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Did you know that, people spend 90% of their time inside a building? If we add together all the hours we spent sleeping, working in offices or at school people on average spend the vast majority of their time inside a building where they are constantly exposed to indoor air pollutants. The US Environmental Protection Agency, estimates that the average person receives 72 percent of their chemical exposure at home, which means that special place that you consider the safest has the great potential of hazards for your health. In fact, indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted – and in some cases 100 times more polluted – than outdoor air.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, residential (21%) and commercial buildings (18%) account for almost 39% of total U.S. energy consumption and 38% of U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Nearly all of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the residential and commercial sectors can be attributed to energy use in buildings. All of these outdated buildings across the nation represents a great potential hazard for our health and the one with a bigger impact in your life is your own home.
Did you know that the four leading causes of death in the United State: cancer, chronic respiratory disease, heart disease and stroke are caused by pollutants from fossil fuel?
Studies had demonstrated that these pollutants damage all the major organ systems in the body. One of the serious respiratory health problems is lung cancer killing more men and women in the US than any other form of cancer; COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), the third leading cause of death in the country.
Pollutants from fossil fuel are also responsible for coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the country. Pollutants released by burning coal target the nervous system, particularly the brain, leading to serious neurological consequences.
Living in a home with moisture/dampness, mold, pests (cockroaches or mice), cold or inconsistent temperatures, environmental tobacco smoke, or indoor air pollutants can increase the risks of asthma attacks, wheezing, and other respiratory problems. Exposure inside your home to extreme heat, cold, carbon monoxide (CO) or fires can result in death. CO exposures can also create headaches, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, confusion, or “flu-like” symptoms.
Also, burning fossil fuels release enormous quantities of carbon dioxide and methane the main cause of climate change which leads to extreme weather events that can severely affect health. Fortunately, a reduction in our dependency on fossil fuels by shifting to renewable energy and the improvement on energy efficiency in all the buildings across the nation will allow dramatic improvements to human health. Let’s be part of the solution by transforming your own homes.
By retrofitting your home and lowering the amount of energy you waste we will reduce the need to burn coal and other fossil fuels to generate electricity which will translate in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions or air pollution and a huge gain for our health. Let me give you some examples: if just one in ten households nationwide replaces their old heating and cooling system for a high efficient equipment, it would prevent the release of more than 17 billion pounds of greenhouse gases. Also, if every household in the United State replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, it would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking more than 800,000 cars off the streets.
Making your home more energy efficient, goes beyond that just saving you money, increasing your property value or helping the local economy; It will improve the quality of indoor air in your home and as consequence will improve your health and the ones you love.
An efficient home will reduce the energy waste and the exposure to air pollutants, asbestos, lead, radon, formaldehyde among other potential hazards for your health. By installing and efficient HVAC system or new high efficient windows will reduce the air pollutants exposure and will improve air temperature reducing the risk of respiratory health problems and coronary disease.
Your home is the place where you spend most of the time, making it healthy is a priority. Now with the PACE program, it is easy to make it more energy efficient and improve the safety, because you can make all the necessary upgrades now with O down payment and 100% financing with the first payment in one year. For more information on how to improve your property or how to apply for the PACE program, please, send us an email to floridaleedap@gmail.com. We go beyond building codes to improve the health of people and protect the planet.
By: Maria M. Hernandez, CGC #1515987 – LEED AP- Building Analyst- PACE certified
Ciudad Weston Newspaper
Welcome to Spring!
This is a perfect time to implement preventive measures to your home, to keep it safe and well maintained throughout the year. Now, with the PACE program, it is easy to replace the old leaky roof, unsafe old windows or the inefficient air condition. The PACE program, will allow you to do these projects in your property with 0 down payment, 100% finance with no payments for over a year. In some cases, the payment is offset by the savings produced by the new technology.
In my article, I will emphasize some mitigation and retrofit projects that will protect your life, your assets and will offer you savings while protecting the environment. So, let’s get into our home transformation mode to be ready for the season:
OLD ROOF RETROFIT: With the rainy and hurricane season around the corner, replacing that old leaky roof is a must. You will improve safety, protect your property from water damage and structural compromise. When re-roofing, it is important to consider other upgrades like adding a second water barrier that will offer more protection and more discount in your insurance premium. Also, this is the moment to strengthen the roof deck attachment and install hurricane straps which can help keep a home’s roof from blowing off.
Your best investment will be in the installation of a high reflectance or cool roof, because it will reflect sunlight and heat away from a building reducing up to 15% of annual air conditioning energy cost. This will reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions improving human health.
Another implementation when installing a new roof could be the installation of day-lighting systems to bring natural lighting in dark rooms to save energy. Also, consider the installation of a solar attic fan to reduce the heat and humidity from your attic to reduce energy consumption and to create a healthier indoor. With this solar system, you will earn 30% tax credit.
OLD WINDOWS AND DOORS: This is a high-ticket item, but with the PACE program you can install your new hurricane impact windows and doors now with zero down payment. Keeping your love ones and your property safe during hurricane season can’t wait. The best option replacing a conventional single pane window is to invest in the high-performance windows. By installing Energy Star windows and doors, you will have a better protection and will shrink energy bill and carbon footprint at the same time. With this investment in your property, you will save in energy bill, property insurance and you will save pounds of CO2 reducing your carbon footprint. These windows are the best investment to increase your property value.
NOISY AND INEFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONING: Sumer temperatures are just around the corner and if you still have an old system, your best defense will be to install a high efficient central air-conditioning, also, financed with the PACE program. By replacing an old 10 SEER AC unit with a high efficient 16 SEER AC (3 Ton air conditioning), you will save around 40% ($600) in energy bill yearly, also you will reduce your carbon footprint.
By implementing all these retrofits to your property, you will be ready for the season to offer the best protection to your loved ones and your asset while reducing your energy bill, maintenance cost and insurance premium. The moment is now, take advantage of the PACE program!
As a PACE certified contractor, I have witnessed the great benefits behind this excellent program; residential and commercial building owners are been able to transform their properties up to the latest codes, making it more resilient while reducing their properties insurance cost and increasing property value
From my Green building, professional experience, I have witnessed the “Green” side of this program, not just because the homeowner is saving money but because they are reducing their carbon footprint. One of the easiest ways to fight climate change is to start in our own homes by transforming our properties and making it more energy efficient. The results will produce a positive impact with triple bottom line: Economy, People and Planet, reducing pollution, creating healthier environments while growing the economy.
I believe the PACE program is more than just a financial tool to help property owners; it is the pathway for buildings transformation across the Nation and the accelerator that will unleash the power of renewable energy in the SUNSHINE State.
For more information about the program or to retrofit your property with the PACE program, please, send an email to: Floridaleedap@gmail.com H & H Design and Construction.
By: Maria M. Hernandez, CGC #1515987 – LEED AP- Building Analyst- PACE certified
Ciudad Weston Newspaper
Transformation of the gray, polluted town to a green, eco-friendly city with wind turbines and trees.
We end 2015 with optimism for the future! In a historical moment, one that can define the future of the planet and humankind, the whole world witnessed the negotiations on climate change in Paris. The future looks promising and healthier, thanks to the treaty made by world leaders at the 21st conference of the United Nations, COP21, where they agreed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, thereby holding the increase in average temperature to well below 2°C which will reduce the risk and impact of climate change. The fate of our planet and humanity is already in the political framework. Now is the time to respond to the urgency to make a positive lasting impact.
UNDERSTANDING THE URGENCY:
To unlock the opportunities of the 21st century economy, we must understand the urgency and challenges we are facing today. All the sectors present challenges, but the construction industry is one of the sectors with the greatest negative impact on Climate Change, which in turn contributes to large economic losses due to extreme weather events.
Globally, buildings are responsible for over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which would double by 2050, if we take no action to correct it. In the USA, more than 40% of the total consumption of energy is consumed in the residential and commercial buildings. But at the same time, these buildings have a great potential for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions which represents a great opportunity.
BUILDING’S HIDDEN VALUE:
Most buildings in the USA have been built without considering the impact of energy use on the environment. As many as 72% of the buildings constructed in the USA are completely outdated and inefficient. As a consequence, we waste billions of dollars in energy, causing a tremendous burden on the environment and climate change. By transforming these buildings into high-performance ones, their owners would benefit from the hidden value of its assets.
The Rockefeller Foundation and Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisers found that improving the efficiency of those buildings just by 30% with an initial investment of only $279 billion dollars would result in $1 trillion dollars of energy savings over 10 years, yielding a return on investment of 358% in a decade.
GREEN BUILDINGS:
After the meeting in Paris, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will commit to scaling green buildings to more than 5 billion square feet (478 million square meters) over the next five years through the LEED and EDGE green building rating systems. It is predicted that by 2018, the construction of Green Buildings will represent a positive impact.
2016 TIME TO LEAD!
With the recent international agreement on Climate Change (COP21), the timing could not be better to aspire and commit ourselves to a sustainable new year to ensure the success and well-being of humanity. Climate change is the challenge of the 21st century but also the greatest opportunity for the global low-carbon Economy that will pave the way to the renewable energies and new efficient technologies.
For consultation about building transformation, Corporate Social Responsibility, LEED Certification, please send an email to: floridaleedap@gmail.com .
By Maria M. Hernández, LEED AP ID +C
Ciudad Weston Newspaper
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