Are you or your company interested in pursuing green building? A working knowledge of green design standards will help you get going. To develop environmentally-friendly buildings, start with the IGCC (International Green Construction Code) as a guide to minimum green building requirements. To become acquainted with energy cost savings, reduced energy usage, conservation, and improved […]
What’s Different about Unity Homes?
In the world of home construction, what sets Unity Homes apart? Inspection reveals that the windows and walls are given special attention when it comes to energy performance. Unity walls are better than most R-35 versions and designers pay special attention to the orientation of the windows to select the best glazing and SHGC panes. […]
Eco-Friendly Lifestyle: Reasons to Make a Steel Building Your Home
As contractors are forced to look for more eco-friendly ways to reduce carbon dioxide, steel framed buildings have been growing in popularity as an alternative building method. About 500,000 steel-framed houses have been built in the last decade. Steel frames may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of eco-friendly, […]
How to Increase Home Energy Efficiency with Interior Sliding Glass Doors
While glass doors are an obviously striking addition to a home’s interior, it may not be known that they actually add energy efficiency as well. Glass doors can add points in the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings by offering reduction in lighting power density. They pass natural […]
Does Your Air Barrier Work in Both Directions?
A good air barrier for a house is something that all home owners ought to want. The desire is for airtight houses that can bring in fresh air through mechanical ventilation. The job of the air barrier is to prevent the amount of air that crosses between conditioned interior spaces and unconditioned exterior space. Not […]
A Good Time for Energy Audits and Weatherization
Early spring may not seem like the best time to start performing energy audits, but it can actually be a very good time for both builders and their clients. Spring is a time when few homeowners are thinking about their heating or cooling bills or how to lower them, so those services are less in […]
Home Energy-Efficiency Upgrades for Beginners
Many homeowners with older homes contact the Green Board Advisory (GBA) with questions on how to make their old homes more energy efficient. While the easy answer is to hire an energy audit on your home, which will result with a tailored list of things that can be done to improve energy efficiency in a […]
An Introduction to the Ecotastic World of Green Buildings
According to Rick Cook, a founding principle of the COOKFOX architecture firm in New York, building a new structure according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards is much like including a gym: it is not very expensive and there’s a good chance someone might want that feature. Because of this, green buildings […]
Energy Efficient Buildings
While energy efficiency has increased in popularity over the past few years, the true potential of optimal energy efficiency has yet to be realized. According to Trane, a global provider of indoor comfort solutions and services, groundbreaking innovations are constantly increasing the performance level of operating practices. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, high-performance […]
Can a Huge House still be Energy Efficient?
Florida based contractor Marc Rutenberg Homes set out to prove that a 4,552 square foot house could still be completely energy efficient. While the average net-zero project is around 1,500 square feet, this home demonstrates that luxury does not need to be sacrificed when designing a green dwelling. In fact, the home is so efficient […]