________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As you can imagine , with walls that are about a foot thick , filled with insulation and concrete , ICF buildings can handle substantial winds , and are often the last standing in areas that have been torn apart by hurricanes and tornadoes .”
Another key benefit of the ICF approach is the passive geothermal heating and cooling that the design facilitates . With the large footers set into the ground , they are able to maintain a steady temperature of between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit year-round , regardless of the temperature outside .
“ The energy in the ground radiates through the basement , up the exterior walls , and into the first and second floors ,” he continues , “ so the perimeter of your house follows the earth ’ s steady temperature . This can act in either a pre-heating or pre-cooling capacity , depending on the time of year . Last winter , my neighborhood lost power for five days , which meant many of my neighbors ’ wooden homes had to tap out in the low 40s and stay elsewhere . My place , on the other hand , being an ICF home , dropped from about 70 degrees to around 60 , and then plateaued there . We were still running around in sweatpants !
“ Equally , the reverse happens during summer . There are plenty of times we ’ re sitting at maybe 75 degrees , without turning the air conditioning on . So , throughout the year , we just need enough energy to control the potential swing between 60 and 80 degrees , back to 70 , which is a fraction of that required by wooden-home owners . They ’ re very strong , incredibly energy efficient , and there ’ s no risk
of them burning in a wildfire or rotting or blowing away in a storm .”
Energy efficient
Furthering its position in the sustainable building realm , ICFHV has been implementing the latest technological advancements in its projects for some time now . “ We need to evolve away from fossil fuels ,” David states , “ and to facilitate this , we have been adapting new methods of hot water generation , as it ’ s a key area for energy wastage .
“ The heat pump technologies that we apply in our properties are set up outside . This avoids the unwanted displacement of cold air inside the building by exchanging energy out in the yard . Similarly , we can install thermal hot water collectors on roofs that operate at 80 percent efficiency , on account of their capabilities to convert electromagnetic radiation into thermal heat energy . These
46