Green Building Primer

These pages give an overview of some elements of sustainable building design. A first draft was developed by Helena Harnik '07 as a part of the Luce Foundation Project, and has been edited and expanded. Click on any of the topics for more information.

• Heat Flow Basics
  Much of the energy used in buildings is for space heating and cooling. Understanding the basics of heat flow can make other elements of green design easier to grasp.
• Passive Solar Design
  Passive solar design uses the sun's energy for heating and cooling of indoor spaces exposed to the sun.
• Earth Sheltered Design
  Earth-sheltered design employs the earth as a major component of a building's thermal control system.
• Geothermal Heat Pumps
  Geothermal heat pumps exchange heat with the earth a few feet below the surface that maintains a relatively constant temperature. They can be used for space heating and cooling.
• Radiant Barrier and Ridge and Soffit Venting
  Radiant barriers blocks radiated heat, assisting in the energy performance of a building. Ridge and Soffit venting is a type of attic ventilation which increases the longevity of insulation and roofing and reduces heat build-up in the summer.
• Landscaping
  It is possible to reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 30% through careful landscape planning.
• Active Solar Heating and Cooling and Solar Hot Water
  These active systems are not generally part of a building's structure. Their function is to convert sunlight to heat that is used for space heating, space cooling, and domestic hot water.
• Photovoltaics
  A photovolatic system converts sunlight in to electricity.
• Lighting
  Artificial lighting can consume up to 15% of a households electricity use, and some lighting choices are significantly more efficient than others. Daylighting reduces energy use and increases quality of living by providing natural light.
• Fans
  Ceiling fans and whole house fans can lower the energy needs of a house. Ceiling fans are used to move air in individual rooms, while whole house fans pull in cooler outside air.
• Ventilation
  Different house ventilation systems are appropriate for different climates, and some have greater energy requirements or savings possibilities than others.
• Miscellaneous