Page 4 - Advanced Technology for Energy and Water Saving

CHOOSING PRIORITIES.

With help from the Green Building Pyramid, here’s how to select
which systems and products can achieve the most bang for your KEY: Difficulty/Knowledge required for
implementation. Note that some of
buck in terms of power conservation. the easiest changes have the greatest
green impact.

Fine tune your home’s performance with connected devices, including smart locks,
smart thermostats, occupancy, air quality and leak sensors—and many more from the
Internet of Things (IoT).

Emphasize to your contractor that you want to create even more energy than
your home uses. Make sure your tight home includes sufficient ventilation, plus easy
ways to monitor and tweak energy and water use.

PUSH FOR NETZEROPLUS
Read the label carefully when choosing paints, stains and caulking.
Choose brands with zero or very low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to SPECIFY SUSTAINABILITY HARVESTED/MINED MATERIALS
protect your indoor air quality.
OPT FOR
LOW or
NOVOC PAINTS
At a minimum, windows in a new home should include insulated low-E
glazings. Look for durable window frames made with materials that are
renewable or recyclable, and seal and flash them meticulously.

OPTIMIZE
OPTIMIZE WATER WATER
Uninsulated concrete foundations can reduce heating efficiency by HEATING
30%–50%. Cover concrete with rigid or spray-on foam insulation—or build
foundation walls with insulating concrete forms (ICFs). Consider a frost- SPECIFY HIGHEST RECYCLED CONTENT MATERIALS
protected shallow foundation or slab-on-grade construction.

For wood-framed walls and ceilings, air infiltration is a major concern. UPGRADE WINDOWS OPTIMIZE HVAC
Consider an insulation package that seals walls tightly.
A combination of house wrap with a tight insulator such as spray foam is
one option. If using fiberglass or cellulose, specify.

UPGRADE SHELL
INSULATE FOUNDATION INSULATION
Well-designed site plans take advantage of
free solar light and energy, and minimize damage SPECIFY RE-USED/SALVAGED MATERIALS
to existing plants and habitats.

SITING LOCATION
PLANNING PHASE
Shorten commutes and build close to public transit. Include bike storage and Install an electric
charging station. Anticipate risks from floods, wildfire or storms.

4ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION