Green seems to be the one area of the construction industry insulated from the downturn. Learn more about the biggest trend in the building and remodel industry in a fast paced, interesting seminar from an industry expert . Some great hands-on and DIY information.

1. GREENING THE ENERGY RETROFIT

2. Class Sponsors
Nevada Housing Division
Nevada State Office of Energy

3. Speaker
Barbara Collins,
ERH West
bcollins@erhwest.com
www.erhwest.com
 Building Science Consultant
 Certified Green Building Verifier
 Certified HERS Rater
 Energy Star Homes Partner

4. Class Objectives
 Some Green Building basics
 Understand how to incorporate some green
building to enhance your business
 Ventilation, VOCs, building materials
 Where to find additional resources
 www.slideshare.net

5. "I cannot teach
anybody anything, I
can only make them
think.“
Socrates

6. Who are these Green Superstars?

7. Who are these Green Heroes?
Mike Duke, CEO Walmart
Al Gore, Former VP,
Nobel Winner

8. Harvard Business Review
“Sustainability is the new Megatrend”
World’s largest retailer - Walmart
Largest consumer products company - Proctor
& Gamble

9. Walmart
Embraced Sustainability Plan in 2005
Reduce carbon emissions, save money
Found savings in trucking, refrigeration,
energy, lighting, etc.
Local products, e.g. produce, 100 million fewer
trucking miles
4.8 billion less bags last year

10. Walmart
3 Goals for Walmart and its Suppliers
-100% renewable energy
-Zero waste
-Sustainable practices for customers &
employees

11. McGraw-Hill 2008 Construction Survey
“We have hit the tipping point for
builders going green.”

12. McGraw-Hill 2009 Construction Survey
“Green seems to be one area of
construction insulated by the
downturn…In fact, green building
has grown in spite of the market
downturn.”

13. Builder Magazine
 55% of Generation Xers said it was very
important or extremely important to have a
healthy, sustainable or green house

14. McGraw-Hill Construction Survey
“The higher quality associated with
green building appears to be the key
factor driving demand going forward at
a time when homes need to stand out
in a market with a glut of inventory.”

15. “Whew! For a minute there I thought we
were in trouble!”

16. Rule # 1
 What NOT to say to a homeowner, potential client
RETROFIT
AUDIT

17. All together now -
What to say when talking to homeowners
UPGRADE
ENERGY ASSESSMENT

18. LBNL Study of Effective Messaging
Health Benefits
Improved Comfort
Community Pride

19. GREEN BUILDING
 Green building is fundamentally quality design,
construction and maintenance
 It is not all about the publicized rarities
(straw bale, rammed earth, composting toilets)
 It is about education and improvement at and
beyond the building code

20. Good Resource for Novice to Expert
National Green Building Standard
 Developed by consensus
committee with International
Code Council (ICC) 2008
• First Green Building Code
Certified by American National
Standards Institute (ANSI)
2009

21. International Code Council (ICC)
 Develops residential and
commercial building codes
 Most U.S. cities, counties and
states that adopt codes choose
the International Codes
developed by the International
Code Council.

22. Consensus Committee
42 Representative Organizations
 American Institute of Architects (AIA)
 American Gas Association (AGA)
 Gas Appliance Manufacturers (GAMA)
 US Green Building Council (USGBC)
 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
 Department of Energy (DOE)
 Other Green Programs, Cities

23. National Green Building Standard
Goals
 Move the practice of green building into the
mainstream
 Promote and educate so green practices
become part of the everyday process of
home building and remodeling

24. Resource for Contractors &
Remodelers
 ICC-ANSI National Green Building Standard
– Get advice, information, look up question
– Evaluate a project
– Get certification
www.nahbgreen.org
Go to Scoring Tool

25. Can be used for
 Remodeling/Renovation
 Additions
 New homes
 Multi-family buildings
 Land Development

26. Categories
Lot Design, Preparation &Lot Design, Preparation &
DevelopmentDevelopment
Resource EfficiencyResource Efficiency
Energy EfficiencyEnergy Efficiency
Water EfficiencyWater Efficiency
Indoor Environmental QualityIndoor Environmental Quality
Home Owner EducationHome Owner Education
Location, Erosion control, Impacts,Location, Erosion control, Impacts,
LandscapingLandscaping
Recycled, Renewable, LocalRecycled, Renewable, Local
Material usageMaterial usage
High performance, QualityHigh performance, Quality
installation, Renewablesinstallation, Renewables
Low flow, Landscaping, Gray waterLow flow, Landscaping, Gray water
IAQ, Source control, OccupantIAQ, Source control, Occupant
comfort, Moisture controlcomfort, Moisture control
Owner’s Manual, Operation,Owner’s Manual, Operation,
MaintenanceMaintenance

27. Remodel / Renovation
 Divides buildings by date permitted
 Pre-1980
 1980 on

28. Green Remodeling Pre 1980 Home
This path has 3 required elements:
1. Reduction in both Energy & Water use
Bronze Silver Gold Emerald
20% 34% 43% 50%
2. 5 mandatory Indoor Environmental Quality
practices
3. Permitted before 1980

29. Mandatory IAQ Measures
 Natural draft space heating or water heating
equipment not in conditioned space or in sealed
mechanical room
 No wall-to-wall carpeting next to water closets or
bathing fixtures
 Newly installed carpet, pad, and adhesives must be
low VO emission
 Spot ventilation - all baths & dryer exhaust outside
 HVAC system protection measures
 Gas dryer inside the living space has sealed exhaust
vent

30. Energy EfficiencyEnergy Efficiency

31. The cheapest kilowatt or Btu
is the one you don’t use

32. Energy Efficiency
• Optimize efficiency cost effectively
and get the most Green benefit
• Comprehensive home energy
assessment, whole house
approach

33. Whole House Approach
 Views the house as an integrated system of
components
 Increase home quality and performance at
less cost
 Produce more affordable, comfortable homes

34. Components for Home Energy
Efficiency
 HVAC System – Design & Installation
 Air Leakage Reduction
 Quality Insulation Installation
 Hot Water Efficiency
 Upgraded Windows
 Efficient Lighting & Appliances

35. HVAC System
 Poor design and installation increases
energy costs 10 –30%
 Sizing
 Design
 Installation

36. Ductwork
 Important energy measure for most homes
 Locating inside conditioned space is optimal
 Seal joints with mastic not duct tape

37. Equipment Efficiency
 Fuel Choice
 High Seer A/C
 Heating system AFUE & fan efficiency

38. Benefits of a High Efficiency Furnace with
Electronically Efficient Fan Motor
Lower annual operating costs $40-$300 year
As low as 80 watts of power to operate
Reduced temperature fluctuation
Quieter running system
Easier to maintain even temperature throughout home
Reduced stale air
www.ari.org

39. Equipment Size
 Oversizing is common and expensive –
upfront and during life
 Sizing properly can reduce cost and help pay
for increased cost of other efficiency features

40. Air Leakage
 Excess air leakage can increase heating &
cooling by 30%
 Seal at connections between the house and
the foundation, attic and intentional
penetrations
 Reducing leakage typically very cost effective

41. Insulation Installation
 Gaps and compressed areas can cut the R-
value by 25%.
 Poor installation causes comfort problems
 Look at cost-effectiveness of increases over
IECC

42. Hot Water
 Hot water for a family of 4 costs $$
 Look at Efficiency Factor of water heater
(0.62+)
 Very high efficiency tankless, condensing
 Install low flow showerheads, convection
traps in hot and cold water lines

43. High Performance Windows
 Reduce energy bills significantly, increase
comfort
 May permit smaller & cheaper HVAC
 Look for U-value .35 and SHGC .30 or less

44. Lighting
 Specify compact or tubular fluorescents for
fixtures, occupancy sensors
 Include exterior lights, motion sensors
 Save on electric bills, plus less heat is
generated, house stays cooler
 Long life

45. Appliances
 Choose Energy Star refrigerators, clothes
washers, and dish washers
 Look for efficient dryers

46. Renewable Energy
PV
Other Renewable

47. Database of State Incentives for
Renewables and Efficiency
www.dsireusa.org

48. Resource EfficiencyResource Efficiency

49. Resource Efficient Materials
 Products containing fewer materials used to
achieve the same end-use requirements as
conventional products
 Lighter, thinner brick
 Engineered wood or engineered steel
products
 Roof or floor trusses

50. Sustainably Harvested Materials
 Specify rapidly renewable building materials
– Floor coverings: bamboo, cork, linoleum flooring,
wool carpet, recycled-content carpet, carpet tiles
 Use sustainably harvested wood

51. Materials Reuse & Local Materials
 Use or donate salvaged, refurbished, reused
materials
– Flooring, doors, windows, cabinetry, decorative
architectural items
 Use building materials with recycled content
– Carpet, OSB and MDF

52. Regional Materials
 Extracted, processed,
and manufactured
within 500 miles
 Such as concrete,
drywall, flooring,
insulation, roofing,
and/or siding

53. Recycled Construction Waste
On site recycling

54. Recycled Construction Waste
 Construction waste management plan to
recycle or salvage construction waste

55. Recycled Construction Waste

56. Indoor Environmental QualityIndoor Environmental Quality

57. A Founding Father Weighs in on
IEQ
I am certain that no air is
so unwholesome as air in
a closed room that has
been often breathed and
not changed.”
- Ben Franklin

58. “Beer is proof that
God loves us and
wants us to be happy”
- Ben Franklin

59. Why is Indoor Air Quality
Important?
 EPA ranking of health risks of 26 leading
environmental hazards - #1 concern was indoor
pollution
 Indoor air quality has been demonstrated to be many
times worse than outdoor air quality
 We spend 90% of our day inside

60. Control indoor sources of pollution -
Building Materials
 Reduce or eliminate building materials that emit
pollutants
 Formaldehyde - colorless, pungent, and irritating.
Volatile organic compound (VOC) used in wood
products: particleboard, fiberboard, glues and
adhesives, etc.
 Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen

61. Control indoor sources of pollution -
Building Materials
 VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat
irritations, headaches, dizziness, visual
disorders, memory impairment
 Some suspected of causing cancer in
animals
 Some known to cause cancer in humans

62. Control indoor sources of pollution -
Building Materials
 Use low-emitting materials to improve indoor
air quality, limit emissions in the dwelling
 Green label carpet
 Low VOC particle board, MDF and plywood

63. Ventilation
 Serves 3 purposes:
– Supply fresh air
– Exhaust pollutants
– Reduce moisture

64. Spot Ventilation
 Baths & Dryer exhaust must be vented to
exterior
 Kitchen exhaust, dual speed, should be
vented outdoors
 Bath and/or laundry timers or humidistat

65. Energy Star Exhaust Fans
 Energy Star or equivalent fans
 Energy Star or equivalent plus low sone (less
than 1 sone)

66. Ventilation
 ASHRAE Standard 62.2 “Ventilation for
Acceptable Indoor Air Quality”
 ASHRAE: American Society for Heating,
Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers
 ASHRAE develops most national and
international standards for the HVAC industry

67. Ventilation
 ASHRAE Standard 62.2
 Minimum Ventilation Rate =
1 CFM/100 SF of CFA
+ 7.5 CFM x occupants (number of BRs + 1)

68. Ventilation
 Example:
2200 SF, 3BR House
1 CFM/100 SF of CFA
+ 7.5 CFM x occupants (number of BRs + 1)

69. Ventilation
 Example:
2200 SF, 3BR House
22 CFM
+ 30 (7.5 x 4)
52 CFM

70. Continuous or Intermittent
 Equivalent of 52 CFM of mechanical
ventilation must be supplied continuously, 24
hrs a day
 An intermittent system can be used as long
as the system provides average ventilation at
least 20 minutes once an hour
 Example: In the same house 156 CFM could
be supplied for 20 minutes each hour

71. Ventilation
 Examples of hourly Ventilation Rates:
CFA 1 BR 2 BR 3 BR 4 BR 5 BR
1500 30 38 45 53 60
2000 35 43 50 58 65
2500 40 48 55 63 70
3000 45 53 60 68 75
3500 50 58 65 73 80
4000 55 63 70 78 85
4500 60 68 75 83 90

72. Ventilation Systems
 Exhaust
 Supply
 Balanced

73. Exhaust Ventilation
 Indoor air is continuously exhausted to the outdoors
with one or more fans often located in bathrooms.
 Home can become slightly depressurized
 ASHRAE 62.2 sets a limit on total exhaust, high flow
fans, large range hoods and clothes dryers, can create
enough negative pressure to create a backdraft if
natural draft combustion devices are used in a tight
house.

74. Exhaust Ventilation
 Usually Recommended for Cold Climates
 Hot, humid climates, may draw hot outdoor air thru
holes and cracks in construction assembly, could
condense on cool interior surfaces, and cause moisture
problems
 Not required by 62.2, through-the-wall inlets can be
installed in the bedrooms for fresh air
 Costs about $15 per year to operate continuously,
24/7.

75. Exhaust Ventilation Systems
Continuously operating, low sone, dual power switch, E Star
fan
This is an example not an endorsement or recommendation
Panasonic WhisperGreen
Duct Diameter 4 inch
Air Volume (CFM) 80 at .10" pressure
82 at .25" pressure
Noise (sones) <0.3 at .10" pressure
Power Consumption (Watts) 11.1 at .10" pressure
21.5 at .25" pressure

76. VENTILATION SYSTEMS
 Broan SmartSense®
 Program a single control for a
ventilation rate to match the size of the
home
 Automatically coordinates the
operation of ventilation fans, running
them intermittently when necessary
 Six-inch ducting
 Engineered for continuous, energy-
efficient operation
 Ultra-silent operations: 0.3 and 0.7
Sones
This is an example not an endorsement or recommendation

77. Exhaust Systems
 Use less than 50 watts during ventilation cycles
• Use a Make-up Air Damper to form a
complete balanced ventilation system by
linking with ventilation fans

79. Fresh 80

80. Supply Ventilation
 Usually Recommended for Hot or Mixed Climates
 Fresh air drawn in through an air intake vent and
distributed to many rooms by a fan and duct system
 Outside air usually connected to the main return air
duct, allowing the HVAC system’s fan and ducts to
distribute the fresh air and it is conditioned and/or
dehumidified first

81. Supply Ventilation
 Hot or Mixed Climates
 Home can be slightly pressurized, use
caution in cold climates where there is a risk
of heated indoor air being pushed through
any remaining holes and cracks in the
construction assembly where it could reach
cold exterior surfaces, condense, cause
moisture problems.

82. Supply System
Digital Programmable Furnace Fan Timer
 Automatically turns the furnace fan on for a set period
of time only when it detects the system has been
inactive for a set period of time
 Controls a motorized damper in a fresh air supply duct
that is connected with the AHU return plenum
 AHU fan 400+ watt motor working , 650+ watt motor
start

83. Balanced Ventilation Systems
 Recommended for All Climates
 Equal quantities of air are supplied and
exhausted (within 10%)
 Usually 2 fans - Fresh air in and Exhaust
 Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV)
 Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV)

84. ERVs
 Transfer heat and moisture between exhaust
air and incoming air
 Additional savings in humid climates, reduces
moisture incoming air; reduces load on cooling
equipment or need for a dehumidifier
 More comfort in the winter, added moisture
from the outgoing air to the incoming air; helps
avoid excessively dry indoor air

85. HRVs
 Transfers heat from exhaust
air to incoming air during
heating season
 From incoming air to
exhaust air in air
conditioning season
 Reduces the heating
and cooling load
 Improves comfort

86. Additional Resources
 www.ashrae.org
 www.hvi.org
 www.energystar.gov/ia/products

87. WaterWater
EfficiencyEfficiency

88. Water
 Less than 1% of freshwater is usable,
amounting to only 0.01% of the Earth’s total
water
 More than one billion people do not have
access to clean drinking water

90. “The West –
where whiskey
is for drinking
and water is for
fighting over ”
– Mark Twain

91. Energy is Hidden Cost of Water
To Save Energy, Save Water

92. Embodied Energy in Water
 Pumping from Source and for Distribution
– Each gallon weighs 8 pounds
 Water Treatment to Purify
– Potable
– Wastewater

93. Embodied Energy in Water
 U.S. water supply and treatment facilities use
about 56 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year
 Enough electricity to power more than 5
million homes for an entire year

94. Water Efficiency
 Accomplish typical tasks using the least
amount of water
 Don’t change behavior, change the fixtures,
appliances and other water using devices

95. Water Efficiency
 Green buildings reduce water use both
indoors and out
 More efficient water delivery systems indoors
 Water smart irrigation
 Native and drought-resistant landscaping
choices outdoors

96. Water Efficient Appliances
– Dishwashers
– Clothes washers 45% less
energy and 50% less water

97. Low Flow
 Showerheads
2.0 – 2.5 gpm
1.6 – 2.0 gpm

98. Faucets
 Low Flow
– 1.5 gpm or less
 Self closing valve
 Motion sensor
 Pedal activated
Close when released or have
a default time shut-off

99. Irrigation Systems
 About 40% to 60% of our potable water is
used outdoors
 Substantial Savings Potential
– up to 50% of water loss due to evaporation, mist,
surface runoff or wind interference can be
eliminated

100. Landscapes
 Zone separately for
turf and bedding
 Use native, low-
water use, bio-
diverse, nonallergy
landscaping

101. Irrigation Systems
 Smart controller

102. Homeowner EducationHomeowner Education

103. Homeowner EducationHomeowner Education
 Improper or inadequate maintenance defeats
efforts to create a resource-efficient building
– Appliances and settings
– Air filter change
– Water heater settings
– T-stat
– Lighting controls
– Fan controls

104. Homeowner Booklet
 Great marketing tool
 Referrals
 Additional work

105. You wouldn’t believe the dinosaurs
I used to work with

106. Thank You
Barbara Collins,
Senior Building Science Consultant
ERHWest.com
bcollins@erhwest.com