Building Basics
LSU AgCenter’s The Sustainable Louisiana House Checklist
LSU Ag Center has compiled a checklist of features and components of a sustainable house in Louisiana. It also has a Reference Guide for more information about items on the checklist.
Building Your Louisiana House
Find information on advantageous components of a sustainable house in Louisiana, a range of ways to address the criteria – from low-cost options to higher-end, higher-performance solutions and basic principles of building science that should be considered when choosing and installing any building system or technology in a hot-humid or mixed-humid climate.
Building Science’s Book to Building in Hot & Humid Climates
One of the most important things to consider when building in New Orleans is building for humidity. This book specifically addresses those issues.
LSU AgCenter Home Improvement guides
LSU AgCenter’s home improvement guide lists ways to make your home stronger, safer and smarter with both energy-saving and hazard-resistant improvements for remodeling or restoration.
US Dept of Energy’s Consumer Guide to Home Energy Efficiency
On this website, you can learn how to use the energy in your home more efficiently and how to use renewable energy to provide your home with electricity, heating, cooling, and water heating.
Lowe’s Guide to Home Energy Efficiency
Lowe’s Home improvement store lists simple and inexpensive steps that you can take to make your home more energy efficient and these solutions often bring big returns. As a bonus, they benefit the environment.
Eco-Friendly Ways to Build a House
US Dept of Energy Solar Energy Page
This is the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website about Solar Energy Technologies. Learn about concentrating solar power, photovoltaics, solar heating and solar lighting.
Free Sun Power
Great intro guide to the types of solar panels and their installation.
EERE’s Consumer’s Guide to Radiant Heating
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solar Energy Technologies program website about Radiant Heating. Topics include: radiant floor heat, types of floors, and installation guide.
Water Efficiency 101 from inhabitat.com
Great intro on how to make your home more water efficient. Topics include: Water Collection and Reuse, Irrigation, and Indoor Water Use.
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is a small network consisting of public and private organizations working to promote the industry throughout North America. They offer classes throughout the country.
US EPA Intro to Green Roofs
US EPA site offers an introduction to green roofs.
Green Building Resources
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Finding a Green Contractor
www.usgbc.org
U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) website. It lists building professionals accredited by the USGBC for having “demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and familiarity with LEED requirements, resources and processes.”
www.usgbc-louisiana.org
Local chapter of the USGBC is a group of volunteer professionals in the green building industry.
Find a Solar Professional
This online directory has linked thousands of home and small business owners around the country to qualified solar energy system installers serving their area. The web site also gives consumers a place to estimate costs and output of solar systems for hot water, electricity, and pool or spa heating.
www.neworleanssolarmap.org
This City of New Orleans website offers both a solar calculator which helps to estimate the amount of solar panels needed on your home as well as a solar map that pinpoints solar installations throughout the city.
