Building Green - What is a "Green" built home?
Building green, sustainable home is an opportunity to use our resources
efficiently while creating healthier homes. A green house, also
known as a sustainable house, is a structure that is designed,
built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient
manner. Green homes are designed to meet certain objectives such
as protecting occupant health; using energy,
water, and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall
impact to the environment.
Siting - Find a location that will be
able to take advantage of "passive"
solar energy. House orientation for maximum light in the morning
hours and shading during the heat of the day.
- Protect and retain existing landscaping and natural features. Select
plants that have low water and pesticide needs, and generate
minimum plant trimmings. Use compost and mulches. This will save water
and time.
- Recycled content paving materials, furnishings, and mulches help close
the recycling loop.
Energy Efficiency - It is reasonable to
strive for 40 percent less energy than Title 24 standards. The
following strategies contribute to this goal:
- Passive design strategies can dramatically affect home
energy performance. These measures include building shape and
orientation, passive solar design, and the use of natural lighting.
- Develop strategies to provide natural lighting.
- Install high-efficiency lighting systems with advanced lighting controls. Include
motion sensors tied to dimmable lighting controls.
- Use a properly sized and energy-efficient heat/cooling system in conjunction
with a thermally efficient building shell. Maximize light colors for roofing
and wall finish materials; install high R-value wall and ceiling insulation;
and use minimal glass on east and west exposures.
- Minimize the electric loads from lighting, equipment, and appliances.
- Consider alternative energy sources such as photovoltaics and Geothermal. Renewable
energy sources provide a great symbol of emerging technologies
for the future.
Materials Efficiency -
- Select sustainable construction materials and
products by evaluating several characteristics such as reused
and recycled content, zero or low off gassing of harmful air
emissions, zero or low toxicity, sustainably harvested materials,
high recyclability, durability, longevity, and local production. Such
products promote resource conservation and efficiency. Using recycled-content
products also helps develop markets for recycled materials.
- Use dimensional planning and other material efficiency strategies.
These strategies reduce the amount of building materials needed and cut
construction costs. For example, design rooms on 4-foot multiples to
conform to standard-sized wallboard and plywood sheets.
- Reuse and recycle construction and demolition materials. For example,
using inert demolition materials as a base course for a parking lot keeps
materials out of landfills and costs less.
Water Efficiency -
- Design for dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing
or a gray water system that recovers rainwater or other nonpotable
water for site irrigation.
- Minimize wastewater by using ultra low-flush toilets, low-flow shower
heads, and other water conserving fixtures.
- Use recirculating systems for centralized hot water distribution.
- Install point-of-use hot water heating systems for more distant locations.
- Meter the landscape separately from buildings. Use micro-irrigation
(which excludes sprinklers and high-pressure sprayers) to supply water
in nonturf areas.
- Use state-of-the-art irrigation controllers and self-closing nozzles
on hoses.
Steps to Ensure Success -
- Establish a vision that embraces sustainable principles and
an integrated design approach.
- Develop a project budget that covers green building measures. Allocate
contingencies for additional research and analysis of specific
options.
- Seek advice of a design professional with green building experience.
- Select a design and construction team that is committed to the project
vision. Ensure the contractors
have appropriate qualifications to identify, select, and implement
an integrated system of green building measures.
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