About Green Building

In a broad sense, green building means applying new thinking to the way we build, remodel, renovate and develop our residences and communities. It promotes a mindset that enables healthy, mutually beneficial relationships between human, technical and natural systems.

Green building starts with the design of the home, specifically site selection and the orientation of the home. Each is a crucial component of green design. A great deal of energy can be conserved if a home is simply oriented North-South to decrease Western exposures in the summer months.

Also, design decisions, especially pertaining to floor plan layout, roof overhangs, and window placement can help to drastically reduce demands for energy during the warm summer months.

Green building goes beyond reducing energy use or improving indoor air quality. It is about addressing the whole system, not just the pieces. The financial case for improving your home’s energy efficiency is getting stronger and stronger.

With utility costs rising, it is becoming more and more expensive to operate a home. Nevada Power continues to raise power rates as state regulators recently approved a rate increase for the region's main electric utility.


	Conventional building methodology views each project in terms of its component parts - the insulation, the wiring, the plumbing, the landscaping, the climate, building orientation, interior finishes, etc. However, green building looks at the interactions between everything. It is a whole-house approach that benefits builders, homeowners and the environment.