When a house is listed for sale in Colorado, the seller can fill out a green disclosure form to indicate what "green" or environmentally friendly qualities the house has. Many of the terms on the form are specific terms, often abbreviated, that may be unclear. Let's go over them and discuss what they mean.
The fifth item is "Indoor Air Quality." The form's options are: Indoor Air Quality Plus by ENERGY STAR, Heat Recovery Ventilator/Fresh Air System, Green Guard Certified Carpet/Flooring, No Formaldehyde Certified Cabinetry, No or Low VOC Paint, and Radon Mitigation System.
"Indoor air quality plus by ENERGY STAR" means a home has been built to ENERGY STAR specifications not only for energy efficiency but also for Indoor airPLUS specifications. airPLUS qualifications involve constructing the home to protect against moisture and mold, pests, combustion gases, and other airborne pollutants. Read more at the EPA website, http://epa.gov/iaplus01/about.html
A "heat recovery ventilator/fresh air system" is a system that provides air circulation to a home (moving fresh air in and stale air out) and uses the heat in the stale air to warm the fresh air. This system can retain and transfer up to 85% of the heat in the outgoing air to the incoming air. Read more at http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/interior/1275121
"GREENGUARD certified carpet/flooring" is floor covering with materials that have been found to offgas low levels, or no levels, of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Information about “offgassing is at http://www.natureneutral.com/learnOff.php A list of certified floorings is available at http://www.greenguard.org/en/SearchResults.aspx?CategoryID=1
"No formaldehyde certified cabinetry" means that cabinets made of particleboard, medium-density fiberboard, and plywood have been tested and do not emit significant levels of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a component found in wood-binding adhesives and resins. Read more at http://www.greencabinetsource.org/index.cfm
"No or low VOC paint" means paint with levels of "volatile organic compounds" that are below certain concentrations. The levels vary somewhat depending on the type of paint. Because VOCs are a significant source of indoor air pollution, paint that has no or low-VOC can be an important factor in air quality. Read more at http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/construction/materials/low-voc-paint1.htm
A "radon mitigation system" vents radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, from your home or prevents it from entering your home by removing it from the surrounding soil. For more information specific to Colorado, go to http://www.coloradoradon.info And visit this webpage for a link to the brochure "Dealing with Radon in Real Estate Transactions": http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPHE-HM/CBON/1251617273626
Friday, June 21, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Colorado Green Disclosures, Item 4
When a house is listed for sale in Colorado, the seller can fill out a green disclosure form to indicate what "green" or environmentally friendly qualities the house has. Many of the terms on the form are specific terms, often abbreviated, that may be unclear. Let's go over them and discuss what they mean.
The fourth item is "Water Efficient Features." The form's options are: Low Flow Toilets, Low Water sod, Xeriscaping, WaterSense by ENERGY STAR, Low Flow Fixtures/Shower Heads, Hot Water Recirculation Pump/Structured Plumbing, and Greywater System.
"Low flow toilets" use less water per flush than standard toilets, specifically 1.28 gallons per flush or less. This is significantly less than the 6 gallons that older toilets may use and 20% less than the current standard of 1.6 gallons per flush. Since toilets account for approximately 30% of a home's water consumption this saves quite a bit of water. Low flow toilets are identifiable by their "WaterSense" labels. More information is available on the EPA WaterSense site, http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/toilets.html
"Low water sod" means having a lawn made of turf grass, which consumes less water than other types of grass. Choices for turf grasses that grow well in Colorado and require relatively little watering are discussed on the Colorado State University Extension site at http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Lawns/turfchoi.htm
"Xeriscaping" is an approach to landscaping intended to reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water. It is an excellent choice over turf grass when the soil is sandy or compacted and the site is fast draining. A guide to xeriscape planning is available from the Colorado State University Extension site at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07228.html
"WaterSense by ENERGY STAR" is more than just a certification for low flow toilets. It's a certification available for a variety of water-using products like faucets, showerheads, and irrigation controls. The EPA's site for this program is available at http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/index.html
"Low flow fixtures/shower heads" as certified by WaterSense can save an average of 2900 gallons of water per year by reducing flow on shower heads and 700 gallons per year by reducing flow on faucets. In addition to saving water, this reduced flow also lowers demand for hot water and saves energy. Read more at http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/showerheads.html and http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/bathroom_sink_faucets.html
"Hot water recirculation pump/structured plumbing" mentions two things. A hot water recirculation pump keeps a small amount of hot water moving through pipes near a fixture so that the water does not cool between the time the fixture is shut off and its next use. Structured plumbing is designed to minimize transportation times for hot water. eHow explains hot water recirculation at http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5598345_recirculating-work-hot-water-system_.html A brief elaboration on structured plumbing is available at http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/strategies/increase-efficiency-structured-plumbing
A "greywater system" uses the heat in water that has gone down the drain to warm new hot water flowing to the fixture. This is done by sending new cold water through a copper tube tightly wrapped around the drainpipe. Using a greywater or drain water heat recovery system can increase your system's capacity to generate hot water and save you energy. Read more at http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/drain-water-heat-recovery
The fourth item is "Water Efficient Features." The form's options are: Low Flow Toilets, Low Water sod, Xeriscaping, WaterSense by ENERGY STAR, Low Flow Fixtures/Shower Heads, Hot Water Recirculation Pump/Structured Plumbing, and Greywater System.
"Low flow toilets" use less water per flush than standard toilets, specifically 1.28 gallons per flush or less. This is significantly less than the 6 gallons that older toilets may use and 20% less than the current standard of 1.6 gallons per flush. Since toilets account for approximately 30% of a home's water consumption this saves quite a bit of water. Low flow toilets are identifiable by their "WaterSense" labels. More information is available on the EPA WaterSense site, http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/toilets.html
"Low water sod" means having a lawn made of turf grass, which consumes less water than other types of grass. Choices for turf grasses that grow well in Colorado and require relatively little watering are discussed on the Colorado State University Extension site at http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Lawns/turfchoi.htm
"Xeriscaping" is an approach to landscaping intended to reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water. It is an excellent choice over turf grass when the soil is sandy or compacted and the site is fast draining. A guide to xeriscape planning is available from the Colorado State University Extension site at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07228.html
"WaterSense by ENERGY STAR" is more than just a certification for low flow toilets. It's a certification available for a variety of water-using products like faucets, showerheads, and irrigation controls. The EPA's site for this program is available at http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/index.html
"Low flow fixtures/shower heads" as certified by WaterSense can save an average of 2900 gallons of water per year by reducing flow on shower heads and 700 gallons per year by reducing flow on faucets. In addition to saving water, this reduced flow also lowers demand for hot water and saves energy. Read more at http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/showerheads.html and http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/bathroom_sink_faucets.html
"Hot water recirculation pump/structured plumbing" mentions two things. A hot water recirculation pump keeps a small amount of hot water moving through pipes near a fixture so that the water does not cool between the time the fixture is shut off and its next use. Structured plumbing is designed to minimize transportation times for hot water. eHow explains hot water recirculation at http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5598345_recirculating-work-hot-water-system_.html A brief elaboration on structured plumbing is available at http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/strategies/increase-efficiency-structured-plumbing
A "greywater system" uses the heat in water that has gone down the drain to warm new hot water flowing to the fixture. This is done by sending new cold water through a copper tube tightly wrapped around the drainpipe. Using a greywater or drain water heat recovery system can increase your system's capacity to generate hot water and save you energy. Read more at http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/drain-water-heat-recovery
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