Soft Energy
Soft Energy (n.) Soft energy is alternative renewable energy source or energy efficiency replacing fossil and nuclear fuels, which is considered hard energy because it is not renewable or energy efficient. 1 It is a term coined by Amory Lovins, the founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute. This idea of soft energy fits very well with the current direction architecture is headed in. People are becoming conscious about the environment and are designing smarter skins and facades. Rocky Mountain Institute is a building designed with the idea of soft energy in mind. It was designed to promote the ideas of energy efficient design and smart use and allocation of resources. 2 The house designed for Amory and his wife is at an elevation of 7100’ and is exposed to temperature extremes from -47F to 90F. The exterior wall is thicker than a typical wall, 16” thick with 2 layers of 6” masonry sandwiching 4” insulation foam. This approach to the exterior wall’s design is taken because of the heat absorbing properties of masonry and the heat retaining properties of the insulation. Bricks on the exterior gathers heat from the solar radiation and the insulation retains the heat, providing the building with a constant level of heat even with no HVAC system in the building.3