Green Building Can Be Sensible and Cost-Effective
Sustainable building experts at PCBC provide tips for going green without breaking the bank.
LEED for Homes
Yesterday, Laura and I attended a LEED for Homes review seminar. Overall it was a full day of information, from marketing LEED to going over every credit point in the program. I learned a lot about the program, and it cleared up a lot of confusion we had about providers and raters.
LEED for Homes works a lot differently than the commercial version. The USGBC recognized that builders don’t always have an architect on the team or have design done in-house. To help builders through the process and expedite everything, they started the LEED for Homes Provider network. It looks like this approach will be much more efficient than the commercial version, and lessen the burden on the LEED AP’s. By the way, there currently is no LEED for Homes AP accreditation, but it will be available next spring. Most likely one of us will get the LEED AP accreditation, and the other will get the LEED for Homes AP accreditation.
Structural Insulated Panels
A highly efficient alternative to conventional framing, SIPs are gaining more traction with builders.
By now familiar to most builders, SIPs are made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) or polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation sandwiched between two structural sheets of oriented strand board. About 12,000 homes were built with SIPs in 2002, according to the Gig Harbor, Wash.-based Structural Insulated Panel Association.Considering how many houses are erected annually, this number is barely a blip on the national radar. The technology, however, is gaining acceptance. Even the nation’s largest home builder, Pulte, is testing the viability of producing large quantities of SIPs houses.
Vapor Retarders and Air Barriers
A primer on air barriers and vapor retarders.
Air barriers, which prevent air leakage, and vapor retarders, which control moisture diffusion, are both important for controlling moisture in a building envelope.
(Via BuildingGreen.com News.)
Building Green = Durability
This commentary explains perfectly our decision to design and build “Green”. Building for the long haul and building correctly not only saves materials and energy, but saves the owner money in utility costs and repairs.
No matter whom I speak to about green building, the conversation always seems to circle back to what I and many consider to be the most important aspect of a sustainable home: durability. It’s a term I define broadly as a house built using proper installation techniques, with an awareness of building science principles and the right combination of products and details that will keep it leak-free, mold-resistant, and rock solid for years to come.
Via EcoHome Magazine
VOC-free Paints and Natural Paints
An excellent article on the benefits of low-voc paints and a description of the many products to chose from.
Since the Clean Air Act became law in 1970, it has been used to regulate the content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a variety of products and manufacturing processes, including architectural coatings. That section of the federal law initially focused on the release of VOCs into the outside air as ground-level ozone, a key contributor to smog. Today, the popular focus for reducing VOCs in the built environment has turned inside, including the impact of house paints and other coatings on indoor air quality and the health and comfort of contractors, homeowners, and building occupants.
(Via Ecohome Magazine.)
Philippe Starck shows off “Democratic Ecology” wind turbine
A more stylish wind turbine, but I think the estimated output is a little high. The designer claims 1 of these can provide 20%-60% of an average homes power needs. I think that is probably more marketing hype than reality.
It looks like wind power is about to get a bit more stylish with the outspoken Philippe Starck now wading into things with his “Democratic Ecology” personal wind turbine. The turbine first made its debut at the recent Greenenergy Design show in Milan and, according to Inhabitat, it’s now on track for an actual release in September of this year, thanks to a little assistance from Pramac. If all goes as planned, the turbine will set you back about €400 (or just over $600), and provide anywhere from 20% to 60% of the energy need to power an average home, although you’ll presumably need some additional equipment to go along with the turbine.
(Via Engadget.)
Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems Are a Viable Alternative to Traditional HVAC
Geothermal systems have been around for a while, but they have never attained mainstream status. Mostly because of the cost of installing such a system is prohibitive to the average homeowner. Also, there aren’t that many HVAC contractors who know how to install them much less work on an existing system. My dad installed a geothermal system in the house he had built in 1988. The system performed well, but it was hard to find a good technician to work on it. These systems are gaining in popularity and that should mean more experienced contractors.
Geothermal systems, which use the relatively stable and moderate temperature of the ground as an energy source, are piquing the interest of green-minded builders as an efficient and clean alternative to conventional heating and cooling systems.
Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) accounted for about 50,000 residential and (mostly) commercial installations nationwide in 2006. That’s less than 1% of the overall heating and cooling equipment market, according to a recent report issued by the Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based research firm. GHPs work typically by exchanging or transferring heat via liquid-filled tubing loops that run between the house and the ground or a nearby body of water. That same report, though, forecasts 6.5% annual growth for the technology through 2011, setting a new bar of 70,000 installations that year. By 2016, the report predicts nearly 100,000 geothermal heat pumps will be put in place per year.
(Via EcoHome Magazine.)
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