GOPB 7 - The Envelope

Promise 7: I pledge to invest in the best possible building envelope through insulation and high-performance windows.

For the vast majority of us this isn’t really an option unless we want to start some sort of letter writing campaign to the owner of the building where we lease space or begin breaking window in hopes of getting them replaced. Construction decisions are rarely in the hands of lessees and probably with good reason. If you don’t own the building it is easy to imagine that something like replacing all the stairs with slides and fireman poles is a good idea (I already have some preliminary drawings).

There are, of course, some exceptions. Those of you who own the building in which you work or those who have some say in fitting out a new space can influence these choices. Even those of us who rent might be able to put in our two cents during a renovation if we have been good tenants up to that point. In these cases it is important to realize that improving the envelope of the building is the most effective “greening” you can do.

Insulation, windows and the materials used in the exterior of your office (or any other structure) far outweigh nearly any other green element you might use. Your fancy solar panels and geo-thermal system are all for naught without the proper envelope. Even if you don’t have control over you office environment this is important to remember for your home and any other structure you might build. I know my 100k birdhouse would be far less impressive if I hadn’t paid the proper attention to its insulation and windows.

Chad’s Green Tips

Chad is on vacation and after WordPress erased this post once, I have lost some of the will to research this topic myself. So, until Chad brings his green geekiness back from California, you will have to settle for a couple of useful links.

First check out this 100k house post on insulation from January of this year. I know that in internet terms that makes it 85 years old, but there is some good stuff in there.

If that doesn’t quite do it for you, I’ll take the lazy man’s way out and refer you to this Wikipedia article on r-values. After working your way through that beast you should be fed up enough to forget that I didn’t give you any window related information.

Don’t worry, we’ll make Chad update this when he gets back or maybe someone will give us some tips in the comments . . . anyone?

This post is part of our ongoing, 30 part series breaking down the Green Office Pledge. Sign up for the pledge and be sure to check out the rest of the series for more tips and anectdotes.