Co-Design of Energy-Efficient Housing With the Pinoleville-Pomo Nation

The Pinoleville-Pomo Nation of northern California is seeking to implement sustainable technologies and best practices that will increase their self sufficiency and meet their housing, energy, and water conservation needs. Since 2008, the Tribe has worked with UC Berkeley on sustainable community projects, including the design of a prototype “roundhouse” design, to be constructed in 2010 in Ukiah, California. Using an energy-efficient architecture and an analysis tool for selection of the engineered systems (the Native American Energy Analysis Tool, or NAEPA), the new homes are predicted to emit less than 50% of the carbon emissions over their lifetime, and have lower lifetime energy expenditures. The design methodology, energy analyses and life cycle assessment used by NAEPA will be discussed. Extensions to community-based housing energy plans and an optimization will also be discussed.