Green Home Floor & Wall Good to Know

5 Reasons You Need Solar Battery Storage with Your PV Panels

New technologies that integrate solar battery storage into home solar installations have finally made the leap to completely meeting homeowners’ needs.

10 Eco Building Materials Revolutionizing Home Construction

Want to hear some good news? According to the World Green Building Trends 2018 report from Dodge Data and Analytics, green building is officially a "global trend" and energy conservation is a top priority for people all over the planet. There are many choices of new (and old) materials which are being used in revolutionary ways.

WHAT EXACTLY IS GREEN BUILDING AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR HOMEOWNERS? [PODCAST]

Lots of people like the idea of building green, or a least a greener. But, although the term green building is often used, many of us are not quite sure exactly what green building is, or where to go to get easy to understand information about green building options. This week we have an interview that will help explain what green building is and why it’s important.

What Exactly is a Zero Energy / Net Zero Home? [Podcast]

“Zero energy homes are just like any home—except better.” They are airtight, well-insulated, and extremely energy efficient homes that produce as much energy as they use, over the course of a year. Listen and learn!

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) and Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFS) Framing and Insulation All in One

This week we’ll talk about structural insulated panels, or SIPs, and insulated concrete forms, or ICFs. These options are especially unique because they not only provide extremely effective thermal insulation, but they also provide structural framing components for the house, including walls, floors, and roofs.

You’ve Heard of Fiberglass Insulation, but Do You Know About the Other Types of Blanket Insulation?

For most people, blanket insulation is the insulation that comes to mind when they think about insulation in a home. Most of us have seen attics filled with pink or yellow insulation. That pillowy insulation that we’re familiar with is blanket insulation and in most cases it was made of fiberglass, which is the most common type of insulation in the United States. But blanket insulation can be made not only of fiberglass, but also of other flexible fibers such as cotton, mineral wool, and sheep’s wool.

Energy Efficiency – Designing, Inspecting, and Testing For it, Part 1

A home is given a numerical score, called the HERS Index Score, which indicates the home’s energy efficiency. The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) introduced the HERS Index many years ago. A lower HERS Index score means a more energy efficient home. And the lower the HERS score, the lower your utility bills and the more comfortable the house will be. Like the miles per gallon tells how efficiently a CAR uses fuel, the HERS Index Score tells how efficiently a HOUSE uses fuel.

Energy Efficiency – Designing, Inspecting, and Testing For it, Part Two

The Manual J calculation is the first step in designing a new heating and air conditioning system. The “J” in Manual J stands for Joule, which you might remember from your science classes. A “Joule” is a unit of energy. Manual J calculations determine how much cooling a house actually needs.

The Basics of Green Building and Energy Efficiency [Podcast]

On the House Planning Help Podcast, Ben Adam-Smith and his guests talk about building homes that are comfortable for us, but also kind to our environment. Like many of us, he is educating himself before he builds his own home. He’s exploring how we can build better homes and he’s passionate about educating people to build more sustainably and with greater energy efficiency.

Good To Know