Green Design Delivers Savings

The green building focus in new home construction has looked at more insulation, better windows and doors, energy-efficient appliances, better heating and cooling equipment, recycled materials, and other environmentally conscious features.

All of these features make the home more energy efficient, there for, saving energy. In their endeavor, they have overlooked natural thermal dynamics. Designing a home that naturally needs less energy because of its ability to store and release heat. This can become huge when the natural environment fluctuates significantly in temperature through the 24-hour cycle.

Oregon State University evaluated this benefit in our high desert climate to reduce heating needs up to 30 percent.

This is huge when you realize that the energy-efficient windows, the better insulation, and the better heating systems are all 30 percent more effective in a structure that utilizes natural heat storage.

The result is a structure that will maintain these benefits throughout its life, simply because of good design.

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