Can building green be cost efficient?
Normal 0 false false false EN-US ZH-CN X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Anthony Aebi, president of Greenhill Contracting, is directing his crew where to put the low-flow toilets in two houses nearing completion in a wooded site in the town of Esopus. The buildings are attractive, with capacious front porches, classic gables and plentiful windows, and they are among the handful of residential buildings in New York state that will be certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the highly regarded point system established by the U.S. Green Building Council for energy conserving, environmentally responsible buildings. Each house faces the sun, with a 15-kilowatt or 10kW photovoltaic system installed on the roof, and each has a geothermal well system with a heat pump for cooling and heating, precluding the need for fossil fuels. Underneath the cement Hardie Board (which resembles wood siding) is an airtight shell constructed of insulated concrete forms, which have a con
