With new construction, you can get your fuel bills down to $30-$50 a month. With solar heating, you could even end up selling electricity back to the electric company. The U.S. Green Building Council establishes the standards for LEED certification. "LEED" stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design." Explore their website, www.usgbc.org.
Here are some considerations for green building:
ICFs Don't even think about building without using insulating concrete forms (ICF) for walls. What are ICFs? ICFs are double styrofoam walls with concrete in between, kind of like a styrofoam sandwich. The average R-value (insulation value) of a standard 2x6 with sheathing and Tyvek is R19. The ICF wall is rated R32 to R40 and higher. You'll save 50-80% in energy usage. Why don't all builders build every last house with ICF forms? You ask them. Why don't all building codes require ICF forms? Building codes give you minimum standards. There are thirty five or more manufacturers of ICFs. The representative I heard speak was from www.rewardwalls.com. Green advantages of ICFs:
Question: Can I retrofit my existing house with ICFs? Response: Alas, it is too expensive to retrofit existing houses. You'll have to approach energy savings from other directions. Life cycle costing This term should become more common. It stands for the cost of implementation of a particular measure divided by the amount that will be saved by the measure. By knowing the annual savings, you can figure the simple payback of the cost. | Windows There is a huge heat loss with windows. A two-pane window has an R5. A triple pane has maybe an R8. To minimize heat loss from windows, orient the house to a southern exposure. Have no windows or only small windows on the east and west side of the house. On the south side of the house, have windows with high performance glass, which has an R-value of 8-14, with a calculated roof overhang (see below). On an existing house, install awnings to block out summer sun. Roof overhang xxx Exhibits of green building:
Attic
Wall insulation
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Updated 3-25-09