Sustainable Architecture is a general term that describes environmentally-conscious design techniques in the field of architecture. Sustainable architecture is framed by the larger discussion of sustainability. In the broad context, sustainable architecture seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by enhancing efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space. Most simply, the idea of sustainability is to ensure that our actions and decisions today do not inhibit the opportunities of future generations. This term can be used to describe an energy and ecologically conscious approach to the design of the built environment.

Lutron Shade Control: Shading systems save energy by harvesting daylight and reducing the load on HVAC systems, making any project more eco-friendly. Shading can also be made from eco-friendly fabrics that are PVC-free and made of 100% recycled Sustainable Materials.

Energy Monitoring Systems: Web-based monitoring programs that show real-time energy use are changing homeowners’ behavior and thus drive energy conservation. Touch screen – based dashboards provides homeowners with real time data on the home’s energy usage, allowing them to modify their behavior to operate more efficiently. These energy management solutions are compatible with any utility company in the world. Homeowners are now able to keep their home comfortable at all times monitoring temperature and humidity levels automatically. No need to get up or even be home to adjust climate controls, you can control multiple zones from one location and easily pre-set temperature set points. Keep your home at a more energy efficient temperature while you're out, and programmed to automatically adjust to more comfortable levels by the time you get home.

Whole House Lighting Control: Architects and designers know how important lighting is. They understand how light can completely change the look and feel of a space. Imagine being able to set the lighting in any part of your house to just the right level - at the touch of a button. Or turn off all the lights in your home right from your bedside table. Or how about having the lights inside your house turn on when you click your garage door opener in your car. It used to be that systems like this were only for rich people. Not anymore. Today’s homes are constructed with sophisticated lighting controls to fit the homeowner’s lifestyle - affordably. With Lutron, Vantage or Crestron systems you can take advantage of daylight and occupancy sensors and can have the systems turn on/off lights, raise/lower window shades or adjust room temperature according to changes in light or the time of day. Without any input from the user, this greatly reduces energy costs and usage.

Super-Efficient Windows: Integrity by Marvin. LoE3-366 glass is now a glazing option for the maker’s windows and doors. The glass provides a superior energy-efficiency with three layers of silver oxide. Like other Low E coatings, LoE3-366 helps keep heat inside in the winter and outside during the summer, offering homeowners lower energy bills. The glazing also has an improved U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient, both of which allow windows with LoE3-366 to meet standards for federal tax credits of 30% up to $1,500.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling: Your own backyard has the potential to be an energy source for heating and cooling comfort. Outdoor air temperatures fluctuate throughout the year with the changing seasons. In contrast, ground temperatures about four to six feet below the earth's surface remain relatively moderate and constant all year. That's because the earth absorbs 47% of all the heat energy that reaches its surface from the sun. A geothermal system circulates a water-based solution through a buried loop system to take advantage of these constant temperatures. Geo-exchange systems have the ability to heat and cool your home, as well as provide some or all of your home's domestic hot water. Furthermore, geo-exchange systems provide heating systems for pools, hot tubs and exterior snow melt.

A geothermal heating and cooling system is an excellent alternative to the escalating cost in natural gas prices; particularly since residential consumers have absorbed a 27% increase in natural gas costs. With no end in sight to the elevated natural gas prices, installing a geo-exchange system will save you 30%-70% on your utility costs annually.

Photovoltaic Solar Energy: Residential solar panels are becoming more and more popular as our search for alternative energy sources expands. As the gas prices go up, many Americans are starting to realize just how finite our supplies of oil and coal really are. Photovoltaic panels are a great way to begin looking for the answers.

No longer are residential solar power systems just for homes that are far from the power grid. Homes in cities and suburbs can use and benefit from solar power, especially now that it is more affordable.

Solar power panels generate DC (Direct Current) electrical energy. This kind of electrical energy will be run through an inverter to generate Alternating current (Alternating Current) energy. This electricity is then run into your Alternating current electrical power panel, which feeds energy to your utility company’s power grid. In case your solar energy array generated sufficient electrical power, your utility meter would certainly begin to run backward!

Closed Cell - High Performance Insulation: Building a new energy-efficient homes that are also affordable can require a great deal of thought and careful planning but smart homeowners know that the best choice for insulating their new homes is Spray Polyurethane Foam insulation (SPF insulation) – it’s the easy choice for efficient comfort. Spray foam insulation is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to fiber insulation. While other insulation systems may seem cheaper upon first glance, they don't compare to spray foam insulation when you understand how R-Values and air barriers can impact your monthly energy savings. SPF insulation can help homeowners like you save more money - up to 40% in savings - on monthly energy bills.

Energy Star Appliances / Fixtures: There can be a significant difference in the energy consumption of appliances. Energy Guide labels are present on all major appliances to help select the most efficient models. However, this information does not indicate whether one has selected the most efficient appliance. The most efficient appliance will have certain features that should guide the homeowner to selecting the most efficient model with those features.

An example is clothes washers that are top loading vertical axis machines are not as efficient as clothes washers that are front loaders with a horizontal axis – both in energy and water use. The improvement by using a front loader can exceed 50% in both energy and water use. Start by identifying the features (in this case, horizontal axis design) that create the most efficient energy consumption of an appliance as a starting point.

Top loading machines, when used, should be selected according to the number of energy saving features that are offered in temperature settings, rinse cycles, and load sizes.

Refrigerators similarly have different efficiencies according to features such as defrosting characteristics (manual, partial automatic, automatic), door style, and size. The top freezer models outperform the side by side models and partial automatic or manual defrost models are the most efficient.

Many dishwashers offer special features that improve energy efficiency. Booster heaters and no-heat drying are two helpful features. It is also important to know how much water is required by the different models and select those that can accomplish the cleaning with the least amount of water.