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| How do I find a Green Building Professional? |
| The Green
Building Professionals Directory includes builders, architects, designers, engineers, landscape professionals, and more. We encourage our participants to put the Austin Energy Green Building logo on business cards, yellow pages listings, newspaper advertisements, and brochures. When a building professional displays the logo it means he or she has taken the extra effort to work with Austin Energy Green Building to rate a building project. Choosing
a Green Builder (pdf) is a detailed Factsheet on how to find a builder right for your needs. |
| How do I recognize a home that is built to Austin Energy Green Building standards? |
Look for the our logo on a yard sign in front of the home or on the builder's marketing materials. We have been rating homes since the early 1990s and are now seeing rated homes on the resale market. If you are looking at an existing home, ask the real estate professional to show you the Austin Energy Green Building certificate which is given to every new homeowner of a green-rated home. |
| What do the different Austin Energy Green Building star levels mean? |
We rate homes on a scale of one to five stars. This indicates increasing levels of "greenness." A one-star home has basic green building elements and is easy for a builder to achieve. A five-star home is filled with many green elements. |
What are some cost-effective things I can do to save energy around my home? |
Our Tips
and Tools suggest easy ways to save energy around your home. |
What kind of filter should I use in my air conditioner? |
A good filter improves indoor-air quality
as well as protecting the equipment. Better air means fewer
respiratory ailments and allergies. Learn more from our Air
Filters (pdf) Factsheet. It has a complete discussion of which filter
is best for your family. |
| What is a radiant
barrier? Should I have one in my home? |
Radiant barriers are installed in homes—most commonly in attics—to keep them cooler and reduce cooling costs. In hot climates, the benefits of a radiant barrier include both dollar savings and increased comfort. The barrier consists of a highly reflective material that reflects radiant heat, rather than absorbing it.
Without a radiant barrier, your roof radiates solar-generated heat to the insulation below it. The insulation absorbs the heat and gradually transfers it to the material it touches, principally the ceiling. This makes your air conditioner run longer and consume more electricity. The Consumer Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has more information on radiant barriers and how they work. |
| One air conditioning contractor says I need a 5-ton unit; another says 2.5 tons. Why so different? |
The size of your heating and cooling system
is based on several variables. The square footage of your
home, the number of windows, its orientation on the lot, and
even the number of people living in the home factor in. To determine the most appropriate
size, your contractor should apply a procedure required
by code called "Manual J."
This is a standardized form available to all contractors from
the Air Conditioning Contractors of America . Ask your contractor
to use this method when he or she sizes your unit and ask
for a copy as well. More information on getting the correctly
sized air conditioners is available in our Cooling
Systems (pdf) Factsheet. |
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What can you tell me about the new tankless hot water systems? |
| Tankless, or on-demand, water heaters heat water directly, without the use of a storage tank. They avoid the standby heat losses associated with keeping large amounts of water hot. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. Either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water. As a result, demand water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. Typically, demand water heaters provide hot water at a rate of two to five gallons per minute. Gas-fired demand water heaters produce higher flow rates than electric ones. Sometimes, however, even the largest gas-fired model cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous multiple uses in large households.
For more detailed information, visit our Sustainable
Building Sourcebook, an online guide containing essential information on more than 50 green building topics. Organized by chapters, the Sourcebook is easy to navigate and print.
Note to Austin Energy customers: Although electric demand
water heaters are more efficient than electric storage water
heaters, they are not allowed in Austin Energy's service area
because of the high electric demand while they are operating.
Demand water heaters that use gas are allowed. |
| Where can I get more information on building with straw bales? |
| Straw bales are among the many materials
you can use to build a wall. Straw is a renewable resource
and has excellent insulating properties. If you decide to
build with straw, choose a builder that has experience working
with the material. Check out our Straw
Bale Construction (pdf) Factsheet for more information. |
| What type of paint is considered green? |
Painting is 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. Our Paint (pdf)
Factsheet will help you make environmentally-sound choices
when you select the paint for your next project. |
I've heard quite a bit about bamboo flooring lately. Is it a good flooring choice? |
Bamboo is a highly renewable resource. It is harvestable only four to six years after being planted. Its low moisture absorption properties make it ideal for humid climates and applications where moisture might pose a challenge for other types of flooring. Prices for bamboo flooring products are a bit more expensive than flooring from domestic hardwoods. The pre-finished products all use UV-cured finishes, which have low-VOC emissions. Any of these products should make an attractive, durable floor. |
Is flex duct more likely to harbor mold and allergens? How long does flex-ducts last? Is sheet metal worth the extra cost? |
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. |
What kind of incentives does the City offer for water conservation projects and updating appliances? |
| The City of Austin Water Conservation Program offers rebates for residential and commercial toilets, appliances, irrigation systems, and more. |
Where can I find a rainwater harvesting expert? |
The
City of Austin Water Conservation Program has a full listing
of rainwater
harvesting contractors and equipment suppliers (pdf). |
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