Wary of Waning Power Supplies, Eco-Minded Architects Build a Better Box

Dennis Meadows has long argued that the world's resources are limited and its environment stressed.

In the 1972 bestseller "Limits to Growth," he was part of a team that concluded that the world would exceed its resource base in the first half of the 21st century. In subsequent updates, they have said that the world's growing population has already outstripped its resources and that we are now collectively consuming our planetary seed corn.

Meadows is beginning plans for a major renovation of his house in New Hampshire. High on his list is the need for a backup power source.

This is not a priority for most people planning a new house or a major renovation. Despite having endured power losses caused by weather or man-made grid glitches, most people regard outages as random and uncommon.

Meadows, though, said he thinks power losses will occur more frequently as the sources of the fossil fuels that power our grid become less reliable.

Within 10 to 20 years, he predicted, prices for electricity and home heating could be four times what they are today because of fuel scarcity. Or you could flip the switch and nothing would happen because the local utility's fuel source is in a foreign country that has become an unreliable supplier.

Other reasons for the scarcity could be of our own doing. Although our thirst for electricity grows undiminished, many states no longer allow new construction of coal-generating plants.

Renewable energy sources including solar and wind will eventually be important producers of our electricity, but the transition will not be seamless, Meadows said.

So what kind of backup system is appropriate?

Although high-tech gizmos can be enticing, homeowners should first seek to reduce energy loads. That way there's less to replace during a power loss, said David Foley, a Maine-based architect who is working with Meadows.

In Maine and New Hampshire, where the winter temperatures can reach 15 degrees below zero, the best way to cut heating energy is to "build a better box" with materials that are readily available, Foley said. Homeowners in his area can cut their heating requirements in a new house by at least 50 percent by doubling the amount of insulation that would normally be used, installing windows with three panes and conscientiously plugging air leaks.

The only observable difference is the exterior walls, which can be as thick as 12 inches.