Green Home Builders Establish Eco-Consciousness and Sustainability-


As times evolve and consumer demand rises for environmentally friendly alternatives, many home builders are dedicating their efforts toward greener, more economical pastures. Builders are working hard to assemble homes that are eco-friendly, cost/energy efficient and accommodating toward the stringent standards set for LEED certification. LEED for Homes is a voluntary rating system which promotes the design and construction of highly efficient, eco friendly homes; producing residences that use 50-60 percent less energy, substantially lower C02 emissions and safeguarding against mold and other common indoor contaminates. LEED certification aids consumers in identifying homes that have been thoroughly third-party inspected, performance tested and 100 percent licensed as green. Home buyers and renters looking for green, LEED certified homes which costs less to operate, performs better and has lower environmental impacts need to look at many key points; size, location, design, building materials, windows/doors, insulation, energy efficient products, indoor environmental quality and even landscaping. Size matters immensely in energy efficiency, as larger homes obviously utilize more energy to function. Location is important to consider, as the most eco-conscious development areas are in-fill properties such as old factories, yards, shopping malls and parking lots. A green home should also be located within walking distance of parks, schools and stores, as well as bus lines, subways and light rail systems for transportation. Green home design should be well planned so that natural light may fill the home without needing to use light bulbs during day hours and advantage can be taken from wind gusts that may pass through so that there is no need for air conditioner or fans. The exterior should contain some sort of shading, like large trees, canopies, green screens or sunshades on the western and southern facing slopes to impede scorching summer rays. Dual pane windows should also be used to reduce heat in summer and heat loss during cold winter months. In addition, the roof should be light in color and heat reflecting Energy Star rated or landscaped to ease heat absorption.

A certified green home is required to utilize recycled building materials, so building resources must be constructed or renovated with non-toxic, eco-friendly materials and furnishings, such as non-toxic strawboard for sub-flooring and low-and-zero volatile organic compound (VOC) paints and sealants. If flooring is wood based, bamboo and other related renewable sources should be used, but if other means of wood are needed it must be approved by the Forest Stewardship Council. Windows and doors should have Energy Star ratings and cracks or openings must be sealed rigidly to avoid heat loss in winter and overheating in summertime months. Insulation is required to be non-toxic and obtained from organic materials such as cotton or soybean with high heat R (heat resistance) to avoid warm air escape during winter and vice versa. Energy efficiency is the name of the game in green certified homes, so Energy Star lighting, heating, cooling and water heating systems must be employed. The home should also be capable of generating some of its own energy using solar power photovoltaic or rooftop wind generator products, if possible. Water conservation is a major factor in green energy homes, especially in areas where water is costly and rainfall is limited. Look for homes with water-efficient bathroom and kitchen fixtures, water irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting systems and other storage methods. The indoor environmental condition is possibly the most significant of all regarding the LEED checklist, as that is where most of the homes electricity is used or wasted. The indoor HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system must clean all incoming air and expel musty air outside and natural ventilation should be utilized for most hours of the day (through building orientation to the sun, large windows, Energy Star fans and other methods). Natural daylight should reach at least 75 percent of the home’s interior so that lighting is only used when necessary and the garage interior should have an exhaust fan to drive out dirty air and must not have any return ducts. Yards should be surrounded with drought-resistant plants and large shade trees, vine covered green screens and other landscaping should be utilized to shade patios, walls and driveway areas to lower pockets of heat. Apart from the immense environmental benefits of green living, many state and federal government agencies and other entities are offering tax credit incentives for evolving your home into green energy. There are many resources for consumers to explore these incentives thoroughly: the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires the United States government to present tax credit services for energy efficient home upgrades; the EPA has links to many funding resources for homeowners, government groups and nonprofits looking into green construction; the U.S. Green Building Council offers a comprehensive search for LEED building incentives; the U.S. government Energy Star site presents tax credit information for consumers, home builders and other related groups when using energy star products; and the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) links to local, state, federal and utility incentives available for making the leap to renewable energy. If you are interested in learning more about LEED certification, please visit the U.S. Green Building Council.