Green Beyond The Bottom Line

Green Roundtable

Consulting, education, training
and strategic planning

to create healthy environments by
integrating principles of
sustainability into mainstream
planning, design and construction.

The Green Roundtable
(copyright © Green Roundtable 2007)

and

Green Beyond the Bottom Line
Paul Marquis
paul@greenroundtable.org


Download presentations at:
www.nexusboston.com/space/events/
archived_events.html


Why do green….

4

The three prime movers (in order):

• Economics- Reducing energy cost/ protecting the
bottom line

• Health- Maintaining a safe and healthy environment
for one’s family & oneself

• Personal impact- Addressing the greater good-
minimizing environmental footprint

5

Economic realities

Up front costs or first-costs of green building
are often greater than conventional building

That doesn’t need to be the case!

Cost of Truro home: $190/ sq. ft.


Economics of green building

• Sometimes we need to look beyond the issue of first-
cost and take Total Cost of Ownership into account

• When looking at TCO, in addition to energy &
operating resources, we need to look at durability &
ease-of-maintenance

• Rebates, tax credits & other financing vehicles can
help to manage first-costs

• In valuing green building, we may want to look at
other, less-tangible factors as well


The trump card

A University of Michigan study demonstrated that
greater than 90% of the embodied energy in a home
is attributable to operating energy

Reduce operating energy and potentially reduce total
cost of ownership (TCO) or life-cycle cost
significantly
Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan


Justifying increased up-front costs

Making the case for reduced Life-Cycle Cost or TCO:

• Green buildings usually use less energy/ resources
to operate than their conventional counterparts

• Green buildings are typically more durable &
maintenance-free due to the application of sound
principles of building science

• Additional benefits like improved IEQ, minimizing
impact, increased security, etc. may warrant the
increased cost – What value do we place on these?!


Why build green?
Beyond the bottom line of energy efficiency/
utility savings
• May increase affordability
• May improve property resale value
• Reduces the ecological footprint of the building
• Creates a safer and healthier indoor environment
• Typically results in a more durable, maintenance-
free building
• Provides security/ passive survivability
• Reduces our dependence on foreign oil


Cost offsetting
Ex.: Offsetting increased first cost in
some areas with savings in others

Source: Case Studies In Resource-Efficient Residential Building,
Building America program


Green criteria
• Efficiently uses energy & resources

• Derived from rapidly renewable resources

• Contains high recycled material content

• Can be reused/ recycled at the end of it’s useful life

• Locally sourced

• Durable & low-maintenance

• Produces minimal off-gassing

• Biodegradable


Cornerstones of green building

Site Site

Site Site

14

Sweetening the pot


Rebates and incentives
• Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 (renewed for ’08)

• Energy efficient mortgages

• Energy credit mortgages & “green loans”

• MA state sales tax exemption

• MA state renewable energy tax credit

• Utility incentives

• See DSIRE database (Database of State
Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency):
http://www.dsireusa.org/

Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005

Examples:

• Energy Star windows/ skylights: 10% of cost up to
$200 for all windows

• Exterior/ Storm doors: 10% of cost up to $500

• Insulation: 10% up to $500

• Geothermal heat pump: $300

• http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm


Energy Efficient Mortgages
• Allows you to increase your debt-to-income ratio
• Remodelers/ Refinancers:
-Owner gets all the EEM benefits without moving.
-Make improvements which will actually save money.
-Increase the potential resale value .
• Home Energy Rating System (HERS) report must
indicate that home will save money as a result of the
improvements- http://www.energy.ca.gov/HERS/;
http://www.energyratings.org/
• For more info:
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/housing/energy_mort
/energy-mortgage.htm

Energy Efficient Mortgages, ex.


Energy Credit Mortgages/ Green Loans

• Generally for new construction

• Provide credit on closing costs

• Being offered by Bank of America & Wainright
Bank among others


MA Renewables Tax Credit

• Personal tax credit
• Solar Water Heat, Solar Space Heat, Photovoltaics,
Wind
• 15% of cost up to $1000
• Excess credit may be carried forward three years
• http://www.state.ma.us/
doer/programs/renew/renew.htm#taxcred


MA State Sales Tax Exemption

• Solar Water Heat, Solar Space Heat, Photovoltaics,
Wind, Geothermal Heat Pumps

• 100% of sales tax exempt; no maximum

• http://www.state.ma.us/
doer/programs/renew/renew.htm#taxcred


Typical utility rebates

•High-efficiency space heating equipment

•High-efficiency indirect water heating equipment

•ENERGY STAR® qualified windows

•ENERGY STAR® qualified thermostats

•ENERGY STAR® qualified central air conditioning

•ENERGY STAR® air source heat pump systems


The Truro home:
Sustainability w/ economy


Scale


Compare this:


To something like this:


Stats:

• Size of Truro home prior to remodel: 1200 sq. ft.

• Size after remodel: ~2100 sq. ft.

• Size of lot: 0.22 acres

• Family of four


Consider this:

The average size of a U.S. single-family
house has increased by 33% since 1975. At
the same time average family size has
decreased

Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan


Design Basics


Orientation/ Design Basics

• Structure oriented along East-West axis; i.e. long side
facing south (roofline adjusted to accommodate solar)

• Glazing on south-facing walls optimized for passive
solar gains

• Existing footprint maintained


Durability


Durability

• Uncomplicated design w/o too many intersecting
planes- improved durability, ease of maintenance

• Enviroshake roof is a 100 year roof if properly installed

• Certainteed fiber-cement siding has expected
minimum life >50 years

• Foamboard insulation exterior skin creates effective
drainage plane

• Sprayed Icynene foam insulation provides more
effective wall-cavity moisture management


Materials


Exterior Siding

CertainTeed Fiber Cement Siding - WeatherBoard

• >30% post-industrial recycled content- fly ash

• Sustainable Forestry Initiative certified wood fibers

• In addition to durability requires fewer paint cycles
(15 year warranty on finish)

• Cheaper than cedar clapboards & shingles!


Roofing

Enviroshake composite roofing

• High post-industrial recycled content

• Most of these types of roofing materials are about
half-again as much as premium asphalt-fiberglass
(material cost), but durability may be the trump card


Interior Paints

Sherwin-Williams Harmony zero VOC

• Marginally more expensive than ‘conventional’
(installed cost)

• Provides safer indoor environment by reducing
VOC off-gassing


Flooring

- PlyBoo DuraPalm coconut flooring
- WeCork cork tiles

• Made from rapidly renewable resources

• Finished with low-VOC polyurethane (water borne)

• Pre-finished- reduces installation cost

• Cork comparable in cost to T & G oak strip flooring;
DuraPalm a bit more expensive (product only)


PEX tubing for water supply piping

• Less embodied energy than copper

• Facilitates structured plumbing; minimizes piping runs;
shallow bends can improve delivery performance

• More freeze-tolerant

• Less heat loss

• Easier to install; less expensive w/ competent sub-
contractor


Water conservation


Water conservation

• Toto Aquia dual flush toilets installed
Assuming a cost premium of 100 –150; w/
MWRA rates, payback can be as little as 3 years!
(typ. Family of four)

• Low-flow Hans Grohe bathroom fixtures

• Danze temperature control kitchen faucet


Energy


Windows

Fibertec windows with fiberglass frames

• Hollow, non-conductive window frame increases
effective R-Value

• More expensive than vinyl-clad wood products, but
increased performance & environmental benefits may
justify added cost


Appliances

• Energy Star appliances used throughout (LG)

• Horizontal axis washing machine installed

• Saves water as well as energy-
can have fast payback time

• Use 30 – 50% less water; 50 –60% less
energy; 1/3 less detergent; kinder on
clothes! (source: MWRA)

• Dryer w/ dual moisture sensors

• Dishwasher w/ booster heater


Natural daylighting

• Can reduce lighting loads and cooling loads

• Improves indoor environmental quality

• Residential systems typically consist of skylights,
clerestory windows or tubular daylighting devices
(TDD’s; “sun tubes” or “light tubes”)

• ODL Sun Tunnel installed in Truro project


Skylights may contribute to summer overheating
and winter heat loss.

Installed cost typically
less than skylights

Sky tube (TDD)


IEQ


IEQ

• Low- VOC finishes & low-formaldehyde engineered
lumber products used

• Natural daylighting via skytube & effective use of
window area

• Ventilation??


Site

• Gravel driveway provides good permeability for
storm water

• Less expensive than hard paving


Some other things I might have
considered


Basic design elements

• Overhangs on south-facing roof to limit summer
(overhangs throughout to protect walls)

• Nighttime window insulation/ Thermal mass??


Materials: Low-hanging fruit

• Employ advanced framing techniques

• Use structure as finish

• Use salvaged/ surplus materials (Existing shell
largely maintained)

• Use FSC-certified lumber (Forest Stewardship
Council; fscus.org)


Insulation

Some alternatives to Icynene to consider:

• Wet-blown (dense pack) cellulose

• Denim batts (w/ foam skin over exterior sheathing)


Advanced Framing
• Saves on framing lumber expense

• Reduces lumber disposal cost/ impact

• Saves on labor cost since fewer “sticks” installed

• Savings estimates range to 20% of overall framing
expense

In a Building America test project, advanced framing
reduced lumber expense by $1.05 per sq. ft.(Can
offset the cost of using FSC-certified lumber)

• Reduces drywall cracking – fewer callbacks for
builders??


Advanced framing & efficiency

Improves thermal efficiency of building by:

• Providing more room for insulation!

• Reducing bridging heat loss

In the same Building America test project, annual
heating and cooling costs were reduced by
29.2%, or $293*

* http://www.toolbase.org/pdf/techinv/oveadvancedframingtechniques_techspec.pdf


Advanced Framing
Some major elements:
• 2 x 6 studs on 24” centers

• Single top plate if trusses/ roof rafters placed
directly over wall studs (stacked framing)

• Jack studs eliminated at window openings

• “Right-sized” headers; insulated, engineered headers

• No headers in non-load bearing partitions

• Open corner framing (2-stud corners)

• Ladders at T-intersections

Advanced Framing & MA building code
Advanced framing is specifically allowed by the
MA One & Two Family Dwelling Code. See:

780 CMR 56.00 Wall Construction


Kitchen

• Source cabinets locally (Neil-Kelly cabinets shipped
from Oregon)

• Use countertops made from recycled or rapidly
renewable materials (granite countertops used in
project have a high embodied energy due to
extraction, cutting & polishing)

• Examples of alternatives:
- Paperstone
- Ice Stone
- Squak Mountain Stone


Exterior trim

• Use non-vinyl based composites

• Examples:
- HardiPlank
- WeatherBoard


Roofing

• Use light colors on low roofs to minimize cooling
load & heat island effect

• Look for higher (post-consumer) recycled content

• Example:
- Authentic Roof by Crowe Building Products
- Naturals fiber/cement composite


Water conservation

• Incorporate graywater systems

• Use demand pumps in supply system (Metlund,
TACO; see gothotwater.com for example)

• Collect rainwater for landscape irrigation


Gothotwater.com

68

Gray water

• Collected from drain-waste-vent system other than
toilets, dishwashers & kitchen sinks with garbage
diposals (“Black water”)

• Generally used for flushing toilets, landscape
irrigation & other non-potable, utility purposes

• May be difficult to get local code approval for some
systems


Gray water: A direct approach

http://www.gaiam.com/product/eco-home-outdoor/energy-efficient-
climate-control/energy-saving-tools/toilet+lid+sink.do

Domestic Hot Water


DHW

• Use instantaneous hot water heaters (tankless)

• Save energy by eliminating standing heat loss (vs.
conventional tank-style water heater); estimated savings
24 – 34%

• May enjoy substantial rebates from utilities


Tankless water heaters

• Examples of brands: Rinnai, Noritz, Takagi
• Gas-fired typically more responsive and can provide
needed capacity more effectively
• Cost more than standard water heaters but last longer
• More choices as to location/ placement
• Direct-venting; e.g. can exhaust through wall
• Look for min. flow rates of 0.3 – 0.5 gal./min.


Energy Star savings calculators

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=dishwash.pr_dishwashers
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=clotheswash.pr_clothes_
washers
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=boilers.pr_boilers


General analysis tools

A general list of tools offered by the U.S. Department
of Energy are available over the web at:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/su
bjects.cfm/pagename=subjects/pagename_menu=whole_
building_analysis/pagename_submenu=load_calculation


Defining green: Design resources

• Building America-
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america/
about.html

• Environmental Building News/ Greenspec-
http://www.buildinggreen.com)

•http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy%20Efficiency/Progr
ams/Green%20Building/Sourcebook/index.htm


Measuring Green:Rating Systems

• Energy Star Homes- www.energystar.gov

• HERS (http://www.energy.ca.gov/HERS)

• International Energy Conservation Code (IEEC)-
http://www.iccsafe.org/

• LEED - www.usgbc.org


Additional Resources

GRT: www.greenroundtable.org
Renewable Energy: www.nrel.gov
US DOE: www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/
EPA: www.epa.gov/ne/greenbuildings

Residential Green Building Guide:
A Web Source Book for New England
www.epa.gov/ne/greenbuildings

NAHB: Model Green Home Building Guidelines:
www.nahb.org


And don’t forget about NEXUS!

• Upcoming workshops
• Reference library
• Samples library
• Cyber Lounge
• Online resources at nexusboston.com (in the
pipeline)
• Local green building community


Local Resources


THANK YOU
www.greenroundtable.org
info@greenroundtable.org
617-374-3740

The Green Roundtable, Inc. (GRT) is an independent non-profit
organization whose mission is to mainstream green building and
sustainable design and become obsolete. We work toward this goal by
promoting and supporting healthy and environmentally integrated building
projects through strategic outreach, education, policy advocacy and
technical assistance.

Located in downtown Boston, NEXUS
welcomes all to come ask questions,
research topics, and attend tours and
www.nexusboston.com events on green building and sustainable
38 Chauncy Street, Boston design innovation.

Green Beyond The Bottom Line

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