SACRIFICING AIR QUALITY OR DESIGN. by matthew power
With the new home market perhaps permanently shrunken to pre-boom levels, green retrofi t is not just a sideline. It’s the future. Fortunately, greener products have done some of the heavy lifting for builders. Many off -the-shelf products off er far better durability, energy effi ciency, and resource use than their predecessors. That’s not to say greenwashing isn’t a
problem—it is. But if you know some basic building science and ask the right ques- tions, you can choose products that save money and take the looming threat of climate change seriously. And with numerous retrofi t incentives
either in the legislative pipeline or already available, it’s the right place to be at the right time. In approaching products for green retro-
fi t, we advocate a common sense approach. You may have seen our Green Building Pyramid in past issues or on our website. It’s a model we use to help you and your clients decide which green improvements to make fi rst. The same general principles apply to retrofi t. Sweat the big energy us- ers fi rst—heating, cooling, cooking, water heating (including swimming pools and hot tubs). Then move on to water conserva- tion—toilets and showerheads. Finally, take
NEW PRODUCTS GIVE REMODELERS THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO REDUCE A HOME’S ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT WITHOUT
a look at appliances, which use both energy and water. Keep in mind that reducing heating and
cooling cost may not mean getting a new furnace or heat pump. You might accom- plish more in terms of overall savings, for a lot less money, by reducing air infi ltration, adding insulation, or switching to a refl ec- tive roof. Water conservation is a little dif- ferent story. Because modern products use water so much more effi ciently, you want to replace, not repair, an old faucet or toilet. Here’s a sampler of 14 products that you
can count on to raise the eco-friendly status of your next retrofi t.
www.greenbuildermag.com
September 2010 GreenBuilder
35
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