Build green home

Why Build Green? Imagine selling power to your power company!

"Build green" or "sustainable building"...the most often heard buzz words in the construction industry lately. For many reasons, green is the future of home building and every discerning homeowner or builder should become aware of its techniques and benefits.

A survey conducted by the National Association of HomeBuilders (NAHB)and McGraw-Hill Construction, the United States residential green building market is expected to be 12% to 20% of all new residential construction by value by 2012, doubling the 6% to 10% values in 2008.

The study found that the most important reasons for buying green homes were (1) lower operating costs (91%), (2) healthier living conditions (84%) and concerns about the environment(80%).

To make a home design green or sustainable, every phase of the build process is carefully considered. The integrated design process includes a systemic view of the living environment ... from design to construction to occupancy to the impact on the community. The overall impact of water and resource conservation, energy efficiency, sustainable or recycled materials, and interior air quality should be carefully considered.

Energy Efficient Homes Become a Priority

Sustainable home design and building practices are now being mandated by many governmental entities…federal, state, city and county building departments are accelerating their push toward required green home design.

Congress is fast tracking legislation, like Cap and Trade, that will dramatically increase our energy bills and encourage us to build green.

In time, as more builders and homeowners become better educated about methods and best practices, sustainable homes will receive greater resale values and marketability versus their less green competition.

Even with a tight budget, many build green measures can be implemented

...with minimal increased up-front costs and they can yield substantial savings.

There are numerous financial incentives and programs available to help you. The NAHB has a listing of build green financial help here for you to explore.

In your home, you can estimate how much energy and money can be saved and how much emissions can be reduced by implementing energy-efficiency improvements. Visit the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings: Online Guide The internet has many sites that will educate you about how to build green, achieve greater energy efficiency and healthier homes. Here are the Green Building Basics from the State of California

The City of Houston, Texas is working hard to improve its energy efficiency where cooling is certainly an issue. Explore this link to learn what Houston is doing.

The most comprehensive site to learn about rebates and credits for renewable energy is DSIRE.ORG

Click here to visit DSIRE and learn about your available credits

Manufacturers have begun to fill the gap...

in sustainable products and going green is getting easier and more affordable. In fact, in the right locations and using a systemic approach, you can achieve a "net zero" home -- meaning your power bills approximate ZERO DOLLARS!

Building Envelope Using SIPs - Labor and Energy Efficient plus Stronger Construction

SIPs is an acronym for Structural Insulated Panels. Used as floors, walls, and roofs, they are built by joining high performance rigid foam insulation and oriented strand board (OSB Plywood). To learn more about SIPs, click here

Did you know heating your water takes 30% of your power bill?

The best solution on the market today for solar hot water is a “closed loop” pressurized hot water system from Earth Tech Energy Systems.

With a fifteen year design life, the unique design allows for performance at thirty degrees BELOW zero without freezing. Maintenance free, this solar system features: individual vacuum tubes that can be removed or replaced without draining the system...a unique coating that reduces the need for cleaning...a high absorption performance...a low reflection ratio and fast start up on cloudy days. Click here to investigate solar thermal water heating further.

We will be exploring various build green issues on a regular basis.

Bookmark our site and visit us often as we keep you up to date with new developments, new products, and new building code changes as the world goes green.