Can You Afford to Build Green?

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

One of the first questions people ask when the topic of green building comes up is how much it’s going to cost, and whether or not they can afford it.  However, asking how much a green home costs is much the same as asking what any home costs, as there are many variables that will affect the overall pricing.  The question “how much does building a home cost?” seems silly – naturally you wouldn’t expect to pay the same for a eight-bedroom mansion as you would for a two-bedroom townhome.  But people do ask, “how much does building a green home cost?” when the answer depends on just what you want to achieve with your green building, and how far you want to go in terms of installing energy-efficient systems.

The short answer to whether you can afford to build green is that you have to consider upfront investment versus long-term benefits, and decide how much you can sacrifice now for returns in the future.  While it may be more expensive to source the materials or systems you want at the time of the build, many of those materials and systems will pay for themselves over time in the form of rebates, tax breaks, or lower energy bills.  In addition, you have to consider the increased property value of a home that comes with green certifications – in the future it will be more and more difficult to sell a home that doesn’t already have green systems in place.
One of the best ways to keep the cost of green building down and to maximize your building budget is to choose a contractor who can assess your needs as a homeowner, and your lifestyle as a family, and create a green building plan from there.  Contractors and builders who have a lot of experience with green building or specialize in it will consistently be able to find the best deals on the systems that will work for your particular situation.  Builders who are not as familiar with green building will not be as skilled at sourcing the most cost-effective solutions for the type of green building you want to do, and there will be more of a hit-and-miss approach.
It’s important to remember that that green building is, in essence, an investment.  You’re not just spending money for the sake of having something nicer than what you had before; you’re spending money for a home that will give back both in terms of decreased overall cost of living, and benefits to the planet and the environment.  There will likely also be health benefits to reap, as green building places an emphasis on indoor air quality, reduction of interior carcinogens, and fewer allergens.  This can be especially important for parents raising their children in a green home – what sort of price tag would you put on the peace of mind you get from knowing your kids are breathing the cleanest air possible?
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Personal Responsibility for Sustainability

Posted on December 20, 2011 by
 As a nation, we tend to base our level of green living on what we’re encouraged to do by our local, state, and federal governments.  The attitude is that if sustainability were a real concern, the government would be passing stricter laws to force people to live green, and that since in most places things like recycling are voluntary, it must not be that big a deal.
This, of course, is a dangerous attitude, and furthermore it’s backwards thinking.  History has shown us without a doubt that the government follows the people, not the other way around.  As individual citizens it is our responsibility to take charge of the way each of us lives, and the effect our lifestyles have on the country and the planet.  Leading by example is the way to create a situation in which the government and lawmakers cannot help but follow.
While it may seem to those around you that choosing either to build a green home or remodel your home to green standards is a little excessive or “out-there,” it’s important to remember that your responsibility is to the future, not to the status quo.  There are countless commonplace aspects to our current culture that were once considered far-out ideas.  People used to think it was crazy to suggest that women should be allowed to vote, or that people of all races should be given equal rights.  But as individual citizens continued to push these ideas forward, they became more mainstream over time, and eventually laws were passed to reflect the changes in society.
Rest assured, green living is no different.  Even twenty years ago, the idea that the earth was slowly dying, and that recycling or composting would help save it, was considered a ridiculous notion by most people.  Now, of course, there are recycling and composting initiatives nationwide, but it’s not enough.  We have to keep pushing forward, taking bolder and more forward-thinking steps toward saving our planet.
Transforming our homes is going to have to be a large part of that progress.  Most Americans over the age of thirty grew up in an environment where it was no big deal to flick a switch on or leave a faucet running.  We didn’t think too much about the effects of such actions, and we became accustomed to a lifestyle where personal convenience was the chief aim.
These days, personal responsibility trumps our desire for excess, but that doesn’t mean we have to live a spartan lifestyle.  Homes can be built or modified to give all the modern comforts we’ve grown to expect, with a greatly reduced impact on the environment.  Green building and remodeling is not only a option; it’s a necessity.  We can see the direction our culture is heading, and those who get on the bandwagon now and start living greener lives at home will not only have bragging rights as early adopters, but will also reap the benefits of lower energy bills, better air quality, and more efficient home systems.
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The Importance of Indoor Air Quality

Posted on December 6, 2011 by
 When you’re thinking about building a green home or remodeling your home to conform to a higher green standard, usually the first issues that come to mind are energy efficiency, cost, and return on investment.  Effect on the local ecosystem and sustainability of materials are also high up there on the list, but it’s also important to consider the indoor air quality of your home, and how your building materials and ventilation/circulation systems affect the air that your family breathes.  Although homeowners do list indoor air quality as an important factor when upgrading home systems or building a home from scratch, most people may not be aware of just how much the air in their home is affected by the construction of the building, and its contents.
On average, Americans spend more than ninety percent of their time indoors, and of course a hefty portion of that time is spent at home.  We see smog and air quality warnings on TV, reminding us to be careful about going outdoors, but the truth is that many modern building materials give off harmful gases and carcinogens that make being indoors more dangerous than going out.  Inhaling these airborne contaminants can lead to immediate issues like nasal irritation and coughing, or more serious health issues down the road, as exposure time builds up over the years.
Urea-formaldehyde resin is one of the most important substances to avoid when building with indoor air quality in mind.  It’s surprising how prevalent formaldehyde is in construction, especially of interior fixtures.  Cabinets, counters, shelves, and particleboard are often glued together with urea-formaldehyde adhesives, and even a small amount of exposure to the gas these adhesives release can trigger health problems, including several types of cancers.
There are, of course, also organic air quality factors to deal with, as well.  Dust, mold, and pet dander are all issues that homeowners have to manage, and upgrading to green circulation and ventilation systems can help.  If you are planning on having a garage attached to your home or already live in a building with an integrated garage, you need to consider ways to extract harmful gases from the garage that are given off by car exhaust, as opening the door between the house and the garage lets those gases into the house. You’ll also want to do as much as you can to control your personal contribution to contaminants in the air, avoiding things like smoking indoors.
Choosing sustainable flooring rather than carpet can also greatly reduce your exposure to dust mites, as well as preventing a situation where moisture could be trapped between the floor and the carpet, causing mold to develop.  In addition to the organic air quality issues, many carpets contain hundreds of synthetic chemicals, including synthetic rubber backing.  Aside from the chemicals contained in the rubber, it can also trap pesticides, bacteria, and fungus for years. Your contractor can help you choose flooring and ventilation systems that will minimize the amount of contaminants your family is exposed to.
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How Realistic Is Solar Energy for Your Green Project?

Posted on December 1, 2011 by
One of the chief aims of green building and remodeling is to rely less and less on electricity and other non-renewable energy sources to provide power within a home.  However, sometimes there’s a tendency to slip into fantasy land when it comes to imagining a home free of all energy bills, completely self-sustainable.  While this sort of total non-reliance on traditional sources of power is possible, at this moment in time it is very expensive to set up a home energy system entirely fed from something like solar power.  What is more realistic is to start supplementing more traditional systems with things like solar or wind power, and slowly ramp up the solar aspect as solar power becomes more affordable and efficient.
Of course, a lot depends on where you live and what sort of site you’re building on.  A solar energy system will likely be a lot more useful in a place like Arizona than in Maine.  It’s not even entirely about a place having a reputation for being sunny; one also has to take things into consideration like how much annual snowfall can be expected.  There are plenty of cold places that have a lot of sun in the winter, but if the solar panels on your roof are covered with snow, it hardly matters how much sun your area is getting.
Even in very sunny areas with no snow, though, it’s not advisable to rely entirely on solar power unless you have the kind of budget that can cover an all-encompassing system at current prices.  There’s also the issue of how many solar panels you’d have to install to power everything inside your home – it’s surprising how much room it takes to install an adequate number of panels.  The logistics can get tricky quickly.
It’s a more reasonable idea, for most residential builds and remodeling projects, to plan out a system where you can start with a smaller amount of solar power, perhaps supplemented with wind turbines if it’s financially feasible and windy in your area.  The goal for most people would be to start reducing energy bills rather than eliminating them altogether.  While it’s certainly nice to think about a world in which you never receive an electric bill – in terms of impact on both the earth and your bank account – for most people it’s more realistic to start small and have a plan for going completely solar over time.
If you’re interested in utilizing solar power for your home, discuss options with your contractor.  You might be surprised at how easy and cost-effective it is to implement a basic system, and over time, as newer and more efficient systems become available, you can upgrade as necessary.  The important thing is to do the best you can with the technology that’s available at the moment, and make the most of your personal situation in terms of what you can reasonably build in your area, and how much startup cost you can absorb now for the promise of lower energy bills.
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Working Forests Provide Green Building Materials

Posted on November 25, 2011 by

Tree conservation is an important issue in the world of ecological responsibility, and not many people would think of cutting down trees as the way to get materials for building a green house. But the way working forestry manufactures wood is evolving, and the Department of Agriculture released a report this month indicating that working forests growing sustainable wood materials are indeed considered to be green.

This is great news for everyone – homeowners, green contractors, the economy in general, and best of all, the environment.  The growth of working forests, especially in New England, has been phenomenal. Working forests provide a place to live for much of New England’s wildlife, and the trees absorb carbon dioxide.  Obviously this cannot be said for most building materials, and overall the carbon footprint of working forest is much smaller than the processes involved with manufacturing most other building materials.  

There is a catch to all this seemingly good news, however.  The trick is getting usable certification from the materials made from working forests.  Although any third-party certification system could verify the sustainability of wood made from working forests, LEED currently gives credit for wood certified through the Forest Stewardship Council.  The problem with this is that FSC certification is not very common in the United States, with most domestic sustainable forests being monitored by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.  The report from the Department of Agriculture does actually mention both the SFI and the American Tree Farm System as reputable ratings systems in addition to the FSC, but the US Green Building Council does not yet accept these for LEED certification.

Working forests are thriving, and the US Green Building Council can recognize this by considering legitimate ratings systems for weed products, like SFI and ATFS, to help widen the number of forests that are available for green building.  Widespread certification acceptance will allow builders to source products from a greater range of forests, keeping the maintainers of the forests in business and giving potential homeowners every reason to choose sustainable wood as an ecologically sound and aesthetically beautiful building material.

 

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LEED: What You Need to Know

Posted on November 17, 2011 by

When it comes to green building and green remodeling, certification is important – not only in terms of resale value, but also to redeem any tax credits or rebates you might have coming as a property owner. There are many certification systems out there, but the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification system (LEED) is one of the most widely-recognized international certifications for offices, retail businesses, hotels, and residences.

LEED uses a scale of rating systems for both commercial and residential properties, helping owners implement improvements that will lessen a property’s impact on the environment. The LEED rating measures things like a property’s water efficiency, sustainability, energy usage, construction materials and waste, and the quality of the indoor environment.

The overall rating of a property is based on a ceiling of 100 points plus 10 bonus points, for a potential total of 110. Buildings that score 40 or higher overall receive a basic certification; a rating of 50 or more earns a property a silver certification; gold certification goes to properties with a rating of 60 or higher, and those over 80 total points receive the much-coveted platinum certification.

But what do those numbers mean in terms of a return on your green building investment? LEED is an independent certification that measures a building’s environmental performance on several levels, and having the certification can spell a range of benefits for the green homeowner or business proprietor. Aside from the self-propagating benefits of lower waste levels, better energy efficiency, increased indoor comfort, and safer surroundings, a LEED certification can also qualify a building’s owner for tax credits, rebate incentives, and certain zoning allowances.

So how do you go about getting LEED certification? For a residence or business, certification is easiest before any drywall has been added, as part of the certification will involve inspecting what exists behind the drywall. Some pre-drywall inspections from other green certification programs can be used if LEED certification is sought after the construction phase is finished.

Pretty much any single-family or multi-family dwelling can be eligible for certification, with the note that the entire building has to be certified, not just part of it, and the entire building will receive the same rating. In other words, as a tenant in an apartment or condo building, you cannot have your unit certified as an entity separate from the rest of the building. If your dwelling is freestanding and the entire building is ready to be assessed for certification, then your home is eligible.

The Green Building Certification Institute is responsible for verification of green properties. If you are interested in having your new home, remodeled home, business property, or business interior LEED certified, your contractor can help you set up the appropriate appointments necessary for certification.

LEED properties show a commitment to the environment that is not only desirable, it is becoming required in many cities across the US, especially for commercial buildings. Getting your home or business LEED certified now can help you stay in line with building code regulations long before it becomes an issue of necessity.

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The Benefits of Hiring a Green Contractor

Posted on November 9, 2011 by

Hiring the right contractor for the job you need done can be a struggle in any context, but if you’re specifically looking for someone to come in and help you with a green remodeling or building project, then the issues you have to consider start multiplying.

One way you can organize things is just to do the green research on your own, and then hire a standard contractor to come in to do the work. You may think this would save you some money, but even if it does, the hassle of having to explain every single thing you want done is not going to be worth it, and there’s no guarantee that it’ll all get done correctly on the first try if you’re asking the contractor for things they’re not familiar with.

It makes more sense to start looking into contractors who actually specialize in green building. Many people hesitate because of the perceived higher cost of sustainable materials and procedures, but in terms of the big picture, hiring a green contractor will actually end up saving you money.

So many homeowners do not realize that there are many financial benefits to a green remodel or build, such as federal tax credits for installing or upgrading to energy efficient systems, and rebates. These, of course, are in addition to the ongoing benefits of actually having those energy efficient systems in place and enjoying lower energy bills.

You can also feel good about your investment, not only from an earth-friendly point of view, but from a financial one. Green homes generally have a higher value than those that are not green. The key, however, is certification. No one is going to take your word for it that you’ve made green upgrades or you got your contractor to do a green build. Your best bet is to go with an experienced green contractor who can make sure that you get those essential certifications that prove your home is a green one.

Hiring a green expert for your contracting needs will take all the guesswork out of whether you’re really getting the most benefit out of your building or remodeling project. Your contractor can discuss your plans with you and look at what you want in the context of your family’s lifestyle and needs. A green contractor can also help you assess whether your expectations are realistic, and suggest alternatives where necessary.

There are also the benefits to your surroundings to consider. If you are planning any kind of serious construction, you’ll want to take into consideration the wildlife and ecosystems in the area around your property, as well as the effects any changes you make might have on the groundwater. This is something that a green contractor already has a keen understanding of, and it keeps you from having to wonder if what you’re doing is ecologically sound.

If you’re searching for the right contractor to handle your green building or remodeling project, in the long run a green contractor will be able to give you all the things you’re looking for.

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