Listen and Learn at your convenience. We have curated a collection of interesting and informative podcasts on sustainable home building concepts. Whether you are researching a single topic or want to expand your knowledge more broadly, Elemental Green is here for you.
![Tiny Homes and Infill Housing 101 [Podcast]](https://elemental.green/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Depositphotos_11994776_m-2015-400x250.jpg)
“Most cities, as you’re aware, including St. Louis, where we are now, have lots that are underutilized or could be utilized better or parking areas that could be used for housing and things. It’s just making better use of those lands where there are existing services—water, sewer, parks, schools—and how can we use those lands more efficiently and more effectively.”
“An accessory dwelling unit is a home on a property that’s secondary to the main living space. It acts as a completely independent living unit, meaning that it has kitchen, living, sleeping, and sanitation facilities. In general, they run on average around 750 square feet, and most people require that the owner occupies the property.”
![WHAT EXACTLY IS GREEN BUILDING AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR HOMEOWNERS? [PODCAST]](https://elemental.green/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vita-vilcina-3217-400x250.jpg)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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