No doubt that by now you have all heard about “Green” everything. If you are like me you may be starting to get a little skeptical and rightfully so. For instance I was in Home Depot the other day and saw some “Green” dimmers that would cut energy use by 15%. I thought wow how do they do that? Well as it turns out if you pay the extra ten dollars that this dimmer costs you get a green box and a dimmer that only goes to 85% of the potential voltage. In other words you could save the dimmer you have and just not turn it up all the way or just buy 45 watt bulbs instead of 60 watt bulbs and save even more energy and money.
Don’t get me wrong I care about the planet, I cared before it was cool to care. My parents raised me to not litter and to turn off the lights when you leave the room and to be kind to animals. I just don’t like to see people and companies prey on consumers new found desires to be “Green”. That being said there are some really interesting, promising and potentially practical advancements out there that can and should become common practice for the sake of our planet and the people on it (and will probably lower your monthly household bills as well).
Recently I went through two training classes so that my building and renovating companycould start to build and remodel to the EarthCraft standards. I have to say that I was impressed with the science and reasoning behind what I learned.
What is EarthCraft you ask? Well according to the Southface website:
EarthCraft House is a green building program that serves as a blueprint for healthy comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment. The aim of the program is to help home builders be leaders in smart growth management and environmental stewardship.
Building an EarthCraft House is about constructing a healthy, more valuable home while minimizing environmental impacts. EarthCraft House follows a systems approach to home building that stresses an understanding of how the different components of a home work together. This approach results in a home that performs better, is more economical for the homeowner and costs little more to build than a comparable home built with standard construction practices.
Any size or style of home at any price point can achieve EarthCraft House certification by meeting these criteria . These guidelines are flexible to allow for a variety of approaches to environmental construction. EarthCraft House guidelines address energy efficiency, durability, indoor air quality, resource efficiency, waste management, and water conservation.
What I liked about this program was it is very focused on measurable factors that lead to the home achieving the certification. The instructors and the program seem to have a practical view of the real world in which we (builders and renovators) work and in which our customers live. They know there is no perfect house however there is a lot of room for improvement.That has to be tempered with a realistic budget that the consumer will be able to swallow.
I was particularly impressed with the energy efficiency aspects of the program as they were measurable (with fairly affordable methods). An EarthCraft inspector inspects the home in accordance with a checklist and administers a blower door test that yields very specific information about the homes efficiency. Based on the results of these tests and inspections the home either recieves more improvements and corrections or receives the EarthCraft Certification.
The challenge for Atlanta Home Renovating Companies is helping the home owners understand the immediate and long term benefits of building or remodeling to the EarthCraft standards. The added costs of achieving this certification can be weighed against the benefits thanks to the testing results that are used by the program itself which yields measurable data. So as home owners and renovators continue to navigate these tough economic times by making sound financial descisions while at the same time trying to be environmentally reasonable, it becomes more crucial then ever to make informed choices that are based on sound data. It is my belief that the two are not mutually exclusive.
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