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It’s not about
leather headbands and peace signs!
Otis’s Guiding
Principles for Green Building – New Construction
- SITE DESIGN
- PASSIVE HEATING AND COOLING
- LIGHTING
- MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
- WATER EFFICIENCY
- INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
1. SITE DESIGN
Orientation is one of the most
important considerations for new construction. Orient
your building on an east-west axis to capture/reduce
solar gain. Locate windows to admit prevailing breezes
in spring, summer, and fall.
Reduce the footprint of building to
conserve land area and reduce material usage. A 2500
square foot one story house can have a 2500 square foot
roof where a 2500 square foot two story house can have a
1200 square foot roof. Same with the foundations!
Pay attention to storm water
retention instead of diverting all the water to the
streets. Use berms or drywells to promote groundwater
absorption.
2. PASSIVE HEATING AND COOLING
- Try to design all rooms with
cross ventilation.
- Consider a thermal chimney to
draw air through the house.
- High windows can also siphon
heat out of a building.
- Avoid dark roofing minerals
that absorb heat.
- In warmer areas, shade all
east, south, and especially west-facing windows from
the spring, fall, and summer sun.
- Install a radiant barrier,
with an air space immediately beneath it, on the
underside of the roof.
3. LIGHTING
- Use fluorescent lamps, which
burn cooler and last longer than incandescent bulbs
and use 25% less electricity. Current versions
produce superior-quality light.
- Avoid halogen and incandescent
lamps, whose high heat output makes an air
conditioning systems work harder.
- Use indirect day lighting,
which can save energy, reduce glare, and increase
comfort.
4. MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
- Use high efficiency HVAC
systems. Consider split systems which can heat and
cool different areas of the house individually.
Avoid oversized air conditioning systems, which can
cause mold growth in ducts and elsewhere in the
house. A properly designed & constructed house
should require 1 ton of cooling per 650 to 850
square feet. Carefully seal and insulate all HVAC
ducts. Leaky ducts are energy thieves and can
depressurize the house, leading to excess humidity,
mold growth, and other indoor air quality problems.
- Place water heaters close to
the point of use. This saves energy, reduces
installation cost, and eliminates the need for
recirculation pumps. Use the right size water
heater. A high-output 50-gallon water heater will
produce the same amount of hot water as a 75-gallon
standard unit, and it will do it more efficiently.
5. WATER
- Use
2 button toilets
- Consider a gray water system.
- Consider a whole house
filtration system.
- Use storage tanks for rain
water to use for irrigation or other purposes.
6. INDOOR AIR QUALITY
- Use mechanical barriers rather
than chemical treatments against termites and other
insects. Where insects are a particular problem,
spray the building’s frame with a borate solution or
use borate-based cellulose insulation.
- Use low-VOC latex paints on
interior surfaces. Install automatic timers on all
exhaust fans to avoid creating negative air pressure
and excess humidity in the house, especially in
warmer climates.
- Air out new carpeting for a
day or two before bringing it into the house.
- Specify front-loading clothes
washer, which add less humidity to the air than
top-loading units.
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