Greener Homes for the Future?

Greener Homes for the Future?
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environmental Audit Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2008
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9780215524317

This report examines three overarching issues: the impact of the growth of house-building targets; what sort of homes should be built; and where these homes should be built. The Committee on Climate Change should assess the impact of the Government's new house-building targets for three million new homes by 2020 on the UK's 2020 carbon reduction target. In light of the latest economic projections, fundamental changes in the mortgage market, and falling house prices, the Government should review the assumptions on which its target is based. And the target for 2 million new homes to be built before the zero carbon target comes into effect in 2016, with a further 1 million to be built afterwards, should change to increase significantly the proportion built afterwards. Zero carbon homes must source their heat and power from renewable sources. Ideally these will come from on-site renewable power generation; where this is impractical, off-site renewables should be built or funded. The Government should ensure that an excess of land is not made available to developers, something which is already leading to greenfield sites being developed in preference to brownfield sites. The Government should urgently reintroduce a clear sequential test in favour of brownfield development into planning policy. Greater emphasis ought to be placed on energy efficiency and sustainability within the building control regime that inspects new housing. The Government should consider introducing higher penalties for developers who fail to meet energy efficiency standards. The same environmental tests used for eco-towns should be applied to all major housing developments from 2016. The Government should re-examine eco-town proposals, to ensure they have good public transport links, and are located close to commercial centres and employment opportunities.

Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing

Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing
Author: Global Green USA
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2012-06-22
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1597267465

Blueprint for Green Affordable Housing is a guide for housing developers, advocates, public agency staff, and the financial community that offers specific guidance on incorporating green building strategies into the design, construction, and operation of affordable housing developments. A completely revised and expanded second edition of the groundbreaking 1999 publication, this new book focuses on topics of specific relevance to affordable housing including: how green building adds value to affordable housing the integrated design process best practices in green design for affordable housing green operations and maintenance innovative funding and finance emerging programs, partnerships, and policies Edited by national green affordable housing expert Walker Wells and featuring a foreword by Matt Petersen, president and chief executive officer of Global Green USA, the book presents 12 case studies of model developments and projects, including rental, home ownership, special needs, senior, self-help, and co-housing from around the United States. Each case study describes the unique green features of the development, discusses how they were successfully incorporated, considers the project's financing and savings associated with the green measures, and outlines lessons learned. Blueprint for Green Affordable Housing is the first book of its kind to present information regarding green building that is specifically tailored to the affordable housing development community.

Green Homes (A True Book: A Green Future)

Green Homes (A True Book: A Green Future)
Author: Felicia Brower
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 52
Release: 2024-02-06
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1339020866

Envision a brighter future with this STEM-based subset of True Books. Small changes over the years = from smarter light bulbs to energy-efficient appliances = have made our homes more environmentally friendly. In recent years we have learned how to make alternative energies and Earth-friendly building methods and materials a reality. Today we understand how to build green homes = dwellings that have zero negative impact on the environment. Green Homes will show you how. ABOUT THE SERIES: What would a green future look like? Will trains and airplanes be powered by the sun? Will we have homes that have zero impact on the environment? The most pressing challenge facing us today is how to ensure a healthy Earth for ourselves and future generations. This STEM-based set of A True Books introduces students to the engineering innovations that can help us reach those goals. Interesting information is presented in a fun, friendly way = and in the simplest terms possible = and will inspire kids to start envisioning and enacting a more sustainable future.

The New Net Zero

The New Net Zero
Author: Bill Maclay
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Total Pages: 578
Release: 2014
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 160358448X

The new threshold for green building is not just low energy, it's net-zero energy. In The New Net Zero, sustainable architect Bill Maclay charts the path for designers and builders interested in exploring green design's new-frontier net-zero-energy structures that produce as much energy as they consume and are carbon neutral. In a nation where traditional buildings use roughly 40 percent of the total fossil energy, the interest in net-zero building is growing enormously--among both designers interested in addressing climate change and consumers interested in energy efficiency and long-term savings. Maclay, an award-winning net-zero designer whose buildings have achieved high-performance goals at affordable costs, makes the case for a net-zero future; explains net-zero building metrics, integrated design practices, and renewable energy options; and shares his lessons learned on net-zero teambuilding. Designers and builders will find a wealth of state-of-the-art information on such considerations as air, water, and vapor barriers; embodied energy; residential and commercial net-zero standards; monitoring and commissioning; insulation options; costs; and more. The comprehensive overview is accompanied by several case studies, which include institutional buildings, commercial projects, and residences. Both new-building and renovation projects are covered in detail. The New Net Zero is geared toward professionals exploring net-zero design, but also suitable for nonprofessionals seeking ideas and strategies on net-zero options that are beautiful and renewably powered.

Housing 2.0

Housing 2.0
Author: Sam Rashkin
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2021-09-15
Genre:
ISBN: 9780578987095

Home is the ultimate consumer product. It has to be. We spend nearly 70 percent of our lives in our homes. Which leads to the "why" forHousing 2.0: Home is where life happens. Moreover, housing is one our nation's largest industries with a profound impact on our national economy. However, five crises are historically converging on the industry causing exponentially increasing pain. Housing 2.0 is about connecting the dots by identifying four market-ready innovations that will effectively mitigate these crises. In essence, it is a guide how to prepare for the inevitable disruption looming ahead.And it all begins by shifting the housing industry to a user experience optimization business model. Housing 2.0 uniquely serves this transitionwith an actionable framework for consistently delivering homes that meet and exceed homebuyer expectations. It includes:? 19 strategies for optimizing 5 key user experiences? 150+ proven user experience best practices? 400+ pages of meticulously organized content? 360+ citations supporting key findings and recommendations? Hundreds of charts, graphs, and illustrations? Eight thought leaders essays providing expert insights in key principlesAdapting the Housing 2.0 framework provides an opportunity to build homes with substantially greater user value at significantly lower cost.This finding is supported by detailed tabulations throughout the book and empirical case studies in the final chapter. But one warning. Housing 2.0 is a lot to take in all at once. Do not be overwhelmed by all of the exciting opportunities provided to optimize how we build communities and individual homes. Instead, every housing organization should be inspired to start getting on their own optimization path. One wherethey customize the comprehensive Housing 2.0 framework for their regional constraints and business constraints, and then start applying it to actual projects. Towards that end, all housing professionals are invited to join Housing 2.0 Workshops and Action Groups provided by Green Builder Media and to start their own journey to user experience leadership. Housing 2.0 is about homes where life happens better.

Gray to Green Communities

Gray to Green Communities
Author: Dana Bourland
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2021-01-19
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 164283128X

US cities are faced with the joint challenge of our climate crisis and the lack of housing that is affordable and healthy. Our housing stock contributes significantly to the changing climate, with residential buildings accounting for 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. US housing is not only unhealthy for the planet, it is putting the physical and financial health of residents at risk. Our housing system means that a renter working 40 hours a week and earning minimum wage cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment in any US county. In Gray to Green Communities, green affordable housing expert Dana Bourland argues that we need to move away from a gray housing model to a green model, which considers the health and well-being of residents, their communities, and the planet. She demonstrates that we do not have to choose between protecting our planet and providing housing affordable to all. Bourland draws from her experience leading the Green Communities Program at Enterprise Community Partners, a national community development intermediary. Her work resulted in the first standard for green affordable housing which was designed to deliver measurable health, economic, and environmental benefits. The book opens with the potential of green affordable housing, followed by the problems that it is helping to solve, challenges in the approach that need to be overcome, and recommendations for the future of green affordable housing. Gray to Green Communities brings together the stories of those who benefit from living in green affordable housing and examples of Green Communities’ developments from across the country. Bourland posits that over the next decade we can deliver on the human right to housing while reaching a level of carbon emissions reductions agreed upon by scientists and demanded by youth. Gray to Green Communities will empower and inspire anyone interested in the future of housing and our planet.

Future Homes

Future Homes
Author: Avi Friedman
Publisher:
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2022-03-14
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9781864709155

- An inspiring look into the possibilities of living more sustainably using new designs, modern technology, and ingenious methods defining the future home - Provides in-depth analysis of different challenges and how designers have responded - Illustrated in full color, strongemFuture Homes/em/strong examines nearly 30 projects from across the globe that have devised a new method of thinking about residential homes - An important reference book for stakeholders such as urban planners, architects, designers, builders, and individuals considering building their own home New challenges on a global scale have forced a rethinking about the way homes and communities are designed. Future Homes provides an engaging and in-depth analysis of possible solutions, providing hope for the future. Broadly speaking these challenges came in three ways: environmental, social, and economic. The challenges posed by climate change demand urgent consideration and response. But a change in methodology and the ingenious employment of technological advances offers solutions to these challenges. This book provides important examples of ways to meet the global challenges by using innovative concepts and practices, leading to a transformation of how residences will appear in the years to come. With sustainability as an overarching strategy for future retooling and design of our homes, it's worth taking a look at the new challenges we face and the ways they can be approached by stakeholders such as urban planners, architects, designers, builders, and individuals considering building their own home.

Greening government

Greening government
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 100
Release: 2009-08-05
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780215540782

This is the Committee's eighth report on the sustainable operations on the Government estate. There has been some progress against targets but the Sustainable Development Commission has found that in 2007-08 the Government was not on track to meet its target for the reduction of carbon emissions from its own buildings. The Government was on track to meet its targets for recycling and for the sourcing of electricity from renewable sources, but it performed less well than it had in 2006-07. It must improve the sustainability of its operations each year. The ease with which the Government continues to meet some targets, even when its performance worsens, indicates the urgent need for the Government to set itself more stringent targets. The Government should extend the system of targets and monitoring beyond central government and agencies to the wider public sector, including its outsourced operations. The Government has the potential to drive change in the wider economy through sustainable procurement, through investment in low carbon technologies and by driving the development of "green" skills in the workforce. But the Sustainable Development Commission found that Government performed poorly against its own targets. The Government must use its buying power to drive progress towards a greener economy. Many of the changes to the governance of Government's sustainable operations have been confusing or ineffective. The Government must ensure that there is a clear line of accountability for these matters, and the Cabinet Office Minister responsible must take an active role in overseeing performance management.

Prefabulous World

Prefabulous World
Author: Sheri Koones
Publisher: Abrams
Total Pages: 944
Release: 2014-04-15
Genre: House & Home
ISBN: 1613125925

A stunning look at how people around the world are using prefabrication to create energy-efficient, sustainable, and stylish homes. Prefabulous World is the fourth book in Sheri Konnes’s revolutionary Prefabulous series. Presenting an international look at sustainable home design, it explores a compelling range of design styles and cutting-edge green technologies. The rising cost of fuel and the growing commitment to protect the environment have sparked exciting innovations in prefab home construction around the world. Showcasing many of the unlimited possibilities offered by prefabrication to build increasingly energy-efficient homes, Prefabulous World features fifty sophisticated examples of eco-friendly home design in Australia, New Zealand;Japan, Canada, the United States, England, Germany, South Africa, and beyond. “As we look into the future, it is clear the more and more intelligent materials and energies will be brought to hand as preassembled optimized components and systems, and they will be beautiful—just witness the homes we enjoy discovering in this lovely book.” —William McDonough, designer, advisor, thought leader, and co-author of Cradle to Cradle and The Upcycle

Energy Free

Energy Free
Author: Ann V. Edminster
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009
Genre: Architecture and energy conservation
ISBN: 9780976491132

"Individuals and institutions have been working towards zero energy homes for more than a decade. Energy Free distills those collective efforts, compiling lessons learned, resource information, and step-by-step guidance on how to make the decisions that will yield an energy-free residential project, whether single-family or multifamily, new or existing, in an urban or a rural setting." -- Page [4] cover.