When we started our home-building project, our goal was to do some simple and smart things to ensure that we minimized our impact on the environment both in the short term (during construction) and long term (sustainability).
Home is tops in energy efficiency
By JASON HAMMOND
August 14, 2008 at 7:53PM
Our research revealed that there was a learning curve on what truly constituted "green-friendly." We also had to make some tough decisions on which products would give us the greatest impact for our dollar, to stay within our "modest modern" budget.
As the popularity of living and building green grows, many companies are trying to put a green twist on their products, making it challenging to discern what really is "green-friendly."
Some bigger-ticket items such as green rooftops, geothermal heating, solar panels and SIPs have garnered media attention. But we found that a "green" approach can simply involve reducing your home's overall energy consumption by increasing the insulation value of walls and windows and minimizing daily energy consumption with EnergyStar appliances and high-efficiency heating and cooling methods. After our house was completed, we wanted to find out how we did.
Jimmie Sparks from the Neighborhood Energy Connection (a nonprofit that helps people save money and the environment through energy- efficient living) tested our house. He assessed it for its overall energy consumption and the results were satisfying. Our home received an overall score of 44 and was rated 5+ stars on a 5+ star rating system. It was almost twice as efficient as what was needed to qualify as an EnergyStar home. We also were able to exceed by 31 percent the reduction of our carbon output vs. the IECC (International Energy Conservation Code) standard set in 2006.
Yet I found myself wishing we had done more. Maybe in the near future, advancements in technology will make both solar and wind energy options cost-effective and viable for the average homeowner to implement as retrofitted items. If that is the case, we'll consider trying to improve our energy-efficiency score and reduce our carbon footprint even more.
Jason Hammond is at hammond@mojosolo.com.
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JASON HAMMOND
The funding is expected to give more than 5,000 Minnesotans, especially in rural areas, high-speed broadband access across the state and help at least 139 businesses and 368 farms.
