Green building Q & A: John Senechal answers commonly asked questions about building and renovating with health and environment in mind - Brief Article

New Life Journal, June-July, 2002 by John Senechal

Q. I know that we can use solar electricity for some sites in this area, but are there other alternative energy options that will work in the Southeast, like wind or water power?

A. Solar electricity works best in a sunny environment, of course. The solar climate for the southeast averages about 60% of total available sunshine.

Electricity from water is called "Hydroelectric Power" and seems like a good idea in an area that may get forty inches of rainfall per year. But the real issue is whether you have a stream of water on your land, and whether there is enough flow and fall to actually harvest the power from it. If so, then you have a good opportunity and the payback is quick. Hydroelectric power is reliable, steady, and it flows all day and night. A turbine generates electricity constantly. A battery augments power for peak loads. If you have acreage with good water flow, a hydroelectric system is a very good idea.

Wind power is similarly "location specific." It is most practical in flat areas. In mountainous terrain, unless you are on top of the mountain, the wind is going to be spotty and seasonal. If your location is not buffeted constantly by wind, all year (Eround, you may not get a good payback. But if you are a tinkerer, don't let that stop you. As with solar PV power, producing your own power gives an indescribable feeling of satisfaction.

The good news in all areas is that cost of materials is continually going down and quality of hardware is improving. Cost is usually a big factor in considering practicality of an alternative energy source. A hybrid power system can be put together that uses several inputs.

Q. I ve heard that there could be health problems with using both PVC and copper pipes for plumbing. Is there a safer choice?

A. Plumbers install two kinds of piping: supply pipes that you drink from and waste pipes that you don't.

Drinking water is carried by several types of code-approved piping, mainly copper, pex, iron, and PVC. In the past, copper pipes were joined with lead based solder which is currently banned from usage. A house over 20 years old may have lead solder in the pipe joints. If the copper piping has been installed recently, it will probably be free of lead. A lead test kit can determine which kind of solder was used.

For new houses, copper or pex (cross linked polyethelene) is durable and safe. Pex is easy to install and clean. The sections are joined with brass fittings, crimped, without glues or solder.

Indoor plumbing was new 100 years ago, and iron pipes were screwed together for water supply lines. You can still find iron pipes, but installation and repair are costly. Iron pipes degrade by clogging and rusting. Like clogged blood vessels, passages become restricted and are plagued by flaking. When you try to unscrew them for repairs, they will sometimes break off. Iron pipes will still deliver clean water, but the plumbing industry considers iron piping to be like last year's computer, a complete dinosaur.

PVC gets a bad rep sometimes, and here is where the question divides into supply piping and waste piping. If cheap is what you want, PVC will sure get you there. The water quality of PVC supply pipes might be better if the joints weren't glued together. PVC glue is one of the most obnoxious elements on a construction site. A listed carcinogen, the stench is powerful and penetrating. There is an alternative glue made by Gorilla Glue that works as well, and is code approved, but not as toxic. It is only available by mail, or from enlightened plumbing suppliers, of which there are few. I found it on the internet several years ago, and ordered a box. Now, my plumber won't go back to the old stuff.

With that said, I still will not use PVC for supply pipes, because there are better alternatives. For waste pipes, however, PVC is hands down the superior choice. I want waste pipes to be slick tubes, tightly sealed. PVC waste pipes are not only that, they are easy to install and modify, and there is no other material that is even close. If an older home has cast iron waste pipes, fine. But cast iron piping is so expensive to install, few craftsmen even know how to do it anymore. PVC waste pipes and Gorilla Glue do it for me.

John Senechal has years of experience building and renovating sustainable and healthy homes. You can reach him at his company, Bald Mountain Homes: 828-252-9357, JASenechal@aol.com.