What_is_green_construction_and_remodeling?
Environmental_Impact_of_Traditional_Methods
Green_Building_Practices_and_Materials
Frequently_Asked_Questions
How_does_green_building_help_the_environment?
Why_build_green?
Are_there_extra_costs_to_building_green?
Where_can_I_buy_green_products_and_find_a_contractor?
Environmental_Building_Certifications
Economics_of_Green_Building
How_to_select_a_Contractor
Success_Stories
New construction and remodeling the “green” way means using methods and choosing materials that have a smaller impact on the environment. Green homes use more materials from natural and recycled sources and they use fewer resources such as energy and water by being more efficient. A green home is healthier for its inhabitants and less wasteful and polluting for the land, water, and air around it. By 2010, some 50% of all builders in the U.S. plan to produce at least some homes with green methods and materials.
Because of the large amount of natural resources used to build, remodel, and live in our homes, professionals have come up with green building practices to use those resources wisely. Traditional methods and materials are often wasteful and environmentally harmful.
Raw materials such as timber, minerals, and metals are harvested without regard for the health of the land left behind. Residential development takes the place of critical farmland or species’ habitat. Housing tracts are developed further and further from city centers, forcing residents to travel longer distances to reach stores or places of employment. Residents’ need for water reduces river flows and underground aquifer levels. Outgoing sewage must also be managed to protect water bodies that receive it.
For more information visit 
Sustainable Development
New construction and remodeling without reuse and recycling contributes to large amounts of waste that load up landfills. Traditional products also waste resources like energy or water by requiring more to get the job done. The burning of fossil fuels, the main source of energy, contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gases. U.S. residents contribute to 20% of the country’s carbon dioxide pollution by powering and heating their homes. Average U.S. homes doubled in size over the last fifty years, which magnifies all of these impacts.
A traditional home is often an unhealthy place from unchecked indoor air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, radon, formaldehyde, mold, dust, and smoke. Products like carpet, paint, and furniture give off Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are chemicals that float in the air. These air pollutants and chemicals are irritants for the human respiratory system.
New Construction
For new construction, chose a location close to public transportation, your work place, and stores. Build smaller rather than larger homes to prevent wasting energy and materials. Consider an ICF (insulated concrete form) wall system. It goes up fast, has high insulation value and uses recycled materials. Integrate windows for natural light, and awnings and trees for shade from heat. Use passive solar design and building orientation to reduce heating use in winter and cooling use in summer. Use lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Certification ensures that the wood comes from forests that are managed responsibly. Their evaluation criteria includes legal compliance, biological health and management of the forest, rights of indigenous peoples and workers, and environmental impact. Depending on your climate zone, increase ceiling, wall and floor insulation beyond building code. Use natural, drought resistant indigenous landscaping to shade the home on the south side. Use photovoltaic solar energy to produce electricity and passive solar thermal energy systems for water heating.
Remodel
As with new construction, use recycled materials and those with low VOCs. Check to see if demolition waste such as concrete, carpet, plastic, pipe, drywall, metals, brick, paper, cardboard, and yard clippings can be recycled in your area. Build a deck from the lumber of a demolition building, old railroad trestles, or harvested trees from an urban area. Use a deck surface that does not need to be stained, such as plastic lumber. Plastic lumber cannot bear heavy loads as well as wood and may need steel reinforcement, but it will degrade slower and last longer without the use of a stain.
Materials
Consider the following materials in all new construction and remodeling:
Use Material
Lumber FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified
Flooring Bamboo or cork
Flooring and counters Refurbished tiles or stone
Decking and fences Plastic lumber
Roofing Recycled shingles
Paint Recycled paint
Carpet and padding Recycled and low VOC
Appliances Energy Star certified
How_does_green_building_help_the_environment?
Why_build_green?
Are_there_extra_costs_to_building_green?
Where_can_I_buy_green_products_and_find_a_contractor?
How does green building help the environment?
Building and remodeling to preserve the environment often begins with using resources more efficiently. A green builder uses materials that come from sustainable sources. This means the source will not run out. A builder can purchase lumber from a forest that is harvested rather than a forest in which all or most trees are harvested at once (clear cutting). A green home uses as much recycled materials as possible and may use natural light and solar energy to reduce energy use. The average green building saves energy by 50%, cuts CO2 emissions by 40% and reduces solid waste by 70% per the U.S. Green Council.
Why build green?
North Americans maintain a way of life that is ecologically unsustainable. Buildings are a major cause. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, buildings in the United States account for about:
A green home has reduced indoor health hazards such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, mold, and dust due to the selection of materials used. A green builder or remodeler purchases products such as low emission paint to eliminate these hazards.
Are there extra costs to building green?
Although products that use fewer natural resources may cost more, they often pay for themselves quickly. For example, a recent study of three LEED standard buildings found that the premium was only .5% to 1% above standard construction costs. Since the energy savings for the LEED structures was 30% below the standard construction similar buildings, the LEED buildings were generating savings quickly, often within the first year. For equipment cost, a similar cost analysis of an ENERGY STAR® furnace had an excess cost of about $320, paying for itself in a little over a year, due its 12% greater energy efficiency.
For more information, see Economics_of_Green_Building below and
Energy Conservation.
Where can I buy green products and find a contractor?
To purchase lumber at distributors worldwide, look for the FSC logo, which guarantees the source is a well managed forest. For efficient appliances, look for the blue ENERGY STAR® logo on products at your local retailer or use the 'Find a Green Supplier' feature to the right.
Many countries now have a green building council that establishes standards for environmental construction and remodeling. Professionals can become certified in these rating systems that define green building methods. The following rating systems ensure indoor health, sustainable location and design, the efficient use of energy, water, and materials, and low emissions and pollution.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), U.S., Canada, and India
National Association of Home Builders Green Home Building Guidelines, U.S.
EcoHomes, U.K.
EnerGuide for Houses, Canada
House Energy Rating, Australia
Green Star, New Zealand and Australia
EEWH (ecology, energy saving, waste reduction, and health), Taiwan
PassivHaus, Germany and Austria
Green Products
The ENERGY STAR® program is the combined effort of the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy to approve energy saving products for your home. They also provide information on energy saving practices in remodeling and living.
ENERGY STAR® products range from appliances such as dishwashers and refrigerators to electronics, lighting, and office equipment. You can also find approved heating and cooling products such as furnaces and insulation. Outdoor construction items such as doors, windows, and roofing materials are also approved. Purchase of these items may come with a rebate or tax credit. Look for the blue ENERGY STAR® logo on products at your local retailer.
Indoor Health
Specialized paint, cleaning products, carpet, composite wood, and furniture are made to reduce VOC, formaldehyde, and other chemical emissions. Products that prevent health hazards include carbon monoxide sensors and fresh air ventilators that expel pollutants rather than re-circulate them.
Water Saving
Water saving devices such as faucet aerators reduce water flow and are available at local retailers. Rainwater catchments and gray water recycling systems allow for reuse in watering plants. See Water Conservation
Implementing green products and practices reduces operating costs, and have a clear economic advantage after calculating the overall cost of construction, use of tax rebates and other incentives, installation, operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and disposal over the life of a residence.
Sustainable materials and systems are becoming more affordable because demand is increasing by builders and occupants. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) indicates that if the up-front costs are significantly higher, then it is most likely due to inexperienced builders, architects, and other industry professionals who are uninformed about how to cost-effectively design and construct green homes.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, the average home spends about $1900 annually on energy bills. Half of this energy use is due to heating and cooling.
- A well-insulated home with energy-efficient equipment that is properly sized and installed and maintained correctly could further reduce heating and cooling costs 20-40% annually.
- People who live in green homes use 50% less water than standard homes.
- Home insurance in the future will most likely be less for green homes as compared to standard housing. A precedent has been set by the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company which already offers a 5% discount for LEED certified commercial buildings.
- The value of green homes is greater than comparable homes on the market. In Rocklin, CA, a 144-home development, which has every home LEED-certified, outsold competitors 2 to 1.
- With improved health, there are fewer visits to the doctor.
- More durable materials are used in green building, thus requiring fewer repairs.
To compare cost estimates between conventional and new energy saving appliances, use the savings calculator for various ENERGY STAR® products. The website also offers information on rebates, tax credits, and a list of lenders offering larger loans and reduced closing costs for ENERGY STAR® new home buyers.
Information on tax credits, loans, grants, and incentives are available at: http://www.dsireusa.org/ and http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/tools/funding.htm
The best way to find a professional may be by word of mouth. Talk to friends who’ve implemented green products or materials in their home. Inquire about builders with environmental certification from contractors in your area. Ask relevant questions of these professionals about their experience with sustainable building and design, area of environmental expertise, whether their business is run sustainably, and their personal interest in green building. Other recommendations include checking their license number at the contractor state license board, checking with the Better Business Bureau, getting recommendations from current and past customers, and being able to look at a portfolio of former projects. As a general rule, avoid contractors who seek your business dood-to-door or use a Post Office Box for an address.
A demonstration home by Cherokee Investment Partners of Raleigh, North Carolina utilizes the constant underground 55 degree temperatures to both heat and cool homes, new kinds of insulation, innovative water systems and the like. It is expected to use 50 percent less fossil fuels and water than conventional homes. It should also recycle or reuse 90 percent of organic waste.
The first LEED gold-certified homes in the United States were developed by Jackie O’Neil in Pennsylvania. Due to the state’s Sustainable Development Fund grant, initial construction costs compared to conventional construction was almost negligible, and yet these homes are producing more energy than they’re using (and the owners are getting paid by the utility company).
East Boston’s Maverick Landing consists of 411 LEED-certified, mixed-income housing units that feature efficient lighting, appliances, and photovoltaics.
