What are the benefits of green building?

GE Appliances & lighting has recently opened a new data center at its headquarters in Kentucky, equipped with innovative high-efficiency cooling systems. It also uses high density containing more computing power per square foot, thus, reduce the amount of energy, central cooling needs. The company has installed even save fixtures to reduce water consumption in the building of 42% water.

Burj Dubai, the highest of the world building, Khalifa last year announced its intention to meet more water heating needs by relying on 378 solar panels, which will be heat 140,000 litres of water each day. Under his management, sustainable investment is expected to save 3 200 kWh of energy per day, accumulating on 690MWh of energy per year.

Riviera Resort Hervey Bay beat a record solar panel in Queensland this month by installing more solar panels on his six-story building that any other interpretation in the Australian State. The owner of the station claims that he received $ 16,000 for energy savings - a reasonable return on its sustainable investment.

Companies are not only taking advantage of the eco-friendly of adjustments and innovations. ZeroCottage in San Francisco, a zero net energy project-under-construction by David Baker and partners Architecture, employs the benefits of high performance windows, folding doors sealed and wall Assembly, State of rain water and efficient water heating. Kelly and Matt Grocoff, a couple of Michigan, rebuilt their house style Victorian feet square of 1901 2200 and transformed into an investment sustainable zero. Cost the family a total of $47 130, with a return of $104 000 more than 20 years.

According to calculations by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), buildings in most countries took place at less than 40 per cent of national energy consumption. In the European Union, the construction industry eats up to 42% of EU final energy consumption and represents about 35 percent of all gas emissions greenhouse (GHG), estimates of the European Commission. In an economy where businesses and homes are reducing overall costs, energy is one of the first to feel the slash. Governments are taking into account of this trend and encouraging saving energy of sustainable investment incentives such as tax relief tools and feed in tariffs.

2010 Deutsche Bank Research figures indicate that green buildings benefit from savings of approximately 30% more than conventional buildings. In General, sustainable buildings tend to use less water and are less expensive to maintain. Report of the McGraw - Hill Construction Green Outlook 2011 the values of the U.S. green building construction 50% growth between 2008 and 2010. Green buildings represent 25% of all new construction in 2010 and, according to McGraw-Hillprojections, market size will probably rise to about 135 billion by 2015. Will the UK probably see increases in the sector as well as the Government has set up the goal to increase energy savings in the country and to achieve carbon neutrality in all new English homes by 2016, by WBCSD.

Before undertaking the greening of home or office space and take advantage of the benefits of the energy cost of Cup, the incentives and maintenance of the buildings more affordable, investors must carefully to learn about industry standards and regulations of their nation. As the investment market sustainable constructions picks up speed, it brings with it the need ongoing quality assurance.

There are several entities of third party who has implemented standards and certify buildings constructed in sustainable investment projects. To the United States, the Green main system of certification of buildings is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed LEED in 2000, to provide residential and commercial owners and operators with a set of measurable criteria that assess the practical efficiency, design, efficiency and building management.In the European Union and UK in particular, the regulatory system widely used is the method of environmental assessment BRE (BREEAM). Created in 1990 by the UK Building Research Establishment (BRE), BREEAM was designed to assess the viability of new commercial buildings. It has since expanded to include residential buildings under its umbrella. In 2003, the Green Building Council of Australia launched Green Star - a system of notation for quantifying the environmental effects of the constructions and improvements made by the innovations in the building sector.

For more information on sustainable building and ethical investments, go to sustainable-investment - guide .com. Sustainable investment guide is a portal of information keep you updated on the facts of the carbon credit market, trends, news and sustainable investment opportunities.


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Why choose an eco-construction?

An Eco-building is a building that was designed to minimize its impact on the environment. This can be achieved in many ways;

The durability of the materials is built fromEnergy EfficiencyImpact on the environment for demolition of the building

Sustainability of materials

An eco-building should be constructed from materials which clearly of how responsible and, if possible, renewable source. Thus, we have to think where the materials come from and if they can be replaced.

Some materials traditionally used, such as stone is clearly naturally - but not immediately renewable - and are obvious on the environment when the extract.

Bricks are made of naturally occurring clay, but even after having a clear impact in the extraction of clay and a less known impact through the fluorine bi-produit which is a very reactive element, which is dangerous for humans.

Many options - but the only truly sustainable, renewable and natural construction material is wood. Wood has been used in the construction for centuries and of ancient wooden buildings are in the world: particularly in the Scandinavian countries.

Using the wood in your green building, not only in the building, but for internal and external walls so you can be confident in a truly sustainable building envelope.

Search for FSC certification and PEFC confirm sustainable procurement.

Energy efficiency

As the cost of energy increases and potential shortages shoot in the future, an eco-construction ensure that energy consumption is reduced to a minimum to reduce costs permanent and, if possible, dependency.

High levels of insulation are a must: "U" of your new building values should be checked to ensure that the lost energy is being minimized. The values of "U" will often appear against the various elements of the building like Windows, floors of cassette or walls. Make sure that there is no weak point. If you selected a building wood as the MPL (Machine profile Log) and then low values "U" as 0. 16W / M2K for the roof and Windows potentially as low as 1. 0W / M2K will be an obvious attraction.

Good natural light has several advantages: financially it will lower energy bills, but more important are the personal benefits as the light of the Sun not only improves the mood but general health and well-being and is proven to kill microbes in the building and furniture. Your eco-construction should give opportunities for Sun-tubes and lights to help increase natural light, especially in the corridors of the roof.

Ventilation is also an important factor in your new eco-construction. Avoid expensive cooling systems and to ensure that there is a passive adequate ventilation. These simple options that the opening of the Windows and roof lights operated by electronic means can help ensure that there is good air flow. Make a right choice of materials sustainable wood log walling ie: wood is able to better regulate the humidity as artificial materials and does not retain any electro-static charge. It is advantage particularly allergic people representing approximately 1: 4 population.

Forget step-isolation works in both sense keep the summer heat off and winter heat in!

Impact on the environment after demolition

According to the choice of the building of sustainable life expectancy will vary. A building wood MPL will last well beyond 80 years. Larch single siding will be 60-80 years without treatment. Finally, almost all buildings end of their life, whether by the degradation of the progress of the construction and design materials making them obsolete. You must ensure that your new eco-building will not be a burden for the next generation.

Verify that the materials offer a reasonable option for recycling. Brick and block may be overwritten for hardcore on other building projects - but it tends to occur on larger sites, otherwise it is potential discharge, as it's expensive to transport. Steel and glass can be repetitive and re-made, but it is likely to be only a small element of the construction. Demolition plaster almost always ends up in landfills. Wood is 100% recyclable and at the very least will always be demand for fuel: a market in full growth and some to be necessary even when the building itself is no longer.

When you search for an eco-construction, locate a wooden building. Wood is the only natural construction product that is traditional, sustainable and renewable. A Cabinco MPL wooden buildings are energy efficient, ecological and economic. For more information, visit our website at http://cabinco.co.uk/.


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What is an energy efficient home zero?

Energy efficient manufacturers are constantly improving the design and durability to provide solutions to consumers who want more efficient home on the planet. The balancing act that a constructor green homes must rid is not an easy feat: they need provide a House with the creature comforts we just all take for granted and, at the same time, they must also provide a superior measurable alternative in their offers public will appreciate and be able to offer. Value is extremely important, given the current economic situation in America.

In the past, energy design was extremely expensive and, in turn, was not something that the average consumer could afford even if they could appreciate the fact that energy efficient homes are good for the environment. Now, construction of houses that are so effective that they almost can feed themselves is not only technically possible, but consumers can obtain these products of superior quality for the same price as a standard, home built site range. While these houses go by many names, manufacturers of refer to effective and affordable houses as "zero homes efficient."

Zero net energy efficiency is designed to provide total needs of a household electricity. The purpose of the housing process void is double: first, to meet the total needs of a home energy and, secondly, at the least possible expense. Some critics of the term "zero net energy efficiency" say that they can achieve the same results of a net zero home by simply by adding a large number of solar panels in every home they build. In all fairness, it is true that you can provide all the electrical needs of a House by adding much more solar panels, but it is not nearly as effective, efficient or economical than design a House and its various components as a system which aims to reduce energy use by as many points of the design as possible.

The goal of zero net design should be, then, not to add panels of solar dear as needed, but to reduce overall power consumption of a home such as the less than components expensive solar photovoltaic system must be used.

The reason why many manufacturers do not move in the direction of improving the efficiency is because the only research and development costs are enormous. However, constructors that do not match the pace with effective designers, in the future, will lose market share to more forward thinking manufacturers.

It is possible to have a green home. In fact, you can buy a home built custom, now for the same price of site standard built many houses you can find residential neighbourhoods in common tract. In residential tract, you can add an island in your kitchen, but you can move whole walls or add significantly square feet; you buy exactly what the developer offers standardized plans. Custom, factory built houses differ in that you have much more control over the design and the final product. Conduct research online on houses zero and solar homes and you will arrive to the conclusion that there are a number of viable options to a wide range of prices.

Luca Brammer is the Director of the development of the business to Hallmark-South-West Corporation. Hallmark-South-West is a builder of prefabricated houses in California who specializes in the design of home energy efficiency and zero net energy efficiency.


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