Intent: To construct buildings that residents and visitors enjoy, that are durable, cost-effective, comfortable, environmentally healthy, delightful, fully useful, and easily maintained. Strategy: "SWAP EXPENSES" — the strategy guiding these practices is to reallocate costs within the project budget to maintain or decrease initial costs and significantly lower operating and maintenance costs. Detailed Practices (by project phase):
1.	SITE SELECTION (Residential) (to reduce land cost):
•	Try to find a suitable rehab of an old building; or select a previously used ("brownfields") site; or try to infill between other existing uses.
•	Find a site near services (stores, transportation, etc.) and employment.
•	Avoid any construction on prime agricultural or soils of statewide importance.
2.	SITE DESIGN: (Residential)
•	For new construction, identify the optimal location(s) by using natural resource inventory / assessment of soil, slopes, wetlands and surface water, and wildlife areas and movement corridors, and design to protect special features (higher initial costs that minimize site development costs).
•	Minimize road length(s) and width(s) (cost savings) and design functional pedestrian and bicycle circulation system (cost varies by site).
•	Connect units and site with existing or proposed foot or bike paths (minimal cost).
•	Orient buildings for passive winter solar gain and daylight (no cost)
•	Save and reuse topsoil and existing plantings, and protect best trees for shading and aesthetics (low initial cost, with overall cost savings)
•	Design parking for summer shading and winter ice melt (no or minimal cost).
•	Reduce summer heat island with shade trees (higher landscaping costs for reused or new trees, with no or lower AC costs).
•	Minimize pavement; explore creating on-site water features (wetlands, ponds, water gardens) to retain and recharge or hold storm water (cost varies by site).
•	Use rain barrels or cisterns to catch roof rainwater for watering plantings (minimal initial cost, save on water use) or to supplement on-site water features.
•	Maximize naturalized landscaped areas and minimize lawn areas (varies by site).
•	Use full cut-off outdoor lighting fixtures to focus light down rather than out and up (less glare; better visibility; increased security; less energy use)
OPTION: Explore reducing parking required (based on documented lower car ownership of fewer than two cars per household, rather than more than 2 cars per household).
3.	BUILDING DESIGN: (Residential)
•	Encourage a simple footprint and roofline and basic floor plan with minimal customization to save design/construction costs (cost savings).
•	Design roof for future solar panels for electricity or water heating (within 20 degrees of solar south). (no or minimal cost)
•	Design roof overhangs for winter passive solar heat gain and summer shading-i.e. two foot overhang, 18 inches above south facing windows (minimal cost)
•	Use a passive solar floor plan, with living space on south, and storage, utilities on north (no cost).
•	Design in 2-foot increments to minimize framing waste and save labor (cost savings)
•	Centrally locate heating unit to minimize materials and labor for duct/pipe runs and heat loss (cost savings)
•	Stack plumbing to minimize plumbing materials and labor (cost savings)
•	If not common supply, locate water heater near bath and kitchen to minimize plumbing materials and labor and water use (cost savings)
•	Reallocate expenses by increasing effective insulation R values, requiring air sealing, and providing controlled ventilation, and then decreasing size of heating unit, avoiding need for AC, and lowering fuel consumption (no cost or savings).
•	Choose light colored 30 year minimum roofing to reduce summer heat gain (no cost).
Minimal initial cost, with reasonable payback:
•	Hire an energy engineer/analyst to optimize design for minimal heat/cooling loads.
•	One-third of heat loss is air leakage—Require air sealing (gasket at plates; 6" minimum raised heel trusses, insulated foundation and headers; and thermal break in walls [i.e. with 1/2" taped rigid foam on interior as air and vapor barrier]), and blower door test each unit after construction to meet goal of 0.35 air changes per hour (ACH) or less, paid for by contractor (low initial cost, with overall cost savings).
•	Require sealed combustion water heater, boiler, furnace.
•	Require water efficient showerheads (with manual shutoffs), kitchen and bath faucets, and toilets.
•	Specify Energy Star refrigerators, washer/dryer, dishwasher; if not included, provide list of energy efficient appliances (from Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, www.neep.org).
•	Use non-metal-frame double-hung windows with exterior screens that minimize bird collisions (U of 0.33 or R-3 minimum, i.e. low-e argon-filled)
•	Provide mechanical ventilation with high quality kitchen and/or bath fans with outdoor exhaust and passive outside air inlets for controlled ventilation
•	Include ceiling fans, or at least pre-wire (to help avoid need for air conditioners).
•	Design in recycling collection and storage areas for units and complex.
•	Provide entry grates at high volume entries (to minimize interior maintenance from mud, sand).
•	Design bicycle storage into complex or units.
OPTION: Require Energy Star Home certification (30% better than Model Energy Code) to save on fuel cost, reduce or eliminate need for AC, and improve moisture management and indoor air quality.
4.	BUILDING CONSTRUCTION: (Residential)
•	Use optimized framing techniques, i.e. 2 foot span, dry wall clips, etc. (cost savings)
•	Choose certified lumber and wood products where cost effective (i.e. high volume, by the truckload)
•	Use engineered lumber products, and finger-jointed trim (low cost)
•	Encourage or require some % salvaged, refurbished, recycled, and/or locally made materials (minimal additional cost, especially if in high volume).
•	Specify fixtures dedicated for compact florescent light bulbs (except in closets) (higher initial cost, bulb replacement, labor, and energy cost savings).
•	Insulate all hot water lines (minimal cost)
•	Rough-in for gas to range, dryer, water heater, even if not currently used (minimal cost).
•	Require CFC free insulation, foams, and materials (no cost).
•	Use "no/low stink" materials and finishes (no cost).
•	Encourage or require contractor to minimize waste and require 50% recycling (minimal contractor cost; municipal cost savings).
5.	OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (O&M): (Residential)
•	If not shaded by trees, consider providing movable interior window shades on east and west windows to block early morning and late afternoon sun to minimize the need for air conditioning (transfer expense from AC to initial shade purchase).
•	Experiment with locating easily understandable electric and/or gas meters where they can be observed by residents-experience elsewhere shows that with awareness of use, people often will reduce their own energy consumption (no or low initial cost).
•	Provide orientation binder with unit (warranties, maintenance instructions, etc.) (labor and copying to produce binder, likely lower O&M).
HIGHER INITIAL COST OPTIONS  (that reduce fuel cost and O&M):
•	Upgrade window thermal performance (w/exterior screens to reduce bird collisions).
•	Upgrade insulation.
•	Install moveable window quilts for larger glass areas.
•	Increase air-sealing details to decrease air change/hour to 0.15 ACH.
•	Heat exchangers require electrical energy to recover heat energy. Use should be based on design needs, considering building tightness, air pollution sources, occupant needs, heating demand, and electrical load.
•	Wastewater heat recovery can be cost effective with high water consumption.
•	Install photovoltaic panels for electricity
•	Install solar thermal system for heating water or space.
•	Choose more durable materials for roofing, siding, floors, countertops, etc. Go to top of page
		This site is a collaboration of The Jordan Institute and the Audubon Society of New Hampshire - November, 2001