Green Building | Chief Architect

Green Building Software Design Tips

Green homes are designed to minimize environmental impact and maximize resource efficiency. The design, construction, and operation of a home must focus on energy, water, and resource efficiency while taking into consideration the indoor environmental quality and overall impact on the environment. Below you will find links and definitions for common green building terms.

Cross-reference the image markers with the list below for suggestions and descriptions of green building techniques. Follow the links for more information on a specific topic.

Passive Solar Design, like these skylights and large south-facing windows, reduce electrical lighting needs and helps heat the building in winter months.
Metal Roofing is durable, long lasting, energy efficient, and available in a wide variety of styles and colors. What's more, metal roofing is recyclable, unlike some of its counterparts.
Solar Attic Fans or other self-powered systems are both green and cost-effective additions to any design.
Roof Trusses and other factory engineered components are a more efficient use of raw materials, and they cut down on jobsite waste.
OSB, like other wood chip based products, makes use of small trees and waste wood, allowing the conservation of larger trees.
Energy-Efficient Windows that have multiple panes, low-E coating, and are paired with quality window treatments help keep the sun's heat out in the summer and add insulation value during winter. Look for windows with a low U-Factor for the best energy savings.
Deciduous Trees, when planted strategically, block the hot sun while shading southern exposures in warm months, then let the sun's heat in when its needed once they lose their leaves in fall.
Rain Collection Barrels and Cisterns recycle grey-water run-off from the roof that can be used for irrigation, drastically reducing water bills and conserving drinking water.
Tank-less Water Heaters are energy efficient and provide more constant hot water. Other HVAC systems provide efficiency with comfort, like Geothermal Heat Pumps which gain heat from the earth and radiate it throughout the home.
Well Insulated and Drained Foundations complete an efficient building envelope and create comfortable living areas in basements.
Eco-Friendly Flooring, like bamboo, cork, reclaimed wood, and linoleum, are available in a wide selection of colors and styles.
High Efficiency Appliances save water, electricity, and cut utility bills.
Low-Flow Toilets and Faucets drastically reduce water consumption.
Engineered I-Joists and Floor Trusses reduce lumber consumption with increased span capacity and by being composed of less wood materials. Their larger depth allows for more insulation value (R-Value) and better layout options for HVAC and plumbing.
Xeriscaping, or landscaping with native and drought-tolerant plants, is functional, beautiful, and reduces water consumption.
Solar Panels mounted to a rooftop supplement a household's energy needs as a clean, renewable power source.
Recycled Plastic Lumber and Wood Composite Decking are durable alternatives to natural wood.
Solar Accents, like these path lights, are available in a variety of options and affordably and easily enhance outdoor spaces.
Preserving Mature Trees at the building site reduces waste and labor for removal, provides shade, wind-breaks, and landscaping, and filters pollutants from the air.
Advanced Framing, or Optimum Value Engineering, a construction technique designed to use less lumber, optimizes the spacing of framing members to reduce waste and increases framing cavity size to allow more space for insulation. When specifying insulation, look for types with a high R-Value.
Low VOC and Zero VOC (volatile organic compounds) Paints and Stains produce little-to-no odor causing or toxic emissions when compared with traditional solvent-based paints, and are still available in the same durable and beautiful colors you love.
Glass Countertops are available as solid slabs or as composites made of fractured glass bits. Not only are they attractive, but are also durable, easy to maintain, available in a variety of colors, and just as importantly created from recycled materials
Recycled Content Shingles look like Cedar, but are manufactured from reclaimed sawdust, metal, plastic, and tires, and weigh a fraction of its predecessor but lasts just as long. This roofing can be re-recycled at the end of its lifespan.

Green Building Organizations & Resources

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

Special Report: What Does Green Really Mean?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

National rating system developed by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) for recognizing highly efficient and sustainable structures. LEED is a voluntary program that has different levels of qualifications and is based on a point system.
www.usgbc.org

NAHB National Green Building Program

Green Building programs from the National Association of Home Builders. NAHB also offers a Certified Green Professional (CGP), a designation designed to teach building industry professionals strategies for incorporating green building principles into homes, including an understanding that demonstrates enhanced environmental impact and increased performance and health benefits.
www.nahb.org/education-and-events/credentials/certified-green-professional-cgp

Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA)

Advancing building science knowledge and sustainable business practices in the residential construction community through education, sharing, and collaboration.
www.eeba.org

California Green Building Initiative

California is a progressive state with its energy efficiency, conservation, sustainability, green building and green purchasing practices. In addition California's Title 23 specifies a number or energy saving requirements for building. The "Green Building Initiative," calls for state buildings to be 20 percent more energy efficient by 2015 and encourages the private sector to do the same.
www.green.ca.gov

DSIRE

Check available tax credits, rebates, and savings.
www.dsireusa.org

EPA

EPA Water Sense — Learn about how to reduce your water usage.
www.epa.gov/watersense

REScheck

REScheck makes it fast and easy for builders, designers, and contractors to determine whether new homes, additions, and alterations meet the requirements of the IECC or a number of state energy codes.
www.energycodes.gov/rescheck

UL GREENGUARD Certification

UL GREENGUARD Certification helps demonstrate compliance with emission standards and demonstrates commitment to healthier indoor environments.
www.ul.com/services/ul-greenguard-certification

Department of Energy

The Department of Energy offers many resources and programs to assist in the area of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver

Green Building Glossary

Door/Window Heat Loss

Heat Loss: Heat Loss calculations are typically required for new construction. The Dept. of Energy has a program to assist called REScheck. Using the Materials List tool in Chief Architect software, you can quickly capture the information that is needed for heat loss, such as heated glass, ceiling and floor by orientation. Simply enter information from your Materials List into the REScheck program.
Solar Gain: Increase in temperature contributed to a space by the sun's rays.
Low-E (Low-Emissive): Coating applied to glass that allows light through but reflects heat, helping control seasonal interior temperature fluctuations due to solar loss and gain.
Glazing: Light transferring portion of a window or door. It is important to consider the thermal and light filtering properties of glazing for energy efficiency and protection of interior.
U-Factor: The rate of heat loss is indicated in terms of the U-factor (U-value) of a window assembly. The insulating value is indicated by the R-value which is the inverse of the U-value. The lower the U-value, the greater a window's resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value. Often times you need a minimum U-Factor for tax and energy credits.
R-Value: Measurement of the thermal resistance of a material, frequently referenced as a measurement for insulation. An example of higher R-Values for residential building might be: R-50 ceilings; R-21 walls; R-30 floors. See Recommended Levels of Insulation to determine what is most cost-effective for your home.

Lighting

CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp): CFLs use 75% less electricity than incandescent bulbs but also contain a small amount of mercury and should be recycled. In most cases, these lights cannot be placed on a dimmer — so be aware for those applications.
LED (Light-Emitting Diode): LEDs are also known as solid-state lighting. LEDs use much less electricity than incandescent and compact florescent lights. LED lighting is clearly an emerging trend.

Building Materials & Techniques

There is currently a wide range of building materials and techniques available to support green building. As new technologies emerge, expect to see more options becoming available.

Advanced Framing Techniques: Framing techniques intended to reduce the quantity of framing materials required while at the same time increasing the insulation cavity areas and limiting thermal bridging. Learn more at the US Dept. of Energy.
ICF (Insulated Concrete Form): Stackable, permanent concrete forms that have insulation on the outer and inner sides. Concrete is pumped into the cavity to create walls that have higher insulation values than standard pour concrete walls.
SIP (Structural Insulated Panel): Considered both a composite and modular system, SIPs are prefabricated systems used primarily for walls and roofs. SIPs employ composite materials, reduce waste through modular construction methods, achieve high insulation values, and may be used instead of many conventional building methods.
Modular Building: Technique that uses standardized components as a building practice. Modularization can occur as pre-constructed components, or as pre-defined rules for construction, such as spacing. This technique is a good method for reducing waste and making the building process more efficient, saving time and money.
Local/Regional Materials: Products harvested and produced within a specific distance from the building site, typically 500 miles. Using local materials is an important green building practice because is supports the community economy and reduces transportation related impacts on the environment.
Certified Lumber: Describes lumber that has been sustainably harvested by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Engineered Lumber/Wood: Composite wood products that include materials which would otherwise have been considered waste, including smaller trees. Encourages more sustainable forestry practices and protects Old Growth forests. Some engineered products are also designed to be stronger than standard lumber of equivalent size.
Composite & Recycled Materials: Composite materials have the advantage of being able to leverage reclaimed or recycled products that are not able to function structurally in their current state. Examples of composites include Recycled Glass Surfaces and OSB sheathing.
Passive Design: Considering the thermal processes of convection, conduction, absorption, and radiation in a design to maintain comfort levels and reduce or eliminate the need for mechanical systems for these purposes.
Passive Heating: Channeling the heat of the sun into natural thermal processes like radiation, conduction, and convection to heat a structure instead of relying on a mechanical heating system.
Passive Cooling: A design where ventilation and the retention of cool air are optimized instead of relying on a mechanical cooling system.
Passive Ventilation: Using the convective nature of warm air and the ability to control windows and vents as the environment changes to control air floor in a structure.

Exterior

Porous Paving: Hard surfaces that allow rainwater to infiltrate its surface and to reduce runoff, erosion and contamination of surface water.
Rainwater Harvest: Systems implemented which capture and collect rainwater (from roof drainage for example) for use on-site. Some systems filter and purify the water, while others provide a means to distribute it, as in irrigation.
Xeriscaping: Landscaping technique which employs native and drought-tolerant plants in order to reduce water needs and help preserve native species.

General

Renewable Energy: Energy sources that are naturally replenished, examples are Solar, Wind, and Geothermal. In some cases, energy self-reliance that avoids all reliance on public utilities is referred to as "Off-the-Grid". Several tax credits are available.
Geothermal Heat Pump: Uses the constant temperature of the Earth's interior to efficiently control the heating and cooling of a structure.
Heat Recovery System: Mechanical system used to reclaim and recycle wasted heat from other sources in order to reduce the need for the primary energy source.
Daylighting: Design practice that uses sunlight to reduce or removed the need for electric lighting. Elements to consider include orientation and placement of windows, light shafts/tubes, skylights, clerestory windows, reflective surfaces, and interior passage of light between rooms.
Carbon Footprint/Neutral: Measured in units of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), a measurement of impact on the environment. Carbon Neutral is emitting no carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, or alternately adopting practices that absorb or offset the carbon dioxide that is produced. Planting trees is one way to help offset your carbon footprint.
Construction Waste Management: Adoption of strategies to control and reduce the amount of waste generated at a job site. Techniques include reusing and recycling, as well as careful planning to reduce excessive waste.
Maintenance: Green products and structures feature low- or no-maintenance materials and designs that reduce the resources required for their continued use. Ease of maintenance also reduces the likelihood that replacement will be needed.
Sick Building Syndrome: Ill-health or discomfort caused by a structure's design and/or the materials used to construct it. Factors contributing to SBS may include inadequate ventilation and chemical contaminants.
VOC (Volatile Organic Compound): Carbon compounds that vaporize at room temperature, and often contribute to poor air quality in a space. Off-Gassing is the release of volatile, toxic chemicals by products after installation. Off-gassing can be reduced by selecting no- or low-VOC products, avoiding problematic chemicals (such as formaldehyde), and controlling indoor temperature and moisture. Choosing pre-finished materials also helps to prevent the exposure of off-gassing to the design.