Green Building
There are many ideas about what green building is today. Regardless of what materials you choose to use in renovating or building a new home it’s important to understand that the amount of power your building consumes over the buildings life span is one of the most critical measures you can take in reducing your impact on the environment. Buildings are more complex than ever, but now it is possible to use building science to identify and correct existing energy problems and design better new homes.
Heating and cooling are a critical component of your home energy consumption. Home Performance Analysis shows that our typical homes, even brand new ones have series of avoidable and correctable problems that end up making your home less energy efficient, less comfortable, and more expensive. At Balance Point home performance we feel that it is important to go beyond supporting specific products and find solutions that will improve your home in a way that makes sense for you.
Once we have addressed making your home more energy efficient, you will be within reach of creating a zero energy home with the addition renewable energy generation. But even if you do not go to the next step you can rest easy knowing that your home is costing you less, consuming less gas and electricity, has better indoor air quality, and most importantly is more comfortable than you thought possible.
There are no silver bullets. Unfortunately you can’t just buy something that will take care off all your needs in one fell swoop. Many of the energy problems in our homes are caused because of specialization in the construction industry. The plumber focuses on the plumbing, the electrician on the wiring, and the framer focuses on the structure. Your house is more than just a series of parts, with energy efficiency the sum of the parts is what matters.
If you are considering a Green Building project there are several factors that you need to address.
- What is the most cost effective way to meet the true heating a cooling load of each room in your house?
- When you are completed with your project will your builder, heating and air professional or insulator, test their work to ensure that energy consumption is in line with your goals?
- How will the energy costs of your building compare on a square footage basis with other homes in Nevada County?
- What is the plan for ensuring high quality indoor air so that you can breathe easy? (hint: air filters have less to do with this than you might think)