Is it possible to incorporate ‘green’ into a house remodeling project?
Is it possible to incorporate ‘green’ into a house remodeling project?
Our story begins with an old house. A house that was built in 1888 on the North Shore of Boston. When we first saw the house 13 years ago, we fell in love with its character and bought it. Although we probably knew that it would require constant maintenance and that it would cost a fortune to achieve the desired comfort level, we moved forward anyway.
Thirteen years later, we’re finally ready to pick off various remodeling projects. Some of the projects are required for maintenance reasons (i.e. leaky roofs), some of the projects are desired for comfort reasons (i.e. zoned heat and AC, fresh air flow, outdoor spaces, etc.) and some of the projects are simply to ‘modernize’ certain aspects of the house (i.e. bathrooms that include showers in addition to the claw foot tubs).
Don’t get me wrong, even though we want to modernize certain aspects, for the most part we want to keep the original character and ‘period’ of the house.
Essentially, we want an old house with character that has all of the comforts of a new house.
At this point, the question of ‘green’ emerged. We’ve always been intrigued with the idea of being self-supportive (from an energy perspective) or with re-using resources (i.e. water) or materials. We started to dig into the question about whether we could incorporate ‘green’ into our home remodeling journey.
It didn’t take long to figure out that we were embarking into a whole new world – a world that is relatively new and that has many complexities. As I continue to explore and learn, I’ll write about my findings, but for today I’ll stick with answering the initial question:
Can I turn my house into a ‘green’ house?
I’ll answer this question with the following 5 topics:
- What is the definition of ‘green’ and what are you trying to accomplish?
- 6 green principles
- Who can help?
- Green home certifications
- Is it worth it?
What is the definition of green and what are you trying to accomplish?
Let’s talk about what green means and what you might be trying to accomplish. Green can certainly mean different things to different people, but in general, it refers to the desire to have a house that uses a minimal amount of resources or energy to achieve a maximum comfort level. It also means that a house generally has a low impact on the surrounding environment. For some people, the primary goal is to reduce their utility bills. Others may be focused on doing their part to help maintain or develop a healthy environment. And yet others may be primarily interested in reducing their carbon footprint and the deceleration of climate change. Independent of your goals, there are various degrees of green – or ‘shades of green’. This is not an ‘all or nothing’ proposition. You may find that it’s overwhelming or too costly to achieve a ‘pure’ green house and focus your time and money on the largest contributors or the personal preferences.
6 green principles
Various organizations define ‘green’ with slight variation, but in general most agree with the following 6 principles:
- Site Design
- Resource Efficiency
- Water Efficiency
- Energy Efficiency
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Building Operation & Maintenance
These principles provide the homeowner with several benefits:
- Easy access / commute to work, stores and social activities
- A home that is environmentally responsible
- Lower utility bills
- Increased indoor air quality and comfort
- Ease in maintaining the home
The guys at Home Innovation <http://www.homeinnovation.com/green > do a really good job in defining the 6 principles of a green home listed above. Check out their website to get more detailed information.
Who can help?
Ok, now that you know it’s possible, where do you start? This can be a bit tricky as the green remodeling industry is just starting to emerge. In doing some research, I found some really good resources with great information and a network of experts.
Residential Energy Services Network
In addition to the links above, I’ve also outlined the journey or Path to a Green Home on our Where to Start page.
Green home certifications
Not only are various resources certified with green knowledge, but a house can be green certified as well. Again, there are several different certifying bodies out there so you’ll want to choose the one that best fits. Some that I’ve found are:
- LEED: https://new.usgbc.org/cert-guide/homes
- Earth Advantage: https://www.earthadvantage.org
- Energy Star: https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.homes_guidelns
- HERS rating: http://www.resnet.us/energy-rating
- National Green Building Standard: http://www.homeinnovation.com/green
- Pearl Certification: https://pearlcertification.com/
Is it all worth it?
Believe me, I’ve asked myself this question many times (and will be writing more extensively on this topic in the future). I think that the easiest answer is: ‘it depends’ on what your goals are.
Think of it in the same way that you think of other traditional remodeling projects or additions. If the goal is to sell a house the day that the project is finished, very few (if any) home improvements are going to allow you to recoup your money. However, if the plan is to stay in the house for a period of time, you will be able to reap the lifestyle and financial benefits of that remodeling project or addition.
Is the increased comfort, lower utilities bills and peace of mind that you are contributing to support a healthier environment worth it? You tell me!
I hope that this information is useful as you begin your quest to determine whether you want to incorporate green into your next remodeling project.
Please check out my other blog topics for more information. Or, if there are any questions that you have, please add them to the comments below (or to my Contact page) and I will share my experiences and/or research.