A small footprint. Energy-efficient, sustainable homes tend to be smaller homes, which inherently have less square footage inside and less acreage outside. The inside But there 's more to a "green less than heat, cool and light, leading to less energy consumption, and a minimal - sized lawn - if any - needs minimal maintenance, reducing emissions and contributing to a much healthier environment. home "than meets the eye.
A green home does not need to have looked at 2100. In fact, many green homes look, from the outside, like other homes going up in new subdivisions. But on the inside and some unseen places on the outside , these abodes are unusual. Features such as rainwater capturing systems, a roof designed for solar installation, carpeting made of recycled materials, and wind power are just a few ways that a house is built with the environment in mind.
The greenest of the green are residential homes built in to the highest standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Conforming to the standards provided by the Department of Energy Building America Program, LEED has long been used One way that a green home is defined is its rating as being at least 40 percent more energy efficient than standard-code homes.
For the pure sake of building cost, smaller homes are the most likely to be built as "green" homes. Many of the systems that are constructed as eco-friendly are not cheap, and the fewer solar panels and the self self-sustaining heating The elements that make a make home a dropped in cost over the past several years, but constructing a basic LEED-certified house still runs about $ 3,500 more than it would cost to The highest level. The highest-level LEED-certified home costs about $ 29,000 more. The same concept applies to existing home home renovations or "greening up" an older home.
Shafer started building small homes out of his concern about the impact a larger house has on the environment. More than 10 years later, these "tiny" portable homes not only minimize square footage, but the green homes are fully insulated with double-pane windows and an adequate heater.
More and more homebuilders are greening the American Dream. ICC-700-2008 National Green Building Standard certification (see http://www.nahbgreen.org for more information). Check out these builders online:
Atlas Home Contractors, atlashomecontractorsinc.com
BPC Green Builders, bpcgreenbuilders.com
Castalia Homes, castaliahomes.com
Dominion Homes, dominionhomes.com
Grady O Grady, gradyogrady.com
Integrity Builders, homesbyintegrity.com
Jurenka Custom Homes, jurenka.com
Ondra Home Building, ondrahomebuilding.com
RC Green Builders, rcgreenbuildersaz.com
Summit Custom Homes, summitcustomhomeskc.com
Zero Energy, zeroenergyllc.com
