Whether building new or remodeling your existing home, make it highly energy efficient, sustainable and green, recommends the Bureau of Construction Codes in the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs as it recognizes the fourth week of Building Safety Month.
“When starting plans for your new house, remodel, or other project, there are many advantages to going green such as saving on energy and water bills, along with helping out the environment,” said Bureau of Construction Codes Director Irvin J. Poke. “Green practices in home building and remodeling have come a long way. Homes built today are100 percent more energy efficient than homes built in the 1970s.”
Building green doesn’t always mean more expensive. When you build green you can often reduce the overall expenses by using traditional materials in more efficient and environmentally friendly ways. Green building can offer the homeowner many benefits and cost savings by providing improved energy and water efficiencies, comfort and quality.
“Homeowners today have so many options to make their home energy efficient and add value to one of life’s biggest investments,” Poke said. “Changing out HVAC systems, upgrading insulation, adding natural daylight, switching out shower heads, faucets and toilets to lower flow versions are all green improvements that can bring significant energy and cost savings. It’s a good idea to do an energy audit to determine how much energy and water the home currently consumes and make improvements from there.”
For new builds or existing homes:
Choose energy-efficient, sustainable building materials
When it comes to roofing, to be green you have to be cool. The roof should reflect, not
collect the heat; install lighter-colored shingles. Consider installing solar panels if shingles are exposed to sunlight for several hours during the day.
Use eco-friendly adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpeting that emit low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Incorporate whole-house ventilation and ceiling fans; install or replace exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens and make sure they vent to the outside.
Have your home tested for radon and lead-based paint.
Green plumbing upgrades can help lower operating costs and that means higher efficiency, less energy and lower utility bills.
· Install high efficiency dual flush toilets, bathroom sink faucets and accessories such as faucet aerators that can reduce the standard flow by more than 30 percent without sacrificing performance; green shower heads can cut water usage by two thirds. The average home, retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures, can save 30,000 gallons per year.
· Replace that old water heater with a new energy efficient unit.
Heating and cooling uses more energy and drains more energy dollars than any other system in the home. Approximately 43 percent of utility bills are for heating and cooling. Here are a few ways to save on your energy bills.
· Install a new high efficiency heating and cooling system.
· Tune up your existing heating and air conditioning (AC) units if you’re not ready to replace. Neglect is the number one cause of furnace or AC wasted energy or breakdown.
· Regularly change the filters in the heating and cooling system. Dirty filters can cost up to $5 a month extra, overworks the equipment and result in dirtier indoor air.
· Install a programmable thermostat. For every degree you adjust your thermostat you could save up to three percent on your heating or cooling bill.
· Adjust your thermostat when you’re away from home.
· Replace windows to see a savings between 7-24 percent of the household heating and air conditioning costs.
· Install more insulation in walls and attics; seal air leaks.
Source: LARA
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