Identify four ways in which houses are designed for Alberta's climate

Question

Identify four ways in which houses are designed for Alberta's climate

Answer 1

double glazing

steep roofs

insulation

basements with boilers

sun facing wall

and raised porches

Answer 2

Because of strong north east winter winds, houses are best protected with a high berm on north and east sides, such that the wind is lifted over the roof.

Then making sure there is continuous air-infiltration barrier  from the ground up to the ceiling level, and double thick (r2000) or better insulation.

Below the ground, frost penetration is deep, so that outdoor deep insulation all around the wall is urgent, along with careful grading to move water away from the wall. Raising the soil level well above grade  is used both as insulator, and to protect the wall from destruction by water freezing in the clay soil.

Because Alberta has far more wind than snow, most Alberta houses are not built with steep roof. But there needs to be adequate space above the ceiling for lots of insulation.

For many wind swept areas houses will be built close to the earth rather than multiple story.   But if well away from other homes, they could use a 20 kw wind turbine to heat the house.

In an urban environment building multiple unit complexes to minimize exposure to the cold wind outside can be a best choice.

The building that is well enough insulated for an Alberta winter should never need to use an air conditioner. But shutters to cover windows facing the rising or setting sun can be useful both to prevent heat buildup and to avoid loss of heat in winter nights.

Triple glazing is fairly standard for energy efficiency.

Answer 3

Steep roofs to shed snow.  Well-insulated to conserve heat.  Double-glazed windows for the same reason.  Good furnaces, few air conditioners.

Answer 4

they aren't   bad architecture has been around for years and is still prevalent here in North America.  The Science of building really needs to under go some radical changes.  

Answer 5

They aren't designed for Alberta's climate but every province and country has the same design problems. Solar radiation including the same UV that burns our skin is causing buildings to generate extreme heat the building isn't designed, insulated or insured for.

Buildings are like elevators, cars or any other engineering, they have specific design criteria. You may want to dispute this but Alberta education and inspection has the same problem as others. They use calculators with the greatest of accuracy if the inputted information is correct. Solar radiation couldn't be qualified and so compliance was assumed, then signed off.

Buildings are designed to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Go to the following link to see the function of buildings in the summer. A Canadian company with Alberta graduates did several years of advanced thermal imaging to qualify building function. Thermografix Consulting Corporation imaged buildings in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and in the US. http://www.thermoguy.com/globalwarming-h...

Go to this link to see the function of buildings in the winter and the energy waste(more emissions) promises to shock. Trades people will understand because they aren't even allowed to do what they are trained to do because of a bidding process thinking they are saving money. http://www.thermoguy.com/globalwarming-h...

Climate Change Central has been informed as that is who the Premier's Office referred me to but there hasn't been a response while every new building has design problems changing climate.