Stearns Custom Homes

What is Photovoltaic?

Izio test — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700

In the past few years a growing demand for renewable energy has led to an increase of requests for solar power. This blog should help everyone understand how we can use solar power in your home.

Solar photovoltaics (PVs) are what converts the energy from the sun into electricity in your home. Installations can be mounted in the ground or added on the roof or walls.

Worldwide the production of photovoltaic is growing. Some say it is doubling every two years and that it's the world's fastest growing energy technology. This is important because it is leading to a decrease in cost. Its popularity has also led to the creation of state incentives and electric company electricity buy-back programs. Wouldn't it be nice to get a check from the electric company instead of sending them one? It's possible.

Photovoltaic cells turn the sunlight into electricity by using photons of light to turn electrons into electricity. This electricity can be used as power for just about anything from equipment to batteries. It was the space program who first used photovoltaics to power satellites and spacecraft, but today we see it increasingly for grid connected power generation.

In order to protect the cells, they are typically tightly packed behind a glass sheet. Cells are connected together to form photovoltaic modules, or solar panels. For a house these modules are arranged as arrays usually on the roof.

What is commonly called building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is increasingly incorporated into buildings as a primary or secondary source of power. This is one of the reasons that technology is advancing and production is increasing as much as it is. We usually see BIPV uses by incorporating arrays into the roof, but you can also use them on the walls of a building. I've even seen roof tiles with integrated PV cells in them which disguises their presence. If you are thinking of remodeling, you should also know that arrays can be retrofitted into existing homes.

Depending on your location, your panels will either store electricity in a battery or feed directly into the grid. Feeding into the grid requires regulatory and commercial preparation, including net metering and agreements with your local electric company.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

Benefits of Handicapped Accessibility in a Custom Home

Izio test — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700

ADA Compliance - What it means to YOU!

Stearns Custom Homes builds every home to be ADA compliant. This is important, and you may not even know what it is or why…

First off, what is “ADA compliance?” Well, ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act. This civil rights legislation was enacted in 1990, and among other non-discriminatory policies it outlined, it contains a set of standards for construction of commercial buildings to ensure that they are accessible and usable by people with handicaps. These standards were never extended to residential new construction and remodels, but that hasn’t stopped Stearns Custom Homes from adopting those standards in all of their construction.

Here are a few of the ADA standards that you will find in every Stearns Custom Home:

All hallways are a minimum of 3 feet wide to facilitate the passage of wheelchairs.
All light switches are located 1 foot lower to be more accessible to those who are disabled.
There are no steps at any entry ways or in the garage areas which would be impassible to wheelchairs. Likewise, all dedicated showers have minimal lips at their entries.
All bathrooms and kitchens have the minimum required turning radiuses in the open.

There are certain features of ADA compliance that you will not find in a Stearns Custom Home, most notably the absence of a rail beside the toilet. However, Stearns Custom Homes pre-plans for this eventuality by adding structural backing behind the sheetrock in the walls so that the addition of the rails is an easy undertaking at a future date without costly remodel work.

So, what does this mean to you as a member of Stearns Custom Homes’ family? Well, there are many advantages, a few of which are:

As much as we may not like the idea, none of us are getting younger. If your next home is the one that you plan on staying in for the long run, you have to look at the possibility that sometime in the future, you may require easier access. It is better to have everything in place now than have to invest in a costly remodel later.
ADA compliant homes are easier, and SAFER, for children. There are fewer obstacles to create the potential for tripping. The light switches are more accessible, preventing the little ones from having to venture about in the dark. And, with wider hallways and larger living spaces, beginning toddlers have much more room to learn those first few steps.
You want your home to be an inviting place to visit. If you are or become friends with someone with a handicap, they will find your home to be a more pleasant place to visit and socialize.
Resale value and curb appeal will be enhanced by opening up a whole new segment of potential home buyers. When the time comes to move due to your new promotion and relocation, or if it is time to have Stearns Custom Homes build you a bigger home, you will have a leg up on others trying to sell their houses because people with handicaps will be able to move right in without the added expense of an ADA remodel.
With the ever increasing life expectancy in the United States, there may be a time when your parents come to live with you. They will really enjoy the fact that you thought enough ahead to make your home more welcoming.
Your new home will “feel” roomier and more luxurious through ADA compatibility. Every space and hallway will have more “elbow room” and an exceptional “airy” feel. The living areas are more comfortable and inviting than those built with conventional construction.

Are there any downsides to ADA compatibility? Well, certainly. After all, there are no free lunches! You will have to learn to reach in the dark to a different height to “flip on the lights.” And, that’s about it! With the increased livability, and the overall luxury of a Stearns Custom Home, that will go away in a couple of days and you will be thrilled with the whole experience of a owning a Stearns Custom Home!

In short, ADA compatibility may not be something that you are thinking about now, but it makes a ton of sense and truly enhances the home experience. Best of all, it costs nothing more to incorporate into construction. But, when ADA compliance is a factor, experience counts. Stearns Custom Homes knows how to build with these features as standard. Stearns Custom Homes knows how to maximize design to ADA standards. And, most importantly, Stearns Custom Homes has the experience to do it right.

Indoor Air Quality

Izio test — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I'm sending this article out to help you understand that "green" building is about so much more than what it seems. I found this information on GreenBuilding.com.

Common Ailments associated with Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Allergic Rhinitis
Anemia
Asthma
Asbestosis
Cancer
Cardiovascular stress
Coughing
Digestive problems
Dizziness
Dry, chapped, irritated skin
Emphysema
Eye, nose and throat irritation
Fatigue
Headaches

Impaired lung function/ shortness of breathe
Impaired vision
Impaired coordination
Influenza
Learning impairment
Liver and kidney damage
Loss of bone calcium
Nervous System depression
Nose bleeds
Pneumonia
Rashes
Respiratory distress
Respiratory infection
Sinus congestion

Intro

Indoor air quality is very important. On average, people in industrialized nations spend about 90% of their time indoors, and most of that is in their homes. The unfortunate thing is that modern homes can contain substances that are potentially hazardous to our health. These range from normal dust, to major irritants, such as the chemical vapor off-gassing from the newer synthetic building materials being used today.

Indoor air quality is often referred to as the sleeping giant of the building industry. It can be 10 times worse than outdoor air on smoggy days in big cities. Of all the chemicals that EPA regulates, only two are more prevalent outdoors than inside our homes and schools. This is a quiet epidemic brewing right under our noses. As the complexity of houses, especially with the dawn of synthetic products, increase, so do the risks to human health, not only for the chemically sensitive and the allergy sufferers but for all of our children.

Problem Sources

Contaminants can enter our bodies in three main ways: ingestion, touch, and inhalation. The pollutants of main concern when assessing a homes' IAQ, are the airborne contaminants, which usually affect humans through inhalation.

These contaminants are either biological or chemical. The biological ones can originate either in the home or outside. Molds, dust mites, pollen, animal dander, and bacteria are all considered biological contaminants, with molds being the trickiest of the bunch. Molds produce both particulates (spores and residual matter) and gases (volatile compounds characterized as musty odors). High moisture content inside homes supports the growth and presence of mold. The spores are already there. All spores need to grow into colonies is the addition of water, typically in warm, dry places.

The other forms of contaminants are chemicals, which include both gases and particulates. Though the sources are numerous for chemical contaminants, there are several main chemicals, some obvious and some not, that pose a risk.

Combustion by-products, including carbon monoxide, from furnaces, boilers and water heaters can also be a major source of problems. Sealed combustion units alleviate the potential of back drafting these gasses into the living space.

Radon is potentially responsible for as many cases of lung cancer as cigarettes. Preventative rough-in for future radon mitigation is a simple and cost-effective procedure in new construction.

The single most significant source of potential health hazards is from attached garages. Car exhaust contains many known carcinogens and can migrate into the living space through doors and when doors are opened to the garage. These gasses can also migrate though poorly sealed walls and ceilings. An exhaust fan reduces the potential for exhaust to reach the house.

Occupant activity (like smoking a cigarette), combustion of gases from burning fossil fuels (operating a water heater), gases released from building materials (emissions as paint cures), and gases from cleaning products (chlorine from bleach) are some sources, though there are many, many more.

Major Contaminants

Formaldehyde often finds its way into a home in the form of an adhesive, urea-formaldehyde, in pressed wood products such as particleboard, cabinetry, and trim. Formaldehyde, a possible carcinogen (cancer causing agent), is a strong- smelling gas which can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat; cause nausea and fatigue; aggravate allergies; and induce attacks in people with asthma. Over time, some people develop heightened sensitivities to formaldehyde.

Radon can cause lung cancer with prolonged exposure. It is a radioactive gas, typically enters a home by seeping up from the underlying earth and rock. Although there are no immediate health effects, long-term exposure to radon is a factor in approximately 2,000 to 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year (It is important to note that because smokers are more susceptible to cancer as a result of radon exposure, 75 percent of these deaths are the result of the combination of smoking and radon exposure). Because of its fatal consequences, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General recommend that all homes test their radon levels below the third floor. In the U.S., the average indoor radon level is 1.3 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), while average outdoor levels are only 0.4 pCi/L. The EPA suggests that action be taken to increase ventilation if tests result in a radon level above 4 pCi/L.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are both naturally occurring and synthetic, and are characterized by the fact that they release vapors at room temperature. In a home, VOCs are found especially in wood paneling, particleboard, carpets, paints, glues, finishes, and solvents. VOCs can cause a wide variety of symptoms from headaches, eye irritation, and chronic coughing to memory loss, fatigue, and depression.

Adverse Effects

Many chemicals and VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) found as contaminants in homes are known to cause adverse effects on human health. Though molds can cause allergic reactions, they can also cause chronic illness in humans. The increased susceptibility to disease, aggravation of existing ailments, and the sensitization to the same or other environmental agents is of vast importance.

When assessing whether you are being plagued with indoor air contaminants, you should first try to make sense of the situation. At face value, does there appear to be an air quality issue. Common questions like, "Do you feel better outside than inside your home?", will help you assess if you need to take further steps.

Due to the seriousness of IAQ issues, and the increased diagnosis of "sick building syndrome," which is linked to poor IAQ, lawsuits have ensued. Even though "sick buildings" are typically more of a concern in commercial buildings, this problem will increasingly become an issue for residential builders.

Indoor Air Quality and Productivity

Recent studies reveal the link between productivity of workers and IAQ. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the medical and lost-productivity costs of workers breathing poor air amounts to tens of billions of dollars each year in the United States alone. Improving energy efficiency leads to better working conditions, resulting in significantly increased worker productivity. In the same vein as lighting quality and temperature comfort, IAQ clearly affects worker conditions. OSHA estimates the total annual cost of poor IAQ to U.S. employers at $15 billion due to worker inefficiency and sick leave. In its 1994 rule, OSHA calculated a three percent loss of productivity from IAQ. Green designs resulting in productivity gains of one percent can provide savings to a company greater than the savings from reduced energy consumption.

Case Study

I got a call from a homeowner who was at his wit's end. He recounted that for several months his kids had been constantly sick with headaches, fever, coughs, and other flu-like symptoms. The doctors didn't seem to be able to help the kids and they were missing a lot of school. During the same period, his wife had two or three migraine headaches a week. She was losing a lot of sleep. All of them were exasperated. He asked me if these conditions could possibly be from something in his home. I asked him many questions about their home and lifestyle and if they had done any remodeling. Nothing seemed relevant to their situation. Finally, he told me he had gotten a bonus at work and had bought built-in shelves and desks for his kids and their master bedroom. He hadn't mentioned it because he couldn't see how that made any difference. I asked him to go to the rooms and pull out a shelf and describe to me what he saw. It turned out to be particleboard with a melamine veneer. I suggested that he try an experiment. Take everything off the shelves and remove them for the weekend since all the shelf edges were not sealed and I suspected they were off-gassing formaldehyde. I asked him to call me a week later to report if there was any difference. He called and said that the kids' symptoms had decreased and he was encouraged. The next weekend he removed all of the built-in cabinetry. He called me two weeks later and said all of their symptoms were gone. The kids felt great and his wife hadn't had a headache since he took the shelves out.

How Bad is My Home?

First, you should try to assess your location. Do I live in an area with prevailing winds from a large urban area? Is there likely to be radon in my neighborhood? Are my kids often sicker than others? Questions like those geared to your neighboring outside environment will be quite important when grasping the whole picture.

It is also essential to look at the house history. Was the house recently renovated? If so, there is a possibility that some of the building materials may be off gassing and a cause of discomfort or pain? Has there been a flood or leaky pipes in the house in the past? Has mold ever been remediated there?

Regardless, you should begin a thorough assessment of your house. Start in the basement, and go up in a logical manner, room by room, trying to list all potential contaminants (biological and chemical), and their sources.

You will later be able to correlate the sources and symptoms with an appropriate corrective action. It is a good idea to get help with your house audit, as sometimes our senses are less acute after having been in the same place for awhile.

Solutions

For over a decade product manufacturers in the building industry have been introducing products that reduce formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds and other potentially harmful chemicals. Today there is a wide range of products available that replace existing paints, adhesives, flooring and other finishes that are much healthier for children inside homes.

Fresh air is also critical to optimal health. Most homes in cold climates are sealed up so tightly that the air is heated and recirculated constantly with only the air that leaks through the envelope providing fresh air. Intentional mechanical ventilation provides control over ventilation rates and helps prevent mold. Heat recovery ventilation is a good insurance policy against build-up of indoor air problems without paying an energy penalty for direct fresh air ventilation. It exhausts stale indoor air while providing fresh air with only a small energy cost. Many of these units help to pressurize the house slightly reducing infiltration and resisting radon and car exhaust intrusion.

Green buildings reduce IAQ problems by providing good ventilation to allow fresh air to flow through the house, installing an exhaust system for radon gas, avoiding wood products which contain formaldehyde and sealing those which do, using low or no VOC interior paint, solvent-free finishes, and solvent-free construction adhesives.

Action Plan

With all the news in hand, you can next create a personal action plan. What are the sources of the problem, where are they, and what can I do to correct them? Prioritize the corrective measures needed, estimate their cost, and assess their feasibility with timeframes to completion. Doing this will definitely help you see the potential costs associated with fixing a sick house. The unfortunate fact is that renovation and repairs to fix the contaminant ailments can be pricey. The good news is that there are now test kits to assess chemicals and mold in your home.

If you decide to address these issues, seek recommendations from friends, review internet list-serve group sources, and keep in mind not to forget, old fashioned research.

Copyright© 2008 - 2010 GreenBuilding.Com

Recycled Countertops

Izio test — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Here at Stearns Custom Homes, we are always looking for ways to help keep our planet WONDERFUL for our children to inherit.A major part of that commitment is recycling, and the use of recycled products; we want to minimize the amount of material that simply takes up space, blows out into the surrounding area, and serves no useful purpose in today’s complex environmental landscape.

Wrap your brain around this idea: take millions of old, useless glass bottles that are taking up space in those landfills/crush them into granular sized pieces/ add a cement matrix… and create gorgeous countertop surfaces!

IceStone is made up of an average of 75% recycled materials (including 100% recycled glass), and of that recycled content, generally 80-100% is pre-consumer waste and the balance being post-consumer waste. And to top it off, 80% of post production waste is recycled again, recovered, or composted!

Its durable surfaces contain no volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and thus emit no VOC’s. It is the first and only durable surface to have achieved the Cradle to Cradle certification.

These amazing countertop surfaces are twice as sturdy as marble (they carry a 13,000psi strength rating), at 1 ¼” thick. They are smooth, easy to clean, and re-sealable. IceStone can be used outdoors, especially in New Mexico’s mild climates, and they DO NOT fade in direct sunlight. Visit www.icestone.biz for more details.

Who else, besides Stearns Custom Homes, is using IceStone countertops? How about Bank of America… Whole Foods… Starbucks… even the US Green Building Council has IceStone tops! For more information, and to look at different LEED ratings, check the latest versions at the USGBC website- www.usgbc.org.

Solar Water Heater

Izio test — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I want to tell you about an amazing system that we put in one of our custom homes here in southern New Mexico. We have built a home that is averaging about $70 a month in utility bills, even through the heat of summer. There are no water bills, because she has a well. Her electric bill basically makes up the whole sixty bucks, she doesn’t need her air conditioner. But what I want to tell you about today is a Solar Hot Water system that is A MACHINE!

Figure 1

Figure 2

The picture on t is of the three solar collectors, mounted on the roof facing south. They are tilted at a 45 degree angle for maximum productivity every day of the year, winter or summer, provided the day isn’t overcast (that’s typically not a problem in New Mexico where we average well over 300 sunny days a year). An anti-freeze type of liquid, called polypropylene glycol, runs through tubes within the collector, down through the insulated tubes (figure 2) and into a coil in the 168 gallon holding tank. The heat of this liquid is measured by the device in Figure 3 mounted on the wall beside the tank.

The coils within the tank can heat the water to a scolding 180 degrees farenheit powered only by the sun’s rays. That water is then sent to the boiler (far right in figure 2), where it is mixed with cold water from the well to create both the domestic hot water and the heated water for the radiant floor heating system (figure 4 below, before pouring the slab). There are three zones of heat from the boiler, plus hot water, so the homeowner can set the temperature of the hot water at 115 degrees, and the heating zone in her bedroom at 75 degrees, and turn off the zones completely in the rest of the house if she wants; or any combination in between.

Figure 3

Figure 4

New Poll: What is the most important part of your home?

Izio test — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Low Impact Living

Izio test — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The tool located in the link below takes you through a process to determine what your impact is on the environment. Remember, this also impacts your pocket book.

It is an interesting exercise to go through to see how you compare to the average person. While I do not promote any position on environmental policies, I do think that we should do our part (within reason) to minimize our impact. Living in a green home is within reason.

I use this tool to see how living in one of my homes decreases your impact. The site is also useful for finding ways that you can decrease it yourself. Check it out and let me know what your score is.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CALCULATOR

A Window of Opportunity for Saving Energy Costs

Izio test — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

OK... more details about green building. I hope this is informative for you.

By Wayne A. Endicott

It's a delicate balancing act. When do new replacement windows justify their cost by lowering heating and cooling costs?

The answer, unfortunately for contractors, is almost never. High-performance windows are pricey, so unless homeowners want to replace the windows in the home for another reason, such as changing the look of the house, eliminating drafts or installing a window to replace one that no longer opens and closes easily, it's usually more cost-efficient to live with the old ones.

However, in the case of new construction, an addition or a decision to replace the existing windows despite the expense, the smart move is to install energy-efficient windows.

According to the Efficient Windows Collaborative, using such windows can significantly cut the cost of heating or cooling a home. What's more, the more efficient the windows, the smaller the heating and cooling unit necessary to handle peak heating and cooling loads-another savings with new construction that helps offset the cost of the upgraded windows.

Adding up the savings
So the question now becomes just what kind of windows provide the greatest benefit in terms of lower heating and cooling demand.

To help builders and remodelers determine just what kinds of cost savings their clients can expect by installing various types of windows and to aid in the selection of windows, the Collaborative (an arm of the Alliance to Save Energy) conducted a study in cooperation with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Center for Sustainable Building Research of the University of Minnesota. The results not only document the savings possible with a wide variety of window types, but even offer a guide to selecting windows for installation in homes in dozens of locales throughout the country.

The upshot: Savings in heating and cooling costs and in the sizing of HVAC equipment are significant. For example, simple windows with a single pane of clear glass in an aluminum frame installed in a typical 2,000 square foot house with 300 square feet of window area in Phoenix would require an air conditioner capable of producing peak loads of nearly 600 kilowatts. This would require a nearly five-ton unit.

But by installing a wood- or vinyl-framed window with low-solar-gain glazing instead, the peak summer cooling load would be reduced to just over 400 kilowatts. The air conditioning unit required would thus be approximately 3 1/2 tons, a 30 percent reduction in the size of the air-conditioning system required. This simple change could save the home owner 32 percent in cooling costs.

Likewise, in cold climates, the choice of various types of windows can dramatically affect heating costs. Again, with a typical 2,000-sq.-ft. house in Boston as a basis for comparison, a window with clear single glazing in an aluminum frame would require approximately $900 to keep warm in a typical heating system. But a double clear-glass window in a wood or vinyl frame would reduce heating costs by 24 percent. A triple-pane moderate solar gain window with low-E glazing in an insulated frame provides even more dramatic savings-as much as 36 percent.

In addition to providing cost benefits, the choice of windows also affects the comfort level in the home, the Efficient Windows Collaborative found. For example, high-performance windows provide a warmer interior surface during the cold winter months and significantly reduce condensation on the interior surfaces of the windows. And yes, they reduce the likelihood of drafts sneaking into the home.

For a more in-depth look at the findings of the Efficient Windows Collaborative and to access the window-selection tool, go to www.ase.org/section/program/ewc.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/cda/article_print/0,2645,HPRO_26519_3811905_ARTICLE-DETAIL-PRINT,00.html

Solar Power Ready to Hit the On Switch

Izio test — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

My last post on solar power was very popular so I found one more. I hope this helps a lot of you understand how solar power can work for you.

With all the uncertainty surrounding utility power in the past months and years, consumers are actively looking for ways to reduce their exposure to energy-price fluctuations. Photovoltaic-or PV-power is unique in its ability to produce electricity at each property with a broadly available fuel source: the sun. Energy from the sun is clean, and above all, renewable. As long as the sun continues to rise each day, its power can be converted to electricity using PV systems, which are reliable and pollution free.

The primary purpose of PV systems is usually to produce enough electricity to lower the amount of energy purchased from the local utility company. To maximize the system's benefit, however, it's important to reduce overall energy use. Installing energy-efficient appliances, insulating and sealing homes properly, and ensuring that the HVAC system is properly installed are all important first steps when considering PV as a home feature. When these measures are applied in the initial building process, a smaller and more cost-effective PV system can provide 50% or more of the remaining electric needs for the home, providing substantial monthly savings and stabilizing the homeowner's long-term electricity costs.

PV power protects the environment, too-an important feature to consumers motivated by the idea of a cleaner environment. And in an era of more frequent power outages during winter cold weather, summer heat waves, storms, and natural disasters, PV systems with battery backup can provide emergency power.

Builders and developers who offer PV systems can market themselves as more high-tech and more environmentally concerned than their competition. And prospective homeowners may be more inclined to buy when they see how their social and environmental consciences can be satisfied. Developments based on these principles in the past have proven to be very successful with consumers.

Case history
One home featuring this technology is a 3,200-sq.- ft. three-story home in the Glenwood Park community on the east side of Atlanta. The home, showcased in Southern Living Magazine in August 2005, is an "Idea House" that demonstrates energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies. It is a project of the Southface Energy Institute program entitled EarthCraft House and was built using building performance levels from the Department of Energy's Building America program. A partner of the Building America program, IBACOS (Integrated Building and Construction Solutions), worked with the builder to develop the following specifications for this Atlanta home:

A 1.5 k W photovoltaic system to generate on-site energy
Two highly efficient HVAC systems located entirely within conditioned space.
Efficient florescent lighting in three-quarters of the house
R-10 insulated, conditioned crawlspace
2x6 framed R-3 foam-sheathed exterior wall filled with R-22 total insulation
Sealed attic with R-22 insulation
High-performance, low-emissivity windows, which reduce solar heat gain
A tankless water heater to serve the house and a smaller unit for the garage suite

No single technology can meet our energy efficiency needs. But as part of a whole-house plan, a photovoltaic system has the potential to bring about advanced performance in thousands of future homes-and without depleting our natural resources or destroying our environment.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_3918426,00.html

Natural Cooling Is Getting Hot

Izio test — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I love this subject. This really demonstrates how builders should incorporate green building techniques from the very beginning of the project. As I've mentioned before, I've gotten beyond the "green building" idea and think about these things as the right way to build a home... and why it is important to think about your home as a system.

By Chuck Ross

Automobile manufacturing isn't the only industry facing consumer demand for more efficient products these days. Home buyers also are contemplating ever-increasing energy prices and are beginning to seek out designs that promise both comfort and efficiency. And, as builders are learning, this means more than simply installing high-efficiency furnaces and air conditioners.

Experts say the biggest energy reductions come when designers begin by considering houses holistically (known as systems integration or systems integrated design) rather than as collections of disparate systems. This might seem like a big order, but builders are now gaining new resources for developing house plans to meet these needs.

The National Association of Home Builders released its Model Green Home Building Guidelines earlier this year (to get a free copy, click here); the Sustainable Building Council released its Green Building Guidelines in 2002; and the U.S. Green Building Council currently is developing a residential counterpart to its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines for commercial buildings.

Additionally, the Department of Energy's Building America Program, which has long been developing strategies for green and energy efficient construction, has begun to release building guides by climate zone.

While technology-advanced glass and insulation products, for example-plays a role in some of these documents' guidelines, other ideas will seem familiar to anyone who grew up in a house built before central air conditioning became the norm. In fact, you'll probably see many of these ideas in use today in your area's older homes.

"When air conditioning came along, people could rely on something mechanical," explains Debra Rucker Coleman, an architect whose Sun Plans Inc. practice focuses on designs that maximize natural heating and cooling, reducing the need for air conditioning to the summer's hottest months.

Debra lives in southwestern Alabama, so she understands the need for air conditioning very well. "It used to be you relied on common sense," she says. "These are not complex strategies."

Debra outlines her approach, called "passive solar" design, in her book, The Sun-Inspired? House, due out in October 2005. Many of her ideas also are described in the new NAHB guidelines. Following are a few of the common-sense tactics she considers when designing high-efficiency custom homes:

Consider your siting. Minimize east- and west-facing wall areas, because these elevations feel summer sun most intensely. Shade windows on these facades with porches or trees.

Maximize south-facing glazing. This strategy also helps minimize winter heating bills. Right-sized overhangs placed above south-facing windows can help minimize heat gain during the summer, when the sky is high in the southern sky, yet still admit warming rays during winter months.

Maximize use of operable windows. Aim for operable-window space equal to 6 to 7 percent of floor space. (Only the operable portion of a double-hung window counts toward this percentage, while all of a casement window's space counts toward the total.)

Use thoughtful window placement. Place windows diagonally across from each other, rather than directly opposite, to encourage ventilation through, rather than across, a space.

Incorporate whole-house/attic fans. Coleman says today's units are more powerful and efficient than models you might remember from your grandmother's home. In the evening, with windows and attic doors open, these fans can help flush out daytime heat quickly.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_3943792,00.html

Quality Pays Off at Resale

Izio test — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

You may have noticed that homes priced over $400,000 aren't exactly flying off the shelf these days. However, after six years, John & Becky decided it was time put their home on the market and build a new one. They are in a growing demographic of people downsizing from their "family home" into more of a "empty nester," energy efficient, close to town product.

In 2004 SCH built them this beauty and today it looks brand new. One of the many reasons it sold within two months of being on the market was its endurance. Maybe it sold for 97% of the asking price because the quality materials held up so well for the past six years. While the home owners share responsibility for maintaining their home, these materials and features contributed to it being appraised at $16,000 more than the sales value.

For whatever reason, John & Becky were able to sell their SCH fast and now they are back for another one. Like so many of our clients, they are returning clients and we appreciate them.

Geothermal Heat

Izio test — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Now this article is interesting although not always available.

Heat from the Underground

A new twist on an old favorite-the heat pump-is gaining ground in the green building movement. Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) use natural thermal energy stored just below the earth's surface to provide space heating during the winter and cooling in the summer. They also can be configured for radiant heat and domestic water heating.

Just a few feet underground, the temperature remains at a relatively constant 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Animals take advantage of this warmth by burrowing into the ground to hibernate. Similarly, geothermal heating systems employ buried pipes to access the earth's warmth for indoor heating.

Geothermal systems do not burn fossil fuels to create heat. They cost very little to maintain and operate, and they provide homeowners with an affordable alternative to rising fuel prices-although they are significantly more expensive in first cost.

A Dream Home
When John and Linda Cavanagh built their dream home in Rye, N.H., in 1992, they wanted to avoid using oil or natural gas. They installed a geothermal heat pump system, but not without careful thought. John was a little apprehensive about being a pioneer in geothermal technology.

"Geothermal was somewhat of a leap of faith in technology because the traditional heating system up here is fossil fuel," says John. "When it's not something your neighbor has, you greet it with a bit of skepticism. That's the New England way."

Today, though, he's happy with his choice-a direct-exchange (DX) geothermal heat pump from ECR Technologies, Inc. A "desuperheater" takes the heat collected during the air-conditioning cycle and transfers it to the home's hot water storage tank for supplemental water heating in the summer. The result is substantially lower water-heating bills for Linda and John, as the system saves energy normally used by the hot water heater.

Direct and Efficient
DX geothermal systems offer a number of advantages over standard water-based geothermal heat pumps, according to Joe Parsons, director of marketing for ECR Technologies. The key difference is that copper is used for the underground heat-exchange process, which involves only one heat transfer process. Water-based geothermal systems typically rely on plastic for underground piping, which requires two heat exchanges. As a result, the system uses about twice the energy as a DX geothermal system, says Parsons.

Greater thermal conductivity, flexibility and availability in small diameters make annealed or "soft" copper tubing ideal for the long underground tubing runs required in DX geothermal heating/cooling systems, says Andy G. Kireta Jr., national program manager of building and construction, Copper Development Association. "Heating and cooling are the biggest energy-users in the home," he says.

Energy Savings
In the past 12 months, the Cavanaghs estimate they have spent a total of $972 or 38 cents per square foot for heating, cooling and hot water for their 2,600 sq. ft. home. If oil had been their primary fuel source, their annual heating costs alone would have exceeded $2,000, according to ECR calculations.

The system cost about $9,000 including installation, which required drilling four bore holes about 100 feet into the ground. However, the Cavanaghs received $8,000 in energy rebates for building their house to Energy Star specifications set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Other energy-efficient features used in the home's construction include structural insulated panels, energy efficient windows and compact fluorescent lighting.)

"DX geothermal gives homeowners a way to reduce their energy bills, while helping promote a healthier environment," notes CDA's Andy Kireta. "That's technology all of us can live with."

For more information on DX geothermal technology, visit the Copper Development Association's Web site at www.copper.org.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_3952198,00.html

You're in Control - Gas Fireplaces Offer Elegant Zone Heating

Izio test — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Let's talk about fireplaces and how your choice here helps. I found the following article on this subject very enlightening and helpful.

By Marcia Jedd

Despite today's fluctuating natural gas prices, gas fireplaces are the overwhelming choice in fireplaces, far outselling their cordwood counterparts. Natural gas fireplace inserts and free-standing stoves not only help maintain indoor air quality, keeping the home clean, but they create less outdoor pollution than woodburning fireplaces.

"The entire fireplace industry is relatively strong now," says Don Johnson, director of market research for the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association in Arlington, Va. "When gas prices go up, sales of cordwood fireplaces and pellet appliances go up."

The numbers tell the story: During 2005, sales of pellet-burning stoves jumped 76 percent over the prior year, to nearly 118,500 units sold. Cordwood appliances (fireplaces, stoves and inserts) rose about 13 percent in 2005 from the prior year to nearly 561,600 units sold, Don says, compared with relatively flat sales for gas fireplaces in 2005 of more than 2.1 million units.

Zone heating
Energy-conscious consumers are fueling the trend of using gas fireplaces, inserts and pellet stoves to provide zone heating for the spaces used most often. Utility bills are lower when they can turn down the thermostat on a central furnace and use the gas fireplace as a supplemental heat source. Highly efficient natural gas fireplace inserts, for example, can heat up to 1,000 square feet of living space at low cost.

Builders and remodelers discussing such options with their clients should keep the following recommendations in mind:

For zone heating, consider only properly installed gas fireplaces, inserts and pellet appliances.

Hearth & Home Technologies, the world's largest fireplace manufacturer, recommends only gas fireplace units and appliances that are Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (A.F.U.E) rated. These units are tested to the same standard used to rate energy-efficient furnaces.

Avoid masonry woodburning fireplaces, which can lose up to 85 percent of the fire's heat through the chimney.

For conversions from woodburning to gas, fireplace inserts can be installed in almost any existing masonry fireplace and are available in a variety of styles and designs to match the home's decor.

Gas fireplaces
Whether or not your client is interested in zone heating, the choice of fireplace is dictated by regional climate, the age and construction of the home as well as the amount of heat required:

Direct-vent fireplaces comprise the majority of gas fireplace sales. "These have to be close to an outside wall. Fireplace doors are permanently sealed to allow for proper ventilation so air is blown out of the home," Don says. Air to feed the flame enters from the outside and relatively cool combustion gases are exhausted through a wall-mounted vent or can be vented through a roof.

Vent-free fireplaces don't require venting to the outside. "With the vent-free units, there are people concerned about indoor air quality, but studies say it's safe," Don says. Don doesn't recommend these units for frequent use, though, because they can produce a lot of condensation within the home over time, particularly for newer homes that are tightly sealed. Most units are open, without doors.

Class B vent (natural vent) conventional gas fireplaces require a through-the-roof Class B flue to carry away hot combustion gases and typically feature operable doors.

Pellet appliances are freestanding stoves or fireplace inserts that burn pellets for zone heating. The most common fuel is wood-based pellets made primarily from compressed sawdust. Pellets, developed in 1970s to use waste wood from manufacturing processes, are a highly efficient way to burn wood and can be purchased in 40-pound bags. Don says alternative fuels include grain and corn; some appliances are specially made to burn these commodities. One advantage of pellet fuel is the ability to lock in fuel costs at the beginning of the heating season.

Hearth & Home Technologies recommends direct-vent gas fireplaces for their efficiency; 70 percent of the heat they generate remains in the house. Direct-vent units are much easier and less expensive to install than traditional woodburning or gas masonry units, and there's greater flexibility in placement. These units are also effective for zone heating because people absorb the radiant heat from the glass front while the firebox also heats the air in the room.

Marcia Jedd is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer who frequently writes about design and construction.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/di_green_sustainable/article/0,2618,HPRO_20616_4484912,00.html

You're in Control - Landscaping

Izio test — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I had a series of articles a while back that detail how home owners are a part of the green building system. I read this article the other day and it inspired me to pick things back up. Enjoy.

Landscaping

By Wayne A. Endicott

When discussions concerning energy conservation crop up, everybody talks about insulation, heating and cooling equipment sizing, window types, attic fans and the like. But how often do you hear trees and bushes mentioned in the conversation?

However, thoughtful landscape design actually can lower the demands put on an air-conditioning and heating system, according to landscape architects Rosheen Styczinski, FASLA, of New Eden Landscape Architecture of Milwaukee, and Hugh Dargan, ASLA, of Dargan Landscape Architects, Atlanta.

"The most obvious example of this would be the use of shade trees in strategic locations," says Rosheen, who chairs the Residential Professional Interest Group of the Washington, D.C.-based American Society of Landscape Architects. "Planting deciduous trees to provide shade on the south side of a house can lower the cooling load during the summer months by providing a solar shield."

Why deciduous trees? "Because they will drop their leaves in the fall, thereby letting sunlight through to provide solar heating in the winter, lowering the heating bill as well," Rosheen explains.

Bushes and other shrubbery can cast a beneficial shadow, too. They are especially useful in shading an air conditioner, provided that they leave enough ventilation to ensure operating efficiency. Another suggestion from Rosheen is the use of vines on a house. For that purpose, she recommends either Boston ivy or Engelman's ivy-fast growing species that will provide thermal protection quickly.

Hugh suggests other landscaping tricks that can promote energy savings. "Including a small pond, a fountain or a waterfall in a strategic location can lower the cooling costs for a home," he maintains. "Placing either in a spot where the prevailing winds can blow across them before reaching the house will provide cooling benefits as well as adding to the ambience of the landscaping."

Hugh emphasizes, however, that it is important then to provide a conduit for those breezes to reach the house-a wind tunnel between the trees and bushes that directs the breezes to the side of the house.

The right tree in the right place
The choice of trees and the locations where they are planted are also important to achieve the maximum benefits, Hugh says. Best selections are fast-growing varieties, such as maples, burr oaks, overcup oaks and river birches, he suggests. Be sure, though, that the mature tree's wood will withstand strong winds. Otherwise, you risk damage to the building the tree is supposed to protect.

The North Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (www.ngemc.com) offers the following suggestions for siting and planting a tree:

Know its size at full maturity.

Choose a location where it has room to grow and where it will provide direct shade from block overhead sun on the south side and low-angle sun on the east and west sides.

Trees to the south should be fairly close to the house, but not any closer than one-half the mature-crown diameter.

Trees on the east and west sides should provide a screen against the morning and evening sun.

With rising costs, every weapon in the energy savings arsenal can be important. Remember to include landscaping in the fight. Trees can save the homeowner money on heating and cooling while they add beauty and value to the property. An environmental bonus: They even help clean the air.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_4026977,00.html

Use the Sun to your Advantage!

Izio test — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Here we go again. Let's get into the details about how solar systems work and how you can benefit from them. I found this article very good.

Harnessing the Sun: Passive and Active Solar Systems

When Orlo Stitts' home in Rogers, Ark., won the EnergyValue Housing Award, it was a model of sound passive solar design. The home was also photovoltaic ready, but with the utility at that time unwilling to budge on net metering, Stitt was unable to integrate an active solar system on the grid. That changed in January 2006, when Arkansas passed interconnection legislation. Now his meter sometimes runs backwards, the way he had always hoped it would. And he's selling solar every chance he gets. Stitts discusses the technology and its role in his own home:

My house has been a research house for the last eight years. I'm working on a progressive plan to minimize utility bills. For the last seven years, up until just recently, it has operated as a very energy-efficient, passive solar home. The house has a very tight ICF structure, with just 0.07 natural air changes per hour. Our utility bills were averaging just $65 per month for 3,295 square feet-two and a half times less than other homes around here.

Passive solar design
We build for passive solar design every chance we get. It makes a house unique, and it makes a lot of sense.. And passive solar design along with other energy efficiency measures can reduce energy costs very significantly. It's so affordable for the customer, and it makes you more in touch with the weather and the great outdoors.

I always point out, "Houses have four sides and therefore face four directions." The buyer needs to think about where the sun is, how it can be used in winter, and how to keep it out in summer. Otherwise, it's like putting your feet in the oven and head in the refrigerator and expecting you'll be comfortable.

For a passive solar design, we use overhangs and low-e, argon-filled windows on all sides. The placement of the house on the property is planned to minimize utility bills year round. In the northern hemisphere, the sun is high overhead in summer, and in the winter it drops down to the south. We use faux roofs that create an eave over the windows to control the sun in the house, just like your eyebrows shade your eyes. Sometimes we extend a porch for the western sun.

Of course, you want to consider beautiful views, too. It's an art to place a house; there's no right or wrong. In the house and site plans, we like to have lots of glass and orientation to the south. Even the landscape plan is a matter of where we need to put deciduous trees to let in winter sun or coniferous trees that will break the prevailing wind to the north or northwest.

Gridlock
When my house was built, Arkansas had not yet passed legislation requiring utilities to offer net metering options. Years back, the state passed legislation that you could send power back to the grid, but there were holes in it. The utility could pay you 2 cents for your power, and charge you 9 cents for theirs. Some folks would do "guerilla solar" anyway-net metering without the approval or knowledge of the utility-but we wanted to do it officially and be able to tell our customers what we were doing.

We were fortunate to have a champion in Bill Ball, who's at Stellar Sun in Little Rock and has been building systems for people off the grid most of his life. He and others took the argument to the state legislature and the Public Service Commission. The utility didn't want anyone feeding into their infrastructure; they were concerned about the safety of linemen making repairs during outages and the quality of the power. But eventually we got the legislation in place.

My interconnection contract came in the mail not long ago, so the PV system is finally up and running. We're going to try to zero out every month. Even on overcast days, we get some power. On bright days, it does very well.

Selling solar
The PV system costs about $26,500 labor and materials, with the batteries and uninterruptible power supply (UPS). It's definitely a niche market, but it has the potential for much broader appeal.

Offering PV systems puts us in the forefront. We get the mavens-people who want to research everything. They're not casual buyers. Our customers are people who define quality of life as something different from the "McBig" house or the "starter castle." They want well-planned, efficient use of space and energy.

We sell the reliability of solar and the long-term benefits of holistic systems. The economic dividends of an energy-efficient home and solar system with battery back-up don't ever go down; the system always pays off. The higher energy prices go, the bigger the dividend. It is certainly a better investment than granite counter tops or a bass boat. Some states and municipalities-New Jersey, Colorado, Texas, Nevada and California among them-have the payback down to seven years or less with the rebates and incentives they offer. I believe it's the start of a trend.

We're selective about which customers we approach to sell PVs. It may be that they're in a remote area, with no power. Or they want to be independent. Many of them are realists about the fact that the price of energy is going up. Some may just like to play with it.

We show them our house, now that it's complete. A lot of times, it just sells itself. You've got to have something for people to see; they aren't very good at imagining a PV system. They'll think it's going to be ugly on the roof. My goal is to integrate it so that it's not aesthetically unappealing.

The PVs need to be considered during the design phase. It's a matter of taking what roof is available. You define an area and then determine how many panels can go in there.

Installation and education
We use a Sharp PV array. Alpha Technologies is our supplier of the PV system. They have an integrated system, with their own inverter. It comes as a kit, so it allows us to offer the customer a suite of options.

The manufacturer helped in the specifications of the system and sent a representative to assist with the installation. The supplier sent a very capable person to help on the first house we did. There was a good instruction manual, too. It was on-the-job training for our crew and for me.

Our crew put the panels up. We installed them with the help of an electrician, which the state and utility require. With some support from the supplier, the electrician wired it and checked for voltage, amperage and function.

The panels were up in a day; the wiring took another full day and a bit of the next. We checked the system on the third day. It was probably a day longer than it should have been, because we were green. The only snag was that one of the panels was damaged by a forklift. The supplier FedExed a replacement panel, and it arrived the next day.

When we provide energy systems only, we have to work with the builder to persuade him to do things our way-saving trees, for example. We'd never take out a tree for the sake of solar, but we might trim the lower branches of one if it was shading the house or the solar array. We mark the trees when the house is staked, and talk with the owners, the builder and excavators on site about how the trees function as a part of the whole to minimize utility bills.

But you can run into resistance from subcontractors and others who have never done an energy-efficient home before, so you have to educate them on the advantages right up front. HVAC contractors, for example: They'll think we need a
bigger air conditioning system than we do. Friends and competitors might go right to the homeowners and tell them they're wasting their money. They can make an impression.

Then there are the building and trade inspectors. Most of them need to be advised of the differences regarding PVs and solar thermal systems. For the most part, if it's done right and they have the knowledge and assurance they need, it's fine. They just want to know it meets UL and national electric codes.

Lead time ... and leadership
We waited about two months for the panels, which worked fine with our work schedule. There is some shortage of panels, though, because of world demand. Supposedly the industry is working very hard to relieve that shortage.

The challenges with solar and energy efficiency are not technical. We have the technology right now to save more than 50 percent of what we spend on home energy. We just need strong leadership. Many places promote and encourage solar. Some utility companies see it as a way of postponing new power plants. Distributed generation is more efficient, cleaner-and it will bring our energy dollars home to America.

I just read an article in the March 2006 issue of Solar Today that challenges us to imagine life in 2106-what it would be like if green renewables proliferated. The environment would be better. The air would be cleaner. Health-care costs would be down. It's a real positive, lifting article, a "just do it" message. I am confident that it's going to happen.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/di_green_sustainable/article/0,2618,HPRO_20616_5140673,00.html

Green Building Resources

Izio test — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Here is a great list of places that you can go to learn more about green building and the standards that we should all be held to.

I've been building green since I started building. That's primarily because I've always tried to build good quality homes for my clients.

There is plenty of information available to consumers interested in green building. This list includes a few of those with a national scope. These organizations provide homeowners with excellent knowldege. You can find things like tips on water conservation, as well as more sophisticated approaches to green building, including building a zero-energy house that generates its own energy needs.

Building America
U.S. Department of Energy

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse
U.S. Department of Energy
Phone 877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463)
E-mail eereic@ee.doe.gov

Energy and Environmental Building Association
10740 Lyndale Avenue South, Suite 10W
Bloomington, MN 55420-5615
Phone 952-881-1098
Fax 952-881-3048
E-mail information@eeba.org

Environmental Protection Agency Green Buildings
Cate Berard
US EPA (7409M)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 202-564-8847
Fax 202-564-8899
E-mail berard.cate@epa.gov

Forest Stewardship Council
1155 30th Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20007
Phone 202-342-0413
Fax 202-342-6589
E-mail info@fscus.org

Green Building Initiative
222 SW Columbia St., Ste. 1800
Portland, Oregon 97201
Phone 877-GBI.GBI1
Fax 503-961-8991
Email: info@thegbi.org

Green Building Institute
7761 Waterloo Road, Jessup, Maryland 20794
Phone 443-733-1234
Fax 443-733-1219

National Association of Home Builders
1201 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Phone 800-368-5242; 202-266-8200 x0
Fax 202-266-8400

NAHB Green Building Conference
Office of the Registrar
The NAHB University of Housing
1201 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Phone 800-368-5242 x8338
Fax 202-266-8501
E-mail registrar@nahb.com

NAHB Research Center
400 Prince George's Boulevard
Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20774
Phone 800-638-8556 or 301-249-4000
Fax 301-430-6180

Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing
A partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and leaders of private businesses in the homebuilding, product manufacturing, insurance and financial industries.

U.S. Green Building Council
U.S. Green Building Council
1015 18th Street, NW, Suite 508
Washington, DC 20036
Phone (202) 82-USGBC or 828-7422
Fax (202) 828-5110
Email info@usgbc.org

This list came from:

Green, Greener, Greenest
By Marjie O'Connor

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_4975569,00.html

Don't Lose Energy Through Your Walls or Ceilings

Izio test — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Some say that 47% of a home's energy is lost through the walls and ceilings. That's why insulation is so important. At Stearns Custom Homes we use blown in cellulose insulation.

Cellulose insulation reduces the amount of energy it takes to heat or cool your home and whether it matters to you or not, that makes it the most environmentally friendly insulation too. Cellulose insulation is also made of recycled newspaper and other paper sources, paper that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

I found this video today to show you how it works. Enjoy!

More Green Myths

Izio test — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I have fun with these... enjoy.

Myth 1 Green building is too expensive.
This is a very common misunderstanding. It's been debunked many times in the past. Part of the reason that the myth exists is because many of the green projects that get attention are very high-end. But the fact is there are plenty of strategies for inexpensive green building, from right-sizing the structure to optimal value engineering to reducing waste, and others.

Myth 2 Green building is all about material selection.
Green building is about a lot more than materials. For instanc, on the most important things I do is suggest to my clients that they are a very important part of the overall system. In the past, people equated green building with using "green materials" such as those with high recycled content, low embodied energy, no VOCs, etc. While that is an important part of constructing a green building, it is still a small part of the big picture. For instance, site selection and energy performance are very important as well. People are beginning to gain a greater understanding that green building is a systems approach to the entire construction process.

Myth 3: Green building products don't work as well.
Low-flow toilets and fiberglass insulation are typical products that continue to get a bad rap. However, new green products work as well if not better than traditional products.

Myth 4: Green Products are hard to find.
Some green products are not manufactured nationwide and can be hard to purchase in some parts of the country. However, the number of green products and systems that are available continues to grow exponentially to the point where there are literally hundreds-if not thousands-of mainstream green products.

Myth 5: Green homes are "weird" or "ugly."
Today's green homes are virtually indistinguishable from "typical" homes. And if you do want to go with solar power you can integrate PV [photovoltaic] panels that are attractive and effective.

Myth 6: Building a green home is too complicated.
Actually, green homes are well constructed homes. If your buider is't using these techniques then he (or she) isn't using sound principles behid the decision making.

Myth 7: To get into green building, you have to sign up for some sort of program or third-party certification.
While programs such as the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED and the American Lung Association's Healthy House are great exposure and furthering the green movement, builders don't have to get involved with them to build green. They supplying templates and roadmaps, but green building is really about one project at a time and a builder's will to make a better choice.

Myth 8: It's an all-or-nothing proposition.
Some say that there is often a tendency to separate construction professionals into two groups: good guys (those who build only green) and bad guys (those who don't build green at all). There are plenty of people employing green technologies and techniques who may not even know it.

I sumarized this information from an article by Rob Fanjoy found on HGTV.com

Rob Fanjoy is the former editor of Smart HomeOwner magazine and former senior editor of Professional Builder. He lives in Ypsilanti, Mich., where he is using green techniques and materials to remodel his home.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_4953809,00.html

We've Been Building Green Since Before it Was Cool

Izio test — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I found this article very interesting. It is good that people are starting to follow the green building trend, but be sure that they completely understand that this isn't about following a trend, it's about building the right way for the home owners.

Plus keep in mind our earlier article about the cost of a green home and how experienced builders who can step in at any stage of the process will keep your costs down.

The article is titled: Green Building By Joe Bousquin

The article states that the National Association of Home Builders says more builders are hopping on the green-building bandwagon every month. The author says "a recent NAHB survey found that by the end of next year, half of its members will employ some form of green construction in their homes." This was back in 2007so you can imagine where we are now.

The article states:

"We're starting to see 2007 as a tipping point," says Emily English, green building program manager at NAHB. "Consumers are hearing more and more about green building, so builders are looking to incorporate more of those features into their homes."

It then goes on to say that five characteristics define green building:

The First Characteristic:

"Having an environmentally friendly site selection or "footprint." Some of the factors involved are orientation of the house to maximize natural sunlight for heat and light, as well as shade for cooling. As a result, the home's furnace and air conditioning don't have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable house. Another goal is making a minimal impact on the area in which the house is built. Forget clear-cutting the entire lot; take down only the trees and bushes that would interfere with construction. The remaining trees can help cool the house in the summer and act as a windbreak in the winter. And locating the home near shopping and other services will keep the amount of driving down - a win for the entire environment."

The Second Characteristic:

"Using energy efficient designs and materials while building a "tighter" home to prevent HVAC loss. The use of sunlight and shade for heating and cooling is as old as mankind, but there are designs and materials specifically designed to keep the house nearly air-tight. With less outside air infiltrating the home, the indoor climate is much easier to control. LED lights use a fraction of regular incandescent bulbs, while Energy Star appliances are certified to meet strict guidelines about how much electricity they require to operate.

Because higher insulation standards and Energy-Star-compliant appliances have evolved over the last few decades, energy efficiency is often the first place builders start when going green. "Energy efficiency is certainly some of the low hanging fruit," says Brian Gitt, executive director of Build It Green, a non-profit, third-party green building education and certification group in Berkeley, Calif."

The Third Characteristic:

"Reducing a home's water consumption through low-flow fixtures. It's true that the earliest low-flow plumbing fixtures caused problems for some homeowners, but today's versions are as good - if not better - than the old water hogs. One technology is the incorporation of air into the process; the result is a low-flow shower that feels just as strong as the one using much more water."

The Fourth Characteristic:

"Promoting a healthy indoor air environment. Yes, air-tight houses are critical to energy efficiency, but an unwelcome result is indoor air quality that is five times more polluted than the air outdoors. Green builders often use some kind of fresh-air ventilation to exhaust the stale indoor air to the outside, bring in fresh air and conserve energy."

The Fifth Characteristic:

"Emphasizing material conservation and waste reduction while using sustainable products in design and construction. Engineers in the building-materials business have designed all kinds of products to save lumber by using optimal value engineered (OVE) joists and beams that require minimal trimming and boring for mechanical runs. Green builders can go as far as recycling job-site waste and using it for mulch in the newly planted yard.

Another form of waste reduction is building houses that will endure for years before requiring any serious maintenance. Metal or cement-tile roofing, for example, will hold up much longer than standard shingles; many have life expectancies of half a century."

The article goes on to list a variety of green techniques:

Dual-flush toilets

Low-VOC paints

Formaldehyde-free insulation

Forest Stewardship Council-certified lumber, which comes from forests managed with sustainable methods

2x6 wall studs, which allow the studs to be spaced farther apart to save lumber wood and make the walls thicker to allow for more insulation

Ventilation systems wrapped and sealed to prevent heat and air conditioning from leaking out

Click here to read the article

8 Ways to Save Water Without Spending a Dime

Izio test — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

By Emily Main

October 1, 2007

1. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.

2. Fill a milk jug with stones and place it in your toilet tank to displace water.

3. Dig up an egg timer from your kitchen and use it to cut showers down to 5 minutes.

4. Turn off the water while shaving.

5. Fix toilet and faucet leaks immediately.

6. Don't use your toilet as a trash can.

7. Collect "warm-up" water to irrigate your lawn and flowerbeds.

8. Conserve energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that .47 gallons of water are lost for every kilowatt-hour of power generated by coal power plants.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-garden/room-by-room/8-ways-to-save-water

Don't Believe the Hype - Green Myths

Izio test — Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The other day someone told me that since China and India are so inefficient it really doesn't matter what he does. That made me think about how we allow ourselves to be defined by others. Living a "green" life shouldn't be a political choice. It's just a choice in how you want to live. I found the following article interesting.

Green Myths

By Paul McRandle and Mary Logan Barmeyer

Novemer 1, 2008

For everyone who tries to do a little good in the world, it seems there's a skeptic waiting to claim that those actions do no good at all. If you need a good comeback-or if you just need to reassure yourself-here are responses to some common misconceptions about going green.

"Recycling wastes more energy than it saves."

TRUTH:Typically, this myth comes at you in the form of "Sending out trucks all over town to pick up bottles and cans takes more energy than you'll save by recycling." It sounds compelling, but it's wrong. For example, recycling aluminum cans cuts energy use and greenhouse gases by 95 percent compared with the energy needed to make virgin aluminum. In general, the energy used to manufacture new products from raw materials is at least ten times more than the energy consumed by curbside collection, recycling and transportation of recycled goods to retailers, according to a 2004 study published in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

"Natural cleaners don't disinfect."

TRUTH:Natural cleaners are highly effective in the bathroom and kitchen, even when it comes to nasty food-borne bacteria like E. coli. Susan Sumner, head of the Food Sciences and Technology program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, found that all you need to wipe out Salmonella, Shigellaand E. colibacteria is a combination of household hydrogen peroxide and undiluted white or apple cider vinegar. Put the two liquids in separate spray bottles and spray one immediately after the other, in either order. You can spray it directly on fruits and vegetables as well as on surfaces, such as cutting boards and countertops, for an effective, nontoxic disinfectant that can be wiped right off. Household vinegar can also take care of mold in the bathroom, killing off 82 percent of mold strains. For tougher mold problems, mix two teaspoons of tea tree oil and two cups of water, spray on and then scrub off after 30 minutes.

"Plastics are safe in the microwave."

TRUTH: Unfortunately, reheating in plastic isn't your safest bet. Common food-grade plastics, such as yogurt containers, margarine tubs or disposable plastic plates, are FDA-approved but have not been tested for use in microwaves. If they are microwaved, they may release chemicals that can interfere with hormones into food-especially fatty foods. Furthermore, heated food can melt them, posing a risk of burns and scalds. Those plastic containers labeled "microwave-safe" won't melt or crack, and they havebeen tested under typical conditions of use to see if chemicals in plastic wind up in food. Any chemicals that leach into food appear at levels far below those shown to have any health effects. Still, even "microwave-safe" #7 poly- carbonate plastic should be avoided, since it leaches hormone-disrupting bisphenol A, especially when heated. And "microwave-safe" plastic can bubble, scratch or degrade over time.

To avoid all of these issues, microwave foods in glass or ceramic containers or on undyed paper towels. If you cover a food dish with plastic wrap, be sure it does not touch the food and leave vents for steam to escape.

"With China and India pumping out so much CO2, there's no reason for me to cut back mine."

TRUTH:Sure, China and India are overtaking the U.S. when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions. But "it doesn't hold a lot of water to say 'someone else is polluting so we'll pollute too,'" says Kenneth Broad, Ph.D., National Geographic Emerging Explorer and University of Miami professor. And given that those countries have larger populations than ours, their citizens pollute much less than we do on a per person basis: The average American produces 3.8 times more than the average Chinese and 10.7 times the average Indian. Last February, China and India said that they would continue to keep their per person emissions lower than the U.S. Meanwhile, U.S. carbon dioxide emissions aren't only increasing, they're accelerating. However, changes we make as in- dividuals can have a big impact. If every time we purchased a new car we chose the most fuel-efficient vehicle that met our needs and budget, this would keep nearly 30 million tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere each year.

"Keeping your heat on one setting is more efficient than turning it up and down."

TRUTH: "Setback"-reducing or turning off your heat when you're sleeping or not at home-is in fact more efficient (and comfortable!) than keeping your home at a single low temperature all the time. The myth is that keeping your thermostat at a constant temperature uses less energy because, presumably, your heater would have to work harder to power up from a lower tempera- ture. But according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), you'd have to keep your home tem- perature four to six degrees cooler all the time (brr!) for the savings to equal setting it back the recommended eight degrees when you are at work or under the covers. Just don't turn off your heat completely in freezing weather since your pipes may burst. ACEEE says that with twice-daily, eight-degree, eight-hour setbacks, you can save 16 to 32 percent of your heating energy.

"Over its life span, a hybrid is less eco-friendly than a Hummer H3"

TRUTH: In 2007, a widely circulated study claimed that a Toyota Prius has a larger environmental footprint than a Hummer H3. CNW Marketing Research, the study authors, asserted that the energy consumed in the manufacturing and recycling of a Prius-along with what they assumed was a short life span-out- weighed its fuel savings. This study sharply contradicted previous scientific research from organizations such as the U.S. Depart- ment of Energy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which measured all aspects of a Prius's life cycle more accurately. A key mistake of the CNW study was underestimating the energy used in a car's operation, which actually accounts for 80 to 90 percent of its lifetime energy; the CNW research weighed this energy use as less than 10 percent. Although the production of a Prius involves energy-intensive mining for the nickel in its battery, its highly efficient fuel economy will send it quickly whizzing by the H3 in terms of overall energy savings.''

http://www.thegreenguide.com/greenguide/home-garden/room-by-room/green-myths/2

You're in Control - Laundry Washers

Izio test — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

This article covers one more area that you are in control of. If you want a green, efficient home you need to think about about it as a system. Visit my blog at stearnscustomhomes.com to read the article about the system.

The following article is located at thegreenguide.com.

Energy-efficient washers can use up to 50 percent less energy and 60 percent less water than standard machines. If you have a top loader, regardless of how old it is, consider replacing it with an energy-efficient front loader.

Energy Star-rated: These machines are 37 percent more energy-efficient and use 18 to 25 gallons per load, about half what traditional washers use. The percentages on our Product Comparison chart represent how much more energy-efficient an appliance is than federal standards require.

Water Factor: Part of the Energy Star rating, the Water Factor is a ratio of how much water is used compared to the size of the drum. For example, a machine with a 4-cubic-foot drum that uses 24 gallons per load has a water factor of 6. The figure is more accurate than gallons per load, since washers vary so much in size. The lower the number, the better. Energy Star-rated machines have water factors ranging from 3.2 to 7.9.

Front-loaders: Front-loading machines are, in general, more efficient than their top-loading counterparts, using 40 to 60 percent less water and 30 to 50 percent less energy. They also have the benefit of faster spin times, which means your clothes dry faster. Some local utilities offer rebates for purchasing front loaders.

Shopping Tips

Select a washer with variable spin times. Faster spin cycles rid clothes of more water and aid in drying times.

Usage Tips

Adjust the washing machine so that water levels match the load of laundry.

Wash only full loads.

Wash your clothes in cold water. A slight 10 percent of the electricity consumed in washing a load of clothes goes to run a washer's motor; the remaining 90 percent is used to heat the water. Washing clothes in cold water can cut CO2 emissions down by 100 pounds and save you up to $64 a year on your energy bill. In situations where hot water is necessary (for instance, to kill dust mites in bedding), use cold water to rinse.

Use less detergent, and you'll save water by not having to run extra rinse cycles.

You're in Control - Bathrooms

Izio test — Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

This is the third article in our series on how you can take control of your home's efficiency. Visit our blog at stearnscustomhomes.com to read our past articles.

The following article came from thegreenguide.com.

Bathroom Revamp: Savings by the Gallon

By Emily Main

September 18, 2007

From our toilets to our tubs, roughly 60 percent of a home's water consumption takes place in the bathroom, according to the California Urban Water Conservation Council. So if you have an eye on water use, start here.

What Do I Buy?

Water-Saving Toilets
Guzzling 27 percent of your household supply every year, your toilet is by far your home's largest water user. The Federal government now mandates that new toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush, but older toilets can use two to three times that much. And even the new ones will use more if you don't maintain them.

When buying a toilet, look for the Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense label. To receive the label, toilets must be independently tested to show that they use, at most, 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf). Dual-flush toilets, those that have a full-flush mode for solids and a reduced-flush mode for liquids, use 1.6 gpf and .8 gpf respectively. And if you want to go as green as possible, there are composting toilets, which break down human waste into a nutrient-rich material that can be spread around trees and non-edible plants. See our Toilets Buying Guide for suggestions.

What Else Can I Do?

Maintain the toilet you've got.
A 2000 study commissioned by the city of Tucson revealed many 1.6-gallon toilets had been modified by homeowners or plumbers: "early-close flappers," devices that prevent the water tank from releasing more than 1.6 gallons, had been replaced with standard 3.5-gpf flappers, and dams, which also prevent a 3.5-gallon tank from releasing more than 1.6 gallons, had broken or were intentionally removed.

If you've moved into a home with a 1.6-gpf model, there's no way of knowing whether the previous owner made any such inefficient modifications. As the parts wear out-they generally last around five years-be sure to ask specifically for 1.6-gpf replacements.

Most older homes (pre-1992) still have 3.5-gpf toilets. If yours does, you can reduce the water it uses by filling a milk jug with stones and placing it in your toilet tank to displace water. But be wary of toilet-tank retrofits, kits designed to convert old 3.5-gpf models into 1.6-gpf toilets, says Gary Woodard, co-author of the Tucson study. "You're doing something to the toilet that it isn't really designed for," he says. "It's really best to get a low-flow toilet."

What do you save?
By replacing 3.5-gallon toilets with 1.6-gallon or less models, the average family of four would save about 14,000 gallons of water per year.

How important is this?
The combination of population growth, increased use, and climate change are making fresh water a critical issue for our times. You won't save much money by saving water, but you will be making a big contribution to your community and to the planet-depending on where you live, wise water use may be the only way your region will continue to be habitable.

Showerheads

Showers are rife with opportunities for waste, thanks to easy manipulation of low-flow showerheads and the rise in popularity of multi-head shower systems, some of which spew an astonishing 80 gallons per minute (gpm). The bane of water conservationists everywhere, these multi-head showers end-run the federal standard that requires showerheads to pump out no more than 2.5 gpm by utilizing a dozen or more of the 2.5-gpm models.

What Do I Buy?
A 2.5 Gallon-per-Minute showerhead
First, measure the water consumption of your current showerhead. Pour 2.5 gallons into a bucket, mark the water level, then empty it. Then, put the bucket under the shower and run the water for exactly one minute. If the water goes higher than the mark, get a new showerhead. There are low-flow showerheads of every type, ranging in price from less than $10 to $100 or so. And while you're at it, buy a 1.5-gpm aerator for your bathroom sink faucet. For less than $4, you'll save another few hundred gallons a month.

If major purchases are in your budget, consider a tankless, on-demand water heater. Households waste 6.35 gallons of water per day waiting for hot water, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and 3.48 gallons of that is for showers alone. Tankless systems heat water when you need it, cutting wait times down to about 30 seconds and saving energy as well as water.

What Else Can I Do?
Change your expectations a bit. A water saving shower isn't going to be like standing under a warm Niagara Falls, but it will be nice and hot and get you clean. Keep a clean bucket in the shower to collect the water that runs while you wait for it to get hot (your houseplants or garden will thank you), and keep the whole process to 5 minutes or less. And don't succumb to the temptation to modify the flow restrictors in the 2.5-gallon showerheads.

How much do I save?
By replacing a 5-gpm showerhead with a 2.5-gpm model, you'll save 7,300 gallons of water per year. Cut your eight-minute showers down to five minutes, and you'll save another 2,738 gallons.

How important is this?
Using less hot water saves money, greenhouse gas emissions, and, of course, the water itself. This is a change well worth making.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/greenguide/home-garden/energy-saving/bathroom-revamp/

You're in Control - Oven Ranges

Izio test — Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I found the following article at thegreenguide.com.

An Option of Ranges

By Paul McRandle

November 20, 2007

Refrigerators may have been the scourge of energy savers in the past, but these days, ovens and ranges can be the biggest power hogs in the kitchen, consuming on average close to 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually for cooks who use them more than once a week. When it comes to conserving energy, some tips are basic-avoid preheating, especially for items you're cooking 20 or more minutes, and don't peek in the oven while food is cooking. But if you reflexively reheat leftovers or cook for a brood, you could save energy and cash by investing in an oven better suited to your needs.

Microwave Ovens

Microwaves use only about 20 percent of the energy a conventional oven uses and have sensors that automatically shut the oven off when food is finished cooking, saving even more. A convection mode may brown foods, though the results won't match those of a regular or even a toaster oven.

GE Profile JES2251SJ[SS] large countertop model (2.2 cu. ft.) 1,200-watt with auto defrost and cooking sensor, though no convection mode ($249; www.ajmadison.com)

Save counter space with an over-the-range microwave: LG LMV2053 with cooking sensor (2.0 cu. ft., $309; www.lge.com).

Toaster Ovens

If soggy, microwaved pizza isn't for you, a toaster oven may be a better choice. Using only half the energy of conventional ovens, toaster ovens with convection modes or infrared heating can also cook food speedily.

T-Fal Avante Elite Convection Toaster Oven works well as a substitute oven ($111.35; www.amazon.com). The DeLonghi EO1260 comes with an enameled interior, which makes for easy cleaning ($99.82; www.amazon.com).

Cooktops

Induction
Induction models heat pans made with magnetic materials (cast iron or stainless steel) and use half the energy of standard electric cooktops. They're a high-end alternative at over $1,700 for the cheapest, but single "burner" induction hot plates are much more affordable.

Thermador CIT302D[S] ($1,999; www.thermador.com)

Sunpentown SR-1851 single-burner ($129; www.sunpentown.com)

Electric
Electric coils aren't necessarily efficient, but they beat out solid disk burners (similar to hot plates), which take much longer to heat up. Glass-topped radiant and halogen elements are easier to clean, but they aren't much more energy efficient than coils and cost quite a bit more.

Electric coil cooktop models vary widely in price but not in performance: 30-in. Kenmore 42732 is a bargain ($629.99; www.kenmore.com).

Gas
Gas cooktops allow for fine control of heat, but they take longer to warm pans and have to be properly vented to avoid trapping combustion gases.

GE JGP637WEJWW ($779; www.geappliances.com)

Maytag MGC6536BD ($719; www.maytag.com)

Wall Ovens

Considerably more expensive than ranges, wall ovens can be placed for maximum user-friendliness at waist level or eye level during a kitchen renovation. Look for models with convection modes, which circulate heated air around food and cut energy use by approximately 20 percent.

The electric Frigidaire Gallery GLEB30S9F ($1,399; www.frigidaire.com) and GE Profile JT915WFWW ($1,799; www.geappliances.com) both come with convection modes.

Ranges

All-in-one ranges are more affordable than cooktops and wall ovens, and many at the lower end of the price range function very well. Choose one with a self-cleaning feature, which provides added insulation that cuts energy consumption. However, if you use the self-cleaning feature more than once a month, you lose any extra savings the added insulation provides.

Hotpoint RB757WHWW self-cleaning electric range without convection ($429; www.geappliances.com)

GE JBP84TKWW self-cleaning electric range with convection ($1,199; www.geappliances.com)

http://www.thegreenguide.com/greenguide/home-garden/energy-saving/oven-ranges/

You're in Control - Dishwasher

Izio test — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

You are in control of many things when it comes to having a green home. This week I am starting a series of articles devoted to appliances and the role that they plan in being green. I found this information on thegreenguide.com.

Dishwashers

If your current dishwasher is at least 10 years old, it likely uses between eight and 15 gallons of water per cycle, and depending on your individual habits, hand-washing dishes may use up to 50 percent more water than a water-saving, energy-efficient dishwasher. A new Energy Star-rated model can save you 13 percent on energy and as much as 1,200 gallons of water a year. Here's how to choose one:

Energy Star rated: Energy Star models must use 41 percent less energy than non-qualified models.

Gallons per cycle (gpc): Because Energy Star doesn't factor water savings into its dishwasher ratings, find out how much water a new dishwasher uses per load. The average new Energy Star model uses four gallons per cycle (gpc) when set on "normal," but some models use twice that, depending on their size.

Capacity: Purchase a washer that fits your needs. Compact capacity models hold eight place settings plus six serving pieces, while standard capacity models hold more. A compact model will use more energy and water if it's run more frequently to handle multiple loads, but a standard capacity washer wastes water if your household includes only a few people.

Shopping Tips

Look for models with several cycle selections. If your dishes don't need heavy-duty washing, you can use a light or energy-saving cycle and less water.

Choose a model with an air-dry feature, which cuts down on energy use (you can also save energy at home by hand drying your dishes).

At the store, compare the energy- and water-consumption costs of one model to another using the yellow "EnergyGuide" label on the product.

Usage Tips

Save more water at home. Instead of pre-rinsing dishes, scrape food into the garbage or composter. Pre-rinsing can add an additional 20 gallons per load on average, negating any water-saving efforts you've achieved with your dishwasher.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/greenguide/buying-guide/dishwashers

Air Quality: The Inside Story on Ductwork

Izio test — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Indoor air quality is pretty improtant. Please read this and let me know what you think.

By Jim Wheeler

The selection and design of air-conditioning ducts plays an important role in providing good indoor air quality. For years, conscientious HVAC contractors have been insulating the insides of galvanized ducts with rough fiberglass insulation. They had good reasons, too: The rough surfaces reduce air noise, and the insulation isn't as easily damaged as external insulation wraps. However, these same rough internal surfaces can trap moisture and dirt and create indoor-air-quality problems.

Leave well enough alone?
There are many companies in the business of cleaning HVAC ducts, a service that makes some sense to homeowners with allergies or concerns about indoor air quality. However, duct cleaning may do little good when it comes to improving indoor air quality--and it may actually do some harm.

Do ducts ever need to be cleaned? That depends on their design, type, and age:

Ducts that are smooth (uninsulated) on the inside seldom need cleaning, because they provide little medium for the growth of mold or bacteria. In fact, galvanized surfaces actually kill microbes, because the zinc surface is toxic to them.

Air-conditioning ducts don't see much accumulation of debris, either; it is all caught in the air filter and the cooling coil before it can reach the discharge ductwork. The exceptions would be unfiltered return-air ducts or old ductwork that has previously been attached to just a heater or furnace.

But how can duct cleaning create indoor-air-quality problems? It has more to do with the fiberglass insulation inside the ducts than with the ducts themselves, and it is more common in older homes or where union sheetmetal companies installed the ducts. When the vacuum and brushes are applied to a fiberglass-insulation surface, the integrity of the insulation surface is weakened. Small particles of itchy fiberglass may be blown into the home for many years after the cleaning.

So what's the best ductwork to use? Here are my personal favorites:

Externally insulated galvanized ducts are the best, due to their anti-microbial properties. Any ducts that have internal smooth-surface insulation, such as a foil covering, provide little surface for growth of microbes.

Flex duct, since its internal surfaces are plastic, may also be used in short, straight runs. But if the flex duct has pockets where moisture and dirt can accumulate, it's a growing ground for mold and bacteria. And it's very difficult to clean contaminated flex ducts satisfactorily once they are contaminated, so proper filtration is essential.

Coated duct board, while not as robust as metal ducts, can be a good idea, as long as both the inside and outside are foil-covered.

So while HVAC contractors should insulate the insides of galvanized ducts, they should use foil-lined insulation. Rough-surface antimicrobial coatings may help improve the house's IAQ, but they don't last forever, and they still provide pockets for dirt and moisture to accumulate.

Total systems using flex-duct, which was originally designed for use as diffuser runs from a central rigid duct system, are common in many tract houses today. While it is possible to design good total flex-duct systems, they demand careful installation. Otherwise, the dozens of low spots in the sags are potential microbial breeding grounds.

Jim Wheeler is an award-winning writer and teacher with more that twenty-five years in the field of HVAC.

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/dj_construction/article/0,2619,HPRO_20156_3924472,00.html

Energy in Green Building

Izio test — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

This article really illustrates why "green" isn't necessarily about saving the world, but it is about realizing how the world affects us and our ability to live comfortably. I found this article on GreenBuiling.com.

"Energy is the foundation for green building. Energy codes define the minimum acceptable standards for a climate zone. In today's world of climate change and high energy prices, it is critical that buildings use as few fossil fuels (including coal generated electricity) as possible to "futureproof" the home against unpredictable and rapidly rising prices.

Energy Uncertainty

Our energy future is uncertain, and the public is overwhelmed with mixed messages about our oil and gas reserves: Are we headed for another oil crunch? How much are oil and natural gas prices expected to rise? Experts predict that world oil production will peak in 2020 at the latest, but the peak could occur as early as the year 2010.

After the peak, the amount of retrievable oil will be in decline, causing prices to rise. Fossil fuels currently provide 95 percent of the world's commercial energy supply, whereas renewable energy sources supply less than three percent. If we are going to approach our future with foresight, it would be wise to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy at home as soon as possible.

Amory Lovins, an international expert in energy efficiency, suggests, "Oil scarcity may be the weakest reason for making the transition away from oil. Profit, climate protection, security, and quality of life are all more relevant and defensible." If we continue on our present course, the United States' dependence upon other countries for oil could greatly increase. Yet, an alternate future where the U.S. decreases its oil consumption and increases its investment in renewable energy resources is not only desirable, but possible. Such an investment would free our nation from reliance upon other countries and would also boost the economy through innovative technology and employment. In fact it may be the best way out of our economic conundrum.

Renewable Energy

Economically viable renewable energy sources are already available in today's market. Wind farms are going up across the nation, providing electricity at the competitive wholesale rate of three to five cents per kilowatt-hour. Electricity from burning biomass (crops and crop waste) also sells at a similar rate. Shell Oil, the most successful company in the oil industry, estimates that "by 2010 commercial energy from biomass could provide five percent of the world's power." The value of that energy production could be over $20 billion. Another up and coming renewable energy source is photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert sunlight into electricity. As technologies improve and as the US government and local utilities offer incentives, PV wattage costs are becoming increasingly competitive.

Energy Use in Buildings

This information has a direct impact on us as builders. Buildings comprise 35 percent of direct energy use in the United States. Of that 35 percent, 64 percent goes into heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; 24 percent heats hot water; 13 percent provides lighting; and electrical appliances are beginning to cut a significant wedge into the pie. In terms of carbon dioxide production, in total, buildings are responsible for 48% of all greenhouse gasses.

Energy and Building Systems Design

Energy efficiency requires a systems-based approach to designing and building a home. All elements of the building shell; foundation, framing, roof structure and windows play key roles in defining the potential energy savings for a house. Energy use inside the home is the second tier of consideration. Mechanical equipment sized to the actual loads of the house, natural day lighting and ventilation greatly impact how much energy will be used to provide comfort and convenience. Appliances and lighting also impact net energy efficiency. All need to be considered in the early design stages to maintain cost effectiveness.

The study, Greening the Building and the Bottom Line by Joseph Romm of the U.S. DOE and William Browning of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), highlights case studies of several companies that invested in energy-efficient designs and thereby experienced significant savings. The companies highlighted in the RMI study saved enormous amounts of energy-up to a 90 percent decrease in previous consumption. Further justifying the investment in retrofitting is the compelling evidence that day lighting (a design feature which allows the use of natural light, rather than artificial light during daytime hours), improved HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning), and improved indoor air quality. This resulted in increased productivity, fewer worker errors, and less absenteeism in many cases studies. Because labor costs are such a large share of total costs (workforce accounts for approximately $130 per square foot, 72 times more than energy costs), a one percent increase in worker productivity can result in savings to a company that exceeds their total energy costs.

There are more and more cases similar to those documented by RMI, and as a result, companies are starting to invest in energy efficiency for the reasons suggested above: reduced energy expenditures and increased worker productivity.

Embodied Energy

The energy buildings require starts accumulating long before the building materials are on-site. The energy required to extract, manufacture, and transport building materials is tallied into the sum total known as embodied energy. Producing stone, glass, and clay--common building materials--makes up 6.9 percent of the industrial sector's 37 percent of total energy use. Cement production worldwide accounts for 8% of all carbon released into the atmosphere. Additionally, minerals are found in a wide variety of building materials in the home from plumbing and wiring to insulation. There are even minerals in paint and wallpaper. Because minerals must be mined, they come to us at a high price-both in terms of energy costs and environmental impact.

Investing in Energy Improvements

Next to sitting and building orientation, insulation quantity and quality are the most important decisions you will make at the onset of construction. The code officials and many energy consultants used to optimize insulation thickness according to payback. Payback was based on the average rate in increases in energy costs over 30 years. This was approximately 6 1/2 % per year. In 2002 that changed. 9/11 shifted the world paradigm about energy security. Natural gas just stopped flowing in US gas wells and we became a natural gas importer. The resultant doubling of natural gas prices (and oil prices for those who heat with oil) have changed the entire economic equation for insulation payback. Today, looking into the energy crystal ball, the more insulation you can fit into the envelope the better. After all, how long will your homes last? What will be the price of fossil fuels used to heat your home in 5,10, 15 years? If your house will stand that long it needs to be insulated sufficiently to meet those economic demands for energy.

Green building reduces energy consumption in numerous ways. First, we can decrease the embodied energy of the building through efficient design, use of recycled and local materials, and recycling construction waste. Second, green building design reduces a building's energy consumption over its lifetime. Strategically placing windows and skylights can eliminate the need for electrical lighting during the day. A whole house fan can cool the house over night, rather than relying on air conditioning. High quality insulation reduces temperature regulation costs in both summer and winter. Additionally, houses can maximize passive heating and cooling. South facing windows with overhangs can reduce heating costs by 20 to 30 percent, and prevailing breezes, shading, and natural plantings can keep houses cooler in the summer. This list only scratches the surface of the possibilities for reducing a building's energy requirements.

Copyright© 2008 - 2010 GreenBuilding.Com

What is Green Building Science?

Izio test — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Once again, let me say that green building isn't a trend. It's how to build right: Right for your personal use, right for the impact on the neighborhood and community around you and right for your pocket book.

The following article is from GreenBuilding.com

"Green building incorporates a tripod of attributes; energy efficiency (both in material selection and actual energy use), healthy living including indoor air quality, and careful resource management. Green building does not require any architectural style. It doesn't have to look earthy or organic. It doesn't have to be expensive to build, nor does it have to look "different". It can be designed in any style, or any shape. The main focus of green building is to provide benefits to the occupants. These include:

Less expensive to heat and cool
Greater comfort
Healthier, particularly for children
Greater durability
Less maintenance

A green building is a building that is designed, constructed, and operated utilizing a whole-system design approach, with the goal of enhancing the overall environmental performance of the building and the site on which it sits.

Copyright© 2008 - 2010 GreenBuilding.Com

A House as a System

Izio test — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

This article really helped me and hopefully it will help you understand that there is a right way and a wrong way to build a home. While it is easy to just say that something is "green" what we mean is that our homes are built with an appreciation for the whole picture not just a rating or for one part of the picture.

This article came from GreenBuilding.com.

A House as a System

"A building is a very complex system, wherein each part of the system affects every other part of the system. Consequently, and in turn, each individual system is made up of components. Each component is further made up of individual products, technologies which dictate how the products function, and particularly the relationships between the different products. How things function as a whole is the focus of our investigation.

To begin, lets' use the analogy of a building envelope (herein referred to as the cumulative parts of all the systems) being similar to the human body. Our bodies have a cooling system, a heating system, and a waste system. They all work together. In order to maintain personal health and comfort, we all must cool down when we are too hot, heat up when we are too cool, and get rid of waste. Just as our bodies change to maintain equilibrium, so must our homes in which we live.

As we breathe, so do our houses. As we sweat when we're too hot, or shiver when we're too cold, our houses act in a similar fashion. This is probably the most important factor to understand when following the above analogy. The walls, roofs and foundations in our homes (ie: the skin on our bodies) are the most important parts of the building envelope (our bodies). They regulate the temperature and overall condition of what is inside, and is directly related to how the inside reacts to the outside, the external environment.

Building should work to utilize the benefits of the surrounding environment. Instead of using the same building plans for projects in completely different climates, homes should reflect their surroundings. Responding to these varied climates will result in more efficient home building.

Whereas temperature, humidity, and wind are some of nature's characteristics which affect us personally (and dictate how well we feel and how our body reacts), they also affect our homes to much the same degree.

Though there are many important factors to keep in mind, here are the basics. Houses should:

Control heat, air, and water vapor flow
Control rain penetration, and water infiltration
Control light and solar radiation
Control noise transmittance between rooms
Be durable, strong, and rigid
Be economical to construct, and maintain
Be aesthetically pleasing
Meet the psychological and social needs of its' inhabitants
Designed to fit the surrounding climate

The Low Cost of Green Building

Izio test — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

It depends on how much experience the builder has.

One of the first questions or concerns expressed to me is whether or not green building techniques are going to increase the cost of the house. I found the following article on GreenBuilder.com's website that I think will help address this concern. Keep in mind as you read this that it isn't about being "green," it's about having your home built "right."

"How much more will it cost is always the first question from someone new to the field. The answer will always be: "It depends". A comparable question is "how much does a car cost?" Is it a Kia or a Mercedes? What year is it?

Green homes built over the last 15 years have proven that it doesn't have to cost more to build green. The major variables are typically; what is the experience of the architect/builder, how early in the design process were green building features incorporated, what is the source of the green materials, and how green or energy efficient does the design team want the home to be?

The learning curve for architects and builders is the greatest variable. Experience has shown that the first green home a builder builds is the most expensive often 3-5% higher than conventional construction costs. Trade contractors often increase their prices for unfamiliar products or approaches. Their second house is 2-3% more because the learning curve has informed their process. The third house is often back to the cost of conventional homes they built in the past. Part of this learning curve is to incorporate green design early in the process. To make the home as energy efficient and cost effective as possible the house needs to be sited so that the majority of windows face south. Passive solar heating can reduce heating bills by 30-50% with little or no additional cost.

Some green materials may not be available in the region immediately. Shipping costs can make non-local materials much more expensive than traditional products. Typically, however, as green building programs are adopted in local markets around the country, lumber yards and green building product suppliers come into the area to meet the new demand. With greater volume of use the prices go down.

How green or energy efficient the house is, dictates increases in first costs. When energy improvements are involved, costs are really investments. Money spent on energy improvements reduce monthly utility bills. This yields a return on investment for those improvements. For example, if the energy improvements add $5000 to the initial cost of the house and the owners get a 30 year mortgage at 5%, the monthly increase in the mortgage payment is $26.84. If those improvements reduce monthly bills by $28.00, the owner accrues a monthly return on investment from the first month. The faster energy prices rise the greater the ROI. It is a pretty safe bet that energy prices will continue to rise over the life of the home making energy investments in a home one of the best investments you can make today."

Why Build Green?

Izio test — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The following information comes from the EPA website at:

EPA - Why Build Green

In the United States, buildings account for:

39 percent of total energy use
12 percent of the total water consumption
68 percent of total electricity consumption
38 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions

Buildings have a vast impact on the natural environment, human health, and the economy. By adopting green building strategies, we can maximize both economic and environmental performance. Green construction methods can be integrated into buildings at any stage, from design and construction, to renovation and deconstruction. However, the most significant benefits can be obtained if the design and construction team takes an integrated approach from the earliest stages of a building project.

At Stearns Custom Homes we are experienced in integrating these methods into our plan from the beginning. In fact, we have been using these methods for years because they make your home a better product. Green may be popular today, but we've been building this way since we started because this is the right way to build.

Potential benefits of green building can include:

Environmental benefits

Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems
Improve air and water quality
Reduce waste streams
Conserve and restore natural resources

Economic benefits

Reduce operating costs
Create, expand, and shape markets for green product and services
Improve occupant productivity
Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Social benefits

Enhance occupant comfort and health
Heighten aesthetic qualities
Minimize strain on local infrastructure
Improve overall quality of life

Indoor Air Quality

Izio test — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0700

A Window of Opportunity for Saving Energy Costs

Izio test — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Solar Power Ready to Hit the On Switch

Izio test — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Natural Cooling Is Getting Hot

Izio test — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Geothermal Heat

Izio test — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

You're in Control - Gas Fireplaces Offer Elegant Zone Heating

Izio test — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

You're in Control - Landscaping

Izio test — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Use the Sun to your Advantage!

Izio test — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Don't Lose Energy Through Your Walls or Ceilings

Izio test — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Some say that 47% of a home's energy is lost through the walls and ceilings. That's why insulation is so important. At Stearns Custom Homes we use blown in cellulose insulation.

I found this video today to show you how it works. Enjoy!

What is Photovoltaic?

Izio test — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In the past few years a growing demand for renewable energy has led to an increase of requests for solar power. This blog should help everyone understand how we can use solar power in your home.

Solar photovoltaics (PVs) are what converts the energy from the sun into electricity in your home. Installations can be mounted in the ground or added on the roof or walls.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

Green Building Resources

Izio test — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Here is a great list of places that you can go to learn more about green building and the standards that we should all be held to.

I've been building green since I started building. That's primarily because I've always tried to build good quality homes for my clients.

This list came from:

Green, Greener, Greenest
By Marjie O'Connor

http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_4975569,00.html

More Green Myths

Izio test — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I sumarized this information from an article by Rob Fanjoy found on HGTV.com

We've Been Building Green Since Before it Was Cool

Izio test — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The article states:

It then goes on to say that five characteristics define green building:

The First Characteristic:

The Second Characteristic:

The Third Characteristic:

The Fifth Characteristic:

Click here to read the article

8 Ways to Save Water Without Spending a Dime

Izio test — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Benefits of Handicapped Accessibility in a Custom Home

Izio test — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

ADA Compliance - What it means to YOU!

Stearns Custom Homes builds every home to be ADA compliant. This is important, and you may not even know what it is or why…

Here are a few of the ADA standards that you will find in every Stearns Custom Home:

All hallways are a minimum of 3 feet wide to facilitate the passage of wheelchairs.
All light switches are located 1 foot lower to be more accessible to those who are disabled.
There are no steps at any entry ways or in the garage areas which would be impassible to wheelchairs. Likewise, all dedicated showers have minimal lips at their entries.
All bathrooms and kitchens have the minimum required turning radiuses in the open.

So, what does this mean to you as a member of Stearns Custom Homes’ family? Well, there are many advantages, a few of which are:

As much as we may not like the idea, none of us are getting younger. If your next home is the one that you plan on staying in for the long run, you have to look at the possibility that sometime in the future, you may require easier access. It is better to have everything in place now than have to invest in a costly remodel later.
ADA compliant homes are easier, and SAFER, for children. There are fewer obstacles to create the potential for tripping. The light switches are more accessible, preventing the little ones from having to venture about in the dark. And, with wider hallways and larger living spaces, beginning toddlers have much more room to learn those first few steps.
You want your home to be an inviting place to visit. If you are or become friends with someone with a handicap, they will find your home to be a more pleasant place to visit and socialize.
Resale value and curb appeal will be enhanced by opening up a whole new segment of potential home buyers. When the time comes to move due to your new promotion and relocation, or if it is time to have Stearns Custom Homes build you a bigger home, you will have a leg up on others trying to sell their houses because people with handicaps will be able to move right in without the added expense of an ADA remodel.
With the ever increasing life expectancy in the United States, there may be a time when your parents come to live with you. They will really enjoy the fact that you thought enough ahead to make your home more welcoming.
Your new home will “feel” roomier and more luxurious through ADA compatibility. Every space and hallway will have more “elbow room” and an exceptional “airy” feel. The living areas are more comfortable and inviting than those built with conventional construction.

Don't Believe the Hype - Green Myths

Izio test — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

You're in Control - Laundry Washers

Izio test — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

You're in Control - Bathrooms

Izio test — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

You're in Control - Oven Ranges

Izio test — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

You're in Control - Dishwasher

Izio test — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Air Quality: The Inside Story on Ductwork

Izio test — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Indoor air quality is pretty improtant. Please read this and let me know what you think.

Recycled Countertops

Izio test — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Its durable surfaces contain no volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and thus emit no VOC’s. It is the first and only durable surface to have achieved the Cradle to Cradle certification.

New Poll: What is the most important part of your home?

Izio test — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Solar Water Heater

Izio test — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Low Impact Living

Izio test — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The tool located in the link below takes you through a process to determine what your impact is on the environment. Remember, this also impacts your pocket book.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CALCULATOR

Energy in Green Building

Izio test — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

What is Green Building Science?

Izio test — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

A House as a System

Izio test — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Control heat, air, and water vapor flow
Control rain penetration, and water infiltration
Control light and solar radiation
Control noise transmittance between rooms
Be durable, strong, and rigid
Be economical to construct, and maintain
Be aesthetically pleasing
Meet the psychological and social needs of its' inhabitants
Designed to fit the surrounding climate

The Low Cost of Green Building

Izio test — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

It depends on how much experience the builder has.

New Site Coming Very Soon!

Izio test — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Our new site will be launching very soon. Stay tuned!

Why Build Green?

Izio test — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The following information comes from the EPA website at:

EPA - Why Build Green

In the United States, buildings account for:

39 percent of total energy use
12 percent of the total water consumption
68 percent of total electricity consumption
38 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions

Potential benefits of green building can include:

Environmental benefits

Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems
Improve air and water quality
Reduce waste streams
Conserve and restore natural resources

Economic benefits

Reduce operating costs
Create, expand, and shape markets for green product and services
Improve occupant productivity
Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Social benefits

Enhance occupant comfort and health
Heighten aesthetic qualities
Minimize strain on local infrastructure
Improve overall quality of life

What is the most important part of your house?
	Living Room
	Dining Room
	Bedroom
	Bathroom
	Garage
	Outdoor Living Area
	Kitchen
	Office

pollcode.com free polls

What is the most important part of your house?
	Living Room
	Dining Room
	Bedroom
	Bathroom
	Garage
	Outdoor Living Area
	Kitchen
	Office

pollcode.com free polls