Contra Costa County Homes Inspired by living in harmony with Mother Earth - Rammed Earth, Solar, energy efficient design.

source: Jennifer Shaw Contra Costa Times 2001.11.21

When it comes to conserving and optimizing natural resources, some Lamorinda residents have taken a proactive
view : having installed solar panels to heat their water and air, or using building materials that are ecologically
sensitive.

In their newly constructed Lafayette home, Vicki Liviakis and her husband, Wayne Thomsen, opted for energy
efficient, rammed earth construction[Rammed EarthWorks].

The thick, heat absorbing walls are made out of compressed dirt, concrete and granite shavings from a Sonoma
quarry, then blended "like a cake mix" and applied in layers with a high-pressure hose, creating a thermal mass,
Liviakis explains. "It's also not as susceptible to rain."

For Liviakis, the idea originated 10 years ago when she stumbled on an article detailing the process after her home
had burned during the Oakland Hills fire.

The new home's design, which includes radiant heating, was designed to maximize the benefits of the sun's
trajectory and sits on a 10.5-acre parcel.

"I wanted to design it in the purest sense possible and hold to our values ... I felt my conscience could rest easily
that we did not clear cut a forest," Liviakis says.

Thomsen says he's convinced that "the land chose (them) to take care of it."

Liviakis adds the 4,000 sq. ft. home is just days away from completion : but the couple has already camped there.

"I've heard this discussed in a theoretical vein, but this is the real deal ... It's been maintaining the heat of the day
through the night," she attests, noting that plans to install solar panels will follow.

Alternative energy is a must

Lafayette resident Louise Clark suggests given our nation's current situation pursuing alternate energy sources is all
the more paramount.

"I have grandsons who I don't want to have to go to war to protect our petroleum supply, and I don't want to pollute
the Arctic by drilling for more oil there," she says. "We've had solar and we feel that's the way to go. We were
concerned about the environment. Of course fossil fuels are finite, they are going to run out. If everyone (used solar),
we wouldn't have a reason to go to war."

Their plans include purchasing an electric car to be powered by solar energy.

The Clarks have taken that philosophy and applied it from the ground up. With rebar still showing on its frame, a
single family home of theirs on Deer Hill Road is being built with equipment powered by Light Energy System's solar
panels that are attached to a storage shed.

"We're so dependent on these oil nations that we can't see the forest through the trees," echoes Karen Petersen
Campbell, co-owner of the Concord-based business. "It's very gratifying knowing that you're giving instead of
receiving."

Curiousity spurs a quest

As with the Clarks, Orinda resident Robin Berens opted for solar energy based on an ethic, placing high value on
independence, rather than any significant financial gain. While he says the resale value of his home has increased,
the return on the investment is at least 10 years away.

Berens says the state of California pays $4.50 per watt or half of the total installation cost, which is roughly $15,000
in material costs, not including labor.

Not wanting to damage the house's slate roof, he secured the 20 solar panels in the filled in yard, once the site of a
132,000 gallon swimming pool. "It cracked, leaked. It became impractical. We hadn't filled it since the drought 12
years ago," he says.

"All that it was good for was skateboarding," jests his wife, Ann. "We've reduced our P.G. & E usage by 60 percent.
Mind you, we've been economizing like mad."

The couple's backyard was filled with 70 truckloads of earth, much of it retrieved during the construction of the
Orinda Library.

On average, the photo voltaic panels, obtained through Solar Depot in San Rafael, yield nine kilowatt hours per day,
with the wattage increasing on cooler days. As the number of daylight hours decreases during the fall and winter
months, Berens reports that figure is closer to five kilowatt hours on a sunny day. "You're measuring photons not
temperature. The conductivity in the panels improves," he explains. "So, heat is the enemy. It's a law of physics.
But, if it's overcast, it cuts it way down."

The installation of energy efficient systems has also been inspired by curiosity for the electrical and mechanical
engineer. "The whole concept of using the sun absolutely fascinates me. It's wasted energy, but in fact energy is never
destroyed. It merely changes its state," he tells the Sun. "I'm terribly aware of the situation we're in; we're terribly
wasteful as a society."

The Berens have been conservationists for quite some time. Fifteen years ago, he bought a thermo ciphon storage
system, featuring a solar pre-heat panel, and mounted a tank above it. "In the summertime, our water heater kicks on very little," he says.

Before installing a wood stove, he also inserted a stainless steel liner wound with copper tubing and water is heated
as it runs through it. The water also feeds to the water heater, and additionally has a direct feed to the faucet,
instantly producing hot water at the tap.

And, yesterday, the pair purchased an energy efficient refrigerator, replacing their "20-year-old clunker." "Ecologically and economically it seems the right and logical thing to do at this time," says Berens.