Green Building

Habitat for Humanity of Westchester is…Going Green!

What is Green Building?

Green Building is the design and construction of buildings giving careful consideration to three main elements: healthy indoor environment, maximum energy efficiency and conservative, thoughtful use of natural resources.

Why Go Green?

Green Building practices offer an opportunity to create environmentally sound and resource-efficient buildings by using an integrated approach to design. Green Buildings promote resource conservation, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation features; consider environmental impacts and waste minimization, and help create a healthy and comfortable living environment.

Habitat for Humanity International's Environmental Initiative promotes energy-efficient, environmentally friendly construction. They encourage affiliates to be good stewards of natural resources by raising awareness of the environmental impact of home construction. The Environmental Initiative embraces the concept of sustainable building which can be defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Habitat for Humanity of Westchester is dedicated to building affordable housing in an energy effective, environmentally mindful, and health conscious manner. The principles of green building design promote a conscious use of energy, a commitment to waste reduction, and a pledge to improve the health and well-being of the building's occupants, builders, the general public, and future generations.

Structural insulated panels (or structural insulating panels), SIPs, are a composite building material. They consist of a sandwich of two layers of structural board with an insulating layer of foam in between. The board is usually Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and the foam either polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam.

SIPs allow the application of an internal and external structural skin and thermal insulation to a building in one stage, offering efficiency benefits. They are commonly use in conjunction with modern timber framed buildings.

Solar photovoltaic panels contain arrays of solar cells that convert light into electricity. Solar cells, or PV cells, rely on the photovoltaic effect, which describes how certain materials can convert sunlight into electricity to absorb the energy of the sun and cause current to flow between two oppositely charged layers. Individual solar cells provide a relatively small amount of power, but electrical output is significant when connected together as an array making up a panel.  Electricity can be produced from daylight through a process called photovoltaics (PV). "Photo" refers to light and "voltaic" to electricity. The term describes a solid-state electronic cell that produces direct current electrical energy from the radiant energy of the sun. Photovoltaic cells are made of semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon, coated with special additives. There are two main types of Solar systems - solar electric and solar thermal. Solar electric PV generates electric current that can be used to augment the existing electricity grid supply, or provide electricity where there is none, and could be used to provide, for example, power for lighting. Solar thermal systems provide power to heat water for domestic or commercial applications.

The ENERGY STAR program was created in 1992 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in an attempt to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission by power plants. It began as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy efficient products, and computer products were the first to be labeled. It has since expanded to major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics, and more. The label can also be found on some new homes and commercial and industrial buildings.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority was established by 1975 law as a public benefit corporation. NYSERDA funds research into energy supply and efficiency, as well as energy-related environmental issues, important to the well-being of New Yorkers. Since late 1998, in cooperation with the NYS Public Service Commission, (PSC), NYSERDA has managed the New York Energy $mart^SM program. Funded by a System Benefits Charge (SBC) on electric transmission, this program offers energy efficiency, research and development, low-income and environmental disclosure funding and education to assist electric consumers as the regulated electricity market moves to more open competition. NYSERDA also finances, through the sale of bonds, environmental and energy improvements for the State’s energy infrastructure.

NYSERDA

Habitat for Humanity of Westchester

Mattergy Solar

Altus Group/Oldcastle Precast

New York Energy Star