Myth Busters | Green Energy True and FalseMyth Busters | Green Energy True and False We set the record straight on four of the biggest misconceptions of going green. 1 <<< MYTH >>> Truthfully, there are lots of examples of green homes that cost more than their conventional counterparts, and it's not uncommon that the highest-profile green homes—those owned by movie stars or politicians, for example—are fabulously expensive. And, yes, it's also true that many of the building materials we think of as "green" (bamboo flooring, composite decking and recycled-glass tiles) are more expensive than their non-green counterparts. Features like photovoltaic (solar electric) panels and geothermal heat pumps are anything but cheap. But (and there is a but), it's very possible to build a green home with a moderate increase in construction costs—or none at all. For starters, one of the most important green strategies, building smaller, almost always brings the price down. If you thought you needed a 3,000-squarefoot home, think again. You can get by with less than 2,200 square feet with better design. A key aspect of green design is a better-insulated envelope (walls, roof, windows and foundation) that will curb heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer, so another way to reduce costs is to improve your home's insulation. Using structural insulated panels (SIPs) and energy-efficient windows are two ways to raise your home's Rvalue. And if the R-value can be significantly increased, it could be possible to completely eliminate a whole-house heating system and opt for a less-expensive gas fireplace or space heater, or even baseboard electric heating registers instead. The money you save from eliminating a traditional heat-distribution system often can pay for most of the envelope improvements. 2 <<< MYTH >>> There are many green homes that are fairly unconventional: straw-bale houses with roof-mounted photo-voltaic panels or passive-solar homes bermed into a south-facing hillside. But most green homes are almost identical in appearance to conventional housing. Much of what makes a house "green" is hard to notice unless you look carefully: thicker walls to increase insulation, better windows with multiple low-E coatings, energy-efficient appliances and water-saving fixtures. Good architectural design can integrate south-facing windows, which support passive solar heating, into a fairly ordinary design. Green design is also about durability, and I argue that "timeless architecture" is a big part of building a house that endures. The home has to be beautiful and comfortable if it's going to last for centuries. A green home should look good enough that people will want to live in it today and a hundred years from now. 3 <<< MYTH >>> Though green materials, like reclaimed wood floors or sustainable compressed-paper countertops, can reduce the environmental impact of a home, far more important are energy performance and location. Energy-efficient design is fairly obvious, but few people think about how significant location is, relative to the overall environmental performance of a house. Issues such as water efficiency and indoor-air quality are often more vital than material selection. I like to point out that it's possible to build a green home without using any recycled materials. Conversely, it's also possible to build a house using almost entirely "green" products that wouldn't be considered green if that house isn't energy-efficient, suffers moisture problems or is too large. 4 <<< MYTH >>> As someone who's been promoting energy efficiency, renewable resources and environmentally responsible building practices since the 1970s, I've seen my share of fads come and go. I've also listened to people argue that soaring energy prices would never last. What has been a fad is the era of fossil-fuel dependence. If you look at the oil that's been expended since the mid-1800s, 68 percent has been consumed since I got involved with energy conservation in 1976. Think about that! In just the span of three decades, two-thirds of the oil in the history of the world has been used—and, not insignificantly, the burning of that fuel has released all of that stored carbon as carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. The reality is that many of the houses we're building today are dependent on cheap fossil-fuel energy. They'll become obsolete long before their useful life is up—like most fads. Building a green home is far from a fleeting trend; it's common sense. Within a few years environmentally conscious construction will be standard practice, and homes not built to such standards will be devalued, making building a green home a shrewd investment in your future.
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