1. In this activity, the student has $15,000 that can be spent on appliances and features for a 2,000-square-foot, 3-bedroom/2-bath house. You will be given a table that contains the prices for a variety of options for flooring, roofing, insulation, and more. Select the products you want in your house, and total the cost. If your costs exceed your budget, you will have to decide what other options to use to stay within your budget, even if the options are less efficient. Choose wisely to get the maximum efficiency boost for your buck!

The house is a 2,000-square-feet, 3-bedroom, 2-bath house:

Living room: 15 15 feet (225 square feet)

Den: 15 15 feet (225 square feet)

Breakfast nook: 12 12 feet (144 square feet)

Dining room: 15 15 feet (225 square feet)

Kitchen: 15 12 feet (180 square feet)

3 bedrooms:

Bedroom 1: Master bedroom: 20 15 feet (300 square feet)

Bedroom 2: 15 12 square feet (180 square feet)

Bedroom 3: 12 X12 square feet (144 square feet)

2 baths:

Bathroom 1: Master bath: 12 12 feet (144 square feet)

Bathroom 2: 10 10 feet (100 square feet)

ProductLowest efficiencyMiddle efficiencyHighest efficiency

Windows

Low U-value = most energy efficient

(Energy cost/year with these windows)

$1800

(25 @ $72 each)

U > 1.00

$613/year

$2750

(25@ $109 each)

U = 0.41

$400/year

$4150

(25 @ $167 each)

U < 0.22

$336/year

Doors glass

$733

U = 0.30

Wood

$2139

U = 0.28

Fiberglass

$395

U = 0.14

Steel w/wood edge

Dishwasher$259$234$199

Clothes washer

$ (yearly energy cost)

$1,034

($6)

$791

($7)

$397

($13)

Clothes dryer

(yearly energy cost)

$499

($82)

$942

($73)

$1,165

($64)

Refrigerator

(18 cu ft, freezer on top)

(yearly energy costs)

$497

($48)

$593

($43)

$971

($54)

Roofing

High solar reflectance = most energy efficient

[initial and then after 3 years]

$2,070

[Asphalt tiles]

[0.28 drops to 0.26]

$2,300

[Metal roof]

[0.78 drops to 0.52]

$1,832

[White roof coating] [0.90 drops to 0.59]

Carpet

High R-value = most energy efficient

$2,680

(R = 0.31)

$4,212

(R = 1.0)

$4,471

(R = 1.95)

Insulation

$2,000

(foam board; R = 10)

$3,500

(fiberglass; R = 13)

$4,500

(spray foam; R = 33)

Attic insulation

(R-13 pink fiberglass) $18.50/roll

$314$796

$1240

TOTAL$11,886$18,257$19,320

Fill in the following table with your choices:

ProductLow/Medium/High Efficiency?Rating (U, reflectance, R, etc.)Cost of the product

Windows

Doors glass Dishwasher Clothes washer $

Clothes dryer

Refrigerator (18 cu ft, freezer on top) Roofing Carpet Insulation

Attic insulation

(R-13 pink fiberglass)

TOTAL COST

Average efficiency?

2. Did you have to choose some less-efficient appliances or materials to stay within your budget? Which appliances or materials did you think were most critical to keep to maximize your energy efficiency?

3. Did you select a combination of most and least efficient, or did you stick to the middle of the road for most of your options? Why did you make the choice you did?

4. Why are energy-efficient materials and appliances often more expensive? Should you buy them anyway? Why or why not?

5. Other than cost, what else is important in determining what types of materials and appliances you would put into a house that you build?

6. What other energy-saving ideas can you think of to incorporate into your house (i.e., automatic onoff light switches, etc.)?