What is Green Building?

What is green building?

So many of our local builders, sort of by plan, and due to requests from clients are building in the green universe, right here in Yavapai County.  Just to name a few, Mike Enders of Benttree Custom Homes just finished a Gold LEED Certified Home,  Ed and Connie Stahl of R.E.S Contracting are building green and have achieved Gold certifications.  Robert Board of Board By Board Builders builds nothing short of aspirational, as does Tom Reilly of Renovations and Bob Norman of Sun Pine Homes and Michael Frerking of Living Systems Building Group and Tom and Bill Haley of Haley Construction. These contractors are in the sustainable forefront to green building and say green is great and they all have a keen awareness of the long-term benefits of green and they all say that the green criteria is not complicated. 

Today we are going to talk about a few sustainable green products that are relatively easy for buyers and or homeowners renovating their homes to understand.  Seriously, many of the green products for the kitchen and bath are basically and merely “replacement” items for the less green items.  Veterazzo makes a fabulous recycled glass counter top material that can replace tile or laminate.  Energy Star qualified appliances replace models that use and consume energy by leaps and bounds.  Green cabinetry which several years ago were difficult to find is now practically a standard in all cabinet shops.  With these simply green options, green builders are able to move clients toward a healthier and environmentally friendly home.

Replacement flooring such as carpet and tile for health is readily available to improve the air quality in a home.  Flooring options that offer antipollution and antibacterial are available.  There are counter tops on the market that feature low-carbon emissions.  There is a line of EcoGlass on the market that contains 60% recycled material that is extremely suitable for sliding doors, shower enclosures and lighting.  Delta has a new water sensible shower head that flows at a rate of no more than 2.0 gpm.  Kohler has a line of residential faucets that are now compliant with the new low-lead standards. 

These are simple items to start with if you want to take small steps.  These green builders know how to win big.  They know what opportunities to take to improve the performance of a home and reduce our dependency on energy sources. They are keenly aware of the latest technology and they know the cost effectiveness and performance paths to take to build green. 

Did you know that an estimated 30% to 40% of all the energy we pay to keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer is lost entirely too poor performing systems, inefficiency in our home and air leaks?  If you are looking for innovative, exciting ways to build green, there are so many options and ideas in the market, right here in Yavapai County.  There are many diverse and imaginative ideas and solutions if you want to start building green and these builders have a fearless pursuit of knowledge and solutions for a better future for us.  Let’s join the a new sustainable era and if you want to learn more about green options give me a call and you can meet these “greenspirational”  builders.  There is a disconnect between consumers and the industry and we have resources for you to obtain good recommendations and opinions on energy-efficient this and water saving that and plumbing and other green strategies. 

There is so much more, such a geothermal heat pumps, insulation, solar, energy performance audits and many recycled materials and products.  These are new environmentally aware times and these builders have set themselves apart to build green.  While no two are alike, they share a common goal of a passionate pursuit of sustainability.