Here is a great video explaining the tax credits available for making energy efficient improvements to your home. I can help you – please contact me for details!

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This is the conclusion of a series of articles on the basic components of good green home construction. Having covered orientation, sealing the building envelope, insulation, efficient HVAC equipment, energy-saving appliances, upgraded windows, water conservation, and indoor air quality, we wrap up with durability and certification.

9 – Durability. One of the basic definitions of a green home is one that is built to withstand the test of time. What products offering increased durability will be used to construct the building envelope? What is the expected lifespan for the roofing and siding options you’re considering? For example, the estimated lifespan of metal roofing is more than 50 years, compared with 20 years at best for shingles. According to the manufacturers, concrete and copper roofing products are expected to last a lifetime.

One of the basic principles of durability begins with moisture mitigation. What products and methods will be used to protect the home from water intrusion through the roof, the walls, and/or around the windows?

Are termites a problem in your area? What termite-resistant products and procedures will be used in the construction of your home? Metal studs, borate-treated framing, installing irrigation and foundation plants at least two feet from the foundation, and exterior termite barriers are some of the possibilities.

Selecting products with durability in mind reduces replacement and maintenance costs down the road and increases the longevity of the home.

10 – Green Certification. Now that we’ve gone over the basics of green construction, you might be wondering if all green certified homes include these features. Not necessarily. The points selected from the green certification checklist and the green certification program chosen will determine the total green makeup of your home.

Your home can be certified as green through national programs such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designed by the U.S. Green Building Council , and the Green Building Program from the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders). In addition, many states have adopted their own green building certification programs. For a list of local green building programs, visit The National Association of Home Builders. Click the button on the left side of the home page entitled “Find a Local Program.”

Three components of a green certified home:

1. Whole-house approach: Although there are various green certifying organizations, they all require a whole-house approach to green construction. Because points must be selected from all categories within a certification program, all areas of the home are addressed. These categories generally consist of lot/site, energy-conservation, water conservation, health, and materials.
2. Inspection: A green certified home also means the structure was inspected during the building process by a green certifying agent to confirm that the selected green products and procedures were implemented or installed. The agent must provide documentation to an independent third party proving compliance with all selected points. If the third party is satisfied that the home meets all the requirements, it will award a green certificate.
3. Testing: Another aspect of the green home certifying process involves a series of tests on the home itself. These procedures measure whole-house air leakage (the blower door test) and ductwork leakage (the duct blaster and smoke test). Thorough and proper insulation installation is also reviewed through the thermal bypass inspection. (Note that not all tests are necessarily performed on every green home.) For an explanation of these testing procedures along with photos and a video of the ductwork smoke test, visit www.onestopgreenhome.com.

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Guest Writer Tracy DeCarlo

Tracy DeCarlo is author of The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner’s Planning Guide for Building a Functional Home and owner of One Stop Green Home Certification.

Click Here To Purchase The Book

Related posts:

1. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part III
2. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part IV
3. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part II

The 6 aspects of good green construction that we’ve discussed in parts I through III of this series all have a direct affect on energy conservation, a large part of green building. These next two components address building a healthy home and reducing the usage and subsequent cost of water.

7 – Water. Water conservation is another integral part of green construction. Only 3 percent of all water on earth is fresh, and 2 percent of that is frozen in icecaps and glaciers. Selecting low-flow fixtures, low-flush commodes, and installing low-volume irrigation all contribute to preserving one of the earth’s most precious resources.

Low-flow fixtures, defined as those that supply less than the standard 2.2 gpm (gallons per minute) for a sink faucet, 2.5 gpm for a showerhead, and less than 1.6 gpf (gallons per flush) for the toilets, are now offered by many companies.

Advances in technology have made significant improvements in the performance of these products. To make it easy to find and select water-efficient products with good performance, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has introduced its WaterSense® program, a label that’s backed by independent testing and certification.

Irrigation is listed as the largest guzzler of household water. Green construction considers either eliminating the need for irrigation through the use of drought-tolerant turf, plants, and trees, or utilizing low-volume irrigation methods and efficient design to drastically reduce water usage while improving coverage. To find a professional proficient in water-conserving irrigation design and installation, visit the Irrigation Association.  Ask your potential suppliers if they have taken the training courses and have experience designing and/or installing low-volume, efficient systems.

The three components of efficient irrigation include:

1. A reduced need for water: Reduce the need for irrigation by selecting native and site-appropriate plants and turf.
2. An efficient irrigation design: Implement an efficient design with features that include low-volume planting-bed irrigation, turf/bed zone separation, and sprinkler heads directed so that only turf and plants are being watered, not driveways and sidewalks.
3. Improved irrigation scheduling: Select an irrigation controller that provides the programming flexibility to water at the proper times, in the proper amounts for your area.

As discussed in last month’s article, Energy Star® dishwashers and washing machines also contribute to water conservation.

Rain harvesting through the use of cisterns is growing across the United States. Massive amounts of water can be captured from roof runoff, stored in cisterns, and utilized for irrigation, clothes washing, or flushing toilets. For more information visit The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association,  or The Rainwater Harvesting Community.

8 – Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). According to the EPA, indoor air quality is three to five times worse than outdoor air quality. The American Lung Association says that an estimated 34.1 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma in their lifetime by a health professional. In 2006, over 6.8 million children under age 18 had asthma making it the leading chronic illness of children in the United States. Both asthma and allergies are exacerbated by poor indoor air quality.

Selecting products and features that contribute to indoor air quality is an important part of creating a green home. There are several components in this area from which to choose. The following are just a few:

Central vacuum system: Research at the University of California, Davis, showed that a prominent brand central vacuum removed allergens and reduced allergy symptoms by 47 percent for nasal, 48 percent for non-nasal, 61 percent for eye, and 44 percent for sleep. The EPA has acknowledged this product as an indoor-air-quality enhancer.

Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products: Many products such as flooring, paint, countertops, cabinetry, caulks, sealants, adhesives, and some insulation emit chemicals into the air in the form of gases. These chemicals, such as formaldehyde (a classified carcinogen), are known as VOCs. The good news is that low- or no-VOC options for all of these products are readily available.

Sealing the HVAC registers upon completion of the ductwork installation is a very simple, inexpensive procedure that contributes to improved IAQ. By preventing construction dust and debris from settling in the ductwork during the building process, the homeowner won’t be breathing in this mess (or cleaning up the dust) when the system is turned on.

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Guest Writer Tracy DeCarlo

Tracy DeCarlo is author of The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner’s Planning Guide for Building a Functional Home and owner of One Stop Green Home Certification.

Click Here To Purchase The Book

Related posts:

1. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part V
2. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part III
3. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part I

The fundamental elements of green construction result in energy conservation, water conservation, improved indoor air quality, and a more durable structure.

Having covered orientation and design, sealing the building envelope, improving the insulation, and upgrading the HVAC system in the first two articles, we continue the series with two more energy-saving basic green features.

5—Upgraded Windows: The windows are another feature that will influence the energy efficiency of the building envelope. The energy saving attributes of windows, such as insulated, gas-filled, double-pane glass; low-E coatings; and vinyl, wood, or fiberglass composite frames contribute to a lower SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) and U-Value.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): This rating is a measure of the percentage of solar radiation that enters a building as heat gain through a window, door, or skylight, a primary concern if you live in a warm climate. The SHGC rating tells you how well the product blocks heat caused by the sun. The lower the SHGC, the less solar heat is transmitted. For example, a window with an SHGC of 0.39 allows only 39 percent of the solar heat that hits that window to be admitted to the house; the remaining 61 percent is blocked. If you live in a warm region, look for windows and doors with a low SHGC.

U-Factor: The U-Factor or U-Value, as mentioned in the discussion of Low-E glass earlier in this chapter, is a measurement of the rate of heat loss. The lower the U-Factor of a window, the greater its resistance to heat flow and the better its insulation value. U-Factor is of primary concern if you live in a cold region. The NFRC tests for U-Factor in a simulated environment where it is 70°F inside the house and 0°F outside. It measures the heat loss passing through a window from the inside to the exterior. If you live in a cold part of the country, select windows with a U-Factor of 0.35 or lower.

These two figures appear on the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) label affixed to the window. Check with your supplier to make sure the recommended windows have been rated by the NFRC.

The Energy Star® program uses NFRC ratings to determine if a particular window qualifies for an Energy Star® designation. The criteria for earning the Energy Star® seal vary from region to region. Visit EnergyStar to find the Energy Star® SHGC and U-Factor requirements for Orlando and all of Central Florida.
Window size, placement, quantity, and specifications are considered in conjunction with home orientation and design, the first component of green building discussed in Part I of this series. This is just one of the reasons why a home design that’s focused on retaining the sun’s heat in winter and blocking it in summer can play a significant role in energy savings.

6— Energy-Saving Appliances: Energy Star® qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than standard models.

Not only are Energy Star® appliances more energy-efficient, they’re also quieter. And let’s address the water usage issue. For example, Energy Star qualified dishwashers not only use at least 41 percent less energy than the federal minimum standard for energy consumption, they also use about one-third less water than non-qualified models.

Front-loading washing machines also use less water, about 15 gallons less than older, top-loading models. When considering an Energy Star® machine, take a look at the Water Factor — the lower this number, the more efficient the machine. (Water Factor is a measurement of the number of gallons per cycle, per cubic foot, that a clothes washer uses. For example, if a machine uses 30 gallons per cycle and has a tub volume of 3.0 cubic feet, the Water Factor for that device is 10.0.)

Visit EnergyStar for a list of Energy Star® washing machines and their corresponding Water Factor.

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Guest Writer Tracy DeCarlo

Tracy DeCarlo is author of The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner’s Planning Guide for Building a Functional Home and owner of One Stop Green Home Certification.

Click Here To Purchase The Book

Related posts:

1. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part IV
2. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part I
3. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part V

The previous post (Part 1) was the first in a series designed to explain the basic components of good green home construction. We started with home orientation and design and discussed sealing the building envelope.

3—Proper and Thorough Insulation:
Once a tight shell has been created by caulking and sealing all penetrations and building assembly connections, it’s time to insulate. Upgrade to a spray-on insulation when possible. These products do a better job of filling the nooks and crannies and therefore achieve a higher level of insulation. Batt insulation is still a very popular product, but it can’t hold a candle to the qualities of spray-on products.

Not only does whatever insulation you select need to be properly installed—no gaps, minimal compressions, and full coverage—it also must be installed thoroughly. For example, neglecting to insulate in areas such as between the tub and the exterior wall or between the fireplace and the exterior wall will result in higher energy bills for the homeowner.

The Thermal Bypass Checklist Guide, published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is an excellent photographic road map to proper sealing and insulating.

4—Efficient HVAC Equipment: If a home is thoroughly sealed and insulated, an efficient HVAC system can do its job well. Why does upgrading the HVAC system make more sense in a home with a tight building envelope? Think of a house as a picnic cooler. If the cooler has several holes in it, you still can keep food cold by continuing to add ice, but you’ll get much better results—and use much less ice—if you patch the holes.

As you know, a tight building envelope can reduce required HVAC capacity. For example, one of the homes I’m green-certifying has been constructed with spray-foam insulation, a sealed attic, and all penetrations have been caulked. These steps contributed to reducing the required HVAC capacity from 7 to 4 tons, leaving money on the table the homeowner chose to put toward more efficient equipment. The improved SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) provided additional points toward the green certification.

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Guest Writer Tracy DeCarlo

Tracy DeCarlo is author of The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner’s Planning Guide for Building a Functional Home and owner of One Stop Green Home Certification.

Click Here To Purchase The Book

Related posts:

1. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part I
2. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part V
3. The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part III