Build "Green" to Save Green

"Green" building techniques deliver a powerful punch in terms of value. In addition to conserving resources and protecting the environment, environmentally-sound building practices save homeowners' money through lower utility bills.

According to the Energy Information Administration, approximately 47 percent of your utility bill is dedicated to heating your home. Lighting requires 24 percent of energy used, 17 percent for water heating, 6 percent for air conditioning and 5 percent for refrigeration. The typical American family spends $1,500 a year on utility bills, but much of this energy is wasted through poorly insulated walls and leaky doors and windows.

Fortunately, there is a solution. Green techniques can be applied to your current home through remodeling and retrofits. They can also affect every phase of construction, starting with planning and sustainable site design through the core finish:

Prepare and design the lot: Builders can work with the site’s natural features to improve a home’s long-term energy efficiency. Placement on the lot in relation to sun, trees and other geographical features can have a significant impact on heating and cooling — which in turn affects the homeowner’s utility bill. Homes that are situated to take advantage of prevailing breezes and with a north- or south-facing front and rear require much less energy to regulate the indoor temperature.

Use resources wisely: Building material use can be optimized — and waste minimized — through advanced framing techniques and sustainable design. Construction waste management concepts should be employed throughout the entire building process, and materials should be carefully selected up front to reduce the amount of time and money needed on the back end for home maintenance.

Keep comfortable: Managing indoor issues, including ventilation and moisture saves energy, but it’s also important to your family’s comfort and health. Systems that ensure healthy indoor environmental quality include properly tightened and sealed duct connections, a heating and cooling system that’s the right size for the home, fresh air ventilation systems, carbon monoxide detectors and low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint. Proper insulation techniques also are important — the thermal barrier (insulation) should be in direct contact with the continuous air barrier to minimize air flow that can compromise the insulation.

Conserve water: Energy-efficient water systems — both indoor and outdoor — help keep water usage (and utility bills) low. These systems, which include green options for piping and fixtures, can even reduce building costs, since the materials used to produce them often are priced lower than traditional materials. For example, cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) piping is significantly cheaper than copper — and it’s flexible, durable and quieter to use.

Energy-saving systems: Nearly all home systems can be designed and/or selected for improved energy efficiency, including appliances, lighting, mechanical systems and more. Choosing energy-saving home systems has a positive impact on your budget, in the form of a significantly lower utility bill. In addition, these systems deliver increased comfort for your family.

When your new home is complete, experts recommend a blower-door test to ensure that the building envelope is tightly sealed. For an older home, a blower door test can identify where energy is being lost, so that insulation or sealing can be added to correct the problem and achieve energy savings.

Source: "Home Remodeling/Construction with a Touch of Green," Green Business Quarterly, Winter, 2008, page 36.

Green up Your Business Facilities

Today, "going green" is more popular than ever among business owners, and with good reason. A green building — in other words, a building that’s designed and built to conserve energy and resources while providing the healthiest and most comfortable environment for tenants — promotes improved employee productivity and a better company image. Growing evidence indicates that employees take less sick time and are more productive when the business is located in a green building.

Green buildings deliver other benefits that go straight to a company’s bottom line. In fact, many business owners have discovered that a green building costs substantially less to operate than buildings that aren’t designed in an environmentally-friendly fashion, thanks to the advanced technology that can be employed during every stage of construction and operation. Sustainability initiatives typically pay for themselves in three to five years, so they are well worth the investment if you plan to stay in your current facility for years to come.

How can a business "green up" its facilities? Whether you’re building an entirely new facility or upgrading your current location, there are steps you can take that will help your business conserve energy and operating capital.

• When in the construction phase, place the building to take advantage of the sun’s path to increase or reduce heat. A north-south placement with specific window shading can increase or decrease heat from direct sunlight.
• Lighter-colored roofing or paving materials reflect sunlight, helping with cooling in the hot months.
• Use better insulation materials to enhance temperature control.
• Use materials that help conserve energy or take advantage of natural resources but don’t cost more, such as lighter-colored paint to reflect the sunlight.
• High-performance windows and high-efficiency light bulbs pay back much more than their initial cost in energy savings.
• Motion sensors or timers placed in key areas provide lighting only when people are actually at work in the area. Similar control technologies are available for the heating and cooling system.
• Skylights and windows take advantage of natural light.
• Storm water retention and irrigation techniques help hold down landscaping costs while conserving water usage.

In addition to lower energy usage, business owners can save tax dollars through the federal government's Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, which provides numerous tax incentives for owners of commercial buildings that were built using green techniques to achieve energy savings.

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KCK Recycles with Heartland Habitat ReStore

Heartland Habitat ReStore falls directly under the local Heartland Habitat for Humanity program. The KCK ReStore supports area home construction by collecting and selling quality new and used surplus building materials that would otherwise be wasted. The ReStore is open to the public with materials priced at 20 percent to 80 percent off retail. All Heartland Habitat ReStore materials are donated. New and used materials come from individuals, contractors and retail building supply stores — saving the donor the cost of hauling it away while providing them with a tax deduction. Monetary donations also are accepted.

Merchandise at the Heartland Habitat ReStore is deeply discounted, giving lower income homeowners the opportunity to maintain their property. Well-maintained homes help neighborhoods stay safe with solid property values. Sales proceeds from materials sold at the Habitat ReStore warehouse are put back into the community by providing funding for Heartland Habitat for Humanity Kansas City home construction.

Heartland Habitat ReStore also provides deconstruction services, as an alternative to traditional "wrecking ball" demolition. Salvageable materials are recovered and added to the Heartland Habitat ReStore inventory. In addition to providing tax-deductible donations for Heartland Habitat ReStore, these services reduce the environmental impact of building removal and construction while creating new jobs in the Kansas City area.

Donations are accepted Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. at their primary location, 520 S. 55th Street, Kansas City, Ks. 66106. Donations also can be picked up. For more information or to arrange a materials collection, please contact Gina Levra at 913-596-6597.

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Prepare Now to Stay Cool This Summer

Your air conditioner — including the filters, coils and fins — needs maintenance to function effectively, particularly during the hot summer months. The following tips will help you avoid a decline in air conditioning performance and increased energy use.

Filters: To achieve optimum performance, you must routinely replace or clean your unit’s filters. Dirty filters block normal air flow, reducing efficiency, and the air that does get through will carry dirt directly into the evaporator coil, impairing its heat-absorbing capacity. Keeping the filter clean can lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by up to 15 percent. Clean or replace your air conditioning system's filter or filters at least every month or two during the cooling season.

Coils: Your air conditioner's evaporator coil and condenser coil will inevitably collect dirt, reducing its efficiency. A clean filter helps, but the coil should be checked annually and cleaned if necessary. Outdoor condenser coils can also become very dirty — if dirt is collecting on its fins, it should also be cleaned. Remove debris from around the coil and trim foliage back at least two feet for adequate air flow.

Coil Fins: The aluminum fins on evaporator and condenser coils are easily bent, blocking air flow through the coil. Use a fin comb (sold by air conditioner retailers) to return them to nearly original condition.

Drains: Occasionally pass a stiff wire through the unit's drain channels to remove any clogging debris.

Window Units: In-window units need proper sealing between the air conditioner and the window frame to keep things cool. Inspect the seal to ensure it makes contact with the unit's metal case. Also, don’t forget to prepare the unit for winter by either covering it or removing and storing it.

Source: U. S. Department of Energy, "A Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy"

Quick Tips for Summer Water Conservation

The warm weather returns — and with it comes watering the lawn and landscaping, which boosts your utility bill. There is a solution: your landscape can be designed to conserve water usage based on xeriscaping strategies. Commonly used in arid regions where water is scarce, xeriscaping can help homeowners in any region reduce their water usage.

• Select plants that will flourish in the Midwestern climate.
• Limit turf areas to reduce supplemental watering.
• Improve the soil to better absorb water and encourage deeper roots.
• Choose an irrigation method that waters plants in each area most efficiently.
• Use mulch to keep plant roots cool, minimize evaporation, prevent soil crusting and reduce weed growth.
• Keep plants healthy by weeding, pruning, fertilizing and controlling pests.
• Water in the early morning when evaporation rates are low.