Green Building Encyclopedia - Frequently Asked Questions about Green Building Design (FAQ)

Green Building Encyclopedia

Frequently Asked Questions

Are green homes actually cheaper than conventional homes?

If green building design is applied thoroughly, the green home is absolutely less expensive.

Is it straw bale or strawbale?

According to Dictionary.com, there is no word spelled 'strawbale' and instead refers you to the spelling 'straw bale'. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=straw%20bale

Is a straw bale home more expensive than a conventional wood stud home?

Yes.

Are there any commercial straw bale buildings?

Yes, at least a few in or near Calgary, Alberta, Canada http://www.ecobuildings.net

And another near Calgary, although it is a government facility http://ecobuildings.net/aec_strawbale_workshop.php

What is the cheapest insulation?

Straw bale is one of the cheapest forms of insulation as it can double as both insulation and structure. Fortunately, it is also a great environmental material as well. Blown cellulose would likely be second in cost.

Is there any alternative to salt water softeners?

Which is cheaper a metal roof or an asphalt shingle roof?

How much does it cost to solar power my house?

Do underground houses actually save energy?

Not if the average annual temperature is below room temperature. If it is below, than the surrounding Earth is a net heat sink which is fine in the summer, but will cost you in the winter.

Are Earth Tubes the cheapest form of air conditioning and pre-heating?

Yes, as they use 'free' geothermal heat or coolth to pre-heat or cool air prior to it entering your building.

Are there ingredients in concrete that are unnecessary?

Should a passive solar home face southeast or southwest?

Does a quintuple (5) pane window exist?

Yes, but not commercially available.

What is the perfect building shape when it comes to minimizing heat loss?

A hemisphere. It turns out the Inuit/Eskimo of the Arctic knew this well. Not only does the shape of the igloo minimize heat loss, but the snow/ice layer is a great reflector of infra-red heat.

Does LEED apply to residential homes?

The Green Building Encyclopedia is a project initiated and developed by Elements Group Inc. Please send us additions, corrections, and comments.