BUILDING CODE: SIX WAYS TO MAKE IT GREEN.Byline: THE NEW MEXICAN New Mexico Abbr. NM or N.M. or N.Mex. A state of the southwest United States on the Mexican border. It was admitted as the 47th state in 1912. The City Council will have a first hearing on the proposed green building code at 7 p.m. Wednesday, at the City Council Chambers, 200 Lincoln Ave. Builders must obtain minimum points in each of six categories, plus earn an extra 90 points from a menu of choices. Among the six categories for which new homes up to and including 3,000 square feet must qualify: u Implementation and site development -- (half an acre or larger, 20 points minimum; under half acre is 16 points min.) Examples: saving trees, orienting homes for passive solar
Passive solar technologies convert sunlight into usable heat, cause air-movement for ventilation or cooling, or store heat for future use, without gain, managing stormwater in landscape, siting homes near public transportation. u Resource efficiency (60 point min) Examples: using local building materials Building materials used in the construction industry to create . These categories of materials and products are used by and construction project managers to specify the materials and methods used for . , reducing construction waste, using energy efficient building materials u Energy efficiency -- (Must obtain a Home Energy Rating System, or HERS, 70, plus earn an additional 70 points Examples: window selection, building envelope A building envelope is the separation between the interior and the exterior environments of a building. It serves as the outer shell to protect the indoor environment as well as to facilitate its climate control. air sealing, duct sealing, and proper placement of air and vapor barriers from foundation to attic. u Water efficiency (45-point min) Examples: low-water use appliances and fixtures, rooftop rainwater catchment systems, graywater gray·wa·ter n. Wastewater from household baths and washing machines that is recycled especially for use in gardening or for flushing toilets. systems, landscapes designed to conserve water. u Indoor environmental quality (54 points) Examples: proper ventilation, natural materials that don't outgas out·gas v. out·gassed, out·gas·sing, out·gas·ses v.tr. To remove embedded gas from (a solid), as by heating or reducing the pressure. v.intr. To lose gas, as from a solid. u Operations, maintenance and sustainable practices. (14 points) Examples: providing homeowner with brochure in English and Spanish explaining the most efficient operation of home for maximum efficiency and indoor health. The New Mexican |
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