Green is New Black

Even though "green" practices and products have been around for many years, it seems like "going green" has hit the mainstream only this past year. Now, everywhere you look, every TV program viewed, every magazine and newspaper read, is touting "Green" as the way to be.

I just hope that it isn't just a trend, like avocado colored appliances and red shag carpets, but a true and permanent shift in lifestyle for everyone from us who design and build to all whom live and work in the environments we create.

The green movement, both in the Building and Interior Design trades, is gaining momentum. Monthly, new efficient and healthier technologies are being announced. Plus, codes, regulations, research and ethics are being discussed and developed as each new product and issue arises.

pProducts and materials that:

s save energy
n conserve water
n protect natural resources
n contribute to a healthy indoor environment
n reduce a buildings impact on the community

tThere is no perfect green material -- Tradeoffs are inevitable!

Click here for a more detailed list of what makes a product green

What is LEED?

pThe Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the national benchmark for high performance green buildings.

nLEED for Homes is a green home rating system for ensuring that homes are designed and built to be energy and resource efficient and healthy for occupants. LEED can be applied to single and multi-family homes and is intended for both market-rate & affordable housing.

The US Green Building Council will publicly launch the LEED for homes rating system at Greenbuild, USGBC’s national conference in November 2007.

For more information on US Green Building Council click here

For more information on LEED resources and documents click here

What is Energy Star?

pENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy introduced in 1992 for energy-efficient computers

pThe program has grown to encompass more than 35 product categories in addition to new homes and commercial buildings

pFor each product category, a unique specification describes the energy performance requirements that a product must meet to qualify for the label

pObjectives:

n To prevent air pollution, including emissions of greenhouse gases, caused by the inefficient use of energy

n To make it easy for businesses and consumers to identify and purchase products, homes, and buildings with enhanced efficiency that offer savings on utility bills while maintaining, if not enhancing, performance, features, and comfort

pEnergy efficient choices can save families about a third of their energy bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort. The ENERGY STAR label can help you make the energy efficient choice

nAmericans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2006 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 25 million cars — all while saving $14 billion on their utility bills

For more general information on Energy Star click here

For more information on Energy Star Rated Homes click here

What are Sustainable & Renewable Resources?

p"In its broadest scope, sustainability refers to the ability of a society, ecosystem, or any such on-going system to continue functioning into the indefinite future without being forced into decline through the exhaustion or overloading of key resources on which that system depends." - Robert Gilman, President of Context Institute

pNatural resources qualify as renewable or sustainable resources if they are replenished by natural processes at a rate greater than or equal to their rate of consumption

nNatural resources that qualify as renewable resources include O2, fresh H2O, timber and biomass. However they can become non-renewable resources if used at a rate greater than the environment's capacity to replenish them

nResources such as solar radiation, ocean tides, & winds are considered perpetual resources that, as of now, are in no danger of being used in excess of their long-term availability

How Green should we be?

pThe challenge is finding a balance between the “green” benefits and the non-green aspects of a product or material

n Example: Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL’s) -they are more energy efficient and have a longer lifespan than the incandescent bulb. However, they contain small amounts of Mercury and should be disposed of as a “hazardous material”

pSo how do we prioritize which benefits outweigh the negatives?

n Agencies are making efforts to standardize ways of measuring and quantifying the environmental impacts of building products and materials

Click here for more information on the Agencies that are monitoring the Green Movement and making a difference.