A Built-Green home is one that has undergone the Built Green certification process and received a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum certification. The process examines the building’s energy systems, materials, water conservation, and other aspects.
The major benefits of a Built-Green home can be divided into two categories: environmental and economic. Building a home is one of the largest decisions of our lives. Built-green homes give homeowners a fantastically well-built home that, throughout its life, will be a smart decision both financially and environmentally.
Built Green homes encourage the use of recycled and reclaimed materials. Reclaimed materials reduce dependence on new materials being created for your home. These materials often result from intense practices to remove raw materials and fossil fuels from the earth. Using recycled or reclaimed material lowers our impact on the earth.
Built Green homes can harness the earth’s energy for their heating and energy systems. This allows the home to work alongside the earth rather than using earth-damaging fuels.
After being awarded your Built Green home, you can receive a plaque to proudly display on your home. This helps spread awareness about the certification and environmentally-conscious homes.
Environmentally conscious homes are also very economical. They are less dependent on expensive fossil fuels and more dependent on renewable and natural energy. This allows a home to be heated and run on much cheaper energy sources such as solar and geothermal.
Looking at figures from Built Green in the US, we can see that energy savings can range from 25% to 40% per year.
Built Green practices can be applied to every facet of homes. Considered choices of how to power your home right down to what lightbulbs to use, can have a big impact on getting your Built Green certification.
Switching over to an environmentally friendly energy and heating system is one of the best ways to achieve Built Green certification. While the initial financial outlay is more than traditional methods, the long-term financial and environmental benefits make it a worthy investment.
Solar energy is one of the cleanest forms of energy, and solar panels can be added to almost any home. They are a great way to power your electric car or create additional energy for your home.
Geothermal heat pumps can contribute more to your home’s energy systems than solar panels. They get their energy from heat trapped in the earth, which is transferred to the pump, where it can both heat and cool your home.
We can also make some smaller changes that help make our homes more environmentally friendly. Retrofitting traditional fireplaces with wood-burning stoves and adding features such as flue dampers, heat exchangers, and air vents can all make a big difference.
Many great ways to finish your home are with environmentally friendly fixtures and fittings. With some research, you can find items that will outlive and be more cost-effective than traditional ones.
Large appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers consume much of your home’s energy and contribute significantly to your utility bill. Choosing an appliance with a high EnerGuide rating will ensure you have the most efficient available appliance.
Lighting can also strain our home’s energy usage. Older lighting technologies can have a short lifespan and a high running cost. LED lights have come on leaps and bounds in recent years. They have a very long lifespan, are very efficient, and give off a minimal amount of heat. They are also suitable for almost any lighting situation.
Using recycled and reclaimed materials is an integral part of Built-Green homes. These materials can be used throughout the house.
Concrete flooring can be made with recycled materials. It can also act as a thermal mass, helping maintain comfortable temperatures inside the home—a recycled, environmentally friendly temperature regulation system!
Reclaimed wood has been popular in homes for a while, but did you know it’s also environmentally friendly? Repurposing wood to make striking counter tops, statement coffee tables, and stunning shelves removes the need for producing new products, often from processes that harm the environment.
Energy-efficient appliances are a brilliant choice for Built Green homes.
Well-insulated homes achieve a better Built Green certification than poorly insulated homes. Heat lost through walls, floors, and roofs must be replaced by creating new energy. This constant stream of creating energy and heat that is lost rather than used to its full potential is an extremely inefficient way to run a home.
Windows and window frames are among the least efficient parts of traditional homes. Glass allows a large amount of heat to pass through it, and window frames that are not adequately sealed and insulated also allow much heat loss. This heat loss must be replaced by creating new energy from the heating system.
New windows should be made from materials with low-E coatings and U-values less than 0.30. This helps keep the heat that has already been created inside the home. New windows can also be made with reclaimed materials.
Window frames should also be sufficiently insulated. Small cracks can allow large amounts of heat to escape, affecting a home’s Built Green certification. Existing window frames can be repaired to ensure that they close fully and seal properly. Window frames also give us another opportunity to use reclaimed and recycled material.
You can do a whole host of things that will bring you closer to Built Green certification.
Get in touch with RDC Fine Homes today and see how we can help you build your dream Built Green home!
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We specialize in building custom homes and renovations in the picturesque Sea-to-Sky Corridor, including Whistler, Squamish, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Pemberton.
