It IS Easy Being Green - What is Green Building?

Visit www.projectlivegreen.com for information on Pippin Home Designs' Green renovation project and to learn more about going Green!

Green Building – Incorporates environmental considerations into every phase of the home building process, in order to minimize the environmental impact from all decisions made.

Homeowner Benefits From Green Building

      (Compared to owners of conventional homes.)

a.       Lower operating costs – less expensive utility bills, due to energy and water efficiency measures.

b.      Increased comfort – experience relatively even temperatures throughout the home, fewer drafts and better humidity control.

c.       Improved environmental quality – construction details control moisture, materials with fewer chemicals, and air exchange/filtration creates healthier indoor air.

d.      Enhanced durability and less maintenance – use of longer-lived materials require fewer resources for replacement and reduce maintenance and costs of repair.  Lawns require less weeding and watering.

Homeowners play a huge role in the house performance and should be instructed on how to operate and maintain the home as it was intended.
 

Seven Segments of the Overall Process To Be Considered:

1.      Lot Design, Preparation and Development
Consider things such as saving tress, minimizing grading changes, on-site storm water retention, orientation of house to maximize passive solar heating and cooling.

2.      Resource Efficiency
Creating resource efficient designs and using resource efficient materials to maximize function and optimize use of natural resources through material selections.  Also, advanced framing techniques which use less lumber, reducing jobsite waste and implementing a waste management and recycling plan.

3.      Energy Efficiency
Considerations should be given to energy efficiency during the construction of the home as well as the long-term operation of the home; this includes space and water heating, cooling, lights, appliances and gas consumption.  The whole systems approach also includes the building envelope air sealing, window selection, duct sealing, and air barriers to complete the overall performance of the home.

4.      Water Efficiency
Implementing water conservation measures both indoors and out, using water efficient appliances and fixtures, and native and drought-resistant landscaping and using rainwater collection systems for irrigation.

5.      Indoor Environmental Quality – IAQ (Indoor Air Quality)

     Healthy indoor air quality is one of the most important features in Green Building.  Using materials that do not off-gas in the building and controlling the source of contaminants can reduce or alleviate allergies and respiratory aliments.

6.      Operation, Maintenance and Homeowner Education

     Improper or inadequate maintenance can defeat the designers and builders best efforts to create a resource-efficient home.  By providing homeowners with a manual that explains proper operation and maintenance procedures offers alternatives to toxic cleaning substances and lawn and garden chemicals and water saving practices.

7.      Global Impact
These things are a by-product of home construction, such as the choice of paint, using paints with low to no VOC’s (volatile organic compounds).  Reduces the effects VOC’s have on the ozone layer.  They can not only affect IAQ, but they can create ground level ozone pollution.

Green Building Links:
20 Things You Can Do Right Now To Make Your Home Greener
www.greenbuilding.com
www.nahbrc.org/greenguidelines
www.usgbc.org
www.healthybuilthomes.org