What is Green Building Construction?
Green building highlights the need to preserve and protect the environment with building high quality, healthy, and energy efficient homes, while never compromising on final finishes.
What makes a home or project Green? The cost of energy is steadily on the rise and our natural resources steadily on a decline here in the U.S. and around the world. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that buildings in the US Account for 39% of the total energy consumption, 12% of the total water consumption, 68% of the total electricity consumption, and 38% of the carbon dioxide emissions. Building green incorporates total environmental consideration and resource efficiency into every aspect of site and construction development. Beginning with the design phase, the building site, building orientation, construction components, indoor air quality, and energy consumption of the building, are all the components that will positively impact the energy and resources consumed by the home or commercial structure.
Green construction is widely thrown around in construction today. What we do differently at Eco Construction is take you through every option step by step in terms of how the specific green feature would benefit you. We also will validate the collective structure and can provide a HERS Rating/Energy Rating that you can use to get tax credits and help down the road with third party documentation that audits all of the green features which will absolutely provide you a higher resale value. The cost to upgrade your project to a greener structure is normally thought to be within 5-10% of the overall budget. But, when you consider the overall utility savings compared to the slight added cost to your mortgage, the investment in energy efficiency is offset the first day you move in. Now, with a more energy efficient structure creating lower utility bills and reduced maintenance costs it becomes clear why building green the smartest investment you can make. When utilizing the correct green building practices, you can expect a more efficient home, that is more durable, healthier to live in, and will require less maintenance throughout the lifetime of the structure. This is our footprint for our business, we know what works; and where to put your money to best elevate your investment. Ask us, How will I get the best bang for my buck?
Energy Efficiency
Customers today seek energy efficient homes to combat the rising costs of energy and alleviate environmental concerns. Examples of our energy efficient homes include:
- The installation of energy efficient appliances
- Use of high-efficiency air conditioning equipment with programmable thermostats
- Pools with high efficiency pool pumps
- Recommendations for high performance insulate impact glass in windows which is formulated to reject solar heat while maintaining visibility
- Glass shaded by landscaping, rooflines, awnings and shutters on southern and western exposures
- Construction of non-vented attics with spray foam insulation applied directly to the underside of the roof
Water Conservation
Our focus on water conservation uses an innovative hot water recirculation system which ensures hot water is delivered immediately to any fixture. This feature helps conserve water since you do not have to waste the cold water out of the pipes while waiting for hot water to arrive.
We incorporate native, drought-tolerant plantings for the landscaping. This reduces the amount of water necessary for irrigation.
Indoor Air Quality
A properly sealed and insulated home maintains a relative humidity level below 50%. Lower relative humidity is accomplished through the installation of high-efficiency air conditioning equipment, separate dehumidification equipment and sealed attics. We also introduce a device that introduces treated outdoor air into your home. This system provides fresh air to breathe and dilutes indoor air pollutants such as cleaning products, VOCs, odors and other household chemicals.
The use of temporary air conditioning and dehumidification system controls the climate in your home during construction and prevents contaminants from entering your permanent air distribution system, which is not activated until the majority of the construction is completed.
All Eco Construction Group’s homes are also tested upon completion to ensure that the air conditioning, ventilation, and dehumidification systems are operating within their performance parameters.
Health
Spray foam insulation is a high-performance insulation and air barrier system that works to minimize the intrusion of outdoor pollen, allergens, pollution heat and humidity from entering the home. This system seals the home, which controls moisture transfer through the building envelope and increases the energy efficiency of the home. Eco Construction Group uses this type of insulation in just about every home we build.
Another aspect that will significantly affect your indoor air quality are the duct registers, boxes and other openings are protected during construction to ensure the cleanliness and integrity of the air conditioning distribution system. We keep ducts sealed until A/C system start-up or until all interior finish work is complete keeping the home healthy.
Durability (Exterior Shell)
Eco Construction Group has installed windows built to withstand winds of 140 miles per hour. Therefore, if a window is hit by flying debris, the windows may break but will not shatter.
We also use ICF Construction for exterior walls. This will increase you R-Value to the exterior envelope utilizing the best Insulating and solid concrete technologies. Because concrete is strong, it requires minimal maintenance, cannot be damaged by water, and does not promote mold growth.
Green Certification Organizations
Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC)
FGBC is a nonprofit 501(C)3 Florida corporation dedicated to improving the built environment. The FGBC Green Home Standard indicates the criteria by which a Florida home, new or existing, can be designated green. Certifying Agents can guide designers, builders or homebuyers through the process of qualifying and documenting green homes.
Click Here to learn more about FGCB certification standards.
National Association of Home Builders Green (NAHB)
ICC 700 National Green Building Standard™ is the first and only residential green building rating system to undergo the full consensus process and receive approval from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The Standard defines green building for single- and multifamily homes, residential remodeling projects, and site development projects while still allowing for the flexibility required for regionally-appropriate best green practices.
To learn more about NAHB’s Green Building Standard Click Here.