Posts Tagged ‘green homes’

What you Need to Know About Green Home Certifications

By Tadas Narauskas | May 27th, 2010 0 Comments

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the greenest of them all?  As if we didn’t already have hundreds of eco labels to worry about every time we visit a store, now there are green home certifications that are mushrooming up all over the Bay Area and the country.  Understanding these new ways of classifying quality and operation costs is becoming a must, especially when you build, remodel or in the market for a home.  Yet another chief reason for being able to decipher these new terms is to avoid growing generalizations or greenwashing.

Frankly, most folks could careless about “green” homes. Very few want to pay extra for labels they don’t understand.  And why should they?! Price and quality are and should be the two high priority areas of concern.  However, green homes address much more than just fancy “eco-friendly” building materials.  They also encompass elements like energy efficiency, indoor air quality, water efficiency, materials use (recycled, reclaimed, sustainable), community and environmental impacts.

Third party sources play an important role in verifying that green homes are truly are as they are cracked up to be in their marketing.  Here are the three most prevalent green home titles you are most likely to see in our Bay Area neighborhoods:

Green Point – This rating program is a child of Build it Green, a non-profit based in Berkley.  GreenPoint uses a scoring system where a GreenPoint rater evaluates a home’s green features “allowing homes to be compared on a level playing field.”  The program rewards building professionals and homeowners who create green homes by allowing them to brand their products with a recognizable seal of approval.

Be aware though; it doesn’t take much to get yourself a “GreenPoint” title.  When you see this little word “Elements” next to the rating (up to 50 points) it means only a small part of the house has some sort of green feature.  When you see “Whole House,” stated next to the score, this is more exciting but again, pay attention to the score.  Some “green” homes are notorious for focusing on energy efficiency but very little attention is given to indoor air quality.  I’ve seen it and smelled it, it’s a fact.

LEED – (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized voluntary green building certification system from the US Green Building Council. It verifies that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

LEED homes have the potential to use 20-30% and some – up to 60% less energy.  Certifications have various levels of “greenness” and are categorized into Certified, Silver, and Gold & Platinum. Neither of these certifications is easy or cheap to get.  When you see a home owner or builder boasting a LEED seal of quality, rest assured they had to jump through some serious hoops to get it.

Energy Star – It is very likely that up until now, you thought Energy Star applies only to your appliances and electronics.  I was very surprised to find out that it pertains to homes also.  To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict 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.

There you have it, the most common green home certifications in Bay Area.  As a general rule, it is always a good idea to dig deeper when you see a home that claims to be “green”.  Always look for third party verifications and other proof.  Let’s leave the “greenwashing” to the household cleaning product industry.

More on Green Homes:  http://SanJoseGreenHome.com

  • Get new posts via email
  • Subscribe

Can Your Roof Save You Money and Cool the Planet?

By Tadas Narauskas | April 14th, 2010 1 Comment

Did you know that your roof color can actually affect your energy bill, your comfort in the house and even contribute to climate change?  It’s true.  Our traditionally dark composition roofs contribute to what is called an “urban heat island.”  The problem with most home roofs is that they absorb the heat of the sun, the temperature of the area rises, and our air conditioners have to work much harder to keep us all cool and cozy.

What’s a Heat Island?

No, it’s not an island in the Bahamas.  “Heat island” describes built up areas that are hotter than nearby rural areas.  According to the EPA, the annual air temperature of a city with 1 million people or more can be 1.8–5.4°F warmer than its surroundings. In the evening, the difference can be as high as 22°F.

Heat islands are no joke.  They can affect communities by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and heat-related illness.


graph provided by EPA

What Can Home Owners Do?

Very simple.  Next time you are replacing your roof, opt for a light colored type with a radiant barrier.  You see, this type of roof reflects and the sun’s heat back into space instead of transferring it to the building below. This helps keep your roof cooler and reduces your cooling load and air conditioning needs.  Cool, isn’t it?

Most roofers in San Jose area are aware of this and do offer options to address this problem.  All we need to do as a community is to ask.

Let’s say you opt for the most common option – a standard 30-40 year, light tile composition roof.  All you need to do is combine OSB (oriented strand board) sheathing with radiant barrier foil and lay the tiles on top it. Voilà!  You got yourself a cooler roof.  There are some other methods of achieving the same but you get the point – the solution is not complicated or expensive.

The installation cost premium for cool roofs versus conventional roofing materials ranges from zero to 5 or 10 cents per square foot for most products but the benefits of these cool roofs are huge.  In fact, according to the EPA website, a California study found that cool roofs provide an average yearly net savings of almost 50 cents per square foot. This number includes the price premium for cool roofing products and increased heating costs in the winter as well as summertime energy savings, savings from downsizing cooling equipment, and reduced labor and material costs over time due to the longer life of cool roofs compared with conventional roofs.

Now cool roofs are not going to entirely solve the heat island problem.  In order for that to happen we will still need more vegetation and cool pavements but it’s a start.  Steven Chu, the US Secretary of Energy and a Nobel prize-winning scientist, said a few months ago that making roofs white or light-colored would help to mitigate climate change.

So there you have it, another no brainer solution that requires nothing but a shift of awareness and a slight style adjustment.  Not only your energy bills will be lower but you will be doing a great deal of good for the environment.

More on Green Homes:  http://SanJoseGreenHome.com

  • Get new posts via email
  • Subscribe

Discovering Benefits of a More Sustainable Landscaping

By Tadas Narauskas | March 12th, 2010 0 Comments

The shortcomings of traditional landscaping are evident as never before.  You can smell them in air pollution landscape (lawnmowers, transportation, energy use), you can taste them in our water pollution (fertilizers and pesticides), and you can see them in harmful effects to our biodiversity and consumption of natural resources.  At the end of the day conventional landscaping can be just down right cost and labor intensive.  That is exactly why more and more folks are discovering the joys of sustainable landscaping.

So what exactly is this “sustainable” landscaping that everyone is talking about and what can it do for us?  Essentially, sustainable or “green” landscaping is landscaping that considers things like water conservation, the use of all natural resources and the selection of proper plants to beautify a piece of land while still making it work with the surrounding ecosystem.

In the beginning this may sound a tad complex but rest assured – it’s not.  There are countless things that we can try at home on your own.  Keep in mind these three mantras – Conserve, Design and Protect.

Conserve means conserving resources like water and using a composting bin to recycle natural yard waste into organic fertilizer.

Protect means preventing or reducing processes that degrade or pollute the environment and harm regenerative capacity of our ecosystems.

Design means designing your landscaping in harmony with the natural environment, and in a way that it enhances the sustainability features of your home.

For instance, if you are planning on redoing the landscaping in your yard, consider the placement of deciduous and evergreen trees.  If you plant deciduous (the type that has seasonal leaves) on the south and east sides of your home, you’ll be able to get shade during the summer while still keeping the sun’s heat and warmth during the winter, because the leaves will not block the sun light.  Evergreens (the type that always has leaves) that have been planted in the north and the west are particularly wonderful for protecting your home from harsh winds during those colder Bay Area months.

It’s always a great idea to consider the use of recycled materials for your green landscaping project. You’ll find that soil amendments and mulch fall under this category.  With wood becoming more and more expensive and increasingly depleted, we may want to consider making sure we can recycle plastic bender board.  Similarly, we can recycle broken up concrete into great flagstones, and recycled brick for paths and patios.  With a bit of imagination the options to recycle are limitless.

One of the most essential components to sustainable landscaping is of course the water irrigation concerns.  Did you know that most people over-water their lawns by 50%? Imagine the water savings if they all just adjusted their sprinkler systems.  My next door neighbor’s sprinklers are on day and night, spraying all over including our shared fence which is beginning to rot already.  Our cats love watching it though, for them this is pure entertainment.

When deciding what to put in a garden, it’s beneficial to think about how the water will flow and how we can best take advantage of the water that is around. Key things  here is install drip-irrigation and use only drought resistant and native plants.  This will assure that your deep watering needs are kept to a minimum.

Looking for a place to buy some eco friendly plants?  Check out the Santa Clara County  Web Page (http://www.valleywater.org) for more info and nursery locations.  Want to hear something really cool?  The District will give you up to $1000 dollars to take out your lawn and replace it with drought tolerant plants and $1000 to install water conserving irrigation system. According to their website, this rebate expires this June, so don’t snooze on the opportunity.

Another fantastic resource online is the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara website (http://www.mastergardeners.org). It’s jam packed with all sorts of magic tips, wonderful advice, and local events for gardening and sustainable landscaping enthusiasts.

Sustainable landscaping makes financial sense and is truly our way of saying thank you to that earth and soil that have fed so many generations before us.  Happy landscaping.

More on Green Homes:  http://SanJoseGreenHome.com

  • Get new posts via email
  • Subscribe

Are Greener Homes a Passing Fad or Here to Stay?

By Tadas Narauskas | February 12th, 2010 0 Comments

solar home

Whether one takes climate change seriously or not, one truth stands tall for any home buyer – energy efficiency, resource conservation and healthy indoor air is becoming a must.  But with the economy still unraveling and the cloud of uncertainty hanging over our heads, a question looms… Can green homes gain traction in our fragile housing  market?

As you may be aware, Santa Clara County real estate market has been quite unpredictable.  It went from four months of inventory into less than one month of inventory in one year and no one really knows what the future holds.  Even some of the biggest market experts have been embarrassed and increasingly keep their Nostradamus like market predictions to themselves.

At the same time, for the past few years, we may have noticed a quiet revolution taking place in our hearts.  Not only we are craving to live happier, healthier and more empowered lives, we are seeking friends and atmosphere that will support that earning.  Also, with raising energy costs and ever growing health problems, many of us are looking for answers right where we sleep – our homes.

So what has kept more people from seeking out these energy efficient and often healthier homes?  Mainly – the lack of awareness and price.  We’ve been conditioned to think that everything green and organic come with an extra big price tag, and with a good reason!  However, when it comes to homes it’s not always true.

Some new home builders who have built green home developments in San Jose claim that their homes are not more expensive than their non-green certified competition. The reason being is that builders are able to buy renewable energy systems like solar panels at bulk prices and receive incentives from PG&E and the state.  In fact, smart builders can use fewer resources to build homes and save money on materials.  This effectively helps developers pass the savings to the consumer.

Now if an older home has undergone a deep retrofit and was upgraded with energy saving systems like solar panels or solar water heater, it may indeed cost a bit more than regular homes.  One must keep in mind though that here we must look at price vs. cost of ownership analysis.  What do I mean?  Well, imagine your home had a mortgage that is $100 higher than your neighbor’s but you were saving $150 in utility bills, would that be such a terrible predicament to be in?

One may say… but wait, some folks really go all out with their upgrades and “eco-chic” elements that they will never re-coup the costs.  It’s true, but it’s also true with high end upgrades that have nothing to do with energy efficiency or sustainability.

As for the future of our real estate market and green homes, my crystal ball has nothing but beautiful images.  Why?  Because energy conserving homes not only produce less pollution but also because owning one will absolutely, most definitely make perfect financial sense.

Think about it, if you had a choice whether to buy a home that is more energy efficient, healthier for your kids, and conserves resources or a home that was built to minimum standards that had high utility bills, which would you choose?  You see, once we are increasingly presented with this choice in the future, the decision will be as easy as popping a soap bubble.

Personally, I am thrilled to see more and more people considering the impact their homes have on the environment.  In addition, something very profound is taking place during this economic turmoil – we’re shaping to be smarter consumers.  We’re growing in wisdom that we must consider the true cost of owning “stuff”.  This is why greener homes will set new standards of quality and resource management in the very near future.

More on Green Homes:  http://SanJoseGreenHome.com

  • Get new posts via email
  • Subscribe

Green Homes are the Future that’s Already Here – Are You In It?

By Tadas Narauskas | February 2nd, 2010 0 Comments

You’ve heard the term “Green Home” by now; perhaps a multitude of times if you have browsed environmental webgreen home wood sites or magazines.  Have you ever wondered what that really means?  Are green home builders simply trying to ride the latest eco-fad or is there really some substance to the word “green” when it comes to homes?  Why should we care anyways?

Essentially, living green implies being aware of the environment around us.  We do our best to consider results of our actions when it comes to our bodies, health and nature around us.  Green homes are no different and there’s truly much more to these homes than the philosophy behind it.

An eco-friendly home is a home that—compared with a standard home—uses less energy, water, and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier for its inhabitants.  These homes can either be built green from the start, or they can undergo some alterations or remodels later down the road.

5 KEY COMPONENTS

Truly green homes will take into account the following key principals essential to green building and remodeling:

1.   Design and size: Good site design and just large enough, as opposed to larger is better.  The reality is that a 4,000 square feet home will require more heating, air conditioning and lighting than a 2,000 square feet home. If you really want a sustainable home, choose a smaller size.  A green home will also consider orientation on its site to bring abundant natural daylight and to take advantage of any prevailing breezes.  This obviously works best if you are a building a new home but you can also keep this in mind when shopping for a re-sale or considering improvements on an existing one.

2.   Community connectivity: Located close to work, school, recreation and other basics.  The idea is to consider the “walkability” of the neighborhood and whether you will be able to ride a bike to your best friend’s house.  Less time in the car – less pollution.  More time on the bike or feet – better health.  I’m sure you’ll agree – both of the two will reduce your carbon footprint and increase your overall enjoyment of life.  You can check your neighborhood’s “walkability” score at www.walkscore.com.

3. Energy and water efficiency: This incorporates things like natural day lighting through the use of skylights or daylight tubes, Energy Star appliances, better home insulation, low E rating windows, dual flush toilets, low flow sinks and shower heads.  Increasingly, you will see the use of solar energy to produce hot water with solar hot water heaters and electricity provided by solar panels.  In general, people who live in green homes save money by consuming less energy and less water than standard homes. Over the years, that also adds up to big savings.

4. Material selections: Use of sustainable and renewable materials, where possible recycled and/or reclaimed products. Wood-based features should come from rapidly renewable sources like bamboo, but if tropical hardwoods are used, they must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. A green home uses salvaged materials like kitchen tiles and materials with significant recycled content.  Some of the most popular updates to do these days are to use recycled glass countertops for your kitchen and install cork flooring.  Both look and feel amazing.

5. Indoor air quality: This one is obvious – avoiding the use of toxic materials at all costs.  Use only low or no Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints.  Keep in mind that materials and even furniture can off gas and slowly intoxicate the inhabitants of a home.  One of the most important things is well thought out ventilation to bring fresh air from outside.  Remember one general rule here: that new house smell is actually not good for you.

As you see, green homes are not some fancy labeled and awkward dome shaped structures that are reserved only to the taste of the hippies from the 60s.   In fact, from outside they may look like any other home but they provide its dwellers substantial benefits like better air, lower bills and a feeling of doing the right thing for the environment.

It’s hard not to be excited about the future of environmentally friendly homes. We are truly at the forefront of green innovation and use of sustainable materials here in California.

Many people run out and protest in front of Congress demanding change but it is our homes that must be at the forefront of our efforts to stem the climate change problem. Our path towards sustainability and a brighter future can truly start at home.

More on Green Homes:  http://SanJoseGreenHome.com

  • Get new posts via email
  • Subscribe