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What are green building techniques? Simply said, green building techniques are straightforward methods of increasing the efficiency and value of your home while minimizing your impact on the environment. Building Green is a Win Win situation. Capitalizing on existing energy sources and using superior building methods are just two of the many techniques that can help you construct a high performance (Green) home. The following points are also very important to the success of your high performance home. Orientation This is key to the success of a green home. It's extremely important to orient your home properly in order to maximize on winter solar heat gain while also taking advantage of prevailing winds/breezes during the spring, summer and fall. Through proper orientation you can also maximize natural lighting and passive solar heat gain. Insulation In the long run insulation is cheap. By utilizing quality products and innovative techniques it's possible to minimize thermal bridging and achieve an R Value of 25+ without the use of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). SMART Timberframe's wall system can provide you with these benefits. Heating Systems It is critical to properly size your heating system based on your heating requirements. Green homes are far more efficient than conventional built home and require less energy. Designing your house as a system instead of multiple components is imperative if you want to reduce your up front costs and operating expenses. We can help you achieve this goal by presenting all of the available options and recommending qualified and reliable tradesmen. Ventilation Even though windows and doors provide ventilation, they tend to under or over ventilate. The best ventilation system is a controlled /measurable one such as a Heat Recovery Ventilator. They provide better air quality, moisture control and comfort. They also enable you to utilize heat more efficiently through enhanced circulation. Lighting and Thermostats These items seem simple but through proper research you can select devices that can provide substantial savings. In order to maximize on these potential assets savings it's very important to incorporate green building techniques at the conceptual stage of the project. This step ensures that the house is designed as a system rather than multiple individual components. Even on a tight budget many green building techniques can be incorporated into your budget with minimal or zero investment and result in enormous savings. © SMART Timberframes Inc. 2007. All rights reserved.