Dan's Papers - April 25, 2008

As environmental issues like global warming continue to find their way to the forefront of the media, more and more people are interested in building eco-friendly and green homes.

"Not only are clients ready to look for [green homes], but the builders are also starting to recognize the benefit as well," said John Barnes, president of the East End chapter of the Long Island Builders Institute, adding that many builders already utilize green practices without even realizing it. "Many are already 75 percent of the way towards building green. It's about best practices. It's not just about the material you use. It's how you put it together."

Barnes also noted that though green building has been common in other areas of the country for years, the trend has only started to make waves on Long Island over the last year or so.

Several Long Island towns - including Riverhead and Southampton - have passed legislation requiring newly constructed homes to meet federal Energy Star standards, calling for extra insulation, more efficient heating and cooling systems and the use of energy saving appliances. East Hampton and other towns will follow suit within the next year. Barnes applauds the towns' efforts, but said, "It deals only with energy consumption. It's a huge component of green building, but green building goes beyond Energy Star."

Figuring out how green you're going to make your home starts at the very beginning, when you plan not only how your house will be built, but you also determine what kind of environmental impact the finished product will have. This design phase is key, says Barnes, as "90 percent of a green house is built" at this time.

People also have the misconception that building a green home will cost them a lot of money, sometimes even expecting figures as much as 20 percent more than the cost of a regular home. This simply isn't true, says Barnes, who says a green home should only cost a homeowner 2 to 5 percent more. And, because of savings on heating and electricity bills, this difference will be paid back over time.

One of the least expensive things a homeowner can do is to better insulate their homes using foam insulation. This also happens to have the biggest payback. Foam insulation does a better job of keeping air from filtering into a house than regular insulation, which causes a home's heating use and, ultimately, costs to rise. "It's conserving energy rather than looking for an alternative source," Barnes said.

Another common green practice is installing windows with a special glazing that, depending on the climate, will either reflect or trap heat. On Long Island, this glass will keep heat in on colder days. But in a place like Phoenix, heat will be reflected, keeping the home cooler.

Installing a geothermal heat pump is another way to save some money while saving the environment. During cooler months, a geothermal pump will absorb heat from the ground and use it to heat your home. Then, during the warmer summer months, this pump can take the heat from your home and transfer it back into the ground. While a geothermal heat pump will cost more than a normal furnace or boiler (anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500 per ton of capacity,) it's worth it, said Barnes. "The payback is in about five years," he said, saying he's even heard stories of it taking less time. "And they can last up to 20 years. So that's quite a bit of operative savings."

People are also becoming more creative with the types of renewable materials they use in their homes. Flooring can be made from bamboo, which grows back more quickly than regular trees. There are companies making countertops from recycled glass and concrete. There are also companies making insulation from recycled blue jeans and soybeans.

"It's very creative," Barnes said, "but it's also based on some pretty good science, too. It's about how energy is used and how moisture moves within a building. It's a mixture of science and creativity."

Now, as you move forward with building your dream green home, or remodeling your old home to fit green practices, it's important that you don't become overwhelmed by all of the possibilities. "Start in small steps," Barnes said. "You don't have to go for the homerun with fancy practices. Just start with well thought out building practices."