| Sustainable, or green building, is a structure that is | | | | include window placement, building placement and |
| designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in | | | | orientation, passive solar design, and the use of |
| an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green | | | | natural lighting. By orienting a building toward the |
| building plans are designed to meet certain | | | | south(running it east-west), and creating significant |
| objectives and use key resources such as using | | | | southern exposure , you can take advantage of |
| materials, energy, water, and other resources | | | | the sun's energy to heat a building in the winter. |
| more efficiently while reducing the overall impact | | | | When sunlight hits a buildings mass or enters |
| to the environment. By utilizing more natural light, | | | | through the windows it passively heats the building |
| better air quality, wind turbines, solar panels, | | | | and the air inside by not using mechanical means |
| insulation alternatives, and water storage tanks, a | | | | such as solar panels. |
| well designed home will contribute to improved | | | | Install high-efficiency lighting systems with |
| efficiency, health, and comfort in your home. | | | | advanced lighting controls. Include motion sensors |
| Green Building Financial Benefits | | | | tied to dimmable lighting controls. Task lighting |
| Typically, a green building will cost more up front, | | | | reduces general overhead light levels. |
| but saves through lower energy costs over the | | | | Use a properly sized and energy-efficient heat |
| life of the building. The up-front expenditure will be | | | | cooling system in conjunction with a thermally |
| absorbed over time by the project life cycle cost | | | | efficient building shell. Maximize light colors for |
| analysis. The benefits include energy and water | | | | roofing and wall finish materials; install high R-value |
| savings, reduced waste, and lower operation and | | | | wall and ceiling insulation such as spray-in foam; |
| maintenance costs. | | | | and use minimal glass on east and west |
| These and other cost savings can only be fully | | | | exposures. |
| realized when they are incorporated at the | | | | Consider alternative energy sources such as |
| project's conceptual design phase with the | | | | photovoltaics and fuel cells that are now available |
| assistance of an integrated team of professionals. | | | | in new products and applications. Geothermal |
| The integrated systems approach ensures that | | | | heating and cooling is the most energy efficient |
| the building is designed as one system rather than | | | | and cost effective way to heat and cool your |
| a collection of stand-alone systems. | | | | building, and it can take care of all your domestic |
| Even with a tight budget you can incorporate | | | | hot water needs at the same time. Geothermal |
| many green building measures which can be | | | | systems use the heat of the earth underground |
| incorporated with minimal or zero increased | | | | to heat water that is in turn used to heat the |
| up-front costs and they can yield enormous | | | | building, or in the summer to dump the heat from |
| savings over the project life. | | | | a building underground to cool it. |
| Site Selection | | | | Material effectiveness |
| Start by selecting a site well suited to take | | | | Select sustainable construction materials and |
| advantage of solar exposure, and suitable area | | | | products by evaluating several characteristics such |
| for the size of building proposed to minimize | | | | as reused and recycled content, zero or low off |
| disturbance of the environment to protect and | | | | gassing of harmful air emissions, zero or low |
| retain existing landscaping and natural features. A | | | | toxicity, sustainably harvested materials, high |
| custom home plan can be set partially into the | | | | recyclability, durability, longevity, and local |
| ground which helps to cool the building in the | | | | production. |
| summer, and in the winter once you get below | | | | Water Efficiency |
| the frost line the temperature is constant | | | | It is fairly easy to implement simple systems for |
| year-round and tends to be warmer than the air | | | | recycling and reusing water on your own |
| outside. Protect and retain existing landscaping and | | | | property, drastically decreasing the demands on |
| natural features. Select plants that have low | | | | shared supplies, and in turn, reducing your water |
| water and pesticide needs, and generate minimum | | | | bill. |
| plant trimmings. Use compost and mulches. This | | | | Design for dual plumbing to use recycled water |
| will save water and time. Water can be collected | | | | for toilet flushing or a gray water system that |
| from the roof in cisterns for landscape irrigation. | | | | recovers rainwater or other nonpotable water for |
| Reducing Energy Consumption | | | | site irrigation. |
| Buildings have the potential to reach energy | | | | Minimize wastewater by using ultra low-flush |
| efficiency levels exceeding far beyond California | | | | toilets, low-flow shower heads, and other water |
| Title 24 standards, yet most only strive to meet | | | | conserving fixtures. Use re-circulating systems for |
| the standard due to upfront costs. | | | | centralized hot water distribution and install |
| Passive design strategies can dramatically affect | | | | point-of-use hot water heating systems for more |
| building energy performance. These measures | | | | distant locations. |