greenHo.ws

Right now the general building industry is seeing a lot of red, not green. With the housing markets in free fall, homeowners finding out that their mortgage debt exceeds the value of their house and with the foreclosure crisis continuing to grow it doesn’t look good. But even with all this bad news there is one bright spot in the building world, green homes. A recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), new home buyers would spend almost an additional $9,000 on a home with effective energy efficient features. Another consumer study that indicated that 85% of recent home buyers would choose one home over another because of energy efficiency features. The study also reported that buyers are willing to pay an average of $19,000 more for a green home.

Recently the NAHB marked the 10th anniversary of its National Green Building Conference before a record crowd of more than 1,200 attendees. At the meeting some of the pioneering green builders reflected on how they have gone from being “the people no one wanted to sit next to” to being “the most popular guys in the room.”

Given these signs it looks like more builders will be focusing on building “greener” new homes which should help everyone.

viagra how it works viagra free trial herbal viagra forums
snorting viagra health viagra samples viagra patent levitra
viagra anxiety? viagra boosts chemical cuddle performance taking viagra woman
cheap gerneric viagra viagra on line generic viagra levitra and cialis pills,
can i take viagra generic name of viagra viagra how it works
herbal viagra forums buying viagra online snorting viagra health
viagra patent levitra viagra sale viagra anxiety?
taking viagra woman buy viagra now cheap gerneric viagra
generic viagra levitra and cialis pills, purchase viagra can i take viagra
viagra how it works cheap generic cialis herbal viagra forums
snorting viagra health viagra buy viagra patent levitra
viagra anxiety? order cialis taking viagra woman
cheap gerneric viagra generic viagra india generic viagra levitra and cialis pills,
can i take viagra ladies viagra viagra how it works
herbal viagra forums cialis soft tabs snorting viagra health
viagra patent levitra cheap viagra viagra anxiety?
taking viagra woman viagra sample cheap gerneric viagra
generic viagra levitra and cialis pills, non prescription viagra can i take viagra
viagra how it works viagra patent herbal viagra forums
snorting viagra health viagra effects on women viagra patent levitra
viagra anxiety? effects of viagra taking viagra woman
cheap gerneric viagra viagra vs cialis generic viagra levitra and cialis pills,
can i take viagra mexico pharmacy generic viagra viagra how it works
herbal viagra forums cheap cialis snorting viagra health
viagra patent levitra buy cialis online viagra anxiety?
taking viagra woman online viagra cheap gerneric viagra
generic viagra levitra and cialis pills, canadian viagra can i take viagra

If you are looking at doing some remodeling and want to incorporate green principals and practices you might have some problems with a run of the mill remodeling contractor. One way to help ensure that your contractor is familiar with green remodeling is to see if he or she is certified by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) as a Green Certified Professional (GCP). According to the NARI, to be qualified as a GCP the remodeling contractor must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be employed by or own a firm engaged in conducting green remodeling projects
• Adhere to NARI’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics
• Have a minimum of five years continuous full time experience in the remodeling industry
• Completed 16 hours of continuing education
• Successfully completed a comprehensive application that details their background and experience
• Successfully complete a one-day written examination on building science, indoor air quality, resource conservation, renewable energy, and 12 trade related areas of green program application

Does this guarantee that they will be the perfect green contractor, no, but it certainly is a check on the positive side for the contractor.

For more information check out the NARI site.

viagra how it works viagra potenzmittel herbal viagra forums
snorting viagra health mail order viagra viagra patent levitra
viagra anxiety? viagra prescription taking viagra woman
cheap gerneric viagra viagra stories generic viagra levitra and cialis pills,
can i take viagra cialis for women viagra how it works
herbal viagra forums viagra for women snorting viagra health
viagra patent levitra side effects of viagra viagra anxiety?
taking viagra woman viagra overnight cheap gerneric viagra
generic viagra levitra and cialis pills, cialis attorneys can i take viagra
viagra how it works buy viagra online 35008 buy herbal viagra forums
snorting viagra health viagra for sale viagra patent levitra
viagra anxiety? soft cialis taking viagra woman
cheap gerneric viagra buy viagra on line generic viagra levitra and cialis pills,
can i take viagra what does viagra do to females viagra how it works
herbal viagra forums lowest price generic viagra snorting viagra health
viagra patent levitra buy viagra without prescription viagra anxiety?
taking viagra woman viagra prices cheap gerneric viagra
generic viagra levitra and cialis pills, cialis uk can i take viagra
viagra how it works viagra bon marche herbal viagra forums
snorting viagra health viagra price viagra patent levitra
viagra anxiety? order viagra online taking viagra woman
cheap gerneric viagra buy viagra uk generic viagra levitra and cialis pills,
can i take viagra viagra facts viagra how it works
herbal viagra forums cialis dosage snorting viagra health
viagra patent levitra viagra alternatives viagra anxiety?
taking viagra woman cialis side effects cheap gerneric viagra
generic viagra levitra and cialis pills, buy online viagra can i take viagra

The AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) created their annual top ten list of green projects. The information about the projects is contained on the AIA site.

The projects are pretty neat but somewhat disconnected, on the surface, from green homebuilding. If you dig a bit deeper you can find some things that do directly apply to homebuilding, the measurements they use to rate the various projects used to create the top ten list. These measures can help you on the journey to a greener home.

The high-level list follows:

1: Sustainable Design Intent & Innovation

2: Regional/Community Design & Connectivity

3: Land Use & Site Ecology

4: Bioclimatic Design

5: Light & Air

6: Water Cycle

7: Energy Flows & Energy Future

8: Materials & Construction

9: Long Life, Loose Fit

10: Collective Wisdom & Feedback Loops

The detailed information for each from the AIA site is below:

(more…)

The National Association of Home Builders has a great publication available to the public for free. It is the Model Green Home Building Guidelines. While the primary audience is home builders it is also a valuable read for the average consumer. There is also a checklist available that is kind of the “Cliff Notes” version of the guidelines.

The Guidelines are a good way to get a quick overview of the key areas involved in green building practices. There are 6 main areas that the guidelines cover; Lot Preparation and Design, Resource Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency / Conservation, Occupancy Comfort and Indoor Environmental Quality, Operation, Maintenance and Education.

In summary, the Guidelines can give you a jump start on understanding the key parts of green design and the associated construction processes. Best of all – it’s free.

NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines

Green roofs can take multiple forms, the one we will be talking about for this article are defined as: a building roof that is partially or completely covered with vegetation. While this type of roof isn’t used much in residential construction it is most popular in commercial construction (flat roofs are most adaptable to green roof practices). The idea and implementation of green roofs has increased greatly over the past few years. In 2007 green roof implementations in North America grew by 30% according to the “Green Roofs For Healthy Cities” organization. Among the benefits of green roofs are more cleaner air and carbon dioxide elimination, reduced energy consumption for the building and a cooler cityscape, less stormwater runoff, and more green spaces for people and animals.

A green roof is composed of multiple layers or components. The base is often some type of waterproof membrane. There also may be root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems. This is then covered by soil or some other type of custom growing medium. A flat roof is the easiest roof style for the implementation of green roofs.

There are a number of great websites out there that will provide you with more information on green roofs. They include:

Greenroofs.com

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities

Green Roof Project (residential)                                   

Now go get green.

The EPA’s recently issued their Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule which will take effect in April 2010. The main impact of the rule is that remodeling activities that occur in houses built before 1978 that have pregnant women or children less than 6 years old will have to follow a strict set of requirements. They mainly include keeping dust to a minimum and cleaning up thoroughly after the work. Contractors will also need to take a training course to obtain the required certification. For details you can check the EPA site. You can also get educational pamphlets by calling the EPA’s National Lead Information Center at 800-424-LEAD (5323).

I was reading back through some “old” green articles and came across one in the Wall Street Journal.  It was “Going ‘Green’ at Home Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune”.  The article by Lauren Baier Kim talks (minimally) about low cost ways to go green at home and cut your energy costs.  If the Wall Street Journal reading crowd is looking to save a few dollars by improving their energy efficiency, you know it must be impacting people across the board.  It’s a real quick read at Going ‘Green’ at Home Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune.

When people think of building green they tend to associate it with extra cost, that doesn’t have to be the case. There are a number of green building techniques that can actually save money.

#1 – Build Small

One of the easiest and most cost effective approaches is to just build a smaller house. Smaller houses require fewer resources to construct and less energy to heat and cool. Often buyers build smaller but use higher quality finish materials.

#2 – The Sun

Orient the building to get the most natural daylight which will reduce the use of electric lights. It also tends to make the house feel more pleasant. You can also take advantage of solar energy to help heat the house. With careful placement and design of the house on the site you can reduce both the heating and cooling bills.

#3 – Roof Color

Depending on your climate zone using either a light colored roof to reflect heat or a dark colored one to absorb heat can help with the predominate temperature extremes.

#4 - Whole-House Fans

The fan will improve indoor comfort by drawing in cooler outside air in the evening and helping to exhaust the hot indoor air. The fans on average uses one-tenth the electricity of an air conditioner.

#5 - Water-Efficient Toilets And Fixtures

Using low flow toilets, faucet flow reducing aerators and low flow showerheads can reduce your annual water usage by over 40% compared to the old style fixtures.

The U.S. Green Building Council and the American Society of Interior Designers Foundation have partnered to create the nation’s first green residential remodeling guidelines. The guidelines cover the 10 areas most often updated in a remodel. They are: Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom, Living & Working, Finished Basement, Home Performance, Major Addition, Gut Rehab, Deep Energy Retrofit, and Outdoor Living.

The Guidelines are designed to provide people with the information and tools to green their home remodeling projects. With the continued increases in the cost of energy more and more people will be looking for information on how to save energy.

For more information please check out the REGREEN site.

It appears that the worlds leading retailer, that is viewed as part of the evil empire by many, is getting greener. One of Wal-Mart’s newest stores, the Las Vegas Supercenter, will open this week using a new cooling technology to cut overall energy use by up to 45 percent compared to stores build in 2005. The areas where they are reducing their impact on the environment are in areas of lighting, refrigeration, water flow and now a new cooling system based on water evaporation for total energy savings of between 35 percent and 45 percent.

The design is tuned for use in the dry western states where evaporation works better than in the humid southern states. The system consists of water evaporation chillers installed on the store roof that chills fluid that is then circulated under the floor of the store. Basically the same design as a radiant heating system just used for cooling instead.

Since Wal-Mart is stated to be the largest private user of electricity in the world any savings they can implement in their stores can have a major impact. In addition Wal-Mart shares their environmental best practices with other retailers to help them improve their energy efficiency.

It’s certainly a step in the right direction.

There is a new website set to launch on March 17, PlanetReuse.com. Planet Reuse is a website that connects buyers and seller of reused and reclaimed construction materials and equipment. Kind of a eBay for recycling and reuse.
(more…)

What uses a little energy to save a lot of energy? Well, experts say a ceiling fan can save up to 40 percent on your summer cooling costs, and up to 10 percent during the winter heating season, all while costing less than a $1 per month to operate. Those are some pretty impressive numbers which translate into energy and dollars saved. (more…)

 Based on a recent survey released by the American Institute of Architects “green” cost effective homes and upgrades are getting more popular and high end items are less popular.

They surveyed over 500 architectural firms about consumer demand for kitchen and bath features. The results showed that there was less interest in luxury items (like upper-end kitchen appliances). Demand for high-end appliances fell over 25% from 2006 to 2007, according to the survey.

As high end features demand drops, the interest in green features is on the way up. Consumers are looking for eco-friendly and energy-efficient products. Key among these are products like low-VOC paints and flooring materials, floors and countertops made out of recycled and/or natural products (stone and concrete), and renewable flooring materials like cork and bamboo. The demand for renewable kitchen flooring materials increased by over 15% from 2006 to 2007 along with an increase in the interest in water-saving fixtures.

It looks like one of the unintended benefits of the slowing of the economy may be a focus on more energy-efficient and cost effective products which will benefit everyone.

To see info on a number of these type products check out GreenProductsNews.

Solar hot water refers to water heated by the sun. The principle is simple, it has been around for many years and can work in virtually any location. Solar hot water doesn’t involve a major investment, around $3000 to $6000 is typical. Solar hot water can cut the average family’s water heating energy costs 20 to 40 percent in general and as much as 90 percent in some Southwestern regions.

(more…)

You already own your house and it was built back before people were really aware of “green” building practices (you and about 110 million close friends). With American’s spending over $200 billion dollars on home remodeling there are a lot of people out there making changes to their homes. If you are going to update your home, why not go green. Well, you ask, what are some of the best changes you can make to improve your home’s energy efficiency?

Here is my top 10 list: (from little/easy to big/tougher)

(more…)

What’s the largest single opening in most houses – the garage door. Usually the garage is attached to the house and often has living space above it. This is a very large, mostly unconditioned, space that can directly affect the heating / cooling costs for your home.

(more…)

There is a new certification owner in town. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently established a new organization for providing “green” credentials for builders. It is the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The USGBC is transferring the LEED Professional Accreditation administration to the GBCI. Over the last seven year there have been more than 43,000 building professionals that have shown a understanding of green building techniques, the LEED® Green Building Rating System™ and the certification process and have been recognized by the LEED AP program.

GBCI was tasked with developing and administering a credentialing programs to improve and expand green building practices and standards as well as exam development, registration and delivery.

The formation of GBCI created an administrative independence between the LEED Rating Systems and the LEED AP credential organization. This is a requirement for seeking accreditation for professional credentialing programs by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

GBCI

Everyone loves windows since they let in light, provide the views and let in fresh air - more is better. The problem is windows can account for anywhere from 10% to 25% of your heating and cooling bills. Since almost half of U.S. homes have single-pane windows there is a lot of room for improvement. There are a few quick “fixes” that you can make to improve their efficiencies plus a few more extensive changes that you can make for long-term gains.

(more…)

What is a radiant barrier? A really rough analogy is like at Thanksgiving time when you put the aluminum foil over your turkey to keep it from getting too brown. That is a radiant barrier – it reflects the heat which then will keep the covered item cooler. The same principle applies to radiant barriers for houses, just on a much larger scale. In a house, radiant barriers work by reducing heat transfer between the roof deck and the attic floor.

(more…)

Green drywall? I had not really given much thought to drywall as it related to green building – it appears I was missing a big item. It’s estimated that US production of drywall contributes some 20 to 30 billion pounds of CO2 annually (that’s the equivalent emissions of more than two million cars)! Making conventional drywall requires a lot of heating and mixing stages and it’s production is the third largest producer of greenhouse gases among building materials, it is just behind cement and steel.

Well there is a new drywall in town, EcoRock. It is a greener form of drywall coming from Serious Materials. EcoRock is much simpler to manufacture. The materials that get mixed together to make EcoRock form their own chemical reaction which cures the drywall. By eliminating heating stages, carbon emissions are cut to zero. Producing EcoRock consumes 91% less energy and produces 98% fewer CO2 emissions than traditional sheetrock.

Since drywall accounts for a substantial amount of the energy used in the building of an average single-family home, by using EcoRock the owner will save 1.6 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

EcoRock