You are here: Home / Archives for energy star

The Importance of a Green Home Design

By Leave a Comment

When you create a green home design, you are contributing to preserving our planet’s natural resources. In addition, you are helping to eliminate greenhouse gases, which are the main cause of global warming. Besides improving the health of the planet, you can enjoy savings on your energy bills. This can be done by purchasing appliances that are energy efficient, selecting eco-friendly building materials and practicing energy saving measures.

Using recycled materials are the best way to achieve a green home design. Your builder, local home improvement store, or interior design websites have a wealth of information about instituting eco-friendly materials in every room of your house. For example, in the kitchen and bath, recycled counter tops made with paper stone are gaining in popularity over those made from granite.

The quickest road to a green home design is the use of energy efficient appliances, such as refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, televisions, air conditioners and small electrical items. Whenever purchasing small and large appliances, buy those with the Energy Star label. The seal of approval issued by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Environmental Protection Agency means the appliance prevents global warming by reducing energy consumption.

A green home design extends to a home’s contents. One major area is the furniture, such as sofas, chairs, bureaus, tables and desks. Rather than buy new furnishings when they are outdated or when you redesign a room, consider whether the piece can be repainted, refinished, restained, or dressed in a slipcover. For worn out furniture pieces, determine whether it can be reupholstered or recycled.

There are various kinds of flooring that go hand in hand with a green home design. Cork and bamboo are two effective green offerings that provide additional benefits than traditional hard wood flooring. They come in a variety of color and style options, perform well in high traffic areas and look great.

A green home design should include dimmer switches. They can be easily installed in new homes under construction, as well as in existing homes. This simple switch can minimize energy consumption, which is a good thing for our planet. It can also put extra money in your pocket since you’re saving on energy use. That translates into a lower electric bill.

Complementing a green home design are other environmentally friendly measures that save our resources. They are the four Rs: recycling, reusing items in other ways instead of discarding them, restoring instead of buying new and reducing waste. Evaluate your home practices to see how you can enhance your go green pledge.

A green home design helps to preserve our natural resources and keeps our planet healthy. Going green doesn’t cost anything extra, especially when you consider the cost savings in the long run. Lighting changes, for example, instantly pays for itself. When you replace standard incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient luminescent ones, you conserve energy and realize a significant savings on your electric bill.

 

ipad   ipad   ipad

Filed Under: Green Homes, Recycle Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Green Homes | The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part IV

By Leave a Comment

The 6 aspects of good green construction that we’ve discussed in parts I through III of this series all have a direct affect on energy conservation, a large part of green building. These next two components address building a healthy home and reducing the usage and subsequent cost of water.

7 – Water. Water conservation is another integral part of green construction. Only 3 percent of all water on earth is fresh, and 2 percent of that is frozen in icecaps and glaciers. Selecting low-flow fixtures, low-flush commodes, and installing low-volume irrigation all contribute to preserving one of the earth’s most precious resources.

Low-flow fixtures, defined as those that supply less than the standard 2.2 gpm (gallons per minute) for a sink faucet, 2.5 gpm for a showerhead, and less than 1.6 gpf (gallons per flush) for the toilets, are now offered by many companies.

Advances in technology have made significant improvements in the performance of these products. To make it easy to find and select water-efficient products with good performance, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has introduced its WaterSense® program, a label that’s backed by independent testing and certification. Click here for a list of qualified low-flow products.

Irrigation is listed as the largest guzzler of household water. Green construction considers either eliminating the need for irrigation through the use of drought-tolerant turf, plants, and trees, or utilizing low-volume irrigation methods and efficient design to drastically reduce water usage while improving coverage. To find a professional proficient in water-conserving irrigation design and installation, visit the Irrigation Association. Ask your potential suppliers if they have taken the training courses and have experience designing and/or installing low-volume, efficient systems.

The three components of efficient irrigation include:

A reduced need for water: Reduce the need for irrigation by selecting native and site-appropriate plants and turf.

An efficient irrigation design: Implement an efficient design with features that include low-volume planting-bed irrigation, turf/bed zone separation, and sprinkler heads directed so that only turf and plants are being watered, not driveways and sidewalks.

Improved irrigation scheduling: Select an irrigation controller that provides the programming flexibility to water at the proper times, in the proper amounts for your area.

As discussed in last month’s article, Energy Star® dishwashers and washing machines also contribute to water conservation.

Rain harvesting through the use of cisterns is growing across the United States. Massive amounts of water can be captured from roof runoff, stored in cisterns, and utilized for irrigation, clothes washing, or flushing toilets. For more information visit The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association, or The Rainwater Harvesting Community.

8 – Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). According to the EPA, indoor air quality is three to five times worse than outdoor air quality. The American Lung Association says that an estimated 34.1 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma in their lifetime by a health professional. In 2006, over 6.8 million children under age 18 had asthma making it the leading chronic illness of children in the United States. Both asthma and allergies are exacerbated by poor indoor air quality.

Selecting products and features that contribute to indoor air quality is an important part of creating a green home. There are several components in this area from which to choose. The following are just a few:

Central vacuum system: Research at the University of California, Davis, showed that a prominent brand central vacuum removed allergens and reduced allergy symptoms by 47 percent for nasal, 48 percent for non-nasal, 61 percent for eye, and 44 percent for sleep. The EPA has acknowledged this product as an indoor-air-quality enhancer.

Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products: Many products such as flooring, paint, countertops, cabinetry, caulks, sealants, adhesives, and some insulation emit chemicals into the air in the form of gases. These chemicals, such as formaldehyde (a classified carcinogen), are known as VOCs. The good news is that low- or no-VOC options for all of these products are readily available.

Sealing the HVAC registers upon completion of the ductwork installation is a very simple, inexpensive procedure that contributes to improved IAQ. By preventing construction dust and debris from settling in the ductwork during the building process, the homeowner won’t be breathing in this mess (or cleaning up the dust) when the system is turned on.



***************************************************************************

Guest Writer Tracy DeCarlo

Tracy DeCarlo is author of The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner’s Planning Guide for Building a Functional Home and owner of One Stop Green Home Certification.

Click Here To Purchase The Book

Green building tips by Tracy DeCarlo & Curt Roese, Orlando Green Home and realty specialists.

Filed Under: Green Homes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Green Homes | The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part III

By Leave a Comment

The fundamental elements of green construction result in energy conservation, water conservation, improved indoor air quality, and a more durable structure.

Having covered orientation and design, sealing the building envelope, improving the insulation, and upgrading the HVAC system in the first two articles, we continue the series with two more energy-saving basic green features.

5—Upgraded Windows: The windows are another feature that will influence the energy efficiency of the building envelope. The energy saving attributes of windows, such as insulated, gas-filled, double-pane glass; low-E coatings; and vinyl, wood, or fiberglass composite frames contribute to a lower SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) and U-Value.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): This rating is a measure of the percentage of solar radiation that enters a building as heat gain through a window, door, or skylight, a primary concern if you live in a warm climate. The SHGC rating tells you how well the product blocks heat caused by the sun. The lower the SHGC, the less solar heat is transmitted. For example, a window with an SHGC of 0.39 allows only 39 percent of the solar heat that hits that window to be admitted to the house; the remaining 61 percent is blocked. If you live in a warm region, look for windows and doors with a low SHGC.

U-Factor: The U-Factor or U-Value, as mentioned in the discussion of Low-E glass earlier in this chapter, is a measurement of the rate of heat loss. The lower the U-Factor of a window, the greater its resistance to heat flow and the better its insulation value. U-Factor is of primary concern if you live in a cold region. The NFRC tests for U-Factor in a simulated environment where it is 70°F inside the house and 0°F outside. It measures the heat loss passing through a window from the inside to the exterior. If you live in a cold part of the country, select windows with a U-Factor of 0.35 or lower.

These two figures appear on the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) label affixed to the window. Check with your supplier to make sure the recommended windows have been rated by the NFRC. Click here for further explanation of the NFRC label and rating system.

The Energy Star® program uses NFRC ratings to determine if a particular window qualifies for an Energy Star® designation. The criteria for earning the Energy Star® seal vary from region to region. Click here to find the Energy Star® SHGC and U-Factor requirements for your climate zone.

Window size, placement, quantity, and specifications are considered in conjunction with home orientation and design, the first component of green building discussed in Part I of this series. This is just one of the reasons why a home design that’s focused on retaining the sun’s heat in winter and blocking it in summer can play a significant role in energy savings.

6— Energy-Saving Appliances: Energy Star® qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than standard models. Visit www.energystar.gov for information on all qualified appliances.

Not only are Energy Star® appliances more energy-efficient, they’re also quieter. And let’s address the water usage issue. For example, Energy Star qualified dishwashers not only use at least 41 percent less energy than the federal minimum standard for energy consumption, they also use about one-third less water than non-qualified models.

Front-loading washing machines also use less water, about 15 gallons less than older, top-loading models. When considering an Energy Star® machine, take a look at the Water Factor — the lower this number, the more efficient the machine. (Water Factor is a measurement of the number of gallons per cycle, per cubic foot, that a clothes washer uses. For example, if a machine uses 30 gallons per cycle and has a tub volume of 3.0 cubic feet, the Water Factor for that device is 10.0.)

Click here for a list of Energy Star® washing machines and their corresponding Water Factor.



***************************************************************************

Guest Writer Tracy DeCarlo

Tracy DeCarlo is author of The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner’s Planning Guide for Building a Functional Home and owner of One Stop Green Home Certification.

Click Here To Purchase The Book

Green building tips by Tracy DeCarlo & Curt Roese, Orlando Green Home and realty specialists.

Filed Under: Green Homes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Energy Proofing Your Windows

By Leave a Comment

When we think of Energy Star compliant we tend to think of appliances such as televisions, computers, dishwashers, refrigerators, etc and the amount of energy associated with their use, but seldom do people realize that the Energy Star compliant also applies to your home, more specifically, your windows.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) broadened their criteria to include energy efficiency for residential homes and commercial buildings one of the criteria for judging a home for how efficiently it uses its energy is to test its windows for any energy leaks.

The reason why particular attention is directed toward the windows is because it is estimated that around 30% of the home’s total energy is lost because of them, while at the same time being responsible for as much as 25% of your heating or air conditioning bill due to the air these inefficient windows allow to leak in and out. This means that your home is much cooler in winter than it should be and much hotter in summer, especially with the way older windows are designed, this is because homes greater than 14 years weren’t built with a green perspective in mind. Around half of all the homes in the US alone were built with single paned glass windows which is responsible for energy losses.

Fortunately with developing technology and a green, sustainable picture in mind has seen the advancement of design where windows are now twice as energy efficient than compared to 25 years ago. With reduction of lost energy come smaller utility bills. With older windows because hot and cold air is constantly being lost the more energy must be expended in order to counteract this loss, resulting in higher energy bills.

Window proofing for leaks can help you save money on your heating while making use of the existing energy within the home meaning you use less energy without sacrificing creature comforts or without having to make any real major changes to your lifestyle.

Budget is a big factor when it comes to replacing your windows with more energy efficient ones which can set you back around $15,000, a home energy audit is always highly recommended to test if completely replacing your windows is the best solution compared with less costly alternatives such as replacement inserts rather than replacing the entire window.

There are several benefits to energy proofing your windows:

Less money spent on heating and cooling due to your windows ability to better facilitate the existing energy more efficiently.
Enhanced comfort and living standards with a warm, dry living environment.

Improved health and reduced illness due to proper heating and the reduction of condensation and the dangerous fungal molds usually associated with damp living conditions.

http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?a=171&q=231318

Less carbon emissions due to the reduced need to consume more energy and the less impact on the environment associated with that energy production.

Better use of natural light.

Reduced noise pollution from the double glaze insulated design.

Receive an Energy Star tax credit through energy efficient windows. You may be eligible for a tax credit of up to 30% of the cost of your windows, up to $1,5002. What better incentive than to be rewarded for your green efforts. However, you must check for eligibility as not all windows carrying the Energy Star logo qualify for this rebate.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_taxcredits

Here are some tips to energy proof your windows:

Double pained windows contain an insulating layer of air between the two pains which reduces the amount of heat lost and gained.
Triple glazed on the other hand has two insulating air layers separated by three layers of glass which makes this one of the most efficient designs around not only with its obvious energy savings but its reduction in noise pollution.

Those living in cooler climates are now starting to use energy efficient windows containing low emissivity coatings on the glass preventing additional heat loss.

Energy efficient windows are a lifestyle choice with big rewards as the savings in energy bills over a lifetime add up nicely to a small fortune.

Filed Under: Energy Efficient, Green Homes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Energy Efficient Features of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes

By Leave a Comment

energystarlogo

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20-30% more efficient than standard homes.

With homebuyers increasingly interested in green building, energy efficiency is the place to start. That’s because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global warming.

So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.

Any home three stories or less can earn the ENERGY STAR label if it has been verified to meet EPA’s guidelines, including: single family, attached, and low-rise multi-family homes; manufactured homes; systems-built homes (e.g., SIP, ICF, or modular construction); log homes, concrete homes; and even existing retrofitted homes.

ENERGY STAR qualified homes can include a variety of ‘tried-and-true’ energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution:

1. Effective Insulation
Properly installed and inspected insulation in floors, walls, and attics ensures even temperatures throughout the house, reduced energy use, and increased comfort.

2. High-Performance Windows
Energy-efficient windows employ advanced technologies, such as protective coatings and improved frames, to help keep heat in during winter and out during summer. These windows also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight that can discolor carpets and furnishings.

3. Tight Construction and Ducts
Sealing holes and cracks in the home’s “envelope” and in heating and cooling duct systems helps reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen, and noise. A tightly sealed home improves comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility and maintenance.

4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment
In addition to using less energy to operate, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems can be quieter, reduce indoor humidity, and improve the overall comfort of the home. When properly installed into a tightly sealed home, this equipment won’t have to work so hard to heat and cool the home.

5. Efficient Products
ENERGY STAR qualified homes may also be equipped with ENERGY STAR qualified products – lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation fans, and appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines.

6. Third-Party Verification
With the help of independent Home Energy Raters, ENERGY STAR builder partners choose the most appropriate energy-saving features for their homes. Additionally, raters conduct onsite testing and inspections to verify the energy efficiency measures, as well as insulation, air tightness, and duct sealing details.

We will explore each feature of an energy efficient home in future posts. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Energy Efficient Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »