What is Green Building?

What is Green Building?

Green building takes advantage of the most recent research and innovations in the construction industry that are not only environmentally friendly but also improve the quality and energy efficiency of today's homes. While there are many green products, features and practices that can go into both, design and construction, the ultimate goal is to insure that all of these aspects come together and perform well as a system in your home. These elements can be broken down into these catagories:

1) Lot Design, Preparation, and Development - By selecting a particular lot, selecting a knowledgeable team, and having a clear vision of how the construction will take place with Green standards in mind, you can have a home that will be more energy efficient and leave less of a footprint on its surroundings.

2) Resource Efficiency - Through environmentally-conscious design and innovation, the Green home uses low maintenance buildng products, including recycled, reused, renewable and indigenous material. These methods go a long way in conserving our valuable resources.

3) Energy Efficiency - Green homes use ecologically-minded design and construction to help maintain a comfortable interior temperature with less energy usage. When combined with available environmentally-friendly appliances and fixtures, Green home buyers are able to fully capitalize on this efficiency, saving both energy and money.

4) Water Efficiency - Proper design and installation of piping systems and fixtures helps insure a reduction in overall water demand in a Green home. There are even systems which allow for the collection of rainwater and grey-water for use both indoors and outdoors.

5) Indoor Environmental Quality - By reducing the amount of toxic chemicals, moisture, and allergens, the quality of life in a Green home is greatly improved.

6) Operation, Maintenance, and Owner Education - Any home is a complex system that needs to be properly maintained to operate efficiently. Educating the homeowner on both care and operation is an important factor in making sure the home functions at the optimum levels of performance.

These six catagories illustrate what goes into today's Green home. The right builder can use these eco-minded features and practices to build a home that is both environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Such an approach can insure that these homes are a benifit to both nature and the budget-minded buyer.