Building
Green building means resource-efficient design, high-performance construction, sustainable site selection and environmentally preferable product selection are integrated into a home. How homeowners choose to build and remodel now and into the future will impact our environment including the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink and the land we inhabit. We can lessen our impact on our planet, our health and economy by adapting the way we as homeowners view our building projects and work with contractors who implement best green building practices.

Buildings have a profound influence on our environment. The traditional materials and resources that are consumed while building a new home are astounding; construction and demolition wastes constitute about 40% of the total solid waste stream in the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), building in the United States accounts annually for:

• 39 percent of total energy use
• 12 percent of the total water consumption
• 68 percent of total electricity consumption
• 38 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions

When approaching this project, the homeowners focused on certain aspects of green home building that rated the highest in importance to their lifestyle, health and family.

• Environmental
  • Safeguard local ecosystems including water, fish, birds and all animals
  • Improve home's air and water quality
  • Conserve natural resources
  • Manage building waste
• Economic
  • Build green on a traditional budget or within 10% of total allocated budget
  • Energy management (heating/cooling/electricity) during and post building
  • Enhance home value within neighborhood
  • Marketing opportunities for green products and services
• Design
  • Architectural design reflective of New England, the water and casual living
  • Maximization of view, sunlight and the ocean breeze
  • Concentration on natural eco-friendly and sustainable elements
  • Landscaping that enhanced the site and local habitats

Building materials typically considered to be green include rapidly renewable plant materials, lumber from forests certified to be sustainably managed, recycled stone, metal or glass, and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, reclaimed and/or recyclable. The term that best describes green products is environmentally preferable products. These are products that have been determined to have a cradle-to-grave lifecycle that has minimum impact on the environment.

To learn more about green building products, visit the Environmental Protection Agency at www.epa.gov.