Green roofs have been around for a long time and are now gaining a lot of traction in the building world. The term green roof could mean one of two things: that the roof is covered in vegetation or that the roof uses ‘green’ technology like solar photovoltaic systems or wind turbines.

There really aren't any mold or allergy concerns with flex duct over sheet metal as a material for duct work. However, if you are putting flex duct in an attic or a crawl space, consider what happens when animals try to nest in these areas. Flex duct has a 12-15 year life expectancy. You can expect sheet metal to last the life of the building. Flex duct should not be used in commercial or institutional buildings.

Green building is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building is also known as a sustainable or high performance building.

When building green it is preferable to use building materials extracted and manufactured locally to the site. This has a number of environmental and economic benefits that many can agree on. First off, by using these materials you minimize the embedded energy in their transportation. Less distance to travel also reduces time and money to get that material to the site. In addition to this you are supporting regional economies and encouraging growth within your area.

In the United States, buildings account for:

• 39 percent of total energy use
• 12 percent of the total water consumption
• 68 percent of total electricity consumption
• 38 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions
  

The built environment has a vast impact on the natural environment, human health, and the economy. By adopting green building strategies, we can maximize both economic and environmental performance. Green construction methods can be integrated into buildings at any stage, from design and construction, to renovation and deconstruction. However, the most significant benefits can be obtained if the design and construction team takes an integrated approach from the earliest stages of a building project. Potential benefits of green building can include...

There are many reasons to build a green home. Perhaps you want to provide a safe, healthy place for your children to grow up, or maybe you’re concerned about rising energy costs. Your priority might be comfort, or durability—knowing that the house will last a long time with minimal maintenance. For a growing number of us, building a green home is about doing our part to protect the environment, helping to make the world a better place for our children and grandchildren. A green home is all of this, and often much more.

The answer to this question depends on your current lighting situation. Incandescent bulbs are still the most common and least efficient models available for lighting needs. They use most of the power they consume in the production of heat instead of light. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and now LED lights are much more efficient in terms of their lighting and energy use capacity. The important figure to think about is the lumens per watt number. This basically shows the amount of light a bulb produces for a single unit of energy, the watt. A 100 watt incandescent bulb produces about 15 lumens per watt, whereas CFL bulbs run in the 40-60 range. LEDs are a large step above that, with current models at or slightly above CFL figures with the potential for greater efficiencies down the road.

Indoor air quality is an important part of building an environmentally friendly and healthy space. VOCs are primarily known as volatile organic compounds, and are nasty chemicals made up of carbon-based molecules used in a variety of products. They are both invisible and very harmful to our health when breathed in.  Under normal conditions they vaporize, leaving the product or material they arrived in and meshing with other compounds in the air.

When done well, a yard or landscaped area can reduce energy bills and have a positive contribution to the environment. Whether your project is your home or a commercial building, reevaluate the need for turf. Although it is a beloved part of a constructed space, native vegetation offers better protection against pests and requires less maintenance. Using indigenous plants also requires less water due to their familiarity with the climate and ability to withstand variations within it.

Painting is one of the quickest ways to give your home a new look. Whether it's just a bathroom or the whole house, it's an easy way to remodel. Paint can also contain harmful chemicals like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and off-gas other nasty substances if you're not careful. Look for low- to no-VOC paints and check if they are Green Seal certified. This certification, among others out there, ensures that the product conforms to certain environmental regulations and that it is safer and healthier for you to use.

Some examples of Green Seal certified paints:

YOLO Colorhouse: Earth's Color Collection Interior line, Earth's Color Collection Exterior line, Little Yolo Interior line

Rust-Oleum Corporation: Sierra Performance™ S40 Water-Based Epoxy Floor Coating, Sierra Performance™ S42 Water-Based Epoxy Floor Coating, Sierra Performance™ S60 Water-Based Epoxy Maintenance Coating

Miller Paint Company: Acro Pure Interior line