1. Green Home Design Trends
Making a home eco-friendly and green while it’s under construction is typically much easier
than trying to convert an older home. New construction materials and practices are much more
eco-friendly when compared to what was available when older homes were built, and the
design of older houses doesn’t always allow for the installation of green materials without a
major renovation. If you want to make sure your new home is green from the ground up, be
sure to include these 6 green home design trends!
Energy Star Rated Windows
Energy Star qualified windows feature advanced technologies such as invisible glass coatings,
vacuum-sealed spaces, improved framing materials, better weather stripping, and more to help
reduce heat gain and loss. In fact, Energy Star rated windows can block 70% or more of the
solar heat gained in the summer and reflect radiant heat indoors (keeping the inside warmer)
during winter. This helps cut down on energy costs both in the winter and the summer.
Energy Star Rated Appliances
Energy Star qualified appliances use 10-50% less energy than standard appliances. Since
appliances account for nearly 20% of the average household’s energy use, having more efficient
appliances can drastically cut down on the amount of energy a home uses, helping cut costs.
For instance, Energy Star qualified washing machines use 40-50% less energy and about 55%
less water than standard washers. As a result, homeowners can save up to $50 per year on
water bills.
Solar panels
Solar panels work by converting the sunlight that strikes the panels into an electric current,
essentially turning the sun into usable (and unlimited) electricity source. The sun's rays give off
approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the planet's surface and the tiny
fraction captured by solar panels (either on the roof or on the ground) could easily power a
single family home.
Blown-in insulation
Blown-in insulation consists of small particles of fiber, foam, or other materials. These small
particles form an insulation material that can conform to any space without disturbing pre-
existing structures or finishes, making it well-suited for retrofits and for other places (like the
underside of a roof) where it's difficult to install other types of insulation. The most common
types of materials used for blown-in insulation include cellulose, fiberglass, and mineral (rock or
slag) wool. Cellulose is primarily made from recycled newsprint and most fiberglass insulation

2. contains 20%–30% recycled glass. Mineral wool insulation usually consists of 75% post-
industrial recycled content.
Insulated foundations
A properly insulated foundation can result in lower heating costs and more comfortable below-
ground rooms. It can also help prevent moisture problems common in basements and low
crawl spaces, insect infestation, and radon infiltration in your home. Homeowners can expect
to see a payback in 6 months for a simple do-it-yourself installation. Adding foundation
insulation during new construction is usually less expensive than hiring a professional to do it
after the fact.
Even if you can only invest in one of three green home design trends, doing so while you’re
building your new home is sure to pay for itself in the long run.
About the Author
Archival Designs, Inc. (http:// http://www.archivaldesigns.com) is passionate about luxury
design and enthusiastically embraces every opportunity to create a unique home design. We
regard each new project as an opportunity to lead in the field of luxury home architecture.
Visiting our website at www.archivaldesigns.com you can view over 400 exclusive home plans
ranging from Cape Cod house plans to Starter Castle house plans. Each design can be modified
to fit your personal and professional lifestyle. Our signature collections of plans are uniquely
designed, from the exterior to the interior.