by John Washburn

As an architectural designer and builder in Vermont, green construction has been a part of my professional life for the past thirty-five years. It wasn’t until the turn of the twenty-first century, however, that I noticed the fact that America had given my lifelong building practices a name. During the 1970s, several mentors had instilled in me a firm commitment to quality design and construction, which in many ways, embody the reduced carbon footprint and green building techniques that now grow more popular every day.
 
Pay Now or Pay Later: Building Green Saves Money
 
Long before anyone had ever heard the terms environmentally friendly or green construction, architects and contractors began to avoid the nearly centuries-long favored 2X4 exterior wall framing stud in residential construction, preferring instead the now standard 2X6 wall cavity. This latter framing member allows for an increase in insulation values (using fiberglass batts) from R-11 to R-19, and this major change in a standard building practice was a direct response to rising energy prices. Simultaneously, double pane insulated glass (DPIG) windows became ubiquitous in American homes, and again, increased energy efficiency was the goal—this construction practices evolution has now become a revolution of green building concepts worldwide.
 
The above-mentioned construction upgrades were accompanied by a substantial increase in costs, and so was born an essentially new—green—way of thinking about home construction. It had become clear to many individuals that building green saves money in the long run, and these enlightened consumers would pay a premium for long-term return on investment (ROI) for items such as:
 
•    More efficient radiant floor heat
•    Reduced air infiltration airlock designs
•    Continuous membrane house wraps
•    High efficiency heating and cooling equipment
•    Cast iron fireplace inserts

The need for green building supplies, ecologically friendly design and construction, biodegradable products, reduced carbon footprints, etc., were all considerations addressed by some of the designer/builders of my generation through the simple use of best building practices. Back in the ‘70s, the word green, in its environmental context, may have been unknown, but the need for green building practices had become obvious. Today, the costs of traditional forms of energy continue to rise while our planet is increasingly threatened by the dangers of climate change, and as a result, a new sense of urgengy accompanies the adoption of green building practices around the globe.
 
Going Green in Ways Large and Small
 
Contrary to what many people believe, just about anyone may reduce their carbon footprint. Affordable green products such as weather stripping kits and under the door draft stoppers can result in individual savings, but, more importantly, when such efforts are replicated by millions of individuals, a significant reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions will result. All of us can help to address the critical environmental issues that threaten our fragile planet, and going green in small ways is an excellent way to start.
 
On the very high end of the green construction costs scale are so-called off-grid structures that have no connection whatsoever to an outside utility company. To achieve this level of energy independence in a home that looks and functions like any other, regardless of climate zone, high cost, long-term ROI, and ultra-green construction solutions are required. Any energy autonomous home will almost always incorporate energy saving and producing features such as:
 
•    Very high insulation values
•    Specialized design specifying maximized and restricted window placement based on solar orientation
•    Triple pane, argon gas filled glazing for windows
•    Airlocks and insulated entry doors
•    Pre-packaged, all-inclusive photovoltaic solar energy systems
•    Backup propane powered generator and more

Green Building Practices Offer Multiple Dividends

While it may take many years to realize a payback for an off-grid approach to green construction, eventually, it will come. An immediate dividend is enjoyed, however, from an increase in property value because, for many homeowners, being free of the power company is priceless. Additionally, numerous state and federal subsidies and grants are now available to help defray the costs of building green on many levels, and finally, a new administration in Washington promises a more forward thinking approach to energy policy and all things green.