Green Building is a design and construction practice that promotes the economic health and well being of your family, the community, and the environment. A smart step toward personal economic rewards, Green Building also has positive social and environmental ramifications that assert your commitment to the future and the way we will live for years to come.

As it stands now in traditional construction, the quality of indoor environment is often far more polluted than outdoors due to various building materials, inadequate lighting, and a variety of other variables. According to EPA reports, the air in new homes can be up to ten times more polluted than outside air due to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals used in product manufacturing. However, homes that follow green building guidelines use healthier paints and building materials, and adhere to stricter gas emission and ventilation requirements improving the quality of a home's indoor environment.

Green building can also indicate that fewer natural resources are required during construction. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Center for Sustainable Development, buildings consume 40% of the world's total energy, 25% of its wood harvest and 16% of its water. A green built home can take as much as 60% of this pressure off the environment compared to traditional construction.

HVACR systems that incorporate Green technology are highly sophisticated systems and must be installed and serviced by knowledgable technicians. Otherwise, systems may not last as long or operate properly and energy and carbon savings will be much reduced.

Green Building Resources:

US Green Building Council: www.usgbc.org

Construction.com Green Building Section www.construction.com/greensource

Dan Holohan's Green Resource Page www.heatinghelp.com/greenpage.cfm

Benefits of LEED certification www.nrdc.org