Award-Winning Cottage Featured in Cabin Life

Check out the latest issue of Cabin Life magazine!

Bonin Architects’ award-winning lakeside cottage is the cover story of the May 2012 issue.  The article titled “Mini Retreat, Maximum Fun” describes how our remodeled cottage reuses as much of the original material as possible, makes the most out of  layout and storage, and creates an ultra-fun spot for entertaining guests on beautiful Pleasant Lake in New London, NH.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

The beach cabin was in good shape for its age, but dark and rough inside. The goal was to maximize space, natural light and lake vistas. “We had very specific things we wanted to do,” says Sheri, a former property manager whose experience with architects, landscapers, and tradesmen came in handy during the project. “That’s the fun of having a cabin – you fix it up and make it your own.”

She found inspiration in books and magazines – Cabin Life included – on cabin design and lakefront living. The Webers brought the stack to architect Jeremy Bonin, AIA, of New London, N.H., who distilled common themes from pages of images. On the wish list: a cathedral ceiling, French doors, lots of glass, and a screened back porch facing the lake.

Lots of open storage was another must. Builder Jay Tucker of Old Hampshire Designs in New London was called in to do the revamping. Old Hampshire sanded floors, opened the ceiling, and created built-in nooks and cubbies. “It’s still all exposed wood inside, like a beach house,” says Tucker. “We upgraded it, painted it, made it a pretty little living space.”

“We tried to use as much of the original materials as possible,” notes Bonin. “We turned casement windows on their sides, reframed and regrouped others.” Bonin also guided the couple through a maze of required permits, as the cabin is just 50 feet from the water.

For more information on this great cottage, see our website at http://www.boninarchitects.com/en/selected-projects/selected-projects/83-portfolio/selected-projects/119-le-petite-pointe-cottage.html

Home Energy Credits

There's still time to qualify for home energy credits for 2011!

Make energy-saving and green-energy home improvements to your home and enjoy substantial tax savings - but only if you act before midnight on December 31, 2011!

• The 2011 credit rate is 10 percent of the cost of qualified energy efficiency improvements. Energy efficiency improvements include adding insulation, energy-efficient exterior windows and doors and certain roofs. The cost of installing these items does not count.

• The credit can also be claimed for the cost of residential energy property, including labor costs for installation. Residential energy property includes certain high-efficiency heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters and stoves that burn biomass fuel.

• The credit has a lifetime limit of $500, of which only $200 may be used for windows. If the total of nonbusiness energy property credits taken in prior years since 2005 is more than $500, the credit may not be claimed in 2011.

• The 2011 credit rate is 10 percent of the cost of qualified energy efficiency improvements. Energy efficiency improvements include adding insulation, energy-efficient exterior windows and doors and certain roofs. The cost of installing these items does not count.

• The credit can also be claimed for the cost of residential energy property, including labor costs for installation. Residential energy property includes certain high-efficiency heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters and stoves that burn biomass fuel.

• The credit has a lifetime limit of $500, of which only $200 may be used for windows. If the total of nonbusiness energy property credits taken in prior years since 2005 is more than $500, the credit may not be claimed in 2011.

Use IRS Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits to claim the credit on your tax return.

 

Two Ways to Save Water in a Timber Home

Water management is a responsible action to take, especially when you’re planning to build a timber home.

Two money and energy-saving strategies which can be easily incorporated into a timber frame design are:

1.  Reducing overall water usage in the home by specifying low-flow water fixtures, low-flush or composting toilets, installing aerators on all taps, and installing low-flow shower head nozzles.
2. Specifying a plumbing system that reuses grey water (wastewater from domestic usage such as dish washing, laundry and bathing) for flushing toilets, watering lawns, etc. (note: some grey water  systems require approval by most local building jurisdictions, your architect will verify this prior to design).

Implement a few simple actions to use water more efficiently and you can reduce your water and sewer bills by one third, a significant savings!  According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “If all U.S. households installed water-efficient appliances, the country would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion dollars per year.”

It’s easy to incorporate energy efficiency in your timber home design.  Talk to Bonin Architects about your goals and ask questions about what strategies will work for your climate, budget, and home design.

We Build It Forward – Community Event

ONE DAY. ONE COMMUNITY. ONE CHALLENGE. 
A powerful day of giving and serving Others

Bonin Architects is proud to be a Team Leader in our local 2011 We Build It Forward campaign.  Spearheaded by R.P. Johnson & Son, We Build it Forward is a way for everyone in the community to help out their neighbors in need.  

On Saturday, June 25, 2011, Bonin Architects will join hundreds of individuals who will take part in serving others.  

Have you been inspired by someone who made a difference in your life?  It could have been an act large or small where someone went out of their way to help you with a problem, situation, or was just there when you needed them.  Now is your opportunity to “pay it forward” and help someone else!  From painting or yard clean-up to fundraisers that help feed the hungry or build homes, you can be involved by signing up at the We Build It Forward website.  You can either join the Bonin Architects team or build a team with some of your friends and colleagues.  

We need your help!  This is what you can do:

First:  Ask yourself who you can help - write it down
Second:  Decide how you want to help! – write it down
Third:  Sign up online or call us and say YES! I know how I can help!

Need Some Ideas?

• Plan a fundraiser dinner and sell tickets at the door
• Choose a community member in need of a deck or home repair of some kind
• Choose an area of town that needs a clean up
• Find a youth or recreational organization that needs a new structure
• Stage a bake sale, clothes drive, food drive
• Fix a door
• Replace an electrical box
• Clean up a public place
• Repair a fence
• Paint a house
• Repair a window
• Donate bikes to needy kids
• Bring meals to seniors who need a home cooked meal
• Offer to play music and entertain all these wonderful, giving people
• Make a donation of materials or dollars toward materials

The event will serve the R.P. Johnson & Son service area and will commence at the Rte. 11 Andover, NH location.

Say YES to join us!  Sign up at WeBuildItForward.com today!  You’ll be helping your neighbors and having a great time!

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC, 209 Main Street, New London, NH.  For more information call or email us!  603-526-6200, info@boninarchitects.com

Save Energy – Dim the Lights!

It’s that time of year again – Earth Day is right around the corner, and all over the globe people are looking for ways to save energy. If you are looking for a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, try turning the lights down with a light dimmer.

If residential and commercial sectors join force on this, the energy savings could potentially be huge. Michael W. Pessina, president of the Office of Product Development at Lutron Electronics, a light control manufacturer, says, “We estimate that installed Lutron dimmers save over 9 billion kilowatt hours of energy per year, and that prevents 17 billion pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.  That’s a savings of over $1 billion in energy costs each year.”

According to the US Department of Energy, commercial buildings consume 38% of their total energy usage in lighting – more than heating, cooling, ventilation, computers, and equipment combined.  By using Lutron dimmers (see photo), electricity usage can be reduced by 20%.  Combine that with a Lutron Radio Powr Savr wireless occupancy sensor and you can cut lighting electricity an additional 35%!

Bottom line:  Pessina says “If better light control can help people work more effectively for five minutes – which is equal to 1% of the work day – the investment in light controls will pay for itself in less than a year.”

Want to know how much work and home energy savings you’ll see just by dimming the lights?  Take a minute and look at Lutron’s energy savings calculator.

SIP Panels: R-Values in the Real World

Source: Structural Insulated Panel Association, www.sips.org

Insulation is one of the key components of any energy-efficient home or commercial building.  With heating and cooling accounting for 50 percent of energy use in the average home, the type of insulation you choose can save thousands of dollars in utility bills over the life of your home.

Insulation is rated by R-value, which measures a material’s thermal resistance.  An insulating material with a higher R-value forms a more effective thermal barrier between the outside temperature and the conditioned space inside the home.

But R-value doesn’t tell the whole story.  Laboratory tests that determine R-value have little resemblance to how insulation actually performs in a home.  When real world factors such as air infiltration, extreme temperatures and thermal bridging are present, field-installed fiberglass insulation can lose more than half its R-value.  Research has repeatedly shown that SIPs provide continuous insulation that will maintain its stated R-value for the life of the home and outperform fiberglass insulation every time.



Read more: http://www.sips.org

Energy Savings Add Up

U.S. households produce 21 percent of the country's global warming pollution. That's more pollution than the entire heat-trapping output of the United Kingdom!

The good thing is that energy-conscious families can reduce their emissions by up to two-thirds. If every household in the U.S. made energy-efficient choices, we could save 800 million tons of global warming pollution—more than the heat-trapping emissions from over 100 countries. That would go a long way toward stabilizing our climate. (And if you are building a new home, you have a great opportunity to incorporate energy efficient systems and materials to reduce your carbon footprint.)

New and emerging technologies can also reduce our production of heat-trapping gases. By choosing green power, you can use electricity that produces little or no global warming pollution.

Buying green goes a long way toward cutting heat-trapping emissions because clean energy sources emit little or no carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution—a huge savings to the Earth and a way to slow global warming.

Green power can be slightly higher in price, but the benefits are many. Here are just a few examples.

Using green energy:

• Reduces smog, soot, mercury and acid rain pollution.
  
• Reduces financial risks. Future regulations, caps on greenhouse gases and price fluctuations of fossil fuels could all increase the cost of energy. For example, natural gas prices have soared recently.
  
• Creates new jobs and generate income, because green power sources tend to rely on local labor, land and resources, especially in rural communities.

By harnessing wind, sunlight, plant matter or heat from the Earth's core, we can produce electricity in ways that curtail global warming pollution. And because electricity demand is based on consumer choices, the more we demand green power, the more cleaner sources will be used. That means a lot less heat-trapping pollution.

Source: Environmental Defense Fund

New Geothermal Heat Extraction Process

New Geothermal Heat Extraction Process To Deliver Clean Power Generation
Pacific Northwest National Lab's advanced heat recovery method makes most of low-temp 'hot rock' resources.
by Geoffrey Harvey, PNNL, Washington, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

A new method for capturing significantly more heat from low-temperature geothermal resources holds promise for generating virtually pollution-free electrical energy. Scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will determine if their innovative approach can safely and economically extract and convert heat from vast untapped geothermal resources.

The goal is to enable power generation from low-temperature geothermal resources at an economical cost. In addition to being a clean energy source without any greenhouse gas emissions, geothermal is also a steady and dependable source of power.

“By the end of the calendar year, we plan to have a functioning bench-top prototype generating electricity,” predicts PNNL Laboratory Fellow Pete McGrail. “If successful, enhanced geothermal systems like this could become an important energy source.” (Photo courtesy Pacific Northwest National Lab)

A technical and economic analysis conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that enhanced geothermal systems could provide 10 percent of the nation’s overall electrical generating capacity by 2050. Click to watch PNNL's Pete McGrail describe the process.

PNNL’s conversion system will take advantage of the rapid expansion and contraction capabilities of a new liquid developed by PNNL researchers called biphasic fluid. When exposed to heat brought to the surface from water circulating in moderately hot, underground rock, the thermal-cycling of the biphasic fluid will power a turbine to generate electricity.

To aid in efficiency, scientists have added nanostructured metal-organic heat carriers, or MOHCs, which boost the power generation capacity to near that of a conventional steam cycle. McGrail cited PNNL’s nanotechnology and molecular engineering expertise as an important factor in the development, noting that the advancement was an outgrowth of research already underway at the lab.

“Some novel research on nanomaterials used to capture carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels actually led us to this discovery,” said McGrail. “Scientific breakthroughs can come from some very unintuitive connections.”

PNNL is receiving $1.2 million as one of 21 DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy grants through the Geothermal Technologies Program.

Some of the research was conducted in EMSL, DOE’s Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory on the PNNL campus.

Congressman Hodes NH Clean Economy Expo

Bonin Architects & Associates is proud to be participating in the Clean Economy Expo to be held Monday, August 24th in Concord, NH. Clean energy businesses from all over the state will be on hand to demonstrate how they are creating New Hampshire jobs and helping produce clean, local energy.

The Clean Economy Expo is sponsored by Congressman Paul Hodes, and cosponsored by the American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and Repower America.

Federal, State, and Regional leaders will be available to discuss current initiatives and opportunities.

NH Clean Economy Expo
Monday, August 24, 2009
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
IBEW Hall,
48 Airport Road,
Concord, NH 03301

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Stop by and say hello!

Timber Frame Home Design Trends

Trends in timber frame design are following the general trends in home design, moving away from specific rooms and space to materials and energy efficiency. This is good news, as we strive to become more energy conscious.

Here are some of the current trends in timber frame home design:

1. Reduce, reuse, recycle: More and more homeowners are looking to purchase recycled building materials to use in their new timber frame home. Reclaimed timbers, siding, decking, trim, doors, brick, and stone are all very popular. Simple, bio-degradable materials are replacing resources that harm the environment.

2. Here comes the sun: Solar energy systems, particularly solar hot water heaters and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to produce electricity are extremely popular. The current tax credit helps, giving you back 30% of the total cost (product + installation), now with no upper limit.

3. Size and flexibility matter: Smaller, energy efficient timber frame home designs are more popular than the rambling, spacious mansions of the past. Homeowners are addressing changes in lifestyle by replacing separate dining and living areas with large, multi-purpose family rooms, and adding sliding or pocket doors which allow flexibility in living space. First-floor bonus rooms which can be used as a home office or additional bedroom address changing needs.

4. Save a buck: Let’s face it: low maintenance is in. Popular low maintenance materials include green flooring, tankless water heaters, ENERGY STAR appliances. Low-maintenance landscaping using native plants has a positive effect on the site by reducing irrigation, pesticides, and fertilizers – which means less time you have to take care of it.

5. Accessibility: Universal home designs address the comfort of people of all ages and abilities. Features that may be eliminated are spiral staircases, sunken or raised living rooms, and high cabinets or shelves. Wide hallways and low storage areas are incorporated into the timber frame home design without sacrificing the home’s beauty and appearance.

Going green makes $ense: with green technology and materials flooding the market, prices continue to come down, saving you money over the life of the material. The home design is the start of the timber frame home’s life cycle – and undoubtedly it is the most important phase, as the home’s space, features, and systems are designed to work together as a whole for your benefit and comfort – and the environment’s.

New Energy Efficient Homes Tax Credits

Tax credits for new green homes are better than ever! A 30% tax credit (including labor and installation), with no upper limit, is available for consumers building new homes (through 2016) for:

Photovoltaics
Solar Water Heaters
Geothermal Heat Pumps
Small Wind Energy Systems
Fuel Cells (for primary residences only)

The credit for photovoltaic, solar water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and small wind energy systems does not have to be for your principal residence; so, rental units, second homes, etc... are all eligible.
For more information, see

2008 IRS Form 5695 to help you further with this provision.

There is a $2,000 tax credit for building a new energy efficient home, but it is ONLY available to "eligible contractors"; therefore, owner/builders may not receive the builder tax credit unless employed as eligible contractors.

See Energy Star and the IRS for more information.

Bonin Architects Becomes ENERGY STAR® Partner

Our firm, focusing on sustainable design for residential and light commercial structures, has become an Architect / Home Plan Designer ENERGY STAR Partner to meet consumer demand for more environmentally friendly choices. ENERGY STAR is recognized by more than 60% of US consumers nationwide, working with over 12,000 public and private sector organizations that ensure energy efficient products and practices help to reduce high energy bills, improve comfort and help to protect the environment.

Bonin Architects is proud to be able to recommend energy efficient products to our clients. We are dedicated to educating consumers on preserve the environment by incorporating renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, and wind energy products, as well as energy efficient choices for lighting, appliances, and technology.


ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, helps protect the environment through business partners. Products, homes, and buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

All ENERGY STAR house plans include energy-efficient details and specifications for features such as tight construction and duct systems, properly-installed insulation, high performance windows, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and appliances to reduce energy costs by 20 to 30 percent. After the home is built, an independent ENERGY STAR Rater calculates and tests the energy efficiency of the home and submits the results to ENERGY STAR for approval.

Energy consumption in the United States

The US Department of Energy’s latest data on our country’s energy production and consumption is quite telling. In 2007, approximately 21% of the energy consumption in the United States was attributed to residential buildings.

Meanwhile, in the period from 2000 to 2007 fossil fuel energy production was reduced 1.46% while consumption increased 1.74%. Renewable energy production did increase 0.72% with consumption increasing 0.76%, less than half of the increased consumption of fossil fuels. Clearly there is room for improvement and an opportunity for homeowners building new homes to lessen the dependency on fossil fuels.

If you are building a green home, one of the most important choices you will make is the type of system you will use to heat and/or cool the home, domestic hot water and the electricity required for lighting and appliances.

Consider renewable energy systems – in particular, a solar, wind, or geothermal energy system. Each system uses abundant natural energy and reduces our dependence on fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. When we burn these fossil fuels we increase “greenhouse gases” (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor and other chemicals) contributing to global warming.

On July 17, 2008, former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Al Gore addressed the United States with a call to reduce 100% of our electricity from energy sources with zero carbon emissions within the next ten years. Watch the highlights of his speech below.

We are committed through our profession to lessen our individual and global carbon footprint. Together, we have an opportunity to make a difference.

AL GORE CHALLENGE TO REPOWER AMERICA:

Sustainable Design - Reducing On-Site Waste

Careful choices in the systems and materials selected for your green home will reduce negative impacts of construction on the environment. The average 2000 square foot house produces approximately 8000 pounds of construction waste and debris. (See Mother Earth News article “Reducing Your Building Waste”).

Accounting for building systems, resources and material amounts during the design process equals savings in shipping costs, excess materials, labor, and on-site waste removal.

For example, when materials and units are constructed and prepared at the manufacturer’s facility, only the needed amount of material is produced for your project, and only that amount is shipped. With transportation prices, this alone can save you thousands of dollars. Additional savings can be seen because of the streamlined on-site building process. Waste removal is costly and rising; by reducing and/or eliminating significant site waste savings can again equal thousands of dollars.

All efforts to reduce waste are better for our environment and can result in substantial savings. The first step is hiring an architect to design your energy efficient home; someone who understands alternative building systems and considers your environmental goal during the entirety of the project.

Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP
Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Energy Savings in a Green Home are Significant

There are many areas where you can experience significant energy savings in a green home. By working with an architect in the early design stages, many of these areas can be addressed in the design of an energy efficient home, helping you to save money in the future and enjoy a healthier home:

1) Footprint: Reduce the size of your home. Designing only as much space as your family needs will keep your energy usage to a minimum right from the start.

2) Insulation: Even if you do nothing else, by choosing a superior building envelope for your home like structural insulated panels (SIP panels) and/or an insulated concrete form foundation system (ICF), you will enjoy huge savings in heating and cooling your home (up to 50%-60% over a home without SIPs).

3) Windows: Windows are a break in the thermal insulating barrier of your home. The higher quality window you choose the better performance the entire home will achieve.

4) Passive solar design: By incorporating sunlight for lighting and heat and natural ventilation into the basic home design, you can reduce the size of mechanical systems and lighting in the home.

5) Heating system: Consider a renewable energy system to heat and cool the space and tap water in your home (solar, wind, geothermal).

6) Ventilation: Incorporate an air-to-air exchanger, or heat recovery ventilator (HRV) system into your home; replacing stale air with fresh outdoor air while maintaining the temperature inside the home and conserving energy.

There are many other areas of the home that can be addressed through design and material selection which can increase energy efficiency and save money over the life of your home. Starting with these major areas, future savings and a better environment will be ensured.

Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Best Practices in Sustainable Building

Green home design is only one part of the sustainable building equation. Equally important are the methods and practices your contractor uses during the construction process in order to minimize impact to the site environment. Two main areas that should be given attention are pollution prevention and site protection. These should be discussed during the interview process with your builder and outlined thoroughly to make sure best practices for sustainable building are in place.


Pollution prevention can be controlled on site by addressing soil erosion, airborne dust generation, and waterway sedimentation. The site should especially be protected by eliminating the runoff of sediment created by such practices as silt fencing, seeding and mulching and creating sediment traps and basins.


Environmental quality on the jobsite is an important consideration and counts toward LEED points if you want your home to be LEED certified. Some of the things your contractor should be knowledgeable about are site impact, construction waste, indoor air quality, and the use of paints and adhesives.


Your builder should always keep construction equipment within minimal limits to avoid site disturbance. Construction waste recycling is a primary concern. Builders who recycle 50% of construction materials are complying with minimum standards. Additional LEED points are given incrementally to projects with over 75% and up to 95% waste recycling. Best practices in maintaining healthy indoor air quality should be adhered to, including keeping all ductwork, carpets, and other indoor materials covered to remain dust-free. Any and all paints, stains, coatings, adhesives, and indoor sealants should be specified low-VOC in your home to prevent off-gassing. Finally, prior to taking occupancy, the contractor should change all filters and perform a two-week flush of the home with clean outdoor air.


By using best practices in sustainable construction when you decide to build a home, you will be protecting your health and environment simultaneously.


Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP
Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

What Goes Into an ENERGY STAR Home?

There is a lot of talk about energy efficient homes and ENERGY STAR. ENERGY STAR® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that provides information, training, and certification of products and practices to help homeowners save money and protect the environment.

In just the year 2007, homeowners who used ENERGY STAR building products saved the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as produced from 27 million automobiles – while saving a total of $16 billion on their utility bills!

The first criterion for an ENERGY STAR home is that it is not more than three stories. It can be a structural insulated panel home, post and beam or

timber frame home, single-family, or low-rise multi-family home. The key is in the materials used.

So what goes into an ENERGY STAR home? An ENERGY STAR home has five major components that a conventional home might not have:

1. High performance insulation. Probably the biggest savings in energy costs can be obtained through having properly installed and correct amounts of insulation in the walls, floors, and roof of your home. We recommend using

structural insulated panels for your home.

2. Energy efficient windows. New technology in window design, glazing, and protective coatings contribute greatly to energy efficiency in windows, helping to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer.

3. Tight Building Envelope. Making sure your building envelope is “tight”, including well insulated and sealed heating and cooling duct systems, goes a long way in reducing drafts, moisture, noise, and air pollutants, which ultimately create a healthier environment for your family.

4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Systems. Energy efficient heating and cooling systems, especially

renewable energy systems, offer great savings in energy costs and contribute to the overall comfort of your home.

5. Efficient Products.

ENERGY STAR products and appliances make a significant contribution toward energy savings in a green home.

Of course you will want to have an independent ENERGY STAR qualified Home Energy Rater evaluate your home to be called an ENERY STAR home. The Rater calculates and test energy efficient features of the home, including insulation, air tightness, and duct sealing by conducting a blower door test (waived in structural insulated panel homes), duct blaster tests, and completing a thermal bypass checklist of the home. After approval, the only thing left to do is to enjoy the comfort of your new energy efficient home while admiring your low energy bills.

If you’re planning to build an ENERGY STAR home, you won’t want to miss our Free Home Seminar on Saturday, November 15th in Manchester, NH. For more details and to register, visit our Upcoming Events page.

Jackie Lampiasi, Marketing Director

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Building an ENERGY STAR Home

Are you considering building an ENERGY STAR® home? You’re certainly not alone. Over 120,000 new homes earned the ENERGY STAR seal of approval in 2007. It’s not surprising that green homes in Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont made up a significant percentage of the number of homes built there.

If you’re planning to build a green home in New Hampshire, Colorado, Michigan, Maryland, or Minnesota, you’ll be among a small percentage of homeowners there concerned with energy efficiency in a new home. These are among the 18 states that had between 3% and 11% of homes meeting ENERGY STAR standards.

And then, if you’re planning to build an energy efficient home in Maine, Pennsylvania, or Montana, you’re one of the more forward-thinking homeowners in your area. Your new green home, once its ENERGY STAR certified, will give you savings in energy costs for heating and cooling and provide a healthy living environment for your family. Smart choice!


Data released by ENERGY STAR

Bonin Architects & Associates promotes ENERGY STAR products and builders. We work with you to design your home to meet ENERGY STAR requirements so you can build a green home that incorporates all of your wants and needs and saves at least 20-30% in energy costs!

Kimberly Bonin, Executive Project Manager
Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act

The Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act (CSPA) helps protect New Hampshire lakes and ponds from erosion and sedimentation as a result of construction and land use activities within 250’ of the shoreline, affecting all homeowners planning to build on or subdivide New Hampshire lakefront property.

The primary purpose of the Act is a good one - to prevent water runoff from going directly into the lake. Excess nutrients in runoff lead to excessive plant and algae growth which eventually starves the lake of oxygen and in turn suffocates fish and other aquatic life. Nutrients and sediment also speed up the lake’s natural aging process, slowly filling it in. Trees and plants at the edge of the lake can filter sediment, soak up nutrients, and protect the lake. One of the focuses of the CSPA is to restrict the number of trees cut near the shoreline.

The Act originally passed the NH Legislature in 1994 and recently went through a stringent reevaluation process to tighten up the laws protecting our lakes and ponds. Amendments were originally scheduled to go into effect April 1, 2008, but due to the complexity of the laws, lawmakers postponed the date to July 1st.

Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, D-Portsmouth said the changes in the Shoreland Protection Act are difficult to understand and supported the postponement. "Nobody really likes moving legislative deadlines, but for the health of our environment, and the health of our economy, we need to have additional time to solve the ambiguities here and to educate the public.”

Many “gray areas” still exist in the Act and its amendments including restrictions on building size, accessory structures and the amount of clearing that can be done, boathouse construction, and conflicting state vs. town setback requirements.

As a result, many people are coming to us for help in making sure their home plan is in compliance with these regulations. If you are planning to build an energy efficient home on New Hampshire lakefront property, we’re happy to help you get started designing a home plan that meets these amended requirements (along with any other existing regulations), as well as your family’s wants and needs in a primary or vacation home.

Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Benefits of Building a Green Home

Building a green home is the only way to build a house. Why?

Reduce, reuse, recycle. People around the world are embracing green. When we can’t reuse or recycle something, we buy it new, and we want it to be green: cars, energy, food, even clothing.

It only makes sense, then, when you’re building a home, to build it green. The benefits are extensive. Here are just a few:

Environment:
A green home is better for the environment – inside and outside of the home. By building a green home, you will be using less energy for heating, cooling, lighting and power for appliances and electronics. For example, incorporating structural insulated panels as a building envelope will help reduce your heating and cooling costs by up to 50% (see the Structural Insulated Panel Association website). You can also reduce your dependency on fossil fuels (oil, coal, propane, and natural gas) by utilizing an alternative energy system such as solar, wind, or geothermal system.

Limiting impact during the construction process helps the surrounding environment. Controlling construction waste reduces the amount of material bound for landfills. Good site design that properly addresses access, slope, soils, vegetation, and water is an important part of a green home. Efficient pluming and bath fixtures, reducing or eliminating landscape irrigation systems are an easy way to reduce water consumption.

Recycled building materials for your green home are abundant and readily available. Wood used in the home can be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which encourages the proper management of the world’s forests, certifies, educates, implements, and regulates forestry practices to help restore the earth’s soils, habitats, and cycles while addressing economic, social, and environmental concerns.

Health:
A green home eliminates building materials and systems that produce toxins and allergens, creating a healthy home environment for you and your family. Proper natural ventilation in combination with an air-to-air exchanger (also called a heat recovery ventilator “HRV” or energy recovery ventilator “ERV”) increases indoor air quality by bringing fresh air into the home while recovering the heat before expelling it to the outdoors.

Cost:
Bottom line: a green home costs less to build than a standard home in areas such as energy costs, health care costs (because you won’t be sick as often), mortgage rates, tax incentives, maintenance and repairs – and has a higher market value. Material costs may be higher, many of the systems and materials carry a higher price tag than their non-green counterparts, but unlike the standard item, the energy efficient choice gives you a return on your investment.

Building a green home takes time in the initial planning and we highly suggest you hire an architect to design the home according to your wants and needs and work with you and your builder throughout the project to ensure a smooth and successful building process.

Kimberly Bonin, Executive Project Manager

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC