Special feature: Green building puts energy on a diet

Concerns about rising energy costs and protecting the environment have encouraged residential builders and consumers to focus on so-called “green” building.

Green building, a catch-all term that encompasses a variety of products and design techniques, can mean something as simple as choosing energy-efficient appliances and environmentally friendlier flooring and paints, but it also applies to where and how a builder chooses to locate a home and whether the site efficiently recycles materials.

Green building refers to both new construction homes and to remodeling projects, but it can also be used to describe the choices consumers can make even with small changes such as replacing windows or carpets.

The January 2008 Better Homes and Gardens magazine New Home Building Survey found that more than half of those surveyed want green building and green remodeling options. In response to consumer and builder demand, new guidelines for residential green building have recently been introduced by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes program (www.usgbc.org).

In addition, the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) National Green Building Program guidelines are expected to be completed this spring (www.nahb.org).

The Arlington County government introduced the “Green Home Choice Program” in 2003 as incentive for builders. The program includes listings of the techniques and products that make homes more environmentally friendly.

According to the Green Home Choice Program, green home components include, but are not limited to:

• Specific construction practices to minimize and recycle construction waste

• Careful insulation practices

• Nontoxic interior finishes — low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint, sealants and carpeting

• Components made from renewable resources — cork or bamboo floors, wheatboard cabinetry

• Recycled content components, such as recycled glass tiles, recycled-content counters

• Energy-efficient appliances — Energy Star-rated refrigerator, dishwasher, water heater

• Photovoltaic (solar) panels

• Water-efficient appliances and landscape irrigation — front-loading clothes washers and moisture-sensing irrigation systems

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