Site location & Solar Elevation
How a house is oriented in relation to the sun (solar positioning) is a key first and perhaps the most important step to building green. Proper solar positioning of your house will not only minimize the impact on the environment, but also it will dramatically enhance the homes energy performance. For example, positioning the house so that the majority of windows face south (or on an East to West axis) will allow the home to take advantage of natural passive solar energy from the sun. Accurately designed and positioned roof overhangs will let the low winter sun into your home, providing natural heat, and will block the much higher hotter summer sun, keeping your home cooler during warmer months. By taking advantage of the seasonal changes in the suns elevation, depending on the design of the house, a home owner can save 30-40% on their energy costs.
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Foundations, Framing Materials & a Good Insulation Package
A good insulation package is essential to any green, high performance home. From the foundation to the roof, proper insulation can make all the difference in optimizing the energy performance of your home. Insulated concrete forms, non toxic spray foam and structural insulated panels (SIPs) are just some of the options for keeping your home air tight and performing at peak energy efficiency.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are rigid foam forms that hold concrete in place during curing and remain in place afterwards to serve as a superior thermal insulation to concrete walls. ICFs can reduce the amount of energy needed to heat your home and minimize potential air leakage. Foundation walls built with ICFs are easier and faster to construct than either concrete masonry unit (CMU) or cast-in-place (CIP) concrete foundations depending on total area and house plan.
Icynene Spray Foam Insulation. As a complete insulation and air barrier, Icynene® effectively minimizes air leakage in the building structure. This saves dramatically on utility costs - Icynene® can save up to 50% every month in energy costs versus traditional energy options. Icynene® also significantly reduces unwanted airborne sounds that can invade living spaces, creating a much more enjoyable indoor environment. In addition, Icynene® is 100% water-blown and does not emit harmful gases once cured.
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are high performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs for residential and light commercial buildings. The panels are made by sandwiching two layers of structural board with an insulating layer of foam in between. A home built using SIPs will have a tighter building envelope and the walls will have higher insulating properties, which leads to fewer drafts and a decrease in heating costs. Building with SIPs also saves you time, money and labor. Typically, the walls and roof of a 2500 sq. ft. home can be erected within 1-2 weeks. To learn more atwww.timberlinepanels.com .
Windows & Doors
Windows and Doors can be prime locations for energy leakage. Improperly installed, they can account for one third of energy loss in a home. Because of the impact that windows and doors have on heat loss and heat gain, finding the right products is essential. ENERGY STAR® windows, by virtue of their design, eliminate draftiness and resist condensation. And with so many recent advances in window and door design and efficiency, we are sure to find the perfect windows to suit your home energy needs.
Healthy Walls and Floors
Our high performance homes are built much tighter (allowing less air leakage) than conventional homes. This is why it is important that the building products we install are environmentally-friendly. Many house products release, or off-gas, volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids, e.g. flooring and paint finishes. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. American Green Home Builders works with a wide variety of eco-friendly home building materials.
Alternative Heating and Cooling
Using a Geothermal heating and cooling systems in your new home is the smartest way to reduce the energy consumption associated with heating & cooling your living space. Click on AGHBs Energy Division to learn more about alternative energy options for your home.
Hardscape: Patios & Driveways
Both driveways and patios can be fabricated and built from a variety of durable water permeable materials (materials that allow water to move through them). Durability is only one consideration, driveways and patios often cover significant square footage on any given site. They contribute to runoff problems both on and off the building lot. Water that can't seep back into the ground will more than likely end up in stormwater drains or municipal treatment plants. Permeable materials, on the other hand reduce runoff, prevent erosion and help recharge underground water supplies. AGHB will show you a variety of options for keeping your patios and driveways beautiful and functional, while allowing our environment to take its course.
Energy Star rated appliances, fixtures & lighting
Americans spend billions of dollars each year on energy bills. However, when consumers use Energy Star products, they can reduce their annual costs by up to 30 percent while conserving resources and reducing air pollution. The ENERGY STAR program is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2008 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 29 million cars — all while saving $19 billion on their utility bills.
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainfall or melting snow create stormwater run-off. Stromwater run-off is water that "runs off" across the land instead of seeping into the ground. Stromwater run-off can carry pollutants such as sediment and pesticides into wetlands, streams, lakes and our natural drinking water supplies. Implementing a stormwater harvesting system is one way to decrease the amount of stormwater run-off and reduce the pollution of receiving waters.
By gathering, storing and re-using stormwater to water gardens or flush toilets, not only will you be protecting wildlife and the environment, but also you will be saving energy and cost that would otherwise be needed to pump water to your house. If you are connected to a municipal water supply, you will save a considerable amount of money on your monthly water bill, while protecting the environment.
Solar and Wind Energy
Americans make up 5% of the current world population, yet we consume 26% of the world’s energy resources. By using alternative energy resources such as Solar or Wind Power, we can greatly reduce and even neutralize our overall energy consumption. Click on AGHB’s Energy Division to learn about our full range of Alternative Energy options.
