Stanton Homes - Building Green in the Triangle

Why Build Green Homes?

The presentation below by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) provides a simple and direct summary of answers to the question: Why Build Green Homes?

By looking at the impact of buildings and homes on natural resources in contrast to the benefits of using green practices and products the answer becomes apparent. These factors help explain the growing demand for green homes.

Consumer awareness of social and environmental issues is at an all time high. As more information about the benefits of green homes becomes more available, the green home market including commercial, corporate, institutional, and residential is poised to explode.

 

 

What do you think? Are you concerned about the environmental impact of homes and buildings? Did you know that buildings emit more CO2 emissions than transportation vehicles? Are the lower costs of operation and health benefits of green homes important to you?

Please leave a comment or two. I would really like to know your thoughts and feelings on this important subject.

If you or someone you know are thinking about buying or selling a home in Boulder or Denver area, I can help. I know the area and the market well, and I can help you find a home that suits your needs and interest.

Visit my website at E3GreenHOMES.com for more information or call me at 720-771-5594.

 

Previous Post: Denver Colorado Economic & Market Update November 2009

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John Thomas MSEE, MBA

(m) 720-771-5594  (e) john.thomas@e3greenhomes.com

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Possibly you already have an idea that comfortable-green and eco-friendly homes offer positive possibilities for you and your family.

Today I am wondering which features in your green home and land are most important to you.

For example- how would you rate the reduction in the cost of utilities? Indoor air quality? Sustainable quality? Native landscaping?  A small footprint? Green community amenities? Edible landscaping? Energy efficient appliances? Non toxic finishes and paints? The Energy Star® rating?

 

Here is a Green Home Features ranking poll. Take it and let me know!

What Green Home Features Are Most Important to YOU?(polls)

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(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............ the green real estate Asheville: GOING GREEN: Mountain homes and land legacies, socially conscious investing, rolling into a sustainable  world. Create it today for tomorrow. Find eco-friendly LAND. Build a green home. GREEN Real Estate, Retrofits and Relocation: ECO HOMES AND LAND. Serving Asheville's Eco-Friendly-Home, Relocation LAND Clients. The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  http://landlegacies.blogspot.com/

Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved the green real estate Asheville Journal

It’s no longer just a fad, the movement toward Green Homes is a Solid Market Trend.

The green housing market is growing on all fronts—new construction, retrofits, single family and multi-family are all seeing strong growth in the area of green practices and products. The green housing market is following the classic growth pattern of innovative technology adoption progressing through various stages of market development. We are now at the stage where we are starting to move beyond the early adopters—a highly segmented group that is generally less price sensitive—into more mainstream market acceptance.

Although green technology has been around for many years, it is just now beginning to take root. Unfortunately, even though there are tens of thousands of green homes all across the country, we have very little quantifiable market data. I see this as a big problem. I admit, I am a bit of a data guy, maybe even a geek in that regard (I am sure my wife would have more to say about that…), but for me data can give us visibility about market activity and demand. Data can help guide the decision process on all fronts including development of new construction and renovation of existing homes. This is true on both the professional and consumer side of the business.

But all is not lost. There is some green market data out there if you're willing to dig deep enough and piece it together. The problem is that it is spread out and not well organized or segmented. Some of the market segments we need to know about the green housing market activity include geographical region, price range, house size, leading technologies implemented, and consumer uptake. When this information becomes available developers will build smarter, agents and EcoBrokers will market green homes more effectively, and consumers will become more empowered to make better and more informed green home buying and selling decisions. But until that time, we'll have to get by with what we got.

Okay, enough of my rant. Here are a few morsels of data about the green housing market that I’ve gathered from a McGraw Hill Construction report compiled in cooperation with the U.S. Green Building Council. In Part II of this post, I’ll present some of the other data I’ve collected from various sources.

Green home building products are gaining ground according to a report produced jointly by McGraw-Hill Construction and the National Association of Home Builders (2008 &; 2009). The chart above is from a presentation I recently gave showing the market forecast for new green construction.

• The market for green homes is expected to rise from $49 billion to $140 billion over the next five years.

• Standard homes are becoming increasingly green, with home owners using green products for 40 percent of their remodeling work.

• Most Americans find out about green homes through word-of-mouth, followed by television and the Internet.

• Green home owners are happy with their homes and are recommending them at rates significantly higher than recommendation levels of other industries.

• Home owners are buying green homes because they are concerned about the health of their families, as well as to reduce energy and other home operating costs.

• Education and awareness of green ranks as the most important obstacles, slightly higher even than the additional first costs associated with building green.

It's interesting to note that if the new construction part of green building is growing so rapidly, we can only assume that the green renovation market is growing even faster. But this is where I've hit a brick wall. The good news is that the Federal government's Recovery Through Retrofit program announced a couple of weeks ago will likely inspire the market analysts to get to work and start giving us data geeks something to chew on.

Previous Post: Boulder County Colorado's Green Building Code

 

____________________________________________________________________________

John Thomas MSEE, MBA

(m) 720-771-5594  (e) john.thomas@e3greenhomes.com

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Have you ever wondered about all the lingo that is associated with Green Homes and Energy Efficiency? Well, let me clear up a few things and give you a reference as to what different things mean.

• ACH- Air Changes per Hour- This is part of the Energy Star & Diamond Level testing to determine how much air leaks through the walls and ceilings (Hint: A lower number, the more efficient)
• AFUE- Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A furnace's heating efficiency. Measures the heat delivered vs. the fuel used. Measures in percentages. The higher number is better.

• ASHRAE-American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. This is the primary organization used in the United States for the design standards in our HVAC systems.

• ENERGY STAR-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.

• FRESH AIR SYSTEM-An electronic system connected to the HVAC system that brings in filtered outside air on a timed basis.

• HVAC-Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. HVAC includes the furnace, air conditioning components, fan and ductwork installed in a home.

• IAQ-Indoor Air Quality. IAQ is the quality of the air breathed by occupants of an indoor or enclosed environment.

• IRC- International Residential Code. First published in 2000, the IRC is the Building Code for the State of Texas.

• JUMP DUCT- A flexible, short, u-shaped duct that connects a room to a common space as a pressure balancing mechanism.

• LOW E2- Low emissivity. Glass is coated with a metallic oxide layer that improves thermal performance. The primary function is to reduce heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter.

• MANUAL J- The ASHRAE method for calculating residential home cooling loads and the sizing of the system.

• MERV-Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The ASHRAE standard for filter efficiency. Higher rating is better.

• RADIANT BARRIER- Low emissivity attic decking under shingled roofs that reduces summer heat gain, reduces cooling energy usage.

• R-410a- Environmentally-friendly refrigerant used in our HVAC systems.

• R-VALUE- Resistance - Value. The resistance a material has to heat flow. The higher the R-Value, the greater the resistance.

• SEER- Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. It measures the efficiency of the air conditioner once it is up and running. Higher number is better.

• SHGC- Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient. The solar radiation entering a home through the windows. The lower the number, the better the window is at blocking heat gain.

• U-VALUE- A measure of heat transmission due to the air temperature difference from inside to outside. The lower the U-value, the better.

I hope you find this useful!!! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!!

Shelby Kyle-REALTOR

direct: 281-224-6299

RE/MAX Realty West

Fulshear, Texas

 

As with anything, the more initial planning you do the more time and money you'll save during the construction of the home. Here are a few ideas to consider when designing your new home

Go for a small home in lieu of a larger one. Create multipurpose spaces such as homework area/craft stations or an office that doubles as a guest room.

Build up not out. When building up, you minimize the size of the roof and the footings. Additionally, a multistory home also reduces the impact on the landscaping.

Consider an addition to your current home. Remodeling your home is a form of recycling. Before assuming you need to build something new, consider putting an addition on your home instead. Take the money you save and put it into more energy efficient systems and/ or components, such as insulation, solar panels, new windows, low flow toilets, etc.

Work with green professionals. Make sure to consult LEEDs certified contractors who are familiar with green building practices.

Make it easy to recycle. Provide adequate provisions for storing recyclables. Install bins in the kitchen or garage. Also, don't forget about composting, which is as easy as a bucket with a lid under the sink.

Design energy efficient building. Use high levels of insulation, high performance windows and tight construction.

Design with renewable energy in mind. Consider solar water heaters or solar panels on the roof.

One of my favorites is the use of gray water systems; I guess it's because of my husband's experience in the plumbing industry. You can save soapy water from bathing, the dishwashers and washing clothes and reuse it later for flushing toilets and lawn and garden irrigation.

Design water efficient, low maintenance landscaping. Use native and natural plants to minimize the maintenance.

Chris Faircloth, Realtor

Realty Executives

757-288-0983 Cell

AgentFaircloth@gmail.com

www.ChrisFaircloth.com

www.aShoreThingblog.com