commercial Structure energy Reduction:
Step 1. Establishing a Structure Energy/Utility Cost Footprint per squere foot
- Our team does a site visit to your commercial building to establish a current energy/utility cost per square foot. We will ask you for two years of power and gas bills.
Step 2. Energy Plan to Lower per square foot cost of energy
- The Solar Energy Management LLC team will meter and study each aspect of your building from controls to HVAC, Lighting, insulation, heat induction etc… And come up with a plan to lower the cost of energy per square foot and review this plan with management.
Step 3. Present a detailed energy reduction plan including financing
- The Solar Energy Management LLC team will present the detailed commercial energy reduction plan to management, reviewing each aspect of the energy reduction plan, return on investment time line and financing. Most all of our solutions offer a four year and under ROI and they address the Triple Bottom Line (People, Profit and Planet)
Step 4. Implement the commercial structure energy reduction plan
