Asheville NC Custom Builder shares on NO VOC Paints

Improving indoor air quality has been one of the newer issues in the green movement. To help deal with this issue there are several low or no VOC paints that have been introduced to help people remodel their homes without damaging their air quality. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are what put chemicals from paint into the air, and consequently gives paints their odors. As VOCs are reduced, the odor levels drop, and fewer and fewer chemicals are put into the air.

The down fall for low and no VOC paints has always been tinting. Tinting the paint adds 150 grams of VOCs into the paint. This is true for all paints. That means that even if you buy a boutique, all natural paint, as soon as you tint it to the color you desire, you just defeated all the work you put into locating and purchasing the paint. When building that new dream home always choose a knowledgeable contractor that understands what makes paints and finishes low or no VOC and where to obtain such materials. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning custom green builder in Asheville NC building fine custom homes for two decades. Visit us today at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn why we truly are the better high end custom builder in Asheville NC and surrounding areas.

Asheville NC Custom Builder shares on Sealed Crawl Spaces

With research proving its benefits, more contractors are enclosing the crawl space. Closed crawl spaces are more energy efficient; resolve moisture, mold and rot problems; and stop insect infestations. To get the most "bang for the buck," insulate the walls, not the ceiling. If given the choice between the walls and ceiling, the Department of Energy says to insulate the walls, not the ceiling. Heat transfer always moves from hot to cold or from inside the home to outside and down into the crawl space. When insulating, it is best to use an aluminum faced material to reflect heat back into the home. Eliminate the moisture. It is important to install a vapor barrier to keep moisture out. Moisture is what causes many of the problems with crawl spaces such as rot, mold and mildew.

The rim joists around the perimeter of the home should be insulated with breathable, un-faced, formaldehyde-free insulation. Make sure the insulation material is fire resistant. Check your local fire codes regarding exposed insulation. Once your crawl space is properly insulated and closed, you may be eligible for an insulation tax credit through the Energy Star program. Homeowners can receive a tax credit for 30% of the cost of materials up to $1500 the year they install the insulation. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning custom green builder in Asheville NC building fine custom homes for two decades. Call us or visit our website at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn why we are the better custom builder.

Asheville NC Custom Builder explains Energy Recovery Ventilators

We are building a super efficient home, as little air leakage as possible. And thats a good thing. However, since the house is sealed tight, you are breathing the same air, over and over again. Similar to being on an airplane, except with out the air purifier. Now this gets even worse when you add the scents and smells of cooking to your already stale air. So the ERV attaches to your HVAC system and when running brings fresh air in from outdoors while removing the stale indoor air. Bringing fresh air in is a great idea, right? Kind of a no brainer. The problem is when the outside temp is really hot or cold. You would be bringing in that extreme temperature air and killing your energy bill.

Wallah. This is what the energy recovery portion does. It has a fancy way of bringing in fresh air without bringing in the extreme climates outside, so that you are not compromising your energy efficient home. So the big question is do I get the ERV installed during construction or take my chances on breathing stale air forever? Advantage Development Co. Is an award winning custom green builder in Asheville NC and understands how to properly design and engineer that new energy efficient green home to give you years of perfect service, health, and indoor air quality benefits. We are Certified Green Professionals by the NAHB here to help you make important choices on that new custom home. Call us or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn why we win awards, year after year.

Asheville NC Custom Builder gets Clients a 5% Utility Reduction for Life with Energy Star Certification on Their New Homes

Progress Energy Carolinas offers an incentive to its residential customers for improving the energy efficiency of their homes. To qualify the home must meet the standards of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star-labeled home program and be verified by a registered third party. Eligible houses will receive a 5% discount on their monthly electric bills from Progress Energy. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning custom green builder in Asheville NC and only builds Energy Star, NC Healthy Built and LEED Certified quality homes. We love getting new home owners the 5% utility reduction on their monthly electric bills. Green home building is more than just bamboo floors, its building energy efficient smart homes that save energy. Call us at 828-215-9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn why we can save you more on that new home.

Asheville NC Custom Builder shares about NC Green Power Program

NC Green Power, a statewide green power program designed to encourage the use of renewable energy in North Carolina, offers production payments for grid-tied electricity generated by solar, wind, small hydro (10 megawatts or less) and biomass resources. Payment arrangements for electricity generated by most renewable energy systems are available by submitting proposals for consideration in an open-bid process. However, owners of small solar energy systems and small wind energy systems (10 kilowatts or less) may currently apply to receive program incentives at any time. Owners of small solar energy systems or wind-energy systems are encouraged to review and fill out an online application, available on the NC Green Power web site. Note that customer-generators who choose to net meter are not permitted to sell electricity under the NC Green Power Program.

Generators are required to enter into power-purchase agreements with their North Carolina electric utility and with NC Green Power. However, because premiums paid to NC Green Power are funded exclusively by voluntary contributions from North Carolina electric customers, NC Green Power does not provide guaranteed contracts to generators. Production incentives are based on the amount expected to make the installation of renewable-energy systems approach economic feasibility. The incentives, which include payments from utility power-purchase agreements, are made on a per-kWh basis and vary by technology. Owners of small solar electric systems enrolled in NC Green Power receive $0.15/kWh from the program, plus approximately $0.04/kWh from their utility under the power-purchase agreement, for a total production payment of about $0.19/kWh. Owners of small wind-energy systems receive $0.06/kWh from the program, plus approximately $0.04/kWh from their utility, for a total production payment of about $0.10/kWh.*

NC Green Power is an independent, nonprofit organization created by state-government officials, electric utilities, nonprofit organizations, consumers, renewable-energy advocates and other stakeholders. It began operation in October 2003 as the first statewide green-power program in the United States. North Carolina's three investor-owned utilities -- Dominion North Carolina Power, Duke Energy and Progress Energy -- and many of the state's municipal utilities and electric cooperatives are participating in the NC Green Power Program. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning custom green builder in Asheville NC building fine custom homes for two decades. Call us today or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn why we are better.

Asheville NC Custom Builder explains Why They Buy FSC Stamped Wood

FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the worlds forests. Products carrying the FSC label are independently certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations.

By buying FSC products you provide incentives for responsible forestry. You can enjoy your purchases knowing it has not contributed to the destruction of the worlds forest or even come from companies involved in human rights abuses. Over time, your choice with many other responsible purchasing decisions will lead to even more forests being managed responsibly the FSC way. Almost everything made from wood and other forest products is available with the FSC label. Advantage Development Co. Is an award winning green custom home builder in Asheville NC that believes in supporting forest stewardship and always purchases FSC lumber and materials when possible. Call us at 828-215-9064 or visit us at our website and check out our green building page http://www.advdevco.com/ you will be glad you did.

Asheville NC Custom Builder shares about How Important Manual J Calculations Are

When sizing a heating and cooling system for a home, rule of thumb measurements can yield an improperly sized system. Yes, you've probably heard it all before, but a poorly sized HVAC system can lead to an uncomfortable living environment and higher bills for the homeowner, to name a few. The popular method of calculating heating and cooling loads is to use ACCA, Manual J-compliant load calculation software. The old method of buying a Manual J book and sizing by hand is rarely used these days due to all the great software available.

The most common problem in the HVAC industry is the tendency to oversize equipment. Contractors and customers alike are conditioned to believe bigger is better. Unfortunately, bigger leads to higher installation cost, higher operating cost and a more humid house. Yes, an over sized system will not run long enough to remove moisture from the house, and in turn, the customer will feel clammy due to a higher humidity level in the house. The customer in search of greater comfort will now lower the thermostat to feel more comfortable and will keep lowering it until the unit runs enough to remove moisture. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning custom green builder in Asheville NC that will only use qualified HVAC Contractors that are trained in performing manual j calculations accurately to assure optimal energy efficiency and comfort in ever new home they build. Call us today at 828-215-9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn why we are the better builder.