Best in Practice Green Building
Over the last decade CTG has developed serious long standing relationships with, technology providers, manufacturers, passive house architects and installers. Here is a brief overview of some of the technology know-how that we can provide to our clients.
Knowledge & Know how are the most important aspects to any industry. While our Energy costs continue to increase, Cleaner Greener Buildings are safer to live and work in be it in an office or a private home. Each proposed "Green Project" Commercial or Residential has to be evaluated to determine how the General Contractor can build out or remodel the existing structure to be a more environmentally safe building while also reducing the energy load during the construction phase. This of course can be accomplished while keeping the budget in mind of the customer. It comes down to years of hands on Building and Technology knowledge and then applying even the basic Green Technologies to the build out process. Every client has a different need and the CTG team is here at no additional cost to bring its expertise to the table to help guide you through that important design phase as part of our overall commitment to you.
There are different options available to our CTG Customers as far as tax credits & rebates for Green Building & Retrofit. Call us at 434-426-4940 to learn more.
Additional Green building practices that can be implemented at any time or during the construction phase.
1) Passive House Institute, Darmstad Germany. CTG has long standing relations with the Passive House Institute in Germany. "Dr Wolfgang Fiest" and his German team of Architects like Roland Matzig and Technicians like Mathias Haubler former sponsors of the German Solar Decathlon team that competed on the mall in Washington DC. Passive Haus is the most advanced building system in the world today bar none with both the Commercial and Residential application. We have built new residential homes at 90 + % energy efficiency. Our Passive house Architects designed an 80 thousand sq foot Assisted Living Commercial Building in the northeast of the US at 94% energy efficiency. This design starts with the "Passive House Architect" and their Software program.
They first focus on Building Design & Climatic data for the specific region, and then the Exterior Envelope of the building R Value of the walls, Roof system & Triple Glaze windows and doors. In addition what is important is the Interior Air flow of a super sealed building, today we have our Passive House Architects here in the Virginia region. We can build Passive buildings Commercial and Residential. The cost of a Passive Green building is not far greater than a standard building in the USA today. It is a superior building and a far more cost effective methodology than your LEED Green building. Buildings can be remodeled to the Passive certification / standard.
2) Triple Glaze Windows & Doors, we can provide Triple Pane Fiberglass windows & Doors at much the same cost as a standard window today. We import from Europe or from right here in the USA. These are the highest quality windows in the world today with the highest R Value.
3) R Value Insulating Paint Interior and Exterior, This high R Value Application for paint was developed by a NASA Scientist and this Paint can greatly reduce the Energy Consumption in your home or place of Business. You can create a serious thermal solution with our insulated R-value paint. It is less expensive than Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore and it is Manufactured right here in the USA. The product is being used Commercially and Residentially through North America. It is been sold all over the world for multiple years.
Insulating paint products are based upon our exclusive blend of insulating ceramic micro spheres or "vacuum beads", that are designed specifically for mixing into paints, coatings and composites to form a tight interlocking matrix which reduces conductive heat through the painted surface. The ceramic barrier reflects up to 90% of the heat back to the source.
Insulating additive for paint can be mixed into any locally available house paint to add heat reducing, insulating properties to that paint. We also offer the industries largest selection of pre mixed, ready to use, ceramic filled, insulation coatings for use on Roofs, Ceilings, Walls, Transportation, Marine, Aviation, Agricultural, and a wide range of Industrial applications.
Both "Thermal Solution" products are designed to keep heat out in summer and reflect the heat back in during the winter drastically reducing the costs required for heating or cooling a home, metal building, recreational vehicle, agricultural or commercial structure.
4) Infra Red Gun, Our State of the art Infra Red Gun will be able to detect "thermal heat loss" of any wall structure. From there we will assess the best and most cost effective Solution during construction phase get you the best R value and to reduce your overall energy load. This methodology is great indicators of the issues that are right in front of you but you cant see them.
5) Cleaner and Brighter Energy Efficient Lighting, In total, lighting accounted for 28% of my home's energy use and more than half the electricity bill. I was producing around 1.5 tonnes of CO2 every year just with my lights. This had to change. I had always known that swapping incandescent bulbs for more energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) would be one of the easiest ways to cut my carbon footprint, but I'd never actually quantified what this meant for me. CFLs, a miniature and more sophisticated version of fluorescent striplights, last around 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and use up to 80% less energy.
Over the next few months, I spent time testing different energy-saving bulbs, each representative of even more cutting-edge lighting technology than the last. I got frighteningly familiar with terms such as GU10, R50, E14 and E27 (the technical labels for different shapes of bulb and socket – look, we did this so you don't have to). And I saw the future too, in super-bright light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Familiar in car dashboards and bicycle lights, they smash all records for energy efficiency. In a few years they will be all over your home too, and with none of the perceived stigma of CFLs.
By the time I emerged from this trek through the light side, my whopping 1.5-tonne CO2 habit had dropped to less than 150kg per year. Think what would happen if everyone made such a cut in the US and GB. According to the Energy Saving Trust (EST), lights account for around 20% of the electricity bill in an average home. Britons spend around £2.3bn each year on electricity to run their home lights, and if everyone switched their old-style lights to energy-saving alternatives, the electricity saved in a single year would run the country's street lighting for four and a half years, or provide electricity for every house in London for nine months. If every UK householder replaced just one 100-watt incandescent bulb with an energy-saver, the carbon saved would be equal to taking 200,000 cars off the road for a year.
The difference the new lights has made to my carbon footprint and my wallet is clear: from 1,500 watts of lights in the house, I now have around 150 watts doing the same job. By removing 90% of the lighting power, I have reduced my monthly electricity bills by around 60%.
6) Solar Arrays are additional ways of gaining your own energy for your home or place of business. We have the most advanced solar systems / installers in the southern USA available to us. Solar Panels are very commonly used in Passive House buildings. We are partnered through the Manufacturer with the most advanced solar installation company in the US.
Thin film solar is where the majority of advances in technology today are being made and thin film solar is likely the future of the industry. Although not yet a fit in all geographical/regional areas, thin film has many advantages over all other types of solar if you’re in an area where it is a good fit;
- 1 – It’s very durable and sturdy unlike all other types of solar panels which are very fragile.
- 2 – Thin film solar panels require far less maintenance.
- 3 – Thin film solar panels weigh less than half of other types of solar panels. If you’re installing the panels on a roof, this can be a major factor as weight = structural and support considerations and costs.
7) Wind Turbines are very common in certain geographical locations in the world. The big concern always with wind turbines is maintenance and the ROI. Wind Energy needs to be evaluated for each location to determine many factors and if it makes sense to the end user. Systems are becoming more advanced every year. There are now efficient wind turbines for Homes and Small business if it makes financial sense and the geographical area.
8) Geo Thermal Heating and Cooling is another option for the Client depending where the building is located. It can be evaluated on a case-by-case basis; cost is also a driver to the end user. Again this is a technology that is widely used in Passive house buildings. This could be determined during the design phase.
9) Green Radiant Thermal Barrier - this is a very cost effective way to keep a building cool in the summer and keeping the heat inside in the winter, All the while reducing your energy cost in your home or place of business. It all starts with the exterior envelope of the building.
10) Blower Door test - Blower doors, along with an infrared camera, are standard tools for building-performance professionals. It's not the sort of thing that homeowners or Business owners will use on their own but a test done by a professional will give you a better grasp on how quickly your home is losing conditioned air..
Why Hire Us For Your Lynchburg Green Building Services?
If you are ready for the finest in quality workmanship and customer care, it is time to give our pros here at CTG Green Building & Remodeling a call. We look forward to working with you and showing you in person how we earned the reputation we have. Give us a call today and let's get started.
When it comes to your Lynchburg Green Building service needs, give our pros a call. We don't just meet your expectations, we exceed them as we continue to set the bar for this important industry. Get in touch with us right now and let's begin working on your project.
