Chicago utility hits a home run.

Describes how incentives for energy efficient rehabilitation of urban multifamily buildings has now been extended to single family homes, by one of the largest utilities in the US Midwest. The utility provides grants for nonprofit housing developers to include energy efficiency measures as part of their rehabilitation work on existing multifamily buildings. The new programme provides incentives for the construction of energy efficient new single family homes. The program targets abandoned, structurally sound masonry buildings and redevelops them as high-quality affordable housing.

Indoor air pollution in a zone of extreme poverty of Metropolitan Santiago, Chile.

Describes a survey investigating the levels of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, respirable particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mutagenicity in the PM5 fraction, as well as temperature and humidity, inside 24 houses in La Pintana, Santiago. An additional survey covered symptoms, signs and respiratory diseases possibly associated with socio-economic factors in the area.

VBP-1: a sustainable urban house for low-income family in a tropical climate.

This paper presents the design of an urban, low-cost and progressive enlargement house following sustainable, bio-climatic and energy conservation criteria in a tropical and humid climate. This building design is based on results of experimental and numerical research on passive cooling systems and heat gain control mechanisms carried out by the authors. This house is intended to be a bio-climatic response to the housing need for low-income social groups. The individual integral comfort and his relation with the environment are the most important concern.

Achieving sustainable construction in affordable housing.

An energy-efficient design and construction checklist and information sheets 011 energy-efficient design and construction are two products being developed. These products will help affordable housing providers take the first steps toward a whole-house approach to the design and implementation of energy-efficient construction practices. The checklist presents simple and clear guidance on energy improvements that can be readily addressed now by most affordable housing providers.

Insulation tops list of low-income weatherization measures.

                      

Solar heated water is more cost effective than retrofit insulation of facades.

A comprehensive technical and social refurbishment of a housing estate built in the seventies is carried out in the Gardsten project. Well thought out traditional measures are combined with newenergy technology which was initiated through participation in an EU project which, in turn, is based on IEA collaboration.

New image and lower energy bills in Manchester (USA) inner-city neighbourhood.

The Manchester Project involved the energy efficient rehabilitation and retrofitting of existing housing units plus the construction on vacant lots of new dwellings incorporating energy conservation measures. This project, in the Manchester neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, began inthe late 19 70s and was completed in 1983. Energy use and air quality monitoring were carried out for one year after the completion of the project. It was found that in comparison to detached single-family houses using standard construction, energy savings of 75 to 80% were being realized.

The design and construction of low energy housing.

The project involves a 'Housing for the Elderly' development of 32 units, built by the Blenheim Borough Council, BBC, under a Housing Corporation sponsored initiative. The initiative is aimed at providing affordable rental accommodation for the fastest growing section of the community: the elderly. The council sought a new housing design which catered specifically to the needs and resources of elderly tenants. Comfortable and affordable rental accommodation linked with low maintenance were foremost considerations in the project.

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