BCB Homes has a commitment to protect Southwest Florida’s beautiful communities by using methods of building that are environmentally friendly.
Over the past twenty years, “Green” or energy-efficient building methods have drastically evolved to benefit the building industry, the home owner, and the environment, and BCB Homes has been unknowingly building “Green” for at least 15 of those years. By using products that we knew would last, and by always trying to be on the frontier of new building technologies, BCB Homes builds a durable, sustainable home that will not only save the homeowner money, but will also help in saving environmental resources.
There is a promising future for “Green” homes. This method of building is a growing trend among many home builders nationwide, and a practice that BCB Homes has and will continue to implement into their construction methods.
“BCB Homes is truly a leader in providing durable, efficient, healthy homes that are beneficial for the environment.”
– Jennifer Languell, Ph.D., Trifecta Construction Solutions.
BCB Homes – Strategies for Building “Green”
Energy Efficiency
Customers today seek energy efficient homes to combat the rising costs of energy and alleviate environmental concerns. At BCB, our energy efficient homes include:
- The installation of energy efficient appliances
- Use of high-efficiency air conditioning equipment with programmable thermostats
- Pools with high efficiency pool pumps
- Recommendations for high performance impact glass in windows which is formulated to reject solar heat while maintaining visibility
- Glass shaded by landscaping, rooflines, awnings and shutters on southern and western exposures
- Construction of non-vented attics with insulation applied directly to the underside of the roof
Water Conservation
BCB Homes uses an innovative hot water recirculation system which ensures hot water is delivered immediately to any fixture. This feature helps conserve water since you do not have to waste the cold water out of the pipes while waiting for hot water to arrive.
BCB Homes also uses native, drought-tolerant plantings for the landscaping. This reduces the amount of water necessary for irrigation.
Indoor Air Quality
A BCB home maintains a relative humidity level below 50%. Lower relative humidity is accomplished through the installation of high-efficiency air conditioning equipment, separate dehumidification equipment and sealed attics. Many BCB homes include a device that introduces treated outdoor air into your home. This system provides fresh air to breathe and dilutes indoor air pollutants such as cleaning products, VOCs, odors and other household chemicals.
The use of temporary air conditioning and dehumidification system controls the climate in your home during construction and prevents contaminants from entering your permanent air distribution system, which is not activated until the majority of the construction is completed.
All BCB homes are also tested upon completion to ensure that the air conditioning, ventilation, and dehumidification systems are operating within their performance parameters.
Health
Spray foam insulation is a high-performance insulation and air barrier system that works to minimize the intrusion of outdoor pollen, allergens, pollution heat and humidity from entering the home. This system seals the home, which controls moisture transfer through the building envelope and increases the energy efficiency of the home. BCB Homes uses this type of insulation in just about every home we build.
Another benefit of a BCB home is that the duct registers, boxes and other openings are protected during construction to ensure the cleanliness and integrity of the air conditioning distribution system. BCB Homes keeps ducts sealed until A/C system start-up or until all interior finish work is complete keeping the home healthy.
Durability
BCB Homes uses impact windows that withstand winds of 120 to 150 miles per hour. Therefore, if a window is hit by flying debris, the windows may break but will not shatter.
BCB Homes also constructs their homes with concrete and concrete block for all exterior walls, arches, columns and balconies. Why? Because concrete is strong, requires minimal maintenance, cannot be damaged by water, and does not promote mold growth.
Environmentally Friendly Actions
BCB Homes has been using planet-friendly refrigerant, R-410A, years before it was required by the EPA in 2010. This refrigerant is utilized because it does not deplete the ozone layer.
BCB Homes also uses low voltage light fixtures to achieve more energy efficiency. MR (Multifaceted Reflector) bulbs offer major advantages over the standard PAR halogens. They produce a lot more light for the wattage, are smaller than the PAR Halogens, 85% of the heat generated by these bulbs is dissipated to the rear of the bulb and means that you can have the fixtures much closer to what you are displaying. Also, MR bulbs are available in several different beam angles.
Another feature of some homes is the salt water pool system which uses salt to make the chlorine for the pool. These systems save you money and are beneficial because they can monitor and clean themselves.
Green Certification Organizations
- Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC)
FGBC is a nonprofit 501(C)3 Florida corporation dedicated to improving the built environment. The FGBC Green Home Standard indicates the criteria by which a Florida home, new or existing, can be designated green. Certifying Agents can guide designers, builders or homebuyers through the process of qualifying and documenting green homes.See more about FGBC’s Home Certification Standard by visiting: http://floridagreenbuilding.org/homes - National Association of Home Builders Green (NAHB)
ICC 700 National Green Building Standard™ is the first and only residential green building rating system to undergo the full consensus process and receive approval from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The Standard defines green building for single- and multifamily homes, residential remodeling projects, and site development projects while still allowing for the flexibility required for regionally-appropriate best green practices.Learn more about NAHB’s Green Building Standard by visiting: http://www.nahbgreen.org/NGBS/default.aspx - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED for Homes)
LEED for Homes is an internationally-recognized green building certification system. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in March 2000, LEED for Homes provides home owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
