Little red house lands at Aviano

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Justin Weaver
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Like a scene from the Wizard of Oz, a bright, red house just landed at Aviano. Fortunately for personnel here, there is no wicked witch to scare poor Dorothy.

The single room, zero-emission house, will be on display adjacent to the exchange and the post office through Oct. 26. The house was designed to be 100 percent non-polluting and is completely self-sufficient.

"The house itself is saturated with technology, from the photovoltaic panels and inverter for electricity production to the supervisor for interior thermal condition, from LED lights to the high performance thermal insulation materials," said Riccardo Antonini, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron energy manager. "We had the opportunity to bring this house to Aviano Air Base to show solutions on building energy efficient/low emission houses."

The house is one of several initiatives being used to help promote Air Force Energy Awareness Month. The Air Force maintains its own energy reduction program, which is designed to reduce energy consumption annually.

"Optomizing and saving energy is crucial for everybody," said Antonini. "Saving energy means saving resources, reducing CO2 emissions and, of course, reducing the cost of bills."

To help reduce dependency on energy, consumers can follow these simple tips:

- An average household dedicates 11 percent of its energy budget to lighting. Use energy saving lightbulbs. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs.

- Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 140°F.

- Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for drafts around windows and doors.

- Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.

- Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.

- If possible, fill up the washing machine, dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.

- A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off.

"The net-zero house is the cornerstone of increased awareness of emerging energy technology for the base populace," said Antonini. "This collaboration with local entities will display our proactive approach to energy conservation."