Services Provided by Healthier Dwelling for Building Officials

Enable your municipality to profit from the growth in Green and Sustainable Building.

With the Construction Industry hurting so, how does a Building & Planning Department to survive? There is one sector of residential and commercial construction and remodeling that is doing fine and expanding. Healthier Dwelling can help your municipality profit from the growth in Green and Sustainable Building. Home buyers want healthy, quality, energy efficient homes, even if they are smaller. For more information, see the article: Third Party Certified Green Homes Results in Faster Sales and Higher Home Values. Learn how you can use the services of Healthier Dwelling keep the construction and remodeling business going in your area.

When reviewing design proposals, suggest ways to economize on materials and equipment while improving the health, durability, and efficiency of the building.

Green Designs create more value in a building, and they don't necessarily cost more. As a Certified Energy Plans Examiner, Healthier Dwelling can help you review design proposals and suggest ways to economize on materials and equipment while improving the health, durability, and efficiency of the building. The new 2008 Title 24 takes effect July 1, 2009 raising the bar by 15% in all of California. Double pane, low-E windows can no longer be used for energy credits, as they have become the default standard. Architects and builders will be planning more carefully and economize, particularly in sizing mechanical systems. In the past, HVAC systems have often been oversized, leading to poor performance and unnecessary expense.

Help you understand how the new regulations allow energy efficient designs to collect incentives, rebates and tax credits offered by federal, state and local governments and by utility companies.

State and local Codes and Regulations are changing at a confusing rate, but Healthier Dwelling can help you be one of the Building officials who is riding high on this Green Wave of change.  Understanding the fundamentals of the new regulations can allow builders and home owners to take advantage of the emerging market for sustainable building and collect the incentives, rebates and tax credits offered by federal, state and local governments and by utility companies. Many municipalities are adopting new Green Building Ordinances, often based on LEED or GreenPoint ratings, and allowing Green designs to qualify for lower permit fees and expedited plan check. Healthier Dwelling can help you facilitiate this process rather than experience it as just another set of demands on your limited time.

Help Architects and Builders reduce the amount of energy and water their buildings consume, so as to help your municipality meet its Climate Change goals and water quotas.

Healthier Dwelling can help you and your clients reduce their out-of-pocket expense and maximize their return-on-investment. REDUCE the amount of energy your building needs, then PRODUCE on-site renewable energy from the sun, wind and water.

Understand Passive House principles which drastically reduce the energy consumption of buildings, far exceeding the 2008 Title 24 Energy Code and approaching the Net Zero Energy mandate of AB32.

Super insulated homes with passive solar design and proper shading require extremely little heating and cooling, especially in our mild Bay area climate zone. The Passive Haus principles developed on over 10,000 homes in Germany and around the world have proven remarkable effective. Owners save money by downsizing the mechanical equipment, and keep saving money every month on their utility bill. Several of these homes have been constructed in Urbana, Illinois and elsewhere in the US as documented in the book, "Homes for a Changing Climate." A recent issue of Home Energy magazine ran their cover article on the "First US Passive Home", a gut remodel by Nabib Tahan in Berkeley. Soon you will be seeing plans for a Passive House in your jurisdictions. Healthier Dwelling can help you understand how these homes differ from conventional construction practices.