Help the Environment - Build "Green" Houses

With Al Gore's winning of the Oscar for his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," global warming and the environment in general are getting increased publicity. One aspect of this involves the building industry. The term 'Green' building, which means environmentally friendly, is becoming a buzzword. The problem is most people have no experience in this area.

The first place to get help would be from builders, designers, and contractors who have experience with this kind of development. "It's important to use certification," says Liz Robinson, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Energy Coordinating Agency. "A lot of people try and use shortcuts."

Look for a builder who has an LEED accreditation (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This is a national rating system developed by the U. S. Green Building Council. A list of building professionals who have met these requirements is available at www.usgbc.org.

Another standard developed by the Environmental Protection Agency is the Energy Star Homes certification. This certification requires that homes be more energy efficient than demanded by the state housing code. In Pennsylvania the standard guarantees 15 to 20% more efficient energy use. A list of builders is available at www.energystar.gov.

A third standard is called the Green Advantage. The builders that have gained this certification can be found at www.greenadvantage.org

Experts agree that you need to hire a green designer or consultant early in the building process. The decision of choosing a building site, orienting the house to get the most sun, and figuring out where the windows go is important.

It is generally believed that building "green" will take more time and be more costly. That is certainly true but with rising energy costs, the savings will pay for the initial building expenses.

If you did nothing more than insist that the builder adopt the basic principles of energy efficiency, you are on the way to having an environmentally friendly home. Just a simple step of insisting that the building have well insulated walls, energy efficient windows, and compact fluorescent lamps will go a long way to you having an environmentally friendly home.

Most homes in the Philadelphia area are not properly insulated. That's no surprise as when they will built, energy was very cheap. Conservation of a very cheap resource at the time was not a priority. A home energy audit can be gotten through the Energy Coordinating Agency at www.ecasavesenergy.org. This is for the Philadelphia area only. Check your area to see if you have a similar energy audit service. The cost is approximately $300 and made available for low income families at low or minimal cost.

What else can you do if you have an existing home that is fairly well insulated? You can research the use of renewable energy sources such as solar or wind. Solar power requires adding solar panels to the home and may not be cost efficient. Wind power may be a better bet. The energy service provider in Philadelphia, PECO, has a wind option that can be added to your existing electricity bill. While not directly benefiting from a cost savings, it does reduce global warming by using less fossil fuel. More energy alternative information is available at www.cleanyourair.org.