Element land planning . engineering . architecture . beyond

a few of our favorite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens…

Over the last year, we have discussed a number of topics on “green building” and “green landscaping.” We have talked about everything from when to transplant trees to what type of paint to use on your walls….and almost everything in between. As the year ends, let’s hit the highlights (hopefully, there were a few highlights, right?) of the columns that address, as the title suggests, “a few of our favorite things.”

When making decisions based on “green”, we interpret that as making decisions that are healthy, that are energy efficient, and decisions that fit your budget. Healthy decisions from the built environment perspective deal with the quality of the air contained within your home. Energy efficient decisions are based on using less energy, creating their own energy, or using the energy that they use wisely. Budget decisions are based on the life cycle cost of a product. Life cycle costing is a methodology of balancing first cost, durability and benefit of that product over another. Using the above decision making process will produce great results that you will be happy with and that will serve their purpose. This is called achieving the triple bottom line – environmental, social and economic.

So what are the low hanging fruits that are examples of above that we have discussed over 2009? In no particular order of importance, they are:

Tankless water heaters – we feel that this is a great investment for a few different reasons. The distribution system is identical to a water heater – design space in a centrally located place (from a hot water demand perspective) and you will save water and energy needed to make that water hot. Just remember – don’t call it a hot water heater – if the water was hot you wouldn’t need the water heater. Sorry, Grandpa was a Plumber.

Faucet aerators – great concept. Low cost, easy installation (even novice DIY guys like me could do it and almost every tool that I have tried to use doesn’t fit my hand – other than a pencil) and big results – or is that small results. These aerators add air to the water stream in your faucets and showers to produce the same “pressure” without using so much water. You will not notice the difference in use – you will see it in your water usage!

Insulation – if you are building a new home or working on a major remodel – bump up the insulation as much as you can. Between spray in, rigid, and dense batting you can seal your home from those cold winter winds and that hot summer air. This will make your home more efficient to heat and cool – this allows your system to work less hard and costs you less each month.

Daylighting – if you are designing a new home, keep this in the forefront of your mind. Nothing saves you more money that simply not using energy you are paying for. While we feel that energy efficient lighting and lighting controls are important, not turning a light on doesn’t use any electricity at all. Daylighting is putting the windows in the right place to accept sunlight to light the room without adding “heat” to the room in the summer. You should be able to read in rooms that you work in without flipping on a light in the middle of the day.

Low VOC Paints, Stains, and Glues – if you are planning painting projects – or let me put it a different way – if someone in your home is planning a painting project – use a low or no VOC paint. These paints may cost marginally more but each manufacturer produces one and they will not off-gas harmful vapors. If you are having flooring or cabinets replaced, request low VOC glues and adhesives and make sure there are no urea-formaldehydes in the products. Your home air will be healthier and with the amount of time that we spend indoors, you and your occupants will be healthier.

HVAC – the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that is in your home is one of the largest costs in your home and the largest consumer of energy. The higher the SEER rating the more efficient the system is. Geothermal and high SEER ratings will use less. It is important to work with your Contractor on this one. Make sure that your system is designed based on your floor plan, on your insulation package and on your needs. A well insulated home will demand less tonnage of air. A home designed with the Mechanicals centrally located will have less long runs of air which causes heat/cooling loss which makes the system run more. Add to this correct zoning for your lifestyle and a programmable thermostat and you will see a drop in your utility usage.

Energy Star – Replacing appliances? Purchase only products with the Energy Star rating. This will insure that the product has been tested and approved to use less electricity than a “standard” appliance. Energy Star has become rampant – in fact, we almost didn’t mention it because it is hard to find a non-rated appliance these days.

These are the highlights that we feel make a huge impact to you, your home, your bills and our environment. Next year we are going to start delving into sustainable series – multi-week articles that dig deeper into various systems, products and “rating” systems. We feel that “Green” has over the last few years grown to cover all kinds of things – too many to truly be able to distinguish good green from green washing. Over this next year we will develop these series that address Sustainable Design – sustainability is a lifestyle and a movement that encompasses only products, concepts and practices that are genuine. Remember, reduce, reuse and recycle – and let us know if there are topics that you would like to hear more about! Happy 2010 and thanks for reading.