Extraordinary Homes and Neighborhoods. Creatively Conceived. Passionately Executed
LEXINGTON
Green Initiatives
Green Building Facts
Traditional building practices overlook interrelationships between a home, its components, its surroundings and its occupants; the design, construction and maintenance of which have a large and measurable impact on energy usage, the environment and the supply of natural resources.
Traditional building practices also don't address environmental health. For example, indoor air pollution can trigger asthma, which afflicts about 20 million Americans, including 6.3 million children. Asthma causes 14 million school days missed each year, affecting not only the children's ability to succeed at school, but their parents' ability to be productive at their jobs.
Read these Green Facts.
Problems
More than 77 million homes exist in the US today, and millions more will be built in the future. These homes account for approximately 20% of the nation's total annual energy usage.
Consumers pay more than $150 billion per year for utility and fuel bills alone. Some of the energy used is wasted through inefficiencies in building practices. The Department of Energy estimates that poorly sealed windows and doors waste about as much energy as travels through the Alaska Pipeline each year.
Because homes use fossil fuel-based heating, cooling, lighting and hot water systems, they are one of the leading sources of carbon dioxide emissions, the chief pollutant blamed for climate change.
It is estimated that a typical home is responsible for more than 23,400 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
Between 3 and 7 tons of waste are produced and more than one acre of forest is consumed during construction of a typical home.
Construction adds to the pollution of local waterways if adequate erosion and sediment controls are not practiced during construction.
Research indicates that air pollutant levels inside of homes is several times higher than the air outside. Pollutants can be caused by cleaning products, building materials, and furnishings that typically contain volatile organic compounds (VOC) that contribute to allergic reactions or asthma.
Moisture problems contribute to mold growth, a signifigant potential source of health problems, along with dust and dust mites. Since people spend up to 90% of their time indoors, at home or work, the impact on health and productivity from poor indoor air quality is substantial.
Solutions
Green homes generate 50%-90% less construction waste than normal homes
Green Built homes use approximately 40% less energy than standard homes
Green Built homes use approximately 50% less water than standard homes
Green Built homes use toxin-free and low VOC building materials to reduce indoor air pollution
Green homes have fewer problems with mold and mildew than standard homes
Lexington Luxury Builders builds Green Built homes
