So you’ve decided to jump on the “going green” bandwagon. Congratulations. You’ve made the right decision because building green homes is extremely important. According to Green Home Building, “We need to live more lightly on the earth, because the degradation of our environment is compromising not only our survival, but the survival of most other living beings on the planet. We can no longer ignore the impact we have on the earth's ecosystems.”
Building green affordable housing can cost more than building more traditional houses. To help lower construction costs Green Home Building offers a few tips on how to do so:
Cut Costs
Integrated design cuts costs by building upon natural interdependencies in building approaches and systems;
- Green techniques can reduce materials and labor costs;
- Green building produces less waste and creates more goodwill within the community; and
- Green developments involve government officials and neighbors early in the process, which can lessen their resistance to new methods and designs and can speed the review process.
The site also states that an efficient building envelope "is the hallmark of good green building from an energy efficiency perspective.” This building envelope is the most expensive component in your building. Lighting fixtures that are energy efficient will cost more than regular fixtures used in most homes. This mean you will need to do some extra insulation and put in high-performance windows. This will also help heat your home in the winter without having high heating bills. In the summer time, it will also reduce cooling costs. Even though you’re spending more on these fixtures, you’ll end up saving more with your heating and cooling bills.
Use insulated Panels
According to Green Home, a housing developer saved $24 per square foot by using structurally insulated panels (SIPs) that didn’t just save him money on materials, but also saved on labor costs and was able to keep the project on schedule. Staying on schedule and keeping costs down is important in construction. “SIPs, building dimensions that match standard lumber sizes, and your commitments to finding local sources of salvaged lumber and to training contractors in advanced framing techniques can all go a long way toward cutting costs.”
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!
Want to help the environment during your construction? Recycle all your debris. You can find contractors in your area that will sort the debris out for you. Avoid demolition, deconstruction will allow you to reuse your materials or donate them for a tax deduction. According to the site, one architect reported that he saved $20,000 and $30,000 from waste reduction efforts on a $2.5 million office building and a $7.5 million school. Helping the environment and earning money while doing it. Can’t beat that.
Just keep in mind that not all cost savings will lead to lower the life-cycle costs. You’re not cutting corners when you use integrated design and resource-efficient methods. When using energy and water-efficient appliances, you will be spending more money at first, but down the line you’ll start saving money.
When you save money in one area and invest in something else, you’ll balance things out and meet your goal of going green within your budget.
To read more about green home building guidelines, consult the US National Association of Home Builders.
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