AskWoollyM.

Consider Passive AC. Open your windows on the shaded sides of your home in
the morning or evening to let cool air in to circulate... 

Question

Do you know anything about ductless AC? Does it work? Is it really more energy efficient? -Mollie

Woolly M.

Great question Mollie. Before I write a little about your question regarding ductless AC, I want to mention that there are many passive cooling alternatives out there that you might want to try first in efforts to make your house cooler and more energy efficient, without the use AC equipment. Here are a few general things to start with Ensure that you have proper insulation, energy-efficient windows and doors, are shading, and have proper ventilation. See if any of these or the ideas under section "passive cooling" below work for you before you consider spending money on an AC unit.

Some Energy Efficient AC Equipment

So a rep from a site called Eco Air and Water explained to me that ductless AC can be more energy efficient than a central air system in that instead of cooling the entire house it cools just the area that you are actually hanging out in.These systems do generally get a higher SEER Rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating), an important rating system for energy efficiency in air conditioners and refrigeration. 10 seems to be the norm in a central air system where there are ductless AC systems that can be rated from 13-16 points. The higher the rating, the more energy efficient and the more expensive. So one of these units to cool a 400 square foot area could cost around $1100. The wattage on one of these things is around 3000 as compared to a HVAC central air system which normally uses about 5-10,000 watts. Now I don't what type of home you are living in, but you might consider something more passive like a whole house attic fan which is a unit that is put into your ceiling in the center of your home with a grill that literally pulls cooler outside air through open windows and pushes hot indoor air out through the grill on the ceiling. It can lower the temperature in your home by five degrees in just a few minutes. A site called Whole House Fans said these units can be used on their own or in conjunction with an AC unit. If you use a WHF with and AC unit it would definitely offset energy use and lower your electricity bills, a better choice than using a central air unit on it's own. (We will discuss more alternatives to central air units below.) A whole house fan for a 1500 square foot home and up, would use about 276 watts of energy, very little on their own compared to typical central air systems(5-10,000 watts). They cost about $766. for this size. If your home doesn't have an attic, there is a unit available that works for a 1200 square foot space (mostly used for mobile homes) that uses up 110 watts of energy. If you live in an apartment and can't install something like a whole house fan you might consider just a window fan. A window unit can run around $87. dollars and uses around 87 watts of energy. Are these the best solutions for AC for your home? You will have to decide what is the most cost effective and least energy consuming for you. If you really feel like you can't do true passive air circulation in your home without AC equipment, these types of fans might be a great option for you. You might also consider an attic fan which ventilates the attic air which can cool the attic temperature by 30º, cooling the whole house down a good amount. Another suggestion on the equipment front is a Swamp Cooler/ Evaporative Cooler. They can be pretty energy efficient, they use 75% less electricity than a central air-conditioning system does. Saving energy and money once again. This is quoted from the Consumer Energy Center about swamp coolers which is interesting:

"Because the technology is simpler, an evaporative cooler costs about half as much as an air conditioner that will cool the same sized area. Some California utilities, such as PG&E, also offer rebates up to $300 to electricity customers who install whole-house evaporative systems. For perspective, a quick check of the internet in July 2001, found units capable of cooling 750 square feet that were priced as low as $275. Installation costs of swamp coolers are comparable to air conditioning units." -Consumer Energy Center

One drawback with these is that they do use 3-15 gallons of water a day, depending on how often you are using them.  Here is some info about the newer evaporative coolers that are out.

"Two stage evaporative coolers have been developed that pre-cool air before it goes through the moistened pad. The new coolers are reported to be as effective as air conditioning, but their initial cost is high - around $5,000 for a whole house system, approximately the same as air conditioning. The price may come down as more such systems are sold, but for the time being two-stage systems are hard to find.

Evaporative coolers are now on the market that use photovoltaic panels (solar) to create the electricity used to run the blower and the water pump. For hot, desert areas, the combination of evaporative cooling and solar power are a perfect match: the afternoon, when the most solar energy is available, is also the hottest part of the day, when cooling is most needed. And since swamp coolers use a fraction of the energy of air conditioners, PV cells can provide enough electricity to run the system effectively."-Consumer Energy Center

Heat pumps are another energy efficient way to go but cost a lot more money up front.

"Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space into a warm, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house; during the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your cool house into the warm outdoors. Because they move heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can provide up to 4 times the amount of energy they consume."- EERE

Here is a great resource for cooling ideas for your home EERE

You can look at the Energy Star Program site for energy saving AC units as well.

Other ways to cool your home or apartment...

There are many other ways to get cool air into your home without buying machines as well...
Here are some concepts and then adapted ideas for particular spaces to follow from M & A, Materials & Applications Architecture and Landscape Research founder Jenna Didier in Silver Lake. Jenna doesn't use an AC unit to cut down on energy consumption and creatively applies larger sustainable cooling concepts to her own apartment.

"Here are links to descriptions of a couple of my favorite concepts.  Its not what you buy, its how you build:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_chimney

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windcatcher

You can adapt these passive cooling ideas to your own home...

Suck in Afternoon and Evening Breezes. If you are in an apartment, these ideas can be adapted with a little ingenuity - and strategically shading the south & west-facing windows from outside of the glass during the day.  Also - keep windows closed during the hottest part of the day & then open them wide to catch afternoon breezes and let in cool air at night.  We practice this and its eliminated our need for A/C...

Make Creative Shade & Sometimes Food as Well!

I also have a tomato plant air conditioner: one of my windows lets in too much sunlight and heats up the whole room, so I planted a tomato plant in the window box.  It will provide shade during the hot part of the day, and of course, fresh tomatoes.

Also, shading the windows can be done with just about anything, blinds, bamboo, growing vines - all from the outside. You can also use an energy film for blocking out 65% of solar heat on your windows which can help a lot. It can also retain interior heat in in the winter...it is however made from vinyl, I believe, which isn't a non-toxic material..."

-Jenna Didier
M&A

Here are some other ideas from Grist on cheap ways to keep cool. Sorry if they are too obvious. "Switch to fluorescent bulbs, which give off much less heat than incandescents. Don't use any appliances in the house when it's hot. If you must run the dishwasher, do so at night."

"You may further leverage nature if you have a layout (and weather) that permits a cross breeze. Open the incoming breeze window a little, and the outgoing window a lot. On the out window place an out-facing window fan, which will pull the air through the house. Even if you have only two windows, facing the same direction, you may get relief by opening both, placing an inward fan on one and an outward on the other." - Grist

These are just a few  AC ideas.I hope some of these ideas have answered your questions and will help a bit Mollie. I don't know of the best place to buy a good priced ductless AC from in L.A. Will let you know if I find one. But you can start with this online shop to give you more info. and guide you to a more local spot. Eco Air & Water

One more site here, Build it Solar, that has a mass of passive cooling ideas...

I hope some of this info. gives you a few ideas on ways alternative ways to cool your home. Let me know what you end up doing. Thanks Woolly M.

Question

I am building a house and am trying to build as cleanly as possible...When
it comes to sheathing a house the typical choice is to use OSB... This is a
chip board like material held together with a lot of glue...typically it has
formaldehyde in it.  Are there alternative sheet goods that can return to
the earth a bit more gracefully than the OSB?  Is Plywood a better choice?
Plywood can also have the formaldehyde glues so I wondered if I do have to
choose between two less than great choices is one better than the other? -Michael

WoollyM.

Hi Michael. This question is a fascinating one to research. Here is what I have gathered so far...
I spoke to a woman named Patti, a green consultant for Royal Plywood Company here in Los Angeles, and she explained to me that exterior rated OSB actually uses forest resources pretty efficiently as compared to plywood. Even better, it can be found as an FSC certified product. Basically if you are using OSB for the exterior, for weather protection, the glue used in the board will be a PF (Phenol-formaldehyde) binder which is less toxic then UF (Urea-formaldehyde) binder that is used for an interior grade OSB. UF binders are off gassing and release free radicals and are known to be human carcinogens. There is another kind of binder that can be used in OSB which is non-formaldehyde-emitting called MDI, methyl diisocyanate which is a polyurethane binder.

I think this site could be really helpful to you. It has a more detailed explanation of what I was talking about above and also gives you products to look at that come from certifiable woods etc...

http://www.greenbuildingblocks.com/search_products/search_results.go?taxonomy=bc&category=22&subcategory=53&stateCd=All&submit.x=7&submit.y=9&submit=Search

Also to answer your question about whether to use OSB or Plywood, this article is really detailed and explains the difference in their production and the energy consumption it takes up to produce each type of sheathing. I thought this quote was particularly helpful from it "OSB is made from newer, less commercially viable small diameter tree species, such as aspen, so its impact on forest resources is less so than for plywood. Such small diameter trees are growing faster than they are being cut down (twice as fast in Canada)." -Walls & Ceilings

Part 1 from Walls & Ceilings (Environmental concerns)

http://www.wconline.com/CDA/Archive/e579e402585cb010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____

Part 2  from Walls & Ceilings (Environmental concerns)

http://www.wconline.com/CDA/Archive/d6f81406ca768010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____

another helpful article...

http://www.ecoact.org/Programs/Green_Building/green_Materials/wood_panels.htm

Here are some different sheathing material alternatives to Plywood and OSB (Obviously make sure they work for what you need it for since I am not a builder):

Wheat (Straw) Board-Wheat is created from a rapidly renewable agricultural resource, wheat-straw, which offers a rich golden alternative to traditional hardwood or panel products.

http://www.environbiocomposites.com/products.php

Straw (Wheat) Board-A structural strength board made from wheat and soybean straw can be used as wall sheathing. Straw boards can be more water-resistant than wood-based panels.

http://oikos.com/products/wood-plastics/isobord/index.html

http://www.environmentalhomecenter.com/shop.mv?CatCode=PRODUCT&ProdCode=PACIFIC_BOARD

Recycled Paperboard-Made from recycled newspapers, paperboard can be used as a sub-floor, sheathing or roof decking. Aside from being very environmentally friendly, paperboard also has a higher insulative value than wood panels and can reduce sounds. Traditionally, it is less expensive than other wood-based sheathings.

http://www.environmentalhomecenter.com/shop.mv?CatCode=PRODUCT&ProdCode=HOMASOTE

MDF (medium density fiberboard)-that contains neither phenol nor urea formaldehyde. This product may be a good option for interior use for people sensitive to formaldehyde emissions from standard wood products. http://www.environmentalhomecenter.com/shop.mv?CatCode=10230_FINCARPN

Agricultural Fiber Board- http://www.agriboard.com/ or http://www.kireiusa.com/main.php

Biofiber- http://www.environbiocomposites.com/

I like this site Oikos. It is a green building source that has some simple run downs of what is available as well and explains the different sheathing options in detail, a really great resource with a book that could be useful.

http://oikos.com/library/vision/index.html

Here is the Oikos Green Product Directory

http://www.oikos.com/green_products/index.php

So to make things really confusing, here is Columbia Forest Products Formaldehyde-Free plywood called Pure Bond at competitive pricing.

http://www.columbiaforestproducts.com/products/prodpb.aspx

Keep me updated. Would love to know your progress and what you decide to do on this.
Thanks. Woolly M.

Question

Are Farrow and Ball paints appreciably better for the environment than Benjamin Moore ones? F&B's colors are beautiful, but Benjamin Moore has similar ones. F&B claims that they are one of the most environmentally friendly paints on the market but there are no details as to what this means in their promotional materials--the lack of details leaves me doubtful about their claim. F&B is more expensive, but I think completely worth it if they actually are better environmentally than Benjamin Moore. If you could help me get some specifics, I'd be most grateful. I'm perfectly open to suggestions for other paints, but when I have found eco-friendly paints on-line they seem mostly be be in white with pigments to be added yourself and frankly, I'm not quite that committed. -Catherine, NY

WoollyM

Hi Catherine. Very good questions. Which environmentally friendly paints are the safest for our health and create less damage to our planet? Trying to find the truth within the information we are presented with by paint companies is a challenge. And there seems to be so many eco-friendly paints to choose from (which is awesome) Couldn't they just all be good?

There are green product and building regulatory organizations and indoor air quality organizations that have certified or qualified some of these company's "eco-friendly" low/zero-VOC paints.  To find products that have less of an impact on the environment and are better for our health, you can look for these organization stamps of approval, qualifications or certifications when choosing a particular low/zero-VOC paint.

1. Green Seal- Name their stamp of approval on products as the "mark of environmental responsibilty. "They are a "non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the
marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services." -Green Seal

"Founded in 1989, Green Seal provides science-based environmental certification standards that are credible, transparent, and essential in an increasingly educated and competitive marketplace. Our industry
knowledge and standards help manufacturers, purchasers, and end users alike make responsible choices that positively impact business behavior and improve quality of life."- Green Seal
 

2. SCS-(Scientific Certification Systems) Besides offering evaluation and certification services to a broad range of manufacturing sectors, "SCS offers four indoor air quality certification programs as part of
its ongoing efforts to improve the environmental performance of building products: Indoor Advantage, Indoor Advantage Gold, FloorScore, and No Added Formaldehyde.  The program applies to any
product generally used within an enclosed indoor environment, such as furniture systems, seating, and components, hard surface flooring, paint, wall coverings, casework, and insulation." -SCS
 
3. LEED -"The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global
adoption of sustainable green building and development practices
through the creation and implementation of universally understood and
accepted tools and performance criteria"-USGBC

(NOTE: products can qualify to be promoted for use in a green building project, LEED certification is a per project based sustainable green building certification, not a product certification)

4. SCAQMD- "The South Coast Air Quality Management District regulates VOC emissions. They are widely considered to have the most stringent regulations in the US. They believe all residents have a right to live and work in an environment of clean air and is committed to undertaking all necessary steps to protect public health from air pollution, with sensitivity to the impacts of its actions on the community and
businesses." -SCAQMD

Their site provides a PDF file of Super-Compliant VOC coating (paint) manufacturers that meet the regulatory limits of the SCAQMD.

http://www.aqmd.gov/prdas/brochures/paintguide.html

OK so that might be just way too much info. for any of us, but sort of good to know.

When choosing paints, zero-VOC (no Volatile Organic Compounds) paints are noted as a healthier choice of paints then low-VOC ones. Some paint companies that carry "environmental paints" can claim to have
low VOC paints by eliminating the bad VOC ingredients that regulations require of them. They will be low-VOC however, they can still contain other yucky chemicals in them that are dangerous to our health. So yes, we have to becareful and ask a lot of questions and make sure we know what we are getting in our low/zero-VOC paints. Pain in the butt, yes.

Depending on the look you are going for, natural based paints such as clay (Green Planet Paints http://www.greenplanetpaints.com/ ) or milk-based paints (http://www.milkpaint.com/) can be a good choice
too. They might be limited in finishes though and provide of a more matte, old-fashioned look to whatever you are painting. I have also read that the milk based paints might require sealing with a water-based acrylic that can contain ammonia.

Here are some opinions from local paint stores here in Los Angeles that I trust. Hopefully you can apply this info. to what you are looking for.

I talked to a local paint store called Par Paint here in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. They gave me some general info. that I felt was a helpful start. They said that they have tried a group of "environmentally
friendly" paints on the market and felt that Benjamin Moore's Aura low-VOC paint is a  pretty good interior paint choice. BM Aura has a wide range of color choices and is a 100% low toxicity acrylic which
they feel is more permeable than other environmentally safe claiming paints. Benjamin Moore's EcoSpec Interior line (Latex Primer Sealer, Flat, Eggshell Enamel, and Semi-Gloss Enamel) have the Green Seal of
approval. And I believe the Aura line from BM is in the process of getting their Green Seal certification.

He did say in their opinion, that a step up from Benjamin Moore Aura is AFM Safecoat zero-VOC paints and primers (http://www.afmsafecoat.com/). They sell zero-VOC paints and primer sealers that don't contain ethylene glycol, ammonia, acetone, formaldehyde, or masking agents) Par Paint felt that they were truly more environmental and concerned about health then other big conventional paint companies because their business manufactures zero-VOC paints and primers primarily, and that their focus is mainly
on the consumers health. Where traditional companies like Benjamin Moore have many other lines of normal, off-gassing VOC paints they are still pushing and have only made "one line" of paint dedicated to the environment. AFM Safecoat also have a competitive range of colors to choose from to mix into their base paints. AFM Safecoat is certified by SCS (Scientific Certification Systems'-Indoor Advantage Gold
certification) and is LEED qualified. Some feel that these stamps of approval are more reputable then even Green Seal. That being said, they are currently applying for their Green Seal of approval for Safecoat.

Here is some additional info from AFM Safecoat's website:

"Many so-called "Zero VOC" products on the market reduce emissions that cause outdoor air pollution, but still contain a host of unregulated toxic ingredients (such as formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, exempt solvents and odor masking agents) that cause indoor air pollution.

Safecoat(R) products go much further to protect your health. In addition to meeting the highest standards of environmental responsibility, we also eliminate toxic ingredients such as solvents, heavy metals, chemical residuals, formaldehyde and other harmful preservatives.

Our products are structured to literally create a "safe coat," with a unique molecular formulation designed to seal surfaces (from wood to metal to concrete, carpets, and much more), thus reducing "offgassing," or the emission of toxins into your environment."-AFM

"They are the best, and in most cases the only, choice on the market for low toxicity and a focus on personal health, product quality and performance, and environmental sustainability." -AFM

I also talked to another store here in L.A. called Jill's Paints. They carry a range of low/zero-VOC paints as well as more natural ones like clay and milk paints mentioned above. Jill's Paints felt that Benjamin
Moore "Eco-spec" was a fair paint for interior use and continued to then describe it as hospital paint, used in hospitals. That doesn't sound very appealing. Anyway. They did like the BM Aura line a bit
better and felt it was a good low-VOC paint. They especially liked this zero-VOC paint line called Yolo (
http://www.yolocolorhouse.com/). I couldn't tell on Yolo's website if you can get it locally in NY. You might have to order it online which is not really that helpful or environmental really if it is traveling all the way from Portland, OR to NY.  Jill's Paint said they can make any color with their bases, and that they really liked them. Now something really important here. Adding darker and brighter pigments, apparently adds VOC content to your paint. Tricky right? So they said if you would like a darker or brighter pigment you should probably stick with Benjamin Moore EcoSpec and use their own brand pigments with their paints and it will keep those VOC numbers lower then Yolo. They also felt that a lot of environmental paint seems to be softer and less durable, especially if you want to paint special things like cabinets or for other applications. Yolo paint has specific paints for different parts of your home that create a harder shell and is apparently more durable then it's competitors.

Almost done I promise!

I talked to Farrow and Ball on the phone. I have to say that they weren't too enthused about my questions. I asked them what "environmentally friendly" paints meant and if they had any certifications to validate their "eco-friendly" paint claims. They did mention that their pigment combined with their paint makes for some of the lowest VOC content in the paint market. Besides not being
certified by any of the organizations we talked about earlier, Jill's Paints did say that  F&B have 140 "premixed" colors to choose from, which I guess means you are locked into their colors they have
already made rather than being able to customize...

O.K. too much info. right? And this is probably just the tip of the iceburg. But my general feeling is go with something like AFM Safecoat. They are a reputable company with good business practices that have been around for a really long time, 25 years I think. They seem to care about our health and the environment. Their paints and primers are zero-VOC. There are a lot of low/zero VOC paints available on the market today. All sort of in the $30.-$45. range a gallon. If you go with Benjamin Moore Aura low-VOC paints it will be a fine decision. Their prices might be really the deciding factor.

Here is one last list of eco-friendly paints that Treehugger likes from 2005.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/10/affordable_low.php