You don't have to go weird to go green
Builders get the “wrap” on energy-saving design, materials, construction techniques
"You don’t have to go weird to go green," architect Peter Pfeiffer told attendees at the 2005 Custom Builder Symposium last month in Atlanta.
Pfeiffer, who has been designing green homes for two decades, showed participants how orienting a home properly on a site, using appropriate materials and exterior colors for the climate, wrapping the exterior wall, and shading windows can yield tremendous energy savings.
While "green building" has become a familiar term in the industry ranks, "a lot of people don’t know what this stuff is."
"You … are the leaders in our business. I think it’s up to you to inform your clients to make the right choices," Pfeiffer said, noting "five pillars" of green building.
"If you explain to clients that if we build a home for you it will cost a few hundred dollars a month less to operate" and will be healthier for them and their children, they will understand the value of spending a little more upfront to go green, he said.
Five pillars of green building
§ Increasing energy efficiency
§ Using materials appropriately
§ Conserving and reusing water
§ Providing a healthful living and working environment
§ Building attractive structures that will last
In terms of design, going green may involve scaling down square footage, building two-level, rather than one-level homes; lowering ceilings a bit; placing skylights more strategically; and minimizing recessed lighting. Pfeiffer illustrated how all this—and more—can be accomplished without sacrificing style, livable space, and beauty.
According to Pfeiffer, a given household will occupy a 4,000-square-foot or larger home for only two to three years. He added that consumers may be prematurely seeking out one-level living; most people remain mobile till very late in life and two-story homes are inherently more energy efficient, he said.
Form allows function
"Design errors consume two times as much energy as solar collectors could ever collect," Pfeiffer said, with the single most important factor in energy savings being the orientation of a house. All floor plans should indicate the northern exposure, he said. Placing garages on the west side of homes helps control intense afternoon heat inside a home, he added. Rather than a rain umbrella, a roof should be thought of as a shading device for the home. Then, the roof should be constructed using techniques, materials, and colors to best serve that purpose, Pfeiffer said. Overhangs can be used to shade windows, for example.
In most parts of the country, including all but the most extremely cold climates like in Minnesota or Alaska, more emphasis should be placed on design features that address air conditioning not only because of the energy savings but "because of the damage condensation can do," Pfeiffer said. "Number one, control humidity," he said, noting that in half the country the air is drier outside a house than inside, but building codes are "just beginning to recognize this."
Passive solar design is more about controlling heat than bringing heat into a home, he said, but solar collectors are coming down in price, so he encouraged builders to have homes "solar ready," in case a client wants to install the collectors post-construction.
Other tips Pfeiffer offered:
Go under cover
§ Wrap, wrap, wrap. Pfeiffer recommends spending $200 to $300 more for a commercial-grade wrap on a 4,000-square-foot home for immediate payback in energy bills and to control moisture. Consider using structural insulated panels (SIPS) to reduce the time spent weathering a home under construction and, consequently, the time it will take for the framing to dry out. A 2,500-square-foot home can be weathered in three to four days using SIPS, Pfeiffer said.
§ Consider hardy plank exteriors. Brick, stone and stucco can be “very risky” when it comes to mold.
§ Metal roofs allow air flow without having to ventilate an attic. “If you keep the roof from getting hot, the whole frame of the house stays cooler,” Pfeiffer said. A lighter color can save 5-7 degrees, he said.
§ Make sure your subcontractors know how to properly flash windows to keep moisture out.
Inside jobs
§ HVAC. Right-size the air-conditioning unit. Installing too large a unit will cool a home too rapidly and not allow it to dehumidify. Between 40 and 50 percent humidity is ideal in a home, Pfeiffer said.
§ Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent lighting. Every 75-watt bulb replaced saves a ton of coal and the heat generated by a 100-watt bulb is equivalent to having an extra person in the room in warmer climates, Pfeiffer said.
§ Energy- and water-conserving appliances save non-renewable resources, of course. But here’s something you and your customers may not know—with their sealed doors, front-loading washers keep moisture contained and control household humidity as well.
In conclusion, Pfeiffer urged builders, "Get the basics down before you do anything exotic.'' Simply designing a house to be appropriate for its site will go a long way toward building green, he said.
(Reprinted with permission)
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