The USGBC developed the LEED program, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system which provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance of buildings’ overall consumption. LEED addresses all aspects of energy use, such as general energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

LEED has different rating systems differentiating between New Construction and Existing Construction and various building types. LEED for Homes is a rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. Green homes use less energy, water and natural resources, create less waste, and are more durable and comfortable for occupants. Why pursue LEED? The financial and environmental benefits to pursue LEED certification are obvious. But beyond the tangible benefits, the pursuit of LEED gives you good exposure in your community.

How can you apply for LEED certification? Applying for LEED is simple. LEED is run locally by LEED for homes providers. These providers are your primary connection to LEED certification and the first person to contact. Administrative and technical support providers oversee all performance testing and make sure your home meets benchmarks. It is advisable to involve a LEED accredited professional. A LEED AP is an expert in the field and will help you achieve your LEED goals. Log on to USGBC’s website to chose a provider.

Your project team should work with your provider and create an action plan. The project team will decide who will be responsible for which credits. Next you need to register the project directly with USGB on their website. If you are working with a LEED accredited professional he or she can do this for you.

Stay in close contact with your green rater to verify that requirements are met. After performance tests are conducted, the green rater prepares the documents:

* LEEDS for home final project check list
* a signed accountability form
* a durability evaluation and inspection list

The green rater then hands the documents to the provider. After a review by the USGB, USGB certifies to a third party provider.

After all is sealed and done you will receive a certificate, marketing tools and a press release which gives you exposure for your project and will facilitate future resale of your home.

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LEED: What is it and how does a home qualify?

But under close inspection, wood frame construction requires additional structural bracing between studs and building up walls with rigid or batt insulation and may not be the most structural or economical system after all.

This is where SIPs come in. These Structural Insulated Panels consist of a core of rigid foam plastic insulation which is sandwiched between two structural skins.  The default skins are oriented strand board panels (OSB) but other materials can be used, depending on the particular use.  SIPs can be used in floors, walls and roofs typically in light commercial buildings.  These high performance panels are extremely strong, energy efficient and also cost effective.  Because SIPs are manufactured under factory controlled conditions, the quality is always consistent and there are no surprises on the construction site.  Typically the rigid foam core is encapsulated by an exterior sheathing on one side and interior sheathing on the other, but the nice thing is that they can be custom designed for each home.

The ease of construction when using SIPs is obvious: the panels already contain both structure and insulation and only need to be installed.  By eliminating the need for erecting an entire wood frame, you save the cost of labor, and the quick installation of SIPs also saves you time.  You will benefit from long term savings as well,  as the high performance panels will require less energy from your heating and cooling systems.  You not only lower your utility bills but also reduce the environmental impact your house will have on our natural habitat.

Because of the energy savings, first home buyers may also qualify for a tax credit.  So if you area looking to build  a quality green home that saves energy, money and time, SIPs may just be the right choice for you.

Photo by PremierSIPs

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Structural Insulated Panels: SIPs

Solé Power Tile is the first building-integrated photovoltaic roofing product in the U.S. designed for curved roofing systems. The electricity-generating “barrel-style” tiles are specifically designed for installation in steep-slope roofs alongside US Tile’s traditional clay roofing. Solé Power Tiles are constructed with durable performance polymers commonly used in car bumpers.

Go ahead! Your solar panels don’t need to make a statement anymore that you love the planet. It goes without saying.

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Eco Friendly Friday: Sole Power Tile

This movement was first started by a not-for-profit organization, the Cambridge Energy Alliance in Cambridge, Massachusetts and inspired many others around the country to follow suit. As a rapidly expanding grassroots organization it is not only a wonderful model for all communities to be proactive about saving energy but also an inspiration. It does not take much to form your own Energy Alliance. Gather motivated people in your community to build an alliance with experienced consultants who can provide hands-on guidance from start to finish. This is how the Cambridge Energy Alliance works:

CEA uses viral marketing strategies to reach every household and business in their community. Their consultants then go there to conduct an energy audit; they then make a cost analysis of potential upgrades to insulation, structure, appliances and mechanical and plumbing systems and calculate resulting energy savings. To evaluate the life-cycle cost of an upgrade against its initial cost, they calculate the time it would take to pay for each upgrade’s energy savings. After they have completed the life-cycle cost analysis, they suggest the most cost-effective upgrades.

After the complete evaluation, CEA arranges financing. Owners can pay for the upgrades themselves or choose from prearranged loan plans, including a low-interest loan for low-income residents and areas. Loan payments are structured with the goal that they not exceed the monthly utility savings, so the homeowner is redistributing funds rather than adding costs. When the loan is paid, the owner pockets the full monthly savings, about 15% to 30% of his old energy bills. CEA checks this database Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency to apply eligible rebates or incentives.

When the financial things are taken care of, the work can begin. CEA brings in the contractor, supervises the work, handles complaints and tracks the energy savings. CEA conducts engineering inspections of all large projects and sample small projects. Finally CEA collects and reports on the community’s collective energy savings.

Although this model works very well, your community’s need may be different and there is plenty of room to add, change and vary the way you can conduct these steps. In the end, forming your own Energy Alliance will not only empower you and your community, but save money and energy, creating a win-win and overall feel good situation for everybody.

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Energy Alliances - Going Green For Free

Capturing rainwater is generally encouraged and often the installation of such a system is even rewarded with tax breaks; however, check your local codes and regulations to ensure that your reuse of rainwater is within the law.

When it rains, the rain travels from your roof into your gutter; from there it is channeled into the down spout until it runs off in an underground municipal maze. So why let all that water go to waste when you could use it for irrigation, washing laundry, flushing the toilet, showering and even drinking?

A very good way to reuse rainwater is for watering your plants for a lush, evergreen rain garden. Install a infiltration basin or swale 10 feet from your house which will receive rainwater form downspouts and percolate from the swale into the groundwater below. Make sure the soil drains well. To conceal the basins you could grow plants that tolerate large quantities of water.

To water houseplants, rain barrels are an excellent option. Barrels made from recycled food-grade plastic or even old wine barrels are ideal and can hold up to 60 gallons of captured rainwater. These barrels should have an intake line, spigot, overflow attachment, screen cover to keep out leaves, and removable solid cover. It is also important to remove the solid cover an hour or two after rainfall has washed pollen and other pollutants off the roof to ensure the rainwater is pure. A more expensive alternative to barrels are cisterns which collect rainwater from the downspouts. When the tanks are full, the water travels through a gravity-fed drip system to irrigate crops.

You can easily reduce the environmental footprint of your small house by finding the right system to capture and reuse rainwater. Carefully consider what your uses will be, how much space you will need and what your budget is. Your garden will always be in full bloom at no extra cost to you.

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Capturing and Reusing Rainwater

How much space do we really need?

Oversized homes use more energy, therefore generating higher monthly bills and are otherwise more costly to upkeep than smaller homes. You may be surprised to find out that many of your spaces are underutilized. They probably could be easily eliminated without you having to make any sacrifices. If anything, a more affordable, small home can bestow a sense of liberation upon you.

You can test your need for actual space by closing off extra bedrooms and bathrooms for a while and see how this impacts your use of the space. It may take a little while to get used to it but just because you follow an old habit doesn’t mean it’s an effective one. Go through your stuff: all the papers you have neatly stored in filing cabinets, old bank statements, bills and other kind of paperwork could probably be all digitized and stored on a hard drive; and when is the last time you wore that sweater? Go through your closet and make a realistic assessment of what you actually use in there. If you are scared of throwing something out or donating it, put it in storage for a few months to see if you really need it. If it sits in storage the entire time, chances are, you won’t miss it in the future. You will have freed up so much space you won’t know what to do with all the newly won extra space.

Depending on where you live, you could consider using a car share service instead of owning your own car. This may not be practical outside of urban centers, though it would save you building a garage and also a lot of money associated with the cost of owning a car.

Lastly, think about using spaces for multiple uses. A guestroom can easily function as an office during most of the year and be converted to a welcoming place to stay for your guests that one time of the year they come visit. Built in storage options could lower the need for a full dining room by adding bench seating, an office can be tucked into a closet or under the stairs to make use of wasted space.

Living with less space is foremost a lifestyle consideration. If you feel that the big house, as convenient as it may seem, wastes too much you are probably right. You will love the conveniences of a well designed small house plan that much more. More than that, your wallet will love the much lighter financial load of a downsized home.

Photo by JenaPhillips

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Downsizing Before Moving into a Small House

Fly Ash Pavers and Brick by CalStar Products are a good-looking and greener alternative to fired clay brick. Fly Ash Brick and Pavers reduce the high carbon footprint of unit paving by approximately 90% versus fired clay brick or pavers and 80% versus concrete pavers. Both products are made from up to 40% pre-consumer recycled content, including Class A fly ash. Both are manufactured with greatly reduced energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions.

These bricks and pavers will be an attractive addition to your home while you can feel good about doing good. Creating a beautiful outdoor space is also a great way to expand living room in a small home plan.

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Eco Friendly Friday: Fly Ash Pavers and Bricks

Unlike conventional water heaters which constantly heat water stored in a tank and will run out of hot water when usage is higher than the stored hot water, tankless water heaters do not store water but heat water as it runs through the pipe, therefore eliminating dreaded situations of unexpected cold water pouring over you in the shower.

Tankless heaters heat the water with a heat exchanger, similar to heat exchangers in refrigerators or air conditioners. The exchanger is activated when you turn on your hot water tap by the incoming flow of water. It then circulates through the activated exchanger to deliver your hot water. Tankless heaters can either be electric or gas-powered, natural or propane. They also come in different sizes – a point of use system, usually electrically powered, is small and only heats water for up to two outlets. Point of use systems can easily fit under a vanity or kitchen sink close to the sink, therefore avoiding water loss by reducing the time it takes for the water to reach the faucet, also known as lag time. The larger system, whole-house heaters, typically gas-powered, is more expensive but provides hot water for all outlets.

The advantages of a tankless water heating system are obvious: you never run out of hot water, you save money and energy by not continually heating the water in your tank, your basement will never be flooded from leaking or ruptured tanks, the system lasts longer than a tank, the government rewards you with a tax break, and you save space by not having a giant tank in your basement which is especially important in a small home plan. However, the initial cost of installing this system is more expensive, but it is essential to consider life-cycle cost savings which can make your initial investment pay for itself.

If you are designing a new home to run more efficiently, it would be worth to think about choosing a tankless system instead of the standard water heater. The party of ten you invited for the long holiday weekend to stay at your house will thank you for it, and so will your budget.

Photo by Moosicorn

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Benefits of Tankless Water Heaters

1. De-clutter: Excessive “stuff” can take away from natural light and physical space. Do not hoard things you do not need. You will have less things to dust off so your home will always feel clean and spacious.

2. Light Wall Paint: Small spaces with limited natural light benefit from light wall paints. It doesn’t necessarily need to be shades of white; there is a very large variety of paint colors to choose from. Whether you like warm red tones or cool blue tones, be sure to stay in the less saturated color range of your favorite hue.

3. Natural Wood Furnishings: A beaming maple hardwood floor or even something as simple as a natural wood bench by the window can draw the eye and emphasize the unique features of your space.

4. Lighting: A well lit space is key. Choosing the right lighting however can be a daunting task. From energy saving bulbs to halogen and more recently LED lights the options seem endless. Be sure to buy from professionals in the field who can assist you make the right choices.

5. Less is more: Do not over-decorate. Too many fabrics, pillows, colors or pictures can make your space feel cluttered and full. A few carefully selected well-framed pictures combined with subtle fabrics and furnishings will not overpower your space but really make it stand out.

Start with these simple steps to make your home feel inviting and spacious. If you need more help to get your home organized it is advisable to work with a professional who specializes in custom home designs.

Design can make a real difference in the way your home feels. Be sure to work with somebody who understands your aesthetic and needs. From customizing closet space to reconfiguring walls in your home, a seasoned professional can help you to really feel at home.

Photo by DeathWaves

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5 Tips to Make Your Small Home Feel Larger

To reach our goals of serving the growing needs of families that wish to downsize and live in a home that conserves energy, we will begin accepting house plans from other designers and architects. By combining our marketing knowledge with other designers desire to reach this market segment we hope to reach more families in 2010 and beyond. Architects and designers that want to venture into stock house plans and small house designs can do so without risking their core design business and almost zero overhead as 5 Elements Design deals with customer service, marketing, website updates and more.

Designers and architects that are interested in learning more can contact Misty at 1-800-489-8197 or contact@esmallhouseplans.com

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ESmallHousePlans.com Now Accepting New Designers