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LEED Platinum-certified Prefab House by New World Home

September 2, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

New World Home, designer and builder of green prefab homes, just achieved a cool feat in green homes; a recent Georgia home by New World Home attained LEED Platinum-certification but without the use renewable energy sources. Devices that monitor energy consumption, an insulated moisture resistant foundation, a tankless water heater, low-flow toilets, great insulation, programmable thermostats, and more helped New World Home create a green home without the use of solar panels, wind turbines, or other renewable energy source.

One notable aspect of New World Home is the design of the homes. Take the Georgia home; while prefab, the home is old fashioned looking, and fits right into the neighborhood. Most prefabs are a little (to a lot) more modern in their design approach, which works for some people but not everyone.

According to New World Home, “A New Old Green Modular home is a newly produced home based upon historically inspired designs that are constructed with environmentally sanctioned products and practices, and are factory-built in a state-of-the-art, highly efficient manufacturing facility.”

Other perks of New World’s houses include:

  • Half the energy costs.
  • Reduced water consumption by thousands of gallons a year.
  • A savings of thousands of dollars annually in maintenance costs.
  • Homes can be erected and in move-in condition in less than 90 days.
  • All NOGM New World Home designs are LEED certifiable at base level – USGBC LEED for Home certifiable (Silver, Gold or Platinum).
  • Optimal Value Engineering – reduces lumber usage by 15-20%.
  • 90%+ of all lumber sourced from sustainably harvested forests and 3rd party verified.
  • Zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) adhesives, paints and finishes.
  • Ultra-efficient HVAC systems.
  • Optional alternative energy systems including solar and wind turbine.
  • Recycled content products utilized throughout the structure.
  • 20-50 year product warranties on many structural elements as specified by manufacturer.

See a gallery of the beautiful Georgia home below: Read the rest of this entry »

Cons of Building or Buying a New Green Home

May 21, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

This month we’ve been sorting out which is better: remodeling green or buying or building a new green home. So far we’ve looked at…

Today the last part of our series – the cons of building or buying new. However, stay tuned because soon I’ll post some resources that will help you out, no matter your final decision.

CONS OF BUILDING OR BUYING A NEW GREEN HOME:

The obvious first con of going with a new green home is cost. Green homes can cost more at the start than conventional. In the long run a green home will save you money, but start-up costs can stop some people cold. According to CNN Money, if you went as green as possible, a green home might cost you 20-30% more than a traditional home, but don’t forget there are shades of green in-between as well. You’ll also get tax credits. Green Prefab can also be an affordable way to build or buy green.

Side note: I built a green home and the costs were not more than a traditional home – but keep in mind that we built small as well (also a green feature). Additionally a piece at Ecomii notes that green costing more is a myth. According to this piece; “The chief complaint most people have with green building is cost… This is not true — but it’s a common misconception promoted by ignorant architects and contractors who are afraid of building in a different way. Good architects and contractors know how to save their clients money. The client sets the budget, and a project should come in at or below that budget. With a clear direction of budget, there is no reason you can’t build a green building for the same price as, or less than, a traditional building.” Read more.

OTHER CONS:

Read the rest of this entry »

Pros of Building or Buying a New Green Home

May 18, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | 2 comments

Last week we started looking at remodeling green vs. buying a new green home or building a new green home. So far we took a peek at:

This week we’re moving on to pros and cons of building or buying a new green home. Later we’ll round it all up and look at some resources for both.

Building or buying a new green home does have many pros…

Green home will almost always (if you build within size reasons) cost less to operate. Your energy, water, and other maintenance costs will all likely be lower in the long term. You can also save money with green building tax cuts.

Green homes last longer than a typical conventional (non-green) home.

Green housing can meet the needs of the community both in terms of affordable to run housing and in terms of keeping the community healthy.

Green structures are healthy for the people who live there and are healthier than conventional homes for the people who build them – i.e. cut down on indoor air pollution and involve fewer toxic materials during the building process.

If a home meets typical current green building standards, green building offers opportunities during the building process to save energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, improve air and water quality, and reduces construction waste. Green building can also use up resources that might just be tossed – i.e. materials from a home deconstruction.

Green homes can be more relaxing. For example, a super energy efficient home is comfortable for the people living there and causes less stress because there’s not always a concern about how to cool or heat the home.

Green building or buying a new green home involves a learning curve for sure, but it’s not as hard as some think. Read the following for tips and ideas…

What is an ENERGY STAR qualified home

May 11, 2009 in Green Building, Save Energy, Save Money by Jennifer | No comments

An ENERGY STAR qualified home is a simple concept. For a home to earn the ENERGY STAR qualified rating, it must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ENERGY STAR homes need to be at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC). These homes usually include additional energy-saving components as well that can pop their energy efficiency rating up to 20–30% more efficient than your standard home.

The major features of an ENERGY STAR home include:

  1. Effective Insulation
  2. High-Performance Windows
  3. Tight Construction and Ducts
  4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment
  5. Efficient Products
  6. Third-Party Verification – this simply means that an outside qualified party (Home Energy Rater), conducts “Onsite testing and inspections to verify the energy efficiency measures, as well as insulation, air tightness, and duct sealing details.“

WHY BUY OR BUILD AN ENERGY STAR HOME:

  • It can simplify the green home buying process. Since it’s ENERGY STAR you have fewer decisions to make, because a home needs to meet eco-specifications to qualify.
  • Compared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR qualified homes have much lower owner costs when it comes to energy and water use.  You can also save money with lower financing options.
  • According to ENERGY STAR< energy efficient homes are a smarter investment, “To date, more than 6,500 home builders have partnered with EPA to construct nearly 940,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The trend is clear. By choosing a home with the ENERGY STAR label, you can be confident that it will have an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.” Of course they’d say that, but really green home are doing well on the market, so it’s not just company fluff.
  • You’re helping to keep the planet green. Houses can generate more greenhouse gas emissions than your car.

If you’re building, not simply buying an ENERGY STAR home you can check out some home plans that are Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR rating or click here to find home builders and developers that build ENERGY STAR qualified new homes, lenders that offer energy efficient mortgages, utilities that offer special incentives to buyers, and home energy raters that can verify the energy efficiency of a home.

You can take a tour of an ENERGY STAR home to learn more about the features offered.

Michelle Kaufmann – Embracing Thoughtful, Walkable Neighborhoods

May 10, 2009 in Uncategorized by Jennifer | No comments

Michelle Kaufmann, one of the major darlings of the green prefab movement, released a white paper this last January, “Embracing Thoughtful, Walkable Neighborhoods,” which offers ten proposed EcoPrinciples for Communities. The ideas revolve around ideas that “Delve into some of the best practices that city planners, developers, architects, and builders can employ in order to design and build green communities that ensure the health of our neighborhoods and our planet over the long-term.”

Green is not some flash in the pan idea, and I like that Kaufmann’s paper addresses the long-term. Plus it’s cool that it focuses on whole community efforts vs. simply focusing on building one green home and calling it a day.

Below is one image from the white paper that points out some of the discussed incorporated green community factors.

A overview of Kaufmann’s ideas about green communities is discussed as well as 10 EcoPrinciples for communities. Three EcoPrinciples include:

Smart design: Which looks at’ “Design to use less, to collaborate with the landscape, and for longevity as well as flexibility”

Energy efficiency: Such as, “Sealing building envelopes with super efficient insulation and glass”

Water conservation: Like, “Making water “challenges” into water “features” and, “Sculpting bioswales into the land”

You can download Embracing Thoughtful, Walkable Neighborhoods for FREE to see all the great ideas offered.

[image via Michelle Kaufmann]

Free Green Home Plans!

March 18, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | 1 comment

Later today we’ll wrap up our green apartment series, but first I wanted to alert you to a super-fly green home site; FreeGreen.

FreeGreen offers spiffy (and free) building plans for green homes. Plans vary in depth, some showing energy consumption between buildings that meet basic code vs. building that have greener features.

HOW IT WORKS:

  1. Head to FreeGreen.
  2. Search for a home you like – there are various ways to do this. You can search by type of home, check out the open source network (which is not free, but cool), plus you can search by all types of various criteria like energy use, size, popular green features, and more.
  3. Download the plans you like and even buy blueprints.

EXAMPLE:

I picked one house to check out so I could tell you how this works. I went with the Suburban Loft. Once you click on the virtual tour you can make changes and add custom features. Basic features and concepts are explained during the tour. The image slide show is crisp and really nice, showing both exterior and interior features.

Once you click download, you’ll have to register, but the form was short and fast. Then it asks you if you want basic or premium service (which is $100 a year). The plans are pretty basic but give you a nice idea to start with if you’re considering building green. Plus this particular plan offers slides of both energy features and efficiency.

Visit FreeGreen and see the plans for yourself.

Is There an Ideal Sustainable Home?

January 30, 2009 in Sustainable Building by Jennifer | No comments

Sustainable housing is not a new idea, but there are many different ideas surrounding the term sustainable building, some of them always changing (think LEED). People have varied sustainable plans when designing a house, but in reality you can narrow sustainability down to some basic ideas.

The best sustainable housing is…

Sustainable at each level. From choosing a site and clearing the land. Your choice of materials and your building ethics (i.e. recycling waste). Your energy system and landscaping. At each level of the planning and building process there are sustainable aspects you can consider.

A sustainable home has a light footprint and takes up less space. You can sort of build a green McMansion but that majorly defeats the true purpose of sustainable design.

The best sustainable materials are locally acquired, efficient, and recyclable. You can go further by choosing materials that have been reclaimed and by using only what you need. For example, two sinks in the bath, may be overkill.

Sustainable housing requires less fuel to heat or cool and maximizes natural vs. non-renewable resources for energy. Wind, solar, proper landscaping, window quality, and more are all ideas surrounding sustainable energy for housing.

Sustainable housing makes the most of water use with things like water efficient appliances, rainwater systems, and low-water landscaping.

Interior design is also a consideration. Non-toxic paints, clean air techniques, reclaimed floors, sustainable furniture, and more all contribute to overall sustainable design.

In my opinion, sustainable design also adds to the land integrity instead of claiming aesthetics from said land. This is not an across the board idea, but it makes little sense to overtake nature with design.

To learn more about sustainable design read:

News Worth A Read – Remodeled LEED Rating System

December 9, 2008 in Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

In case you missed it, a couple of weeks ago, the U.S. Green Building Council voted on the revised LEED 2009 standard. The new standards will incorporate “More than eight years of feedback from architects, developers and building materials manufacturers.”

I think this puts LEED in a better position now. It’s been tough, with green standards all over the place, and no long term feedback. The new standards will hopefully highlight what architects and designers have learned about green building over the last decade.

According to ENN, “Key changes to LEED include higher baseline requirements for reducing energy use, language that addresses mixed-use projects, and expanded options for using roof materials that reduce the urban heat-island effect.”

Read the whole story: Revamped LEED ratings emphasize climate, energy conservation

Where To Find New Green Homes for Sale

October 3, 2008 in Green Your Home, Sustainable Building by Jennifer | 3 comments

If you’re looking to buy a new or existing green home, rather than build or remodel green, it can seem frustrating. As mainstream as green living has become, there’s still not a ton of publicity about green homes and where to find them. Still, with the right help, you can find what you’re looking for.

A really fun way to find green homes is to take part in one of the many green home shows or tours popping up all over the country. Not all states have green home shows or tours, but many do. At a green home show, you can meet builders and merchants of green homes and green home goods. If you attend a green home tour it’s even more fun, because you get to see some beautiful homes and learn about green home options. Check with your local chamber to learn about green home events in your area.

For an eclectic collection of killer green homes for sale visit Green Homes for Sale. This is one of my favorite drool worthy sites on the web. You can search by location (U.S. (all the states), Canada, Nicaragua  and Puerto Rico), ID number, or watch fun slide shows. These are lovely homes and stats about their green attributes are listed.

Look for green communities in your area. Usually these are all new developments in a walkable area and green spaces. One downside of green communities is that the homes tend to be clustered closely together, but there are still perks, like energy savings and non-toxic materials.

Other ways to find a green home to purchase include:

Questions for A Green Home Remodel

September 29, 2008 in Sustainable Building by Jennifer | 1 comment

If you’re thinking of a green remodel for your house, there are some basic questions to consider.

General home questions:

What don’t you like about your current home?

What do you adore about your current home?

Do you have enough space? Too much space?

How efficient is your current insulation solution – is your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer without having to use huge energy drains?

Is there mold in your home? Other problems? Before a remodel, you do need to plan for the costs of taking care of current problematic issues.

What sort of alternative energy options appeal to you – how much work are you willing to put into alternative energy upkeep?

Window questions:

How much natural light does each room receive?

Is energy efficient glass used for all your windows?

Is it even feasible to change window placement if you choose – can skylights or solar lighting be implemented?

Are windows properly placed with roof overhang, or other sun blockers?

Outdoor living:

How can you bring more of the outside environment indoors?

Can you green renovate your landscaping during your remodel?

Money issues:

How much can you afford to spend on green renovations?

How are you spending now on utilities?

Will green renovations cost as much to build a new green home or relocate to a green home? If so, which choice is best for you?

How much money will green renovations save you in the long run – and how long until you recoup your costs.

What eco-benefits will a green remodel have and does that increase the worth of the remodel to you?

This is just a start. These questions will get you thinking, but the best thing to do if you’re considering a remodel is to speak with a green remodeling professional or a builder who has green know-how.

Book Review: The Carbon Free Home

September 22, 2008 in Uncategorized by Jennifer | No comments

At another blog of mine, Offbeat Homes, I recently reviewed a new green home book; Book Review: The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil -Fuel Habit.

This is an excellent book, one that readers here will enjoy, so I thought I’d mention it. It’s completely green home focused and very user friendly. Read the review.

Past Green Building Resources & Green Living Tips

August 15, 2008 in Alternative Energy, Green Building, Green Cleaning, Green Your Home, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

In the post, Green Building Resources & Green Living Tips I noted that Best Green Home Tips used to be located in a different spot, at the RiverWired network. Over there, we looked at many a green building and remodeling tip. I thought that if you missed these posts, it would be cool to catch you up to speed. We looked at about half of these posts in the first recap, and here’s the rest…

green building

Green building:

Green home interiors:

Save energy & resources:

Fun: