Aug 23 2007
The enormous interest in our planets' fate has moved beyond dire warnings to solutions. The Discovery Channel has announced it will form a 24/7 Green Channel, and the History Channel awarded its Modern Marvel of 2007 to a Green Building System. This Wednesday, August 22nd, it all comes together when the Modern Marvel winner, Enertia Building Systems, Inc. will be featured on the new Discovery Science Channel series ECO-TECH.
Enertia®- which means Energy from a shift-in-time, is a new energy technology using the thermodynamic properties of wood. It is perfect for building solar homes since the wooden structure of the home can double as a "thermal battery," shifting daytime solar gain to nighttime heating needs. Recently granted US Patent No. 6,933,016, the technology rose to the top in the Invent-Now Challenge sponsored by the History Channel, the US Patent office, Lexus, and Time magazine. The Enertia Building System was chosen the Grand Prize winner.
Enertia® homes are built from "Green Building Blocks" which are glue-laminated wooden blocks precut and numbered to form a prefab Geo-solar house. Not only do the blocks store energy, but they speed up the construction time, and can lower the cost of construction- making a Green Home fast and feasible. During most of the construction the only tool needed is a high-torque electric drill. The blocks, made from tree-farmed certified-sustainable timber, are 100% natural and 100% renewable- so the whole structure is Green and carbon negative when solar thermal panels, and solar electricity are installed.
Because Enertia® buildings are carbon fiber they actually help clean the air by sequestering carbon - taking carbon out-of-circulation for hundreds of years, while lowering carbon going into the atmosphere by not burning fuel. The technologies' inventor, Michael Sykes, has calculated that building and living in an Enertia® Home is the environmental equivalent of taking 50 cars off the road. The US Southern Pine Forests are so vast, and the trees grow so fast, that the material used for the house will rejuvenate in less than 30 seconds. Today's high carbon dioxide levels attributed to Global Warming may actually cause the trees to rejuvenate even faster.
With growing pressure on housing to be stronger, greener, and more economical, Enertia is setting up Builder/ Dealers in all 50 states, and will license the technology to manufacturers in the different climate regions. Right now Enertia® Homes are manufactured in Youngsville, North Carolina. Examples are in 25 states and many can be seen on the Enertia website at http://enertia.com The Science Channel show Eco-Tech is a rare chance to tour an occupied Enertia® home, and see the factory in operation.