Choosing Green: the Homebuyer's Guide to Good Green Homes

265 Pages·2009·4.068 MB·English

by  Jerry Yudelson

Advance praise for
Jerry Yudelson’s many years at the heart of the green building movement have led
to his developing an excellent document on sustainable housing. This will be a
valuable guide not only for homebuyers and consumers, but also for designers and
builders. The greenest home we can build is not to build one at all; this book pro-
vides good advice on the next best thing.
— Steven Winter, FAIA, Steven Winter Associates, Inc.,
Chairman, USGBC LEED for Homes Committee
Choosing Green provides the consumer with an up-to-the-minute, very thorough
overview of green residential building in America. It’s a guide to green construc-
tion practices, as well as a navigation system for purchasing a truly green house.
Any buyer who attempts to do so without this information must beware!
— Mark Berman, Davis Energy Group
Jerry Yudelson, one of the foremost experts in the green building industry, has sys-
tematically gathered in-depth, hard to find information and coalesced his decades
of experience into this tremendously valuable tool. Choosing Green provides clear
guidance to navigate the complexity of the green building marketplace and its ex-
tensive resources.
— Christi Graham, Founder & President, West Coast Green
Today, much is being written about green housing and the myriad of related certifi-
cation standards. Choosing Green is an excellent book by an extremely knowledge-
able author, and should be a “must-read” for anyone contemplating the purchase
of an “environmentally green” home. This book will help prospective green home
purchasers gain a much better understanding of what constitutes a “green home”
and how to make a wise purchase.
— Michael Geller, Adjunct Faculty,
Centre for Sustainable Community Development,
Simon Fraser University
Jerry Yudelson epitomizes the best of green building theory, design principles and
construction practices. His work inspires and contributes to the industry’s trans-
formation and this book is no exception — it will serve any homebuyer seeking
quality, efficient and healthy living very well.
— Yves Khawam, Pima County, Arizona, Chief Building Official
Jerry Yudelson is a rare find in the increasingly confusing world of green building
scientists, policy makers, product manufacturers, and marketers. He is a jack of all
trades who is able to synthesize the most salient trends, issues, and strategies down
to their most compeling and useful points. Choosing Green is a great contribution
to the consumer looking to invest wisely and make a positive impact.
— Rob Bennett, a leading voice for green buildings in the public sector
With consumer demand for green living growing rapidly, Choosing Green is a very
timely resource for new homebuyers who want to make smart decisions about one
of their largest investments. Yudelson’s book is both comprehensive and practical,
acknowledging there is no “one size fits all” solution. By providing homebuyers
with the right set of tools they will be better prepared to make purchase decisions
that best fit their green priorities, available options and lifestyles.
— Rebecca L. Flora, Executive Director, Green Building Alliance
As an architect with a portfolio of green homes, I can attest to the plethora of how-
to books on green building, most of which are geared towards the “innovators”
and “early adapters” in the design and construction industry. What makes Choos-
ing Green special is that it is written for the prospective homebuyer, a milestone in
the evolution of sustainable design!
— Nathan Good, AIA, NathanGoodArchitect.com
Among the chief challenges to buying a green home, or greening the one you have,
has been ready access to good information. Choosing Green is an authoritative
response: it will help you ask the right questions, avoid greenwash, and create a
healthier, more sustainable lifestyle for yourself and your family.
— Michelle Moore, Senior Vice President, U.S. Green Building Council
Wish you had a trusted friend that could explain what is important (and not)
about choosing a green home? Then Jerry Yudelson is your new best buddy! Writ-
ten with the homebuyer in mind, Choosing Green cuts through the green fog with
great anecdotes and case studies — showing what makes a truly green home, who
is building them, where you can get one.
— Walker Wells, Green Building Program Director, Global Green USA
Finally! A comprehensive guide for anyone interested in green homes. This book is
the best resource I have seen for understanding green homes, and it is presented in
an easy to understand format.
— Philip Beere, Green Street Development, Phoenix, Arizona
Choosing Green is a must read manual for people looking to make good environ-
mental decisions for their homes and their families. It is clear, insightful, informa-
tive, current and timely; guiding both small steps and deep green opportunities.
— Lauren Yarmuth, YRG Consultants, New York City
New Society Publishers
Cataloging in Publication Data:
A catalog record for this publication is available from
the National Library of Canada.
Copyright © 2008 by Jerry Yudelson.
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Diane McIntosh.
Leaf image: iStock Left bottom: Courtesy of SunPower
Left middle photo: Photography by John Baker, courtesy of Homewise, Inc.
Top photo: Photography by Loren Heyns, courtesy of Green Street Properties
Right bottom: Photography by Bill Timmerman, courtesy of Modus Development
Printed in Canada. First printing April 2008.
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-86571-610-0
Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Choosing Green
should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below.
To order directly from the publishers, please call toll-free (North America)
1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com
Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:
New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
[phone]
New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that contribute
in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just
society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment,
in a manner that models this vision. We are committed to doing this
not just through education, but through action. This book is one step
toward ending global deforestation and climate change. It is printed on
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For everyone who wants to live
a more sustainable and less impactful lifestyle,
and for all those who want to help them do so,
this book is for you.

Contents
Preface xi
Foreword xv
1 The Green Home Revolution 1
Why Choose Green? Homeowners Share Their Reasons . . 3
The Global Warming Challenge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Energy Use in the Home and Climate Change . . . . . . . . 8
Environmental Impacts of Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Green Home Builders and Buyers
Respond to Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2 What Is a Green Home? 21
Key Features of a Green Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Building Science Basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
What’s Wrong with Typical New Homes? . . . . . . . . . . 35
3 The Experience of Living in a Green Home 41
4 What Goes into a Green Home?
Green Products, Systems and Technologies 53
Products Used in Green Homes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The Building Envelope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Mechanical Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Vapor Barriers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Plumbing Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Tankless Water Heaters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Lighting Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
[ vii ]
[ viii ] choosing green
ENERGY STAR Appliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Solar Water Heating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Solar Electric Systems (Photovoltaics) . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Interior Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
5 How Do I Know It’s a Green Home?
Green Home Rating Programs 79
HERS Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
ENERGY STAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
National Green Building Program . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes (LEED-H). 87
Local Utility Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Local Government Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Green Building Ratings from Local Non-profits. . . . . . . 100
Canada ENERGY STAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Environments for Living (GE ecomagination
and Masco Contractor Services) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
American Lung Association Health House Program . . . . 108
Bringing It All Together — Building Science
and Third-party Certification at Civano. . . . . . . . . 109
6 Where Can I Find a Green Home?
Single-family Home Developments 113
ENERGY STAR Builders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
NAHB National Green Building Program . . . . . . . . . . 115
LEED for Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Local Certification Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Pacific Northwest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Northern California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Southern California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Southwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
South and Southeast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Eastern Seaboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Midwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Canada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
A State-by-state Listing of Leading
ENERGY STAR Homebuilders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Contents [ ix ]
7 Where Can I Find a Green Condominium? 149
Portland, Oregon, South Waterfront Development . . . . . 150
Seattle, Florera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Victoria, British Columbia, Dockside Green. . . . . . . . . 152
Los Angeles, South Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Toronto, L Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Toronto, Radiance @ Minto Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Silva . . . . . . . . . . 154
Boston, Macallen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
New York City, Riverhouse at Battery Park City . . . . . . . 155
New York City, Lucida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Minneapolis/Bloomington, Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . 156
St. Louis, Missouri, Gustine Townhomes. . . . . . . . . . . 157
Nation’s Capitol Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Atlanta, Oakland Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Palo Alto, California, Vantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Green Condo Rating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
8 How Can I Pay for a Green Home?
Show Me the Money! 161
Credits and Incentives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Using Energy Savings to Pay the Mortgage. . . . . . . . . . 165
Energy-efficient Mortgages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Resale Value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
9 Choosing Green:
Evaluating Home Builder Offerings 169
Doing Your Homework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Testing Your Own Preferences for a Green Home . . . . . . 172
Evaluating Builders’ Green Offerings. . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
What Does It Take to Become Certified
Under LEED for Homes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Financing the Purchase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
10 After the Sale: What Can You Do
to Make the Home Greener? 179
Saving Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Saving Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Producing Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183