Energy Efficient Building

Energy Efficient Building

• Green Building Can Be Sensible and Cost-Effective

  Sustainable building experts at PCBC provide tips for going green without breaking the bank.

   
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  California Builder Joins DOE Energy-Saving Home Builders Challenge

  The Grupe Co. is one of 150 builders committed to collectively building 220,000 high-performance homes by 2012.

   
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  A Close Look at Common Energy Claims

  You can't gauge the truth of an opinion by the frequency of its repetition. Exhibit A: Builders' opinions concerning energy, insulation, heating, and cooling. A fair percentage of these beliefs — derived in part from product marketing, obsolete recommendations from "experts," and oft-repeated tales heard at lumberyards — prove upon examination to be half-truths or outright misconceptions. But like Whac-a-Mole pests, they just keep popping up.

   
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  84 Lumber Expands into the FSC-Certified Wood Market, Selling Eco-Friendly Products

  Twenty-six locations operated by 84 Lumber Co., one of the nation’s leading lumber dealers, now are selling Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood. The FSC Chain of Custody Certification ensures that wood products meet the organization’s rigid standards from raw materials through processing, transformation, manufacturing, and distribution. The FSC, whose board includes lumber companies and dealers and environmentalists, coordinates the development of forest management standards throughout the United States.

   
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  Geothermal heating and cooling systems are a viable alternative to traditional HVAC

  Geothermal heating and cooling systems are earning their reputations as a viable alternative to traditional HVAC.

   
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  Extreme Makeover Home Edition and Deltec Homes Build Hurricane-Resistant, Energy-Efficient Green House in New Orleans

  Deltec Homes leads a team of builders on a four-day quest to construct a storm-proof, green home and church.

   

• Portland Real Estate Company Makes It Simple to Find Green Homes

  Portland, Ore.-based Realty Trust Group now offers an online database of homes that can be narrowed down to properties certified under LEED, Earth Advantage, or Energy Star.

   
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  K/BIS keynote speaker Christine Todd Whitman tells kitchen and bath pros sustainability makes good economic sense.

  Former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman told a group of about 500 kitchen and bath professionals that sustainability is both good for business and good for the environment.

   

• Manufacturers and energy conservation experts agree that of all kitchen appliances, the refrigerator uses the most energy because it is always on.

  As homeowners demand resource-conserving features, appliance makers are responding with a range of energy-saving details, including improved insulation and new compressor technologies.

   

• The Week in Green: March 31–April 4

  A roundup of green building news for the week of March 31–April 4, including the results of the Energy Star Awards, new lead paint standards, and the development of new certification guidelines.