$0 to Low Cost “Green” Solutions for Renovations, Additions & New Building

Sustainable building, i.e. green building, is here to stay!  The town of Westport just last week has become the 14th town in Connecticut to take on the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Energy Program funded by the Department of Energy.  The town of Greenwich is participating in the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program. (CCEF) and sponsored an all day “Energy Conscious Home” forum & show at the Greenwich High School on Saturday, April 2^nd, 2011.  I attended the event and represent William Raveis and received a lot of positive feedback from the public.

Payback on sustainable building is immediate and will continue to return for as long as you operate the building. Below is a list of low cost green features instead of conventional practices that can be incorporated when a building owner is doing a renovation, addition or new build.

Caulking of exterior holes, protrusions of envelope            avg. $5-$75

Recycle waste cans, paper, cans, bottles                                  Free

Programmable Thermostats                                                         $25-$100

Dual Flush toilet or HET toilet                                                      Zero Cost

LED lights, bulbs last 10- 20yrs.                                               Payback  avg. 2 years

Bamboo, cork, Linoleum, reclaimed flooring         Zero to min. add. cost

Recycled Kitchen Counters                                            Zero to min. add. cost

Low to No VOC paints                                                       Zero to min. add. cost

Energy Star appliances                                                     Zero to min. add. cost

Upgrade AC to SEER 14 or higher                      Small premium,big benefits

Energy Star Boiler/Furnace                                           payback in 2-5 yrs

MERV 8, 10, 13 Air filters                                                avg. $500 to install, $35 per filter. A healthier interior environment creates an increase in productivity, less sick days and helps controls allergies.

Front door grate to catch dirt off shoes                          $300-$1000

Instant Hot Water, why do you need to keep 40, 50, 60 gallons of hot water??

Master Switch to turn off all unneeded lights at end of day, great for offices, retail stores and hotel rooms.

Solar Tube, allows natural light into interior of building resulting in electric light to be off.

Low e, gas filled replacement windows, minimal up cost if replacing existing windows, need to pick correct windows for climate region.

*NOTE: - Every house has its own issues and you need to hire an experience contractor to find out the cost for your own individual situation, the cost above are just average costs.

Conclusion:

1.    Provides a healthier more productive environment.

2.    Sustainability, we have finite sources on the earth and need to use common sense on how to use them.

3.    Less maintenance = less money spent on repairs.

4.    Considering the little to minimal added costs compared to the whole project cost you are looking at 0-4% additional cost which will give a pay back within a few years but offers continual savings.

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