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Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings and their use of energy, water, and materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal — the complete building life cycle |
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Metal framing is good choice if you are going green because it reduces the dependency on lumber. Most steel framing products contain up to 28%-recycled material and construction waste generated during framing is 100% recyclable. Click here to learn more about metal stud framing |
House wrap can help reduce energy use, your utility bill and guard against unhealthy mold and mildew. If properly applied and sealed this barrier can reduce the number of air exchanges by reducing drafts which can result in the HVAC needing to work less. This weather resistant barrier is also a building's main protection against the damaging elements. Click here to learn more about housewrap |
Radiant barriers are materials that are installed in buildings to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss. They reduce building heating and cooling energy usage. A radiant barrier reflects radiant heat back towards its source, reflecting as much as 97%. Radiant barriers are designed to block the effects of radiant heat gain in homes by reflecting radiant heat rather than absorbing it. They provide substantial energy savings in warm climates. When a radiant barrier is placed on the attic floor, much of the heat radiated from the hot roof is reflected back toward the roof. This keeps the top surface of the insulation cooler than it would have been without a radiant barrier and thus reduces the amount of heat that moves through the insulation into the rooms below the ceiling. Studies have shown that radiant barriers can lower a cooling bill by between 5 and 10 percent when used in warm, sunny climates. Click here to learn more about Radiant Barriers |
Use Tankless Water Heaters and shave ten to twenty percent off your water heating bill. That savings results from elimination of standby losses -- energy lost from warmed water sitting in a tank. And, since water heating accounts for about 14 percent of the average U.S. household energy budget, this can be a significant loss. Click here to learn more about Tankless Water Heaters |
The first opportunity to save energy is to reduce space heating and cooling and water heating loads. This often means that more insulation is required, along with attention to other important features such as air infiltration moisture barriers, and ventilation. T3 make use of Radiant Barriers, Housewrap and additional insulation to achieve this. Click here to learn more about Insulation |
Harnessing energy from the sun to heat water is nothing new. Solar water heaters have been commercially available since the 1800s. What's new is how solar water heaters look these days. Most modern solar water heaters mount flush with a home's roof and resemble skylights. Solar water heaters are an environmentally sound way to reduce energy bills. Solar energy can meet part or all of a home's domestic hot water needs. Click here to learn more about Solar Water Heaters |
PEX saves money in many ways. For the installer, PEX tubing is competitively priced. Installation of flexible systems is fast because of the easy handling of the tubing and PEX installation requires fewer directional fittings. Since most plumbing problems occur at joints, fewer fittings also reduce the chances for leaks and callbacks, saving the installer even more time. The homeowner saves in the cost of the installed system, and can reduce utility costs in most layouts. Home run or manifold plumbing systems utilizing PEX tubing can substantially reduce water and energy consumption in a home. The home-run concept provides dedicated direct lines from the manifold to the fixtures, reducing the amount of water that must be purged from the lines to get hot water at the fixture. Direct lines can be sized to the fixture requirements, further reducing the amount of time to wait for hot water. Faster hot water delivery reduces water waste and the amount of times the water heater must cycle to supply hot water. Click here to learn more about PEX Pipe |
Concerns about the hole in the ozone layer have impacted many products we use, and air conditioners are no exception. Many air conditioning systems use a HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) refrigerant, a substance known to cause of depletion of the ozone layer. The EPA currently limits the amount of HCFC that may be produced, and intends to prohibit use of HCFCs by 2030..We can offer high SEER systems that do not use HCFC. Click here to learn more about Air Conditioning without HCFC |
Keeping all those recyclables in your kitchen can be messy and take up too much space; but we all know how important recycling is for us and the environment. You can recycle without compromising your kitchen design and space. Organize your recycling with a compact kitchen recycling center.. Click here to learn more about Kitchen Recycling Centers |
The ductwork in most homes is located in the unconditioned attic space. Approximately 30+% of the efficiency is lost due to leakage. Placing the ductwork in the conditioned space will improve efficiency by about 30%. There are several way this can be achieved. One approach is to build a duct chase below the attic usually running in the hallways. Another is using exposed copper or painted ductwork. |
No longer is it enough for fixtures to be beautiful and illuminate our spaces. Now, we also expect them to use energy as efficiently as possible to help conserve the limited supply of available energy. Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) are up to four times more efficient (using 50 to 80 percent less energy) and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. A 22-watt CFL has about the same light output as a 100-watt incandescent. Click here to learn more about Compact Fluorescent Lighting |
OSB is an engineered wood product formed by layering strands (flakes) of wood in specific orientations. In appearance it may have a rough and variegated surface with the individual strips (around 2.5 by 15 cm (~1 inch by ~6 inches) each) lying unevenly across each other. They are made from abundant, fast growing, small diameter aspen poplar or pine to produce an economical structural panel. The manufacturing process can make use of crooked, deformed, small diameter trees which would otherwise have little commercial value, thereby maximizing forest utilization. Click here to learn more about OSB |
Low-E glass is one of the technological marvels of today's residential construction. Who would have thought years ago that glass could be coated with an ultra-thin layer of metal? Who would have guessed that this metal coating would allow you to see through the glass and provide actual insulating value? Click here to learn more about Low E Glass |
Fiber cement siding (FCS) is a building material used to cover the exterior of a house. Fiber cement is a composite material made of sand, cement and cellulose fibers. In appearance, FCS most often consists of overlapping horizontal boards, imitating wooden clapboard; other formats include imitation shingle as well as sidewall panels and soffit. This materials reduces the use of cedar and other lumber (limited resources) on the exterior of homes. Click here to learn more about Fiber Cement Sidings |
| RELATED SUBJECT Innovation |
High density developments have a big impact on municipal water sources and aquifers. Clean water is becoming a precious commodity in some regions. Here's a simple technology that you should know about that can make a big difference. Rainwater harvesting techniques can provide a free, higher-quality source once the initial investment in collection and storage systems is recouped.. Click here to learn more about Rainwater Harvesting |
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