Zero Energy Heating and Cooling

As global temperatures rise, hot arid climates face the issue of cooling for 4-6 months out of the year. The use of active cooling equipment comprises a significant portion of the overall costs, both financially and ecologically, needed to sustain indoor living conditions at a safe and comfortable level. Traditional indigenous housing in the area of Northern California was semi subterranean for the purpose of maintaining that comfort and safety. By using the natural occurring stable temperature within the earth, a similar heating or cooling effect can be achieved with little to no electricity. By implementing an underground heat transfer system, passive cooling design, and renewable energy production, a zero energy cooling system can be installed to retrofit a small single family dwelling, the type most afforded to low-income rural indigenous populations.

Low-income rural communities have significantly lower options and resources available when faced with common problems like heating and cooling. Modular, mobile, and prefabricated housing is most common among the communities because of the lower cost of building and installation. Whether limited by cost or availability, these options don’t facilitate much in the way of utilizing passive heating and cooling in the design of the housing. As a result, communities must use active heating and cooling solutions such as wood burning stoves, gas heaters, electric heaters, evaporative coolers, and small air conditioning units. The costs associated with these solutions are high compared to a well-designed dwelling both financially and ecologically. The systems described above, typically affixed to the dwellings after building or installation, are inefficient, and provide subpar conditions for the inhabitants. These conditions can even be out of reach for many communities faced with limited resources or availability. The result is dwellings and individuals taking on unnecessary safety hazards with regular use of these heating and cooling systems such as fire, excess heat, freezing cold, and personal injury.

The problem of heating and cooling is not a new one faced by communities. However, as in many traditional teachings, Mother Earth provides many of the solutions to these problems. By using the more stable and comfortable temperatures found underground, a more efficient means of climate control is attainable. Continued development, testing, and implementation of a passive or renewable low energy climate control system will produce a low cost sustainable option for communities faced with limited resources. This system will incorporate passive air flow design techniques, heat transfer through earth tubes, and renewable electricity. The system is designed to be either passive, or powered by renewable sources such as solar and wind. The system would retrofit a dwelling's existing systems with little modification. The modifications to the structure would be an air inlet, possible outlet, and a single medium solar panel. The impact of installation on the land would be minimal with no outstanding effects. After installation, the system would require minimal maintenance and could run unaided for years. Individual pieces of the system could be replaced with relative ease should the need arise. The system would provide a low cost, efficient, safe, and sustainable option for climate control.

The target community is a non-federally recognized tribe in Northern California. The community is the descendants of the displaced and marginalized population that traditionally inhabited the area in which they now reside. Having survived diseases, genocide, boarding schools, displacement, and broken treaties, the resulting population has been generationally impoverished and lacking resources and expertise to build a sustainable community financially and ecologically. This solution will directly improve the resilience and sustainability of this community as well as many similar communities by decreasing their dependence on energy, reducing the safety issues from extreme temperatures and blackouts which are common annually for the area. The solution will also in part decrease the demand on the local energy system and climate degradation.

Rural low-income Native American communities are detrimentally under-resourced and have few options when dealing with climate control in extreme weather conditions. The solution presented will improve and empower those communities as well as other low-income communities like immigrant farmworkers by utilizing traditional ecological knowledge to alleviate the chronic financial stress of maintaining a safe and comfortable living condition. The solution aligns with 3 of the sustainable development goals of the UN being affordable and clean energy, sustainable communities, and climate action.

The solution is currently in the first iteration of design and testing. The first installation will be complete at the time of submission. First analysis of the test installation will be available in the coming months as the temperature increases during the summer months. Analysis of the data will give practical insight for system design modifications. After further testing, final cost of the system and installation will be assessed and pilot deployment will be offered to Native American communities.

This solution is innovative in the application of ancient technology and modern building materials. By using modern affordable materials and renewable energy, climate control and comfort can be achieved affordably, making it accessible to low income communities. Similar designs are used in the natural world by many subterranean species. Traditional indigenous homes mimicked these natural features and provided comfortable living for the populations for centuries without a need for actively engaging in climate control practices. By designing the system to incorporate those natural features to retrofit existing buildings with no inherent passive design, zero energy climate control can be similarly achieved.

The core technology that powers the system is convection. The natural movement of air as it heats and cools is essential to the ability of the system to perform the intended function. Additional technology used is conduction between a heated fluid and a lower temperature solid material.

Native communities in Northern California as well as Mediteranian and Persian engineers used subterranean design for thousands of years to provide climate control in areas of the world that commonly experience extreme weather and temperature. The designers/writers at HomeInTheEarth.com are actively designing and testing similar technology across the United States and posting their results and updating design suggestions based on their findings. Most of their research is associated with new construction versus renovations or retrofitting existing dwellings. (20, September. “Earth Tube Design (for Earth Sheltered Homes).” Home in the Earth, www.homeintheearth.com/tech_notes/earth-tubes/earth-tube-design-for-earth-sheltered-homes/.)

The risks associated with this technology are associated with water condensation within the earth tubes and the growth of contaminants within. The risks are mitigated by designing the tubes installation in a way that allows for natural drain to prevent water build up and a means to periodically clean and sanitize the tubes to remove any harmful contaminants. The cleaning and sanitizing maintenance would be taught in a brief training and be done in an automated motorized schedule.

This solution addresses the problems faced by many low-income under resourced communities. The ability to reduce their dependence on unsustainable, and at times unreliable systems will improve the climate resilience of an affected community. Extreme temperatures coupled with rolling blackouts are common for the area in which the target community lives. By building sustainable resilience through traditional ecological knowledge, the communities can focus their resources on growth and sovereignty instead of survival. Many in the target community as well as others have a population of elders and knowledge keepers who are more susceptible to declines in health and wellness during extreme temperature situations. Improving the climate resilience of these particular homes is paramount in the overall continuation of the traditional and cultural knowledge being carried on into the following generations.

This solution will impact 12 homes in the initial community. The population is 24 low-income Native American tribal members living in a mobile home community. Of that population, 6 are elder women over 60 years, one being the tribal Chief and one being the tribal spiritual leader, all of whom are at risk of health issues associated with extreme temperature fluctuations. The twelve homes in the initial target community will be the first to retrofit with the proposed solution in the first year. In the following years, 18-24 homes of similar low-income Native Americans will be retrofitted each year. Priority will be given to homes of elders and at risk individuals such as those with disabilities. In five years time, a total of 100 Native American community homes will have this solution installed and optimized to provide resilience and a lower financial and ecological drain.

The impact of higher climate resilience and lower financial drain on the low-income and elder Native American communities is exponential. By alleviating a major stress and concerns of safety and sustainability on the community, greater focus can be given to maintaining and furthering traditional and cultural practices for generations to follow. The financial stress of maintaining comfort and safety in the home is often the cause of poor nutrition, unsafe and unreliable transportation, ability to participate in traditional and cultural practice, access to physical and mental health treatment, and the possibility of financial stability among many others. Allowing for limited resources to be focused on any one of those areas can drastically improve a Native American community's growth and empowerment.

Progress of this solution will be measured by the reduction of energy used and the resulting cost savings associated, as well as a long term sustainability of the system within the community/s that incorporate the system. This measurement will be referenced against the typical percentage of income allocated toward energy usage for the community impacted.

The primary barrier to accomplish the goals of the solution is the cost associated with materials and installation of the solution within the community. The community is low-income with minimal access to financial resources beyond basic needs. The secondary barrier is lack of expertise to design and install this system within the community. The technology is not widely used among modern builders or designers. Limited information is available regarding data for a similar system in similar climates.

The primary barrier will be overcome by procuring funding through grants, and donations toward the continued development of the technology, system, and installation practice. Volunteer work will be utilized to supplement the lack of funding available when necessary. The community will be encouraged to participate in all aspects of development and deployment. Resource sourcing will include the greater Native American community as well as partners and networks. The second barrier of lack of expertise will be addressed by partnering with organizations and individuals within the natural building and earth tube community network. Continued research, development, and testing will also be done within the community to assess efficiency of design and implementation in the climate area where the community is located.

One full time staff, one pat-time staff, and 3 volunteer partners.

We are living within the community and have first hand experience with the need for and development of the solution. Further we have traditional ecological knowledge of techniques and practices used to mitigate the problem in this climate area for generations.

The tribal non-profit organization is composed of majority tribal members. The traditional tribal structure is matriarchal and continues to honor that tradition and culture today with the tribal Chief heading up the organization as the chairperson. Both the tribe and non-profit honor indigenous women leadership within their community as well as in others. The organization seeks to grow with BIPOC staff and partners as well as non-indigenous partners. Partnerships are pursued and fostered based on the principles of equality and ecological sustainability.