Jack Stapleton's Daily Blog

Green Homes

Being a green built home is much more than simply installing energy efficient appliances and calling it a day. It is a complete and revolutionary and ever changing way to build homes more energy efficient from the foundation to the shingles.

Consumers’ interest in being green has never been so high. The latest environmentally friendly home features aren’t just good for the planet – they look great and are a huge draw for conscientious buyers, too.

From energy-efficient light bulbs to solar-paneled roofs, consumers have gravitated to the idea that they can help preserve the earth by making smarter purchases and lifestyle decisions, even if it’s not always the least-expensive or easiest alternative. Many of these changes are happening in homes, thanks also to manufactures, builders, and architect who are encouraging green products.

Did You Know? Each ENERGY STAR qualified home can keep 4,500 lbs of greenhouse gases out of our air each year. And because homes have such long life spans, this environmental benefit lasts for many, many years.

Did you know? Did you know that a typical home can cause twice the greenhouse gas emissions of the typical car?

Energy Star

Energy-Star Qualified New Homes:

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.
So, what exactly is Green building? GREEN building means improving the way that homes and homebuilding sites use energy, water, and materials to reduce impacts on human health and the environment.

Building a green home means making environmentally-preferable and sustainable decisions throughout the building process-decisions that will minimize the environmental impact of the home while it is being built and over the many years it will be lived in.
What should homebuyers look for first in a green home? Energy efficiency is the place to start. That’s because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global climate change. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.
ENERGY STAR qualified homes are independently verified to meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes save money on utility bills, provide a more comfortable living environment with better indoor air quality, and help protect the environment.
Typical features to look for in ENERGY STAR qualified homes include:

• An Efficient Home Envelope, with effective levels of wall, floor and attic insulation properly installed, comprehensive air barrier details, and high-performance windows;
• Efficient Air Distribution, where ducts are installed with minimum air leakage and are effectively insulated;
• Efficient Equipment for heating, cooling, and water heating;
• Efficient Lighting, including fixtures that earn the ENERGY STAR; and
• Efficient Appliances, including ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers, refrigerators, and clothes washers.
These energy efficiency improvements save homeowners money — about $200 to $400 per year on utility bills. More importantly, monthly energy savings can easily exceed any additional mortgage cost for the energy efficiency improvements, resulting in a positive cash flow from the first day of home ownership. As a result, the cost-effectiveness of ENERGY STAR improvements can help offset additional costs associated with other green home features.
What comes after energy efficiency?
Homebuyers can also look for the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package label — a new specification developed by EPA to address the indoor environment component of green building. Homes that achieve this level of excellence are first qualified as ENERGY STAR, and then also incorporate more than 60 additional home design and construction features to control moisture, chemical exposure, radon, pests, ventilation, and filtration. Together, these features help protect qualified homes and their residents from mold, chemicals, combustion gases, and other airborne pollutants.
Completing the green home picture
Through ENERGY STAR qualified homes and the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package, homebuyers can address two critical green home elements. Then, look to the wide variety of available green home programs to complete the picture with water-efficient products, renewable energy technologies, waste reduction, recycling, and sustainable land development practices.

Technology and Building materials

• Factory-built components, such as trusses and pre-engineered lumber, that eliminate that need to cut wood on the job site and thus reduce waste.
• Windows that use insulated and low-emission glass (a clear glass with a thin coating of metal oxide that considerably reduces heat/cooling loss)
• Vinyl siding and fiber-cement siding that reduce the need for cedar and other wood products on exterior walls.
• More durable roof coverings, such as steel and fiber cement.
• Increased insulation in walls and attics that reduce heating/cooling loss.
• Insulated exterior doors that reduce heat/cooling loss.
• High efficiency heating, cooling, and water-heating units.
• Foundation insulation that reduces energy loss and makes for more comfortable floors.
• Sheathing in walls, like oriented strand board, that replaces plywood and boards in walls that once required older, larger trees.
• Carpet, sheet goods, and laminates that replace wood flooring.
• Water-saving appliances and plumbing fixtures.
• Passive solar design that uses the sun’s energy with no recurring costs.
• Recycled lumber that reduces reliance on chemically treated wood for decks, porches, trim, and fencing.
• Xeriscaping that reduces outdoor watering.

Metal roofing – Constructed with a radiant barrier to reflect heat. A space between the barrier and the metal roof channels hot air away from the metal surface.

Copper Roofs – Copper and copper alloys, such as brass and bronze, are showing up on roofs, entryways, facades, gutters, and downspouts. Despite being quite pricey, they’re seen as a good long-term investment because they tolerate inclement weather and can last 100 years, versus a composition roof that may last only 30 years.

Structural insulated panels (SIPS) – Manufactured by combining wood wafer board or steel exterior with a nontoxic foam interior. They arrive precut with all the window and door openings installed. These have excellent insulating characteristics and can reduce energy consumption by 50%.

Engineered wood products – Used in beams and joists, these products offer increased stiffness and are more uniform in shape and weigh less. The length is not limited by tree height.

Steel framing – 68% of all steel is recycled. Steel is stronger and lighter in weight than wood and is not digestible by termites.

Insulated concrete forms – This product, developed in Europe, is composed of 85% recycled polystyrene and 15% Portland cement. It offers structural stringy, high insulation value, and resistance to fire, wind, insects, and mildew, Included in this category are RASTRA, Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC), and Faswell.

Faswell blocks – Make of 85% treated recycled woodchips and 15% Portland cement, these blocks allow for slow air exchange and thus prevent condensation and keep walls dry.

Bamboo flooring – Bamboo is a grass that grows extremely fast. No hardwood floors are as scuff-, stain-, or moisture-resistant, and bamboo floors require less care than hardwood floors.

Cellulose insulation – This is made from recycled newspapers treated with a fire retardant. One hundred pounds of cellulose insulation contains 80-85 pounds of recycled newsprint. It is low in “embodied energy,” the amount of energy consumed is producing the product. Fiberglass, rock wood, and plastic insulation require 50-200 times more energy to produce.

Compressed straw – This material has excellent sound-reducing qualities and is very fire-resistant. A 4 x 8 panel usually requires 125 pounds o straw to product, which is normally grown within 50 miles of the construction site.

Other trends and practices include;

Solar orientation – Homes or additions that face the right direction can reduce the amount of heat and cold that enter from the outside by taking advantage of prevailing winds and reducing solar heat.

Timber framing – Timber framing requires significant less lumber than the traditional “stick-built” housing and almost always incorporates superior insulating panes (SIPS), which keep heat and air conditioning from escaping. Large timbers product less waste, compared with conventional construction that produces sawdust and waste with 2 x 4 studs. In addition, less energy is needed to power machines and kiln dry wood because timber framing uses freshly cut wood. Timbers are prefabricated and arrive at the building site ready to be assembled, paring construction waste. Coasts vary according to finishes selected, just as they do with stick-built housing.

Low-emittance (low-E) windows, doors, and skylights – These widows offer natural light while blocking the sun’s UV rays that heat up the inside of a home and can necessitate air conditioning. The special low-E glazing also stops the sun from fading fabrics, wall coverings, and artwork. You can find out what percentage of rays are blocked by checking the UV label on the glass. Most low-E products block 70 to 90%.

Rainwater holding tanks – Capturing rainwater and storm runoff helps reduce the burden on local sewer systems and captures water that can be used in other ways, such as for watering the yard. A rainwater cistern and detention-talk system can recycle, reuse, and absorb large amounts of storm water by collecting it from the roof and gutters, filtering it multiple times, and directing it to indoor plumbing, the laundry, and the sprinkler system. Overflow from the cistern will be funneled into detention tanks to be absorbed gradually back into the ground.

Geothermal heating and cooling – Instead of using a traditional furnace that heats or cools air and emits carbon monoxide, geothermal pumps are filled with water and glycol and rely on the earth as a heat exchanger. In winter, the system sends warm air into rooms; in summer, it brings cool air. Though the initial cost is twice a much as a traditional heating and cooling system, the payback can take as little as five years with lower heating and cooling costs.

Attic heat blocker – These panels are made of a thin layer of aluminum foil laminated to oriented strand board (OSB) roof sheathing, which is made from fast-growing trees, and installed in attics of new construction. The panels are used in conjunction with insulation, and are recommended for houses in the south and Sunbelt, where rays are strongest. Hey block up to 97% of radiant heat and can reduce the attic temperature 30degrees, cutting energy consumption and carbon gases as a result.

Formaldehyde-free insulation – Building products such as insulation can emit traces of the chemicals they’re made with, which pollutes the air inside of homes. Some manufactures are removing formaldehyde from building and duct board. The glue that is used in many manufactures of particleboard is slowly released from the particleboard and absorbed into carpets and fabrics. This is toxic.

Smart irrigation systems – WeatherTRAK controller automatically adjust watering schedules based on the needs of your landscape and local weather conditions. They system’s brain receives satellite data with information about local weather conditions. An additional moisture sensor shuts down the system if it starts to rain when the sprinkler is on. They systems are manufactured by HydroPoint Data Systems Inc. in Petaluma California.

Tankless water heaters – Instantaneous, or demand, water heaters provide hot water only when needed. Traditional storage water heaters produce standby energy losses than cost the homeowner money. Tankless systems heat water directly without the use of a storage tank.