The Building Industry Association of Hawaii (BIA-Hawaii) recently celebrated the blessing of The New Hawaiian Home and here are green building strategies that can modernize and enhance any home:

• Lower your electricity use and save big on your energy costs. Reduce your interior lighting and air conditioner use by placing and sizing windows for cross ventilation and natural day lighting. Keep heat out of your home with radiant barriers, insulation, Energy Star dual paned windows, cool roofs and awnings to shade your windows. Save big money by using Energy Star appliances and light fixtures, LED light bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs, solar water heaters and photovoltaic panels to generate electricity.

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• Lower your construction cost by using panelized wall construction, engineered wood roof trusses and engineered wood floor joists that all use less materials and create no waste. If you use recycled concrete for compacted base course fill under the slab, you’ll save more. Your day-to-day maintenance costs are reduced with the 50-year warranty coverage offered on cementitious siding and metal roofs, so you are cooler and no termites! Use plants that thrive in your area, less grass, less water by harvesting rain water from your roof and an irrigation system. Hundreds of materials are now designed for easy maintenance of floors, counter tops, tub and shower surrounds.

• Lower your water bill and sewage fees with low flow shower heads and faucets, low flush toilets and using harvested rain-water to water your yard. Breath clean air and be healthier by using low voc (volatile organic compounds) materials and natural materials that do not give off gas toxins.

Come to the New Hawaiian Home seminar and visit our booth at the BIA Remodel It Right, Remodel It Green Expo Aug. 26-28 at the Hawaii Convention Center. Learn about how we built Green and get information about the contractors, products and suppliers.

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Karen Nakamura is executive vice president / CEO of Building Industry Association of Hawaii.