FAQs
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1. Is green building more expensive?
2. How is a home performance test different from the Internet energy surveys and audits performed by the utility company?
3. What specific green finish products do you use when remodeling (flooring, insulation, glues, recycled products, paints, etc.)?
4. I thought my house was supposed to "breathe." What will happen when you seal my house too tight?
5. Are green materials and products durable?
6. Does a green home look any different than a typical home?
7. Is window replacement a good way to save energy and money?
8. If I install housewrap, won't I be creating an air barrier?
9. Are compact-fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) dangerous?
10. Can I green my historical home?
11. Is a tankless water heater better than a high performance tank water heater?
12. I already have insulation. Do I still need a Home Performance Test?
13. Where can I learn more about green building?
1. Is green building more expensive?
This is a difficult and tricky question because it really depends on the shade of green you would like to make your home. Green or not, construction costs typically depend on the finish materials and mechanical systems chosen.
In general, a green home baseline is a home built to use less energy, fewer resources, create less waste and have a healthy indoor environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states most people will spend more than 90% of their lives indoors and that 30% of new or renovated buildings have serious indoor air quality problems. Can a price be put on health?
If conscious decisions are made during design and construction, such as when purchasing electrical fixtures, water fixtures, landscaping, appliances, water heater and the heating and cooling system, on average one could expect an initial cost increase of 2% to 6%. If we were to build the same home and use the most expensive mechanical systems and finish materials, one could expect a cost increase of 25% to 35%, regardless of being green or not.
Utility usage will determine how quickly a return on investment is made. Economically, the increased cost is often justified based on subsequent cost savings from reduced energy bills.
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2. How is a home performance test different from the Internet energy surveys and audits performed by the utility company?
Utility inspections and Internet energy surveys are a great place to start in lowering your energy bills. These types of inspections can alert you to obvious problems in your home such as drafty doors and windows and improper thermostat settings. Sometimes they will even send you free CFL light bulbs, showerheads and faucet aerators. However, these remedies are not a whole-house approach and do not quantitatively measure what is working and -- more importantly -- not working within your home. There is no substitute for a trained expert who has the knowledge of building science and equipment to accurately measure what is happening within your home. We perform many tests designed to understand how your home functions as a system. The bottom line is, if you are not happy with the results of an Internet or utility audit, then it is time for a home performance test.
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3. What specific green finish products do you use when remodeling (flooring, insulation, glues, recycled products, paints, etc.)?
In just about every facet of a home, a standard product can be substituted or replaced with a product that is green. All green products we recommend either contain recycled materials or are made from rapidly renewable resources, are durable and will not affect your home's indoor air quality.
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Typically, we place products into three categories. First, some products such as Formica countertops, are less expensive to purchase up front, but more expensive to operate over their lifecycle, when you factor in maintenance, energy costs and replacement costs. Second, some products may cost more to purchase and don't save money, but are healthier, increase comfort or are more Earth-friendly; one common example would be sustainably harvested wood flooring. Third, some products may cost more to purchase up front but can save real dollars on lifecycle costs. Solar systems and efficient mechanical systems are a good example of this because there is a payback period that can be calculated and evaluated.
When we look at building a sustainable home or making a green modification, we look at the house as a whole. In essence, the structure is looked at as an entire system and you should be aware that making just one green modification, while it is a step in the right direction, will not make it a comprehensive green home.
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4. I thought my house was supposed to "breathe." What will happen when you seal my house too tight?
If a home's building envelope is allowed to "breathe," uncontrolled air enters in and out of the home, primarily through the crawl space and attic. When a home breathes it typically is also allowing cold in during winter and heat in during the summer. Uncontrolled air migration greatly affects a home's indoor air quality, comfort and energy consumption, and often times can also carry allergens, moisture and dust. We always want your house to "breathe," but instead of allowing unwanted air from unwanted places to enter the home, we control the air that enters and exits your home with mechanical ventilation. We measure the tightness of your home with a blower door before and after remediation to verify the house is changing air at the correct rate.
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5. Are green materials and products durable?
Yes and no. This is when our "green filter" kicks in, which usually means you can't take the manufacturers' word as gospel. What source is stating that a material is green? We are constantly weighing the pros and cons of green materials, looking at third party testing for approval and basing our decisions on real-life experiences.
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6. Does a green home look any different than a typical home?
Not unless you want it to. Certain types of green home construction can look drastically different. Some examples would be straw bale, rammed earth or adobe.
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7. Is window replacement a good way to save energy and money?
Replacing old single-pane windows with new double low-e units does save energy. The problem is the cost is so high compared to the amount of energy saved that window replacement is not cost-effective. The return on your investment can be as long as 30 years. The Department of Energy Efficiency states windows typically account for only 10% of air leakage in a house. The most leakage (31%) occurs through walls, floors, and ceilings, followed by ducts (15%) and fireplaces (14%).
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8. If I install housewrap, won't I be creating an air barrier?
Housewrap is a water-resistive barrier installed between siding and sheathing. It is designed to stop rain that gets behind the siding. Housewrap can reduce air leakage, but typically the majority of air leaks are elsewhere within the home.
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9. Are compact-fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) dangerous?
CFLs use about 70% less energy than a typical incandescent bulb and they can last 10 times longer. Unfortunately, CFLs do contain about 4 mg of Mercury, about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. Mercury is a highly toxic chemical to humans that can harm the heart, immune system, brain and kidneys. It is also an ingredient in many other products such as cosmetics, children's sneakers and neon lights.
Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in many rocks such as coal. When coal is burned in power plants, Mercury is released into the air, eventually settles into the water and land to be ingested by fish, shellfish, animals and people. Mercury in a CFL isn't dangerous as long as the bulb doesn't break and can be recycled. Visit www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling for a recycling drop off near you. We feel it is better to use less coal and emit less Mercury into the atmosphere by using CFLs and not using as much electricity.
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10. Can I green my historical home?
You don't have to sacrifice the integrity or preservation elements of your historical home in order to go green.
We will provide the best practices to help you reduce energy and water utilization and to reuse and preserve existing building materials like doors, windows, moldings and trim.
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11. Is a tankless water heater better than a high performance tank water heater?
Regardless of which water heater type you choose, be sure to look for a water heater that has a high Energy Factor (EF); .90 or better is ideal. Tankless units, unlike tank units, save on gas or electricity because there is no stand-by heat loss caused by keeping the water warm when not in use. However, tankless water heaters use more gas or electricity at time of use. We recommend that an on-demand recirculating pump be installed on any hot water system to save water and energy. Unless an on-demand recirculating water pump is also in operation, a tankless unit will add to water consumption because of additional pipe within the unit. Depending on your current plumbing and electrical configuration, additional resources may be required when installing a new water heater. In the event of a disaster, a tank water heater will provide an emergency source of water.
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12. I already have insulation. Do I still need a Home Performance Test?
Most people think because insulation covers 98% of the wall or ceiling surface they get 98% insulation performance. Unfortunately, this thinking is wrong and often times it is because of insulation installation mistakes. Insulation performance typically suffers because it is missing in certain areas, there are gaps, or it is crammed into place. For example, if R-38 batts are installed in an attic but .5% of the surface area is uncovered, you end up with R-32, a 16% reduction in R-value. If 2% is uncovered the performance value drops to R-22, a 42% reduction. During a home performance test we always measure the effectiveness of your existing insulation.
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13. Where can I learn more about green building?
Of course we are going to plug the program we teach at CSULB. If you don't have the time to take the course and would like more information, please review these sources.
-Green Remodeling Changing the World One Room at a Time by David Johnston & Kim Master
-Residential Energy by John Krigger & Chris Dorsi
-Green Building Advisor
-Energy & Environmental Building Association
