Comments on: Green building materials gain ground in a soft housing market http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/green-building/green-building-materials-gain-ground-in-a-soft-housing-market.htm Useful environmentally friendly news and advice. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:36:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jason Stone http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/green-building/green-building-materials-gain-ground-in-a-soft-housing-market.htm/comment-page-1#comment-214 Jason Stone Sat, 03 Mar 2007 22:42:24 +0000 http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/green-building/green-building-materials-gain-ground-in-a-soft-housing-market.htm#comment-214 I have three green solutions for you that should result in IMMEDIATE energy savings: 1) Install a programmable thermostat. (8-10% savings on heating/cooling) 2) Replace every incandescent lightbulb in your house with a CFL you should save about $10/year per bulb (in the average house that's $400/year). See green.yahoo.com 3) Increase the R-value of your attic insulation. Most homes are significantly low in this area and can make up a lot of ground just by beefing up what they have. Also, 1) Get a thermal scan on your house. It should run $100 to $300, but if you can recoup the cost by blocking up the areas you're losing efficiency. Follow the scan to filling in all the little voids, nooks and crannies where your expensively heated and cooled air is escaping from your house! BTW, a tankless water heaters are awesome for new construction, but just a heads up that a retro-fit can be pretty pricey if you don't have the right flue work. Jason -- Jason Stone Sage Homebuilders St. Louis, MO Visit http://www.sageSTL.com for information on “Enlightened Living” in a custom-built Sage home. Efficiency, comfort and health -- all in one beautifully designed, green-certified home package. I have three green solutions for you that should result in IMMEDIATE energy savings:

1) Install a programmable thermostat. (8-10% savings on heating/cooling)
2) Replace every incandescent lightbulb in your house with a CFL you should save about $10/year per bulb (in the average house that’s $400/year). See green.yahoo.com
3) Increase the R-value of your attic insulation. Most homes are significantly low in this area and can make up a lot of ground just by beefing up what they have.

Also,

1) Get a thermal scan on your house. It should run $100 to $300, but if you can recoup the cost by blocking up the areas you’re losing efficiency. Follow the scan to filling in all the little voids, nooks and crannies where your expensively heated and cooled air is escaping from your house!

BTW, a tankless water heaters are awesome for new construction, but just a heads up that a retro-fit can be pretty pricey if you don’t have the right flue work.

Jason
–
Jason Stone
Sage Homebuilders
St. Louis, MO
Visit http://www.sageSTL.com for information on “Enlightened Living” in a custom-built Sage home. Efficiency, comfort and health — all in one beautifully designed, green-certified home package.

]]> By: Jetson Green http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/green-building/green-building-materials-gain-ground-in-a-soft-housing-market.htm/comment-page-1#comment-128 Jetson Green Sun, 25 Feb 2007 06:14:30 +0000 http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/green-building/green-building-materials-gain-ground-in-a-soft-housing-market.htm#comment-128 <strong>WIR: Utah Edging Green, Energy Star Buildings, Green Materials in Demand...</strong> Green is Right for Utah's Future, Sustainable Building Proponents Say - Peter McMahon joined Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, Rep. Ralph Becker and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon on the panel. Their topic was ‘Build Green. Can you Afford N... WIR: Utah Edging Green, Energy Star Buildings, Green Materials in Demand…

Green is Right for Utah’s Future, Sustainable Building Proponents Say – Peter McMahon joined Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, Rep. Ralph Becker and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon on the panel. Their topic was ‘Build Green. Can you Afford N…

]]> By: Ron http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/green-building/green-building-materials-gain-ground-in-a-soft-housing-market.htm/comment-page-1#comment-121 Ron Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:43:54 +0000 http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/green-building/green-building-materials-gain-ground-in-a-soft-housing-market.htm#comment-121 I think the biggest challenge we face in sustainable building is in educating owners to think of their buildings as a series of systems that function together, rather than individual elements. I'll bet the reason your coworker's friend had disappointing results with additional attic insulation was the rest of his home is so energy inneficient it just couldn't compensate. The average home in the US leaks so badly it's equivelant to having a 3 foot square opening to the exterior, every day of the year. In addition, the average home HVAC ducting system wastes 20% of the energy it tries to deliver due to leaks. If you cranked up your heater this winter but were still cold, and found the front door open, the first thing you'd do is shut the door, not add insulation. All those other leaks around your home just aren't as obvious. I'd suggest a whole house energy audit. You can read up on it at EnergyStar.gov ( http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_hpwes ), then hopefully find someone in your area who is properly trained to do the work. It's like getting a diagnostic on your car, and will help determine the proper steps to take. I'm a general contractor in CA and am considering branching off into this field. I've a hunch, in the next 5 years, you won't be able to sell a house without a written energy audit. They'll be as common as home inspections. The energy saving potential for your home is enormous. I think the biggest challenge we face in sustainable building is in educating owners to think of their buildings as a series of systems that function together, rather than individual elements. I’ll bet the reason your coworker’s friend had disappointing results with additional attic insulation was the rest of his home is so energy inneficient it just couldn’t compensate. The average home in the US leaks so badly it’s equivelant to having a 3 foot square opening to the exterior, every day of the year. In addition, the average home HVAC ducting system wastes 20% of the energy it tries to deliver due to leaks. If you cranked up your heater this winter but were still cold, and found the front door open, the first thing you’d do is shut the door, not add insulation. All those other leaks around your home just aren’t as obvious.

I’d suggest a whole house energy audit. You can read up on it at EnergyStar.gov ( http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_hpwes ), then hopefully find someone in your area who is properly trained to do the work. It’s like getting a diagnostic on your car, and will help determine the proper steps to take. I’m a general contractor in CA and am considering branching off into this field. I’ve a hunch, in the next 5 years, you won’t be able to sell a house without a written energy audit. They’ll be as common as home inspections. The energy saving potential for your home is enormous.

]]> By: Preston http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/green-building/green-building-materials-gain-ground-in-a-soft-housing-market.htm/comment-page-1#comment-119 Preston Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:50:57 +0000 http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/green-building/green-building-materials-gain-ground-in-a-soft-housing-market.htm#comment-119 Sometimes, green features require the occupant to work with the features, to get the most out of them. Depending on the house, an efficient attic may/may not be effective at lower bills. I think there are two issues: (1) hot/cool air seeping into the attic and getting wasted and (2) hot/cool air from the attic affecting the indoor temperature. With the tankless, you're going to have hot water faster and there's no perpetual churning of warm water in preparation of future use. That will have an impact on your bill, most likely, both in the water and electricity line-items. People talk in terms of payback, but that's a cost analysis. You paid $200 for it, you save $50 a year, and it pays for itself in 4 years. But houses are appraised on value, not cost. People opting for the granite countertops is a phenomenon of that. Future purchasers are more likely to see the value in the counter tops than insulation in the attic that reduces bills. They are more likely to see, that is. At some point, green features are going to have a perceived value equivalent/superior to granite, but it's going to take our Jonesin' society some time. Sometimes, green features require the occupant to work with the features, to get the most out of them. Depending on the house, an efficient attic may/may not be effective at lower bills. I think there are two issues: (1) hot/cool air seeping into the attic and getting wasted and (2) hot/cool air from the attic affecting the indoor temperature.

With the tankless, you’re going to have hot water faster and there’s no perpetual churning of warm water in preparation of future use. That will have an impact on your bill, most likely, both in the water and electricity line-items.

People talk in terms of payback, but that’s a cost analysis. You paid $200 for it, you save $50 a year, and it pays for itself in 4 years. But houses are appraised on value, not cost. People opting for the granite countertops is a phenomenon of that. Future purchasers are more likely to see the value in the counter tops than insulation in the attic that reduces bills. They are more likely to see, that is. At some point, green features are going to have a perceived value equivalent/superior to granite, but it’s going to take our Jonesin’ society some time.

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