Going "Green" and reducing my footprint

Some talk the talk.  I've decided to walk the walk.  My house is now at the point where the rubber meets the road on either "doing the next right thing" or saving a few bucks.  Having been a consultant to the EPA for the last 10 years if nothing else has at least dramatically increased my awareness of the environment and the long term impact certain things have on it.  The company I work for and the life I now lead put "doing the next right thing" high on my priority list.  In fact, my company even has a major contract with the US DoE supporting it's "Energy Star" program.  All of that has contributed to me deciding to build an "Energy Star" house, minimizing the overall impact my house will have on the environment in the long run.  I've done some research and found that it doesn't take an extraordinary effort to minimize your carbon footprint and do you part in saving the planet - just a few key decisions on materials and systems that I'll cover in this blog entry.

 1)  INSULATION  Most houses have traditionally used some variant of fiberglass insulation in the past.  A growing trend now is in the direction of "Spray Foam" insulation, which is what you see in the next few pictures.  I've just completed having the entire house blown with spray-foam and the process blew me away (pun fully intended!).  There were guys running around in head-to-toe white astronaut suits with full face masks and head gear making an incredible mess out of the place.  
This is one of the major Energy Star requirements and recommendations for several reasons: (a) Pound for Pound, the insulating capacity ("R-value") of the spray foam product far exceeds its fiberglass counterpart, so technically you use less and nothing is wasted (the overspray is removed and recycled into more sprayfoam) (b) when properly applied, the stuff seals up every little nook and cranny of the house that outside (hot or cold) air would otherwise come in thru if traditional insulation were used to create drafts and outside-air flow thru your house, and (c) It is a whole-house solution to insulation that, in the long run, substantially reduces the amount of energy required to heat and cool your house, year after year.
Yes, spray-foam is a more expensive insulation alternative to traditional fiberglass - my guess is about 40% more cost to insulate up front.  This is why most General Contract Builders resist using it - they are not concerned with anything but REDUCING the overall cost of construction and selling for the highest profit as fast as possible.  Few home buyers are savvy or picky enough to not buy a house that doesn't have spray-foam.  BUT in the long run, it not only makes your house "feel" warmer in winter and cooler in summer by eliminating drafts, it eventually puts money BACK into your pocket.  After about a 3 year pay-back period on the additional investment in sprayfoam, I should realize as much as a 40-50% reduction in energy bills to heat/cool for the rest of the time I live there.

THIS is why it is a MAJOR Energy Star component, it translates into a 40-50% reduction in natural resources used to generate the energy used to heat/cool your house.  After seeing it done, I'm telling you, this stuff is amazing and should be in every single house ever built from now on.   For more information and some FAQ's and A's on BioBased Spray foam, follow the following link:
http://www.biobased.net/homeowners/index.php .

2) WATER

If you're like an overwhelming majority of homeowners in the U.S., you probably have a hot water tank in your house somewhere.  What does a hot-water tank do? - - - It STORES hot water for your convenient use when you want a shave, shower, or whatever.  Since it STORES hot water, that means it is CONSTANTLY maintaining a fairly large supply of water.  That means the heating element in your hot water tank (gas or electric) is using energy around the clock (like when nobody's home), every day (even when you're away for 2 weeks at Grandma's house) to keep that water hot for you when you're ready to use it.  My new house will NOT have a hot water tank.  It will use an IID Gas "ON-DEMAND" Tankless water heating system.  This is very different than a tank, highly Energy Star compliant, and very energy efficient because it ONLY heats the water WHEN YOU NEED IT, it does NOT maintain a tankfull of hot water.  It also NEVER RUNS OUT of hot water because it is a continuous solution when in use, heating the water as it passes thru the unit, and it uses NO energy to heat hot water when you aren't using hot water.  That's huge.  Again, since you're using less energy in the long run with this system, it is considered very "Green".  Yes, a little more investment up front than a traditional tank, but a large return after the relatively short 1 year ROI on the additional cost.  http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12820

3)  WINDOWS and DOORS
Since this is turning into a  rather lengthy Blog Post, I'll shorten these final two discussions.  Windows are huge contributors to radiant heat in your house, so Energy Star requires windows that reduce the amount of ultra-violet light that comes in and heats your house through passive radiation.

In southern climates, it's very substantial.  High end UV reduction windows use Argon Gas as a filter between the insulated multi-paneled windows.  The next level down, which is still Energy Star compliant simply uses what's called "Low-E" glass, which is pre-treated in production of the glass to limit ultra-violet radiation.  That's what I have, along whith "Therma-Tru" insulated entrance doors - also Energy Star compliant.

4)  APPLIANCES
The final element in my Energy Star house considered were the appliances.  Ever noticed the "Energy Star" seal on some dishwashers, ovens, and ranges/cooktops?  I've decided to use a rather un-common but HIGHLY rated brand of Dishwasher and in-wall Oven, called "FISHER-PAYKEN".  These are near-commercial grade products, and the real saver here is what they call a "Dish Drawer", in lieu of a dishwasher.  It slides out like a drawer for easy loading/unloading, and is very quiet and uses a longer wash cycle to reduce the energy needed to wash the dishes.  The FP Oven is highly insulated and heats very evenly and is also Energy Star compliant.

The GREEN BONUS:  Even though most of these items are more costly than their less "Green" counterparts, the government provides substantial "Energy Star" rebates, refunds, and tax credits for using them, making the ROI's, payback periods, and additional costs even smaller!  In the long run, these are simply smart choices if you ask me that you won't normally find in most homes because of the Builder Cost equation. So far, I think they're very strategic choices that will put money back in my pocket in energy savings year after year.