A professional auditor can use a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of your home. Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation" (Home energy audits, 2009, EPA). Follow-up Following up with satisfied customers (and unsatisfied customers) also enables better quality control and

The construction of a green house should be performed under a strict operational plan. The construction costs must be estimated in advance, taking into consideration any price fluctuations. The Green Communities Initiative helps communities with such operational plans (NRDC, 2006). The operational plan must take into consideration the risks discussed above. It should answer to questions referring to the elimination of those risks. The operational plan must address a suitable location

In a field like housing construction, whether it is tradition or green, human resources have the highest importance. Their quality and experience is reflected in the quality of the houses they build. Smaller construction companies cannot afford the highest skilled personnel, which creates a major disadvantage. It is difficult to say whether these companies are financially sound or not on medium term and long-term. The financial investments required by constructions and

Green Building Laws Green Building and Green Retrofitting The department of Federal Environmental Executive defines green building like this: Elevating the competence by which the built structures consume energy, equipment and water along with decreasing the adverse effects on health of human beings including the surroundings by improved structure, maintenance, procedure, operation, choice of a better site and elimination of waste. The subsequent section explains the current guiding principles for retrofitting and

The occupants and owners of a building are losing money on every green feature they discard. Architects are in a position to save their clients a great deal of money in the operational costs of a building. After all, a great deal more will be spent on the operations, maintenance, and employees in a building than ever was spent upon initial construction costs. Green architecture not only provides a healthier

Green Architecture in Japan: a Reflection of Societal Values Defining Green Architecture Man has been building structures since shortly after they began to emerge from caves and to explore areas outside his immediate vicinity. Many animals build structures, such as birds and beaver. Many of these structures are functional and serve only to offer protection from predators and the elements, and so it was with the first structures built by man. They