california

Anthrazit House – Dwell Magazine Prefab Issue

dscott@ecosteel.com · December 7, 2016 ·

Anthrazit House featured in the latest issue of Dwell Magazine! In collaboration with architect Hector Magnus, EcoSteel provides an amazing home with strength and beauty through it’s all metal fire resistant structure. Make sure to pick up the December Dwell issue at your local book store.

Full Dwell Article Linked Here – https://www.dwell.com/article/from-the-ashes-e4a7a479

From The Ashes

– a few words from the article – Copyright Dwell

“After a wildfire, a prefab home in California puts resilience first.”

When the Tea Fire swept through parts of Santa Barbara and Montecito in the fall of 2008, more then 200 properties were destroyed. Some home owners cut their losses and moved on, but others vowed to rebuild. Combining a prefab steel super-structure with concrete walls and insulated metal panels, Anthrazit House in Santa Barbara was designed by architects Pamela and Hector Magnus and built in collaboration with EcoSteel.

“We were looking for ways to rebuild faster and to help a building take the brunt of the fire.” says Hector

So began a three-way collaboration between the owner, Architect Magnus, and Ecosteel to design build a 3,300 SF residence – dubbed Anthrazit House for it’s charcoal hue that could withstand future conflagrations while remaining energy efficient. The key lies in the materials: A foundation and walls made of concrete, a prefab recycled-steel frame, a standing seam insulated metal roof, and fire resistant insulated metal panels that envelope the exterior steel.

“The construction method is a little different then traditional wood frame” explains Hector. We spent more time in design because we wanted to see on paper what the final details would look like. The roof, for instance, is a super-thin plane, and we wanted to make sure it terminated correctly on the leading edge. And the exterior skin had to align properly with the windows.”

“That’s the beauty of prefab, you can minimize field work”

Connecting the steel to the foundation at just four anchor points paved the way for sweeping mountain and canyon views. “Steel allows us to do that” Hector says. Expansive windows on the second floor face a park, while a steel-and-glass stairway keeps things open. The house is laid out on three levels, with the main entrance leading to the top-floor kitchen which features concrete floors, quartz counters, a refrigerator and wall oven by Electrolux, and a stainless steel apron-front sink from Kraus. The ground-floor studio is built into the hillside, which helps keep indoor temperatures moderate.

Interested in custom building your own home with EcoSteel? Contact Us Here

More images of the Anthrazit Project below:

EcoSteel Already Meets 2020 California Energy Code Compliance

dscott@ecosteel.com · November 29, 2016 ·

All new Residential Construction in California will be Zero Net Energy by 2020

California has moved one step closer to making one of its “big, bold energy-efficiency strategies” outlined seven years ago a reality. EcoSteel buildings are the perfect solution. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) have launched a residential Zero Net Energy Action Plan to build a self-sustaining market for all new homes to be net-zero energy by 2020. “Zero Net Energy has been a vision for California for nearly 10 years, and with this industry-supported Action Plan, we are now ready to make that vision a reality with feasible, market-driven concepts to transform the new residential housing market,” CPUC Commissioner Carla J. Peterman said in a statement. In addition:

50% of existing commercial buildings will be retrofit to ZNE by 2030
All new state buildings and major renovations shall be ZNE (2025)
50% of existing state-owned building area by 2025 shall be ZNE
IOUs shall launch and ramp a ZNE K-12 Schools and Community College Pilot Program in 2015-18
Appraisers suggest 5% – 15% more for a ZNE type home.
CA homes with green label sold for 9% more than unlabeled homes (kok 2012)
U.S. homes with PV sold for $4/Watt more or $15k more for typical system

EcoSteel Buildings already meet all of California’s 2020 energy code compliances.

In addition to the strength, speed, and design flexibility, EcoSteel residential and commercial buildings provide:

Superior insulating value significantly lower heating and cooling costs.
Increases investor return because of lower new build costs.
Enhances property asset value.
Reduced occupier operating costs.
Increases leasing/rental appeal.
Provides change of use flexibility without upgrading.
Minimizes on-site waste.
Composite systems reduce numbers of deliveries
Energy efficient – reduces CO2 emissions
Long life cycle without loss of performance

California Efficiency & Renewables:

2x the energy efficiency savings by 2030 (20% reduction)
Energy efficiency has limited electricity growth to 1% and natural gas to nearly 0%.
33% renewables by 2020 (2014 Estimates 25% of electricity sales were served by solar, geothermal, biomass and small hydroelectric)
50% increase in renewable energy procurement by 2030

EcoSteel Pre – Engineered Buildings:

Our pre-engineered designs minimize on-site waste. Our composite systems reduce numbers of deliveries reducing CO2 emissions. Our materials have a long life cycle that does not lose energy performance.
Steel is one of the strongest, most durable and economically manufactured materials on earth. At EcoSteel, we use no rare or endangered plants or materials in any part of our designs.
The overall recycling rate in the steel industry is over 75%, which is the highest of any industry in the country. There is typically only 2% waste in steel construction, versus 20% waste found with wood construction. In addition to the benefits of using recycled materials, EcoSteel provides super energy efficiency with all of our buildings.

California renewable Energy Generation From 1983-2014 by Resource Type (In-State and Out-of-State)

California Greenhouse Gas Emissions

At 1990 levels by 2020
40% below 1990 levels by 2030
80% below 1990 levels by 2050

Figue Below: California’s GHG Emissions by Sector

California Title 24 Energy Standards

What is Title 24? Many Californians have wondered “what is Title 24?” and “why do I need a Title 24 energy report for my project?” Throughout California the Title 24 energy standards address the energy efficiency of new (and altered) homes and commercial buildings. Because energy efficiency reduces energy costs, increases reliability and availability of electricity, improves building occupant comfort, and reduces impacts to the environment, standards are important and necessary for California’s energy future. In 1978 the California legislature enacted the Title 24 energy standards. The standards are contained within Title 24, part 6 of the California Code of Regulations.

The goal of the California Title 24 energy standards is the reduction of energy use. This is a benefit to all. Homeowners save money, Californians have a more secure and healthy economy, the environment is less negatively impacted, and our electrical system can operate in a more stable state. The 2008 Title 24 standards (for residential and nonresidential buildings) are expected to reduce the growth in electricity use by 561 gigawatt-hours per year (GWh/yr) and reduce the growth in gas use by 19 million therms per year (therms/yr). The savings attributable to new low-rise residences are 102.2 GWh/yr of electricity savings and 7.4 million therms. These savings are cumulative resulting in 6 times the annual saving over the 3 years to the next Title 24 standard cycle.

EcoSteel Thermal Assessment

News article by the University of Utah

Ecosteel delivers prefabricated metal building packages applied to residential and commercial construction projects. Tour series of wall and roof panels utilized by Ecosteel are metal sandwich filled with non CFC polyisocyanurate foam. The panels are manufactured in a uniform pressure laminating process that bonds metal facings to pre-cured insulating rigid foam cores. The process uses structural urethane adhesives applied under heat and pressure to form an integral bond between steel and foam.

The goal of this study is to assess insulation panel’s thermal behavior and connections performance based on computer-aided simulation tools and high resolution IR thermal camera images of two study projects (Park City, UT and Hampton, NY) once in summer and once in winter. This will demonstrate the success and failures of the thermal envelope and allow Ecosteel to further optimize the energy performance of their buildings to meet Title 24, LEED, Green Globes and other green building standards.

Credits: Project Investigator: Ryan E. Smith, Director ITAC Researcher: Massih Hamedani

EcoSteel Buildings are a perfect match for Solar & Wind Power.

Our Insulated Steel Roof & Wall Panels provide unmatched energy efficiency with regard to heating and cooling the interior of any building. If you design a building from the start to utilize alternative energy, there is a direct benefit to incorporate solar panels on the roof and Wind Turbines on the property.

Our clients have utilized most every available alternative energy source including photovoltaic modules, solar hot water panels or tubes. With a simple clip system on our Standing Seam Roof Panels you can easily attach solar photovoltaic (PV) modules that are electrically connected and mounted on a supporting structure that does not penetrate the roof surface. A PV module is a packaged, connected assembly of solar cells.

Solar panels can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity in commercial and residential applications. Each module is rated by its DC output power under standard test conditions (STC), and typically ranges from 100 to 320 watts. The efficiency of a module determines the area of a module given the same rated output – an 8% efficient 230 watt module will have twice the area of a 16% efficient 230 watt module.

There are a few solar panels available that are exceeding 19% efficiency. A single solar module can produce only a limited amount of power; most installations contain multiple modules. A photovoltaic system typically includes a panel or an array of solar modules, an inverter, and sometimes a battery and/or solar tracker and interconnection wiring. If we can harness the solar power efficiently, then we may not need to rely on burning fossil fuels for energy.

For more information please CONTACT US HERE.

Top 5 Reasons To Build Your Future Home w/ Prefabricated Steel

dscott@ecosteel.com · July 6, 2016 ·

There’s little question that prefab steel is the current direction of the future of building. Cost effectiveness, efficiency and speed of construction combined with new technologies which allow for 100% custom buildings all make steel a very powerful option whether you’re building your next home or starting a new development. But there are a few things to consider before starting your prefab steel project. Here are the top five…

1: Go Green! – How concerned are you with sustainability or green building? Will you be seeking LEED certification on your project, or applying for sustainable tax credits? If so, steel is probably your best option. Prefab steel is one of the most renewable resources on earth, and all prefab steel is currently 75-85% recycled content, and rising.

2: Superior Insulation – What type of environment is your project in? A steel prefab building with EcoSteel’s insulated panels achieve the highest insulation values available anywhere, with no thermal gaps or bridging prevalent in all lumber buildings. What does this mean? Lower power bills forever, green credits, and a more comfortable building to start!

3: Ultimate Durability – The average lumber home requires 3-4 acres of timber to build. It is susceptible to fire, termites and other insects, and its integrity will be quickly diminished by extreme temperatures and marine or humid environments. The average steel home on the other hand will require 3-5 junked cars, and is infinitely more resilient to these common issues. In addition, steel is much more durable during earthquakes, floods, fires, and other disasters that would normally destroy a stick build. Insurance companies know this, and your rates will permanently reflect it!

4: Design Flexibility – What kind of design do you envision for your project? Prefab steel affords the highest level of design flexibility in the world. From cantilevers to clear-spans giving you wide open spaces. Steel prefab allows possibilities that would be impossible to achieve with any other material. And this doesn’t mean you have to end up sacrificing the aesthetics you want. With modern prefab steel the design opportunities are truly endless. From classic to modern, it can be accomplished with steel!

5: Construction Speed – Finally, where do you want to build, and how quickly? Bolted and screwed prefab steel buildings go up faster than any other traditional building method. They can be accomplished in some of the most unforgiving, smallest or most remote building locations in the world. Imagine having your new building up in a matter of weeks, not months. With prefab steel, it’s a reality.

CLICK HERE TO START YOUR CUSTOM PREFAB HOME BUILDING AND DESIGN PROCESS.