2010+Green+Home+Tour

=Green Home Tour=

The Green Home Tour is, as the name would suggest, a tour of sustainable energy houses in the Triangle area. Displaying houses designed by various building companies and groups, the Green Home Tour is a great way for families in the Triangle to find a reasonably priced, environmentally friendly home.

For an afternoon, a portion of our group visited several houses featured in this year's tour, taking notes along the way. Here are some of the houses we visited:

This house, located in Chapel Hill, uses various methods to cut back on energy spending, as well as complying to "PassivHaus" standards. PassivHaus is a scale of energy efficiency, a numbered system from high to low. The average for a sustainable house to be accepted by Energy Star is 80; Anchorage Building Corp. hopes to have this house at 30. Houses like this are projected to be the environmental standard in Germany by 2012.

The building uses a technique known as a "sundial" building scheme, where the front door and windows are square to the sun at noon every day of the year, allowing for a warmer interior. Also, a set of large windows are set facing south, allowing for light and heat to enter the house in winter, while blocking it during the summer. Inside the house is an extremely efficient air cycler. Due to the house's near air tight nature, the house uses a module to recycle fresh air from outside every 2 hours. Costing only $5-$10 per month to run, this module is quiet enough to be unobtrusive in everyday life.

= = This house is the standard for an energy sustainable Habitat for Humanity house, being small in nature, the size automatically lends to its energy efficiency. In addition, the house is vapor tight, keeping unwanted moisture out. For a stronger design, the house uses multiple advanced framing techniques, one of which is "T-bracing," a bracing method that is lighter, stronger, and longer lasting than conventional bracing techniques, and the flooring is made of reclaimed and recycled wood, the product being much stronger than normal wood floorings. Also, the scrapwood from the construction of the house is reused as vinyl wall sidings. There are "radiant barriers" in the attic, special foils placed in the roof to cycle heat through the ceiling, then reflect it out before it reaches the attic, keeping the house cooler than normal. Finally, the entire ventilation system for the house is sealed and tested by a third party company, giving an unbiased account of the efficiency that the ventilation. The fresh air system is regulated by a built in computer, controlling the cycle and maximizing efficiency.

One of the first features you notice when you walk in the door is the fireplace to your right: a direct vent fireplace. This allows for the room to be heated without drawing oxygen for the fire directly from the room. The outside walls utilize a special material called "HardiPlank" to strengthen the walls as well as increase efficiency. The house also reuses construction materials that would normally be wasted. The sealed crawl spaces allow for better moisture control, while also drawing fresh air from outside. In addition, the windows are specially layered to prevent harmful UV rays from passing through into the house. Finally, the house utilizes many basic aspects used in various sustainable houses, such as radiant barriers and recycled carpet padding.



The defining feature of this house is that it is very large. With three floors(first, second, and a basement), a living room, family room, and a foyer, this house is somewhat imposing in size. However, the large number of windows, combined with some of the other green features of the house, make it sustainable despite its size. The windows themselves are more than they appear: made with low E4 glass, they reflect the heat from the sun while still letting in light. One may ask how the house can stay warm in these conditions, the answer being located right in the living room in the form of a Greensmart fireplace, which can be set to turn on and off at specific temperatures. The house also includes a terraced garden.