Green Remodeling from AlwaysBuildGreen.com

 If you're thinking of making structural changes in your home, or of building a new home, have a look at Green Remodeling, a well-written piece at AlwaysBuildGreen.com. The article provides a good framework for how to think about building materials, home location and orientation, and general energy conservation, including the notion of "embodied energy," meaning "the sum of all the energy required by all the materials and services (including the cost of upkeep and maintenance) that go into
constructing a building..."

Embodied energy is expressed in Btu per pound, and, according to the author, gives us "a realistic base for comparison to assess different products or technologies for use in our homes."

Here's the Wikipedia entry on Embodied Energy.

As valuable as the concept of embodied energy is, it can also cause trouble and confusion, because it's not well standardized -- there are different ideas of which numbers can be used in a given situation. As a result, people on both sides of an energy issue can conjure up figures to support diametrically
opposed arguments and beliefs. For example, while you might include diesel tractor fuel as part of the embodied energy in a gallon of ethanol, would you also include the fuel in the farmworkers' cars when they drive to work? What about the food energy it takes to sustain the workers? The fight in and around the biofuels industry over ethanol and soy-diesel production has been bitter in this regard.

But don't let the confusion of self-interested feuds sour you on the concept of embodied energy. Maybe it's hard to take it into account when you go to the local building supply store to buy a few sheets of plywood or a can of paint, but if you're building a whole house, or adding a kitchen, or putting on a new roof, then it definitely pays to consider energy-efficient alternatives. That's where the rest of AlwaysBuildGreen.com comes in handy. Even if you're not near their showroom in Norwalk, Connecticut, you can get a good idea of the types of materials and products that are available by visiting their website.

~ Doug Logan, NewEnergyWatch

Comments

[J. Leventhal]

I have delt with AlwaysBuildGreen.com
They are well informed and always willing to figure it if they do not know of something asked of them...great to see them on your site!
(Also a a huge resouce for green products never seen before here in on disply at one place!!)

[Anne Carr]

The folks at AlwaysBuildGreen.com
connected me to your site... what a really great source for up to date information.. it is so nice to see so many doing their part to bring info to the people. I know it takes a long time to research and update sites, but a a thanks to NEW for all efforts and to the team at AlwaysBuildGreen.com ... the stuff we need. GBless. Anne

[S Steinbeck]

Although these guys have hit some bumps in the customer service arena in the past decade... they still continue to be forward thinking and always thinking of others and how to help out. The free classed on eco awareness and products are of great value and I see this group doing many great things in the future... Jackie Jaques who is the principle is amazing and compasionate about saving the world and saving our people. My hat off to her.. and for standing strong to name sayers. (: S.S.