Components
California Green Builder homes feature many environmental benefits. CGB's guidelines set goals for significant improvements in energy efficiency, indoor air quality and comfort, on-site waste recycling, and water and wood conservation and now include the California Green Building Standards Code.
Energy
A home's energy sneaks out in ways a teenager has yet to dream up. But things like high performance windows, correctly installed insulation, and tightly sealed ducts serve as a line of defense to keep precious energy in its place and money in your pocket. CGB homes use at least 15% less energy than a standard new home by using some or all of these features. In most cases, the cost to exceed the energy code by 15% will account for over 50% of the total participation in CGB.
High Performance Windows keep homes warmer during the winter and cooler during the summer and can reduce fabric fade by up to 95%.Improved Installation of insulation can keep a home comfortable and reduce costs for heating and cooling. Insulation that is installed incorrectly, such as being compressed or installed with gaps, can result in significantly decreased effectiveness.
Radiant Barriers & Insulated Attic Ducts can minimize heat gains in the summer and heat loss during the winter, reducing the amount of energy and money required for cooling and heating your home.
HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) systems designed to Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) guidelines mean more comfort, less maintenance, and a quieter home.
ENERGY STAR® Qualified Appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models.
Water
Water conservation is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound way to reduce our demand for water. Using less water puts less pressure on our sewage treatment facilities and uses less energy for transporting water throughout the state. California Green Builder homes use at least 20,000 gallons less water per year than their "non-green" counterparts. Some ways CGB homes might reduce water usage:Weather-based Irrigation Controllers or evapotranspiration (ET) controllers give you a leg up on Mother Nature. These devices use hourly weather data to track rainfall, air temperature, wind speed or other factors to match the water needs of your landscaping with current weather conditions. They eliminate over watering, saving water and giving you a healthier lawn.
Reducing Front Yard Turf is a real water saver for many California homes where over half the water used is spent keeping the grass green. By using native plants, reducing the amount of turf in the yard (frontyard = maximum 75% turf), and using high-efficiency drip irrigation systems, landscapes can save water and still look great. Or CGB builders can enroll in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s “California Friendly” water conservation program. (Rebates may be applicable to MWD customers, but other water districts may offer similar rebates and programs.) Download “California Friendly” 300 Plant Species list.
Low Flow Toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Low-flow plumbing fixtures save substantial amounts of water compared to conventional fixtures while providing the same utility. Low flow showerheads result in approximately three times the water savings as installing low flow toilets.
ENERGY STAR® Qualified Appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models.
Recirculating Hot Water Systems provide hot water on demand in matter of seconds. This feature saves substantial amounts of water compared to regular systems that require residents to run the tap for longer periods while waiting for the water to get hot.
Wood
Lumber is among the largest building material component for single-family construction. It is estimated that each engineered wood floor joist system saves one tree and each engineered wood truss system saves two trees from being harvested. When used responsibly, wood is a renewable resource. In order to conserve this precious resource, California Green Builder homes use:
Engineered Wood Products which are recycled or reconstituted wood materials employing laminated wood chips or strands and finger-jointing. Engineered products such as exterior window and door headers, roof sheathing, shear walls and subfloors provide greater strength and flexibility than conventional products. By using engineered wood products, at least one tree per home is saved.Certified Sustainable Wood Products that come from forests overseen by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), American Tree Farm System (ATFS), the Canadian Standards Association’s Sustainable Forest Management System (CAN/CSA) or the First Stewardship Council (FSC) will qualify under the CGB program. A managed forest harvests timber at a rate that can be permanently sustained, while leaving the ecological functions intact, enhanced, or restored.
Indoor Air Quality
A variety of construction practices and technologies required by the California Green Builder guidelines improve the indoor air quality in new homes. Some of those features include:
A Correctly Sized and Tested Air Conditioner and Furnace that will not only provide better air quality and comfort, but will also save money on energy bills.Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) in paints, lacquers, floor underlayment and carpet that reduce risks to human health and the environment.
MERV 6 Filters installed in return air grills that serve as a first defense against allergens, bacteria, and debris that can enter a home through the HVAC system.
Construction Waste Diversion
Residential construction typically generates 4.0 tons of recyclable/divertible waste products per 2,000 square foot home. The California Green Builder program requires diverting or recycling at least 50% of the construction site waste including wood, drywall, cardboard, metal and concrete. Alternatively, CGB builders, in areas with no construction waste diversion facilities, must help local jurisdictions establish such capabilities. Other practices include:
Reusing clean wood on an alternative construction site or diverting for reuse. Cut-offs can be used as bridging and backing materials. Engineered wood makes use of recycled wood and results in stronger, straighter building materials.Recycling products to appropriate facilities that will use the material in other ways makes good sense like cardboard into new paper products, wood to particleboard, and drywall to pet litter.
Reducing waste with prefabricated systems or pre-cut kiln dried lumber.
Inspections
Third party Home Energy Rating System (HERS) raters, monitored by the California Energy Commission, have special California Green Builder training. They verify that California Green Builder homes meet the stringent guidelines.
Air Flow Tests verify room-by-room air flows to ensure homeowner comfort in each room.Blower Door Tests ensure that warm air remains inside during the winter and cool air stays in during the summer.
Duct Testing can find leaks in your duct system, which if left undetected could dramatically reduce the efficiency of the air distribution system.
Refrigerant Tests ensure a proper refrigerant charge and airflow increasing energy efficiency, reducing noise, and maintaining the life of the air conditioner.
California Green Building Standards Code
The recent adoption of the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) California Green Building Standards by the Building Standards Commission presented an opportunity to update the California Green Builder program in a way that will keep it as the most attractive option to home builders, local governments and homeowner alike.
The California Green Building Standards Code will be published as Part 11 of California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24). Essentially, this code contains a checklist of 16 items to which all homebuilders must comply. Most are either current standard building practices or are redundant of other building codes. The bulk of the code items will become mandatory on January 1, 2011. The requirement for low flow toilets will not go into effect until July 1, 2011, six month after the rest of the code. CGB is adopting the CGBSC early, and has included the checklist as an additional requirement of the program.
The CGBSC, however, is not the only code change to which CGB needs to respond. Part 6 of Title 24 has also been updated, and became effective January 1, 2010. CGB’s current requirement is that participating homes must exceed the current Title 24 by 15%. The “2008” Title 24 represents an increase in stringency of 15-22% over 2005 Title 24. The impact will be greater in the more extreme, inland, climate zones. Pending decisions by the utilities on their rebate programs, CGB may adjust percentage over code in the future to align with the utilities’ rebate program.