Another green building technique is called “super adobe.” It uses sandbags filled with earth that are stacked on top of one another, and held into place with barbed wire. Some of the exterior bags have cement mixed with earth. The sandbags provide flood resistance, and are very easy to set up. A structure built with adobe is also naturally insulated and fireproof. Most super adobe buildings are constructed into a dome shape (1). It is a very inexpensive technique that utilizes local materials. Those two aspects of super adobe make it extremely appealing for this project. There are major drawbacks, however. There have been criticisms of the structural and architectural designs. Among other aspects, there are no standard doors and windows, and there are also concerns about how safe super adobe homes are if an earthquake were to hit. The home may not last for decades, but for just a few years. Although the construction is fairly simple, it is very labor-intensive and can become quite costly (2). This is not an ideal solution to building a model green home in Detroit.

Lighting

First, one should try to utilize as much natural sunlight as possible. Building the house and orienting it so it would get the most daylight through its windows and possibly adding skylights or sun-tunnels would be beneficial. For artificial lighting, ENERGY STAR fixtures are always the best option. There are many types of fluorescent fixtures available that will reduce the amount of energy used and save the homeowner money over the time that they are used. Dimmer switches and occupancy sensors are also good options for various other uses.

GE Lighting provides many ENERGY STAR rated light bulbs and very efficient Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. They have an entire “Ecolux” line of light bulbs that are the most environmentally friendly. Also, Ecolux T12 and T8 fluorescent lamps pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Test (TCLP) due to their non-leachable mercury form (3). In general, CFL bulbs use up to 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 60-watt incandescent with a 13-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Also, CFL bulbs produce about 70% less heat than standard incandescent bulbs, so they're safer to operate and can help cut energy costs associated with home cooling (4).

Heating and Cooling

From Olsen Airco, the UltraMax 4 line of furnaces is a very good option. They are ENERGY STAR rated, and provide up to 95% AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). This means that a homeowner would be getting the maximum amount of heat for the money that they spent on gas. This company can also effectively integrate other products that they make (such as an air conditioner, air cleaner, or humidifier) for easy installation (5).

Bryant has heat pumps that both cool and heat the home. Their Evolution series offers the highest efficiency. They are ENERGY STAR rated, and also use Hybrid Heat. This is a dual-fuel system that heats the house while only using gas or oil when most needed, providing a very energy-efficient design. The Evolution 96% Gas Furnace has up to 96% AFUE (6).

Amana carries the AMV9 Gas Furnace, which has up to a 95% AFUE. It comes with a 10-year warranty. It is also ENERGY STAR rated. It is quiet, and also has a Silicon Nitride igniter to ensure that it starts up quickly. It uses an electronic control board to self-diagnose any problems it encounters (7).

Paint

With paint, one wants to minimize the amount of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, found in the paint. They are released as the paint dries, and combine with nitrogen oxides and sunlight to create smog (8). Zero and low VOC paints are ideal, especially when building a green home.

Pittsburgh Paints now sells a zero-VOC interior latex paint line, Pure Performance. The paint can be tinted to any Pittsburgh Paints color, which add a small amount of VOCs. Pure Performance is the first paint certified under the Green Seal standard. They offer products that meet the most stringent environmental standards which require either zero or low VOC coatings. Pittsburgh Paints has VOC data on their website for all of their paints available for commercial and residential use (9).

Sherwin-Williams has designated a “GreenSure” label for their most environmentally green products. They use sustainable raw materials in their paints to reduce the amount of solvent present. Many of their coatings resist mildew and harmful bacteria. These GreenSure products have the highest indoor quality ratings and are extremely durable (10). Sherwin-Williams has data and MSDS’s for their paints.

Benjamin Moore has Pristine(R) Eco-Spec(TM), which is a zero-VOC 100% acrylic latex interior paint geared toward the professional contractor market. They follow “Coatings Care,” which is a defined code of conduct that focuses on minimizing the company’s environmental impact. Many of their paints are certified by GreenGuard and Green Seal and also have LEED credit (11). Benjamin Moore has VOC information available online.

Flooring

For Hardwood flooring, Bamboo is a very good choice. EcoTimber has high quality bamboo, certified sustainably, harvested, rustic, and antique wood flooring. They sell sustainably harvested and reclaimed wood products that come from bamboo plantations, as opposed to wild habitats. Their hardwood flooring is 100% FSC-certified from well-managed forests, and engineered with a formaldehyde-free, zero-VOC adhesive. Another environmentally friendly aspect of EcoTimber is their installation; it sundries, and includes a “VOC-free, non-toxic, water-free, high performance installation adhesive and a quality underlayment pad featuring 92% recycled content (12.)”

For Carpet, Mohawk has an innovative new carpet that uses recycled material. It is called SmartStrand, and has DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer. The fiber in the carpet is made with Bio-PDO, which is produced from corn sugar. Now, 37% of Sorona® is being made from renewable resources. Mohawk is reducing their environmental impact while producing this carpet, since the “production of Sorona polymer requires 30 percent less energy than the production of an equal amount of nylon, greenhouse gas emissions from the production of Sorona are 63 percent lower than nylon manufacturing, and approximately one gallon of gasoline is saved per every seven square yards of carpet.” The carpet will not need to be retreated, even after heavy-duty cleaning. It is also virtually stain-resistant (13).

For Tile, one of the best companies is Amtico. Amtico International has PVC-free tile solutions. Their Stratica line is a healthier option for indoor tile flooring. It is “specifically manufactured without chlorine or plasticizers and has extremely low level VOC emissions.” It does not require a lot of tedious upkeep, either (14).

For all of the choices made, the companies aremore well-known and established. They have had more time and money to invest into their “green” products, and also have good reputations. They typically have many retailers, most of which are not only within a 100 mile radius of Detroit, but a 20 mile radius. They could also be more likely to offer their goods for the model home.

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