8 Eco-Amazing Ideas
In every green build or remodel, people come up with interesting ways to up the eco-ante. Here are 8 innovations and ideas from the Lowell House. Try them with your next project!
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The Difference Between High-Performance Home Certifications
When combined with day lighting, heat pumps for HVAC and domestic hot water, and superefficient appliances and fixtures, total energy use in high performance buildings can readily hit 75% less than that of conventional buildings.
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7 of the Most Popular Green Roofs
We’ve gone green with cars, appliances and technology. Now the movement is on to go green with residential roofing. Environmentally-friendly roofs are gaining in popularity as homeowners recognize the many benefits green roofing brings. With energy bills one of the major expenses of owning a home, eco-friendly roofs are becoming an attractive option for homeowners seeking ways to lower their heating and cooling costs. But more than that, certain types of green roofs are eligible for federal and state tax credits, and deliver benefits beyond just monetary.
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Green Home Building: Passive vs LEED vs Net-Zero Energy
There are many types of green home certifications and it can get overwhelming trying to understand the differences. Here’s an easy to comprehend breakdown of three of the most well-known standards to help guide your journey.
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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.
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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.
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HOT WATER HEATERS 101— LEARN ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS OF CONVENTIONAL AND TANKLESS WATER HEATERS
Did you know that most water heaters use more energy than all other household appliances combined? This podcast will help you decide if a conventional water heater or a tankless water heater is the better choice for your new home. And the choice is probably not as cut and dry as you think.
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