Holistically Green Homes

Holistically Green Homes PDF

Author: W. Orlo Stitt

Publisher:

Published: 2014-05-05

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780982946312

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Most houses being built today are not as energy efficient as they could be. Every builder, if asked, "Do you build energy efficient houses?" will persuasively answer, "Yes." Without studying energy efficient housing in an objective way, most homebuyers will believe the builder's answer. Yet studies and tests prove otherwise. After reading the eighteen clearly defined principles in this book, the reader will have a basis for understanding and comparing the efficiency of one house to another and one builder to another. The eighteen easy-to-implement principles are based on tried and proven solutions for conservation and clean renewable energy generation. Homes that are built to be "holistically green" are economical and maintain their value. And by saving energy and improving indoor quality, they are environmentally responsible and provide a healthier place to live. Building an energy-conscious home is smart--a smart financial investment, a smart approach to our energy and environmental challenges, and "the right thing to do." The benefits of planning for and building based on the Eighteen Principles in total are greater than the sum of the individual principles. References are made in the text--from principle to principle--that will be helpful in understanding how each one is dependent in some way on the other. Economic and financial considerations are discussed based on examples and case studies. The studies show that, while it does cost more to build a house that is energy efficient, environmentally friendly and responsible, structurally stronger, and resistant to the challenges of time, a well designed, efficient home can be more economical to live in--beginning with the first month that utility bills are received. And it is a better investment because of the higher resale value and reduced maintenance. This book will educate and instill confidence in consumers with regard to their largest personal investment: their home. They will understand what specifics to look for to get an energy efficient, healthy home that will save them money and have a positive impact on energy conservation, energy generation, and climate change.

Building a Sustainable Home

Building a Sustainable Home PDF

Author: Melissa Rappaport Schifman

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2018-08-07

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1510733450

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The green building movement has produced hundreds of “how-to” books and websites that are filled with tips about green building and what homeowners should do to go green. While helpful and informative, when it comes to making actual purchasing and installation decisions, these books do not make it any easier for a homeowner to prioritize against a budget. Here, Schifman shares her knowledge and experience for others to use in their journey toward a greener way of living. Whether the reader is building a new home or doing a minor remodel, a homeowner needs a framework by which to guide their decisions. These decisions are based on values, and the author posits that there are really only three reasons to go green: For Our Health: By building more sustainably, we reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins. For Our Wealth: By building a more durable home and being more efficient with resources like water and electricity, we reduce our monthly utility bills and ongoing maintenance expenses. For Our Soul: Collectively doing the right thing for our planet does make a difference—and that is soul-nourishing. Learn the logistics of choosing windows, insulation, appliances, and lighting. Find out about FSC certified wood and about using reclaimed materials. Here is everything you need to make your home sustainable.

Natural Remodeling for the Not-so-green House

Natural Remodeling for the Not-so-green House PDF

Author: Carol Venolia

Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 9781579906542

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A guide to ecological renovation that explains simple steps people can take to make their homes more ecologically friendly and offers practical suggestions for project planning.

Choosing Green

Choosing Green PDF

Author: Jerry Yudelson

Publisher: New Society Publishers

Published: 2008-05-01

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9781550923612

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I find Choosing Green incredibly insightful and chock full of insider's experience. This is the kind of book that will help homebuyers cut to the chase and leap frog the poseurs towards legitimate green home living. I think Choosing Green would also be helpful to builders that are trying to green their business. Building green, as Yudelson discusses in the book, is the hottest trend in the building industry, but you have to know how to do so in the best, most effective way. So if you're looking for a thorough guide to good green homes, make sure to pick up a copy of Choosing Green. Reviewed by Preston D K, Jetson Green Energy-efficient, non-toxic, healthy homes are the hottest trend in the building industry. Homebuilders are constructing green homes in astonishing numbers—nearly 200,000 in the United States alone in 2006. How does a home buyer who wants a green home know what to look for, what questions to ask a builder, which green home rating systems to trust, and what homes are on the market? Nationally recognized green-building expert Jerry Yudelson provides answers to some common areas of concern, including: Energy-efficient home features Water conservation fixtures Non-toxic finishes Green products Healthy indoor air Drawing from the expertise of dozens of homebuilders, government officials, and green home experts, Choosing Green deftly takes the reader through these considerations with easy-to-use tables, charts, maps, score sheets, and checklists. The book includes a glossary of green building terms, an extensive resource section, and a list of homebuilders, green rating programs, and financial incentives. This comprehensive book provides home buyers with every thing they will need to make a successful search for their own green home. Jerry Yudelson is the president of Yudelson Associates, green building consultants. He has trained over 3,000 people in the LEED green building rating system. He chairs Greenbuild, the world’s largest green building conference, and has written six books on green building, including Green Building A to Z (New Society Publishers).

Good Green Homes

Good Green Homes PDF

Author: Jennifer Roberts

Publisher: Gibbs Smith

Published: 2009-09

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 9781423612056

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Green. It conjures images of a meadow in spring for some, and the color of money for others. What does "green" have to do with our homes? In essence, green building-or sustainable building-means being smart about how we use energy, water, and building materials so that we can live well without needlessly damaging the environment. Creating a good green home isn't just about conservation, about using less or saving more-although that's certainly part of it. It's about creating better homes that are easier on the environment, less expensive over the long term, and more delightful to come home to. That's the message Jennifer Roberts wants to share in Good Green Homes, the ultimate new guide for people who want to live in comfortable, healthy, environmentally conscious homes.With some simple steps outlined in this book, you can save money, and do your part to help save the environment. For instance, using an energy-efficient light bulb saves you money. It also results in less demand for electricity, which in turn results in less pollution from power plants, which may help a child with asthma breathe a little easier. If you associate green-built housing with the unconventional or the quirky-tree houses, geodesic domes, dwellings constructed of tires or soda bottles-think again. Perfect for homeowners, remodelers, renters (who might be surprised by how much is within their power to change), architects, builders, and interior designers, this book lays out seven fundamental principles of green building, illustrated with more than 150 color and 20 black and white photographs of more than twenty-five homes. Jennifer Roberts launched two retail stores in San Francisco specializing in environmentally sensible consumer products, including household goods; and is a freelance writer and editor on topics that include energy-efficient building design and systems.

New Green Homes

New Green Homes PDF

Author: Sergi Costa Duran

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2010-01-05

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 0061927996

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New Green Homes presents the latest innovations in sustainable architecture and design. Projects include "green" houses, apartments, lofts, and cabins, and explore various aspects of environmentally-friendly design from its ecological and economical benefits to the factors that need to be considered when choosing materials, such as the amount of energy that went into manufacturing the product; its sustainability; the life-expectancy of its materials; and the question of if the materials used can be recycled or safely disposed of if they break down over time. Specific topics covered include climate regulation, drainage systems, and regional planning. Each project contains photographs, floor and aerial plans, as well as detailed drawings that illustrate certain sustainable features revealing how much the parameters of ecological design have expanded in just a few short years. For the environmentally and aesthetically conscious, New Green Homes is as poignant as it is refreshing. It′s the perfect resource for homeowners, designers, architects, and all clients interested in creating warm and inviting homes that cause only a fraction of the environmental impact of those created using conventional building methods.

From the Ground Up

From the Ground Up PDF

Author: Peggy Tully

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press

Published: 2012-10-24

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 9781616890926

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It is said that the history of modern architecture can be observed through the evolution of the single-family home. Over generations, each has hoped to improve on the last, rethinking and reinventing this seemingly simple building type. At certain historic moments in the discourse, new ideas about domesticity have given form to radically different configurations of home and community. Current emphasis on sustainability presents a unique opportunity to design affordable houses that respond to specific economic, social, and environmental challenges. In From the Ground Up editor Peggy Tully presents the results of an international competition to create new models for affordable high-performance green homes in urban residential neighborhoods. Developed for a vacant infill site in Syracuse's Near Westside, these ambitious projects offer an array of innovative designs that provide a new vision for once-vital urban residential neighborhoods and well-designed energy-efficient homes throughout the United States.

Pretty Good House

Pretty Good House PDF

Author: Michael Maines

Publisher: Taunton Press

Published: 2022-05-24

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9781641551656

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Pretty Good House provides a framework and set of guidelines for building or renovating a high-performance home that focus on its inhabitants and the environment--but keeps in mind that few people have pockets deep enough to achieve a "perfect" solution. The essential idea is for homeowners to work within their financial and practical constraints both to meet their own needs and do as much for the planet as possible. A Pretty Good House is: * A house that's as small as possible * Simple and durable, but also well designed * Insulated and air-sealed * Above all, it is affordable, healthy, responsible, and resilient.

Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing

Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing PDF

Author: Global Green USA

Publisher: Island Press

Published: 2012-06-22

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1597267465

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Blueprint for Green Affordable Housing is a guide for housing developers, advocates, public agency staff, and the financial community that offers specific guidance on incorporating green building strategies into the design, construction, and operation of affordable housing developments. A completely revised and expanded second edition of the groundbreaking 1999 publication, this new book focuses on topics of specific relevance to affordable housing including: how green building adds value to affordable housing the integrated design process best practices in green design for affordable housing green operations and maintenance innovative funding and finance emerging programs, partnerships, and policies Edited by national green affordable housing expert Walker Wells and featuring a foreword by Matt Petersen, president and chief executive officer of Global Green USA, the book presents 12 case studies of model developments and projects, including rental, home ownership, special needs, senior, self-help, and co-housing from around the United States. Each case study describes the unique green features of the development, discusses how they were successfully incorporated, considers the project's financing and savings associated with the green measures, and outlines lessons learned. Blueprint for Green Affordable Housing is the first book of its kind to present information regarding green building that is specifically tailored to the affordable housing development community.