In most cases, renovating an existing house can be considered more environmentally friendly than building a new "green" house, even when that new construction incorporates sustainable elements.
I was once fortunate enough to be privy to a conversation between a crusty remodeler and a “Green Products” vendor at a trade show. The vendor was advertising all the benefits to the environment (and humanity) that their products provide. Save the planet, think of the children, healthy lifestyle, save money etc. We all know the buzz words, and it sounds great - who doesn’t want those things? And who wants the guilt of feeling personally responsible for the demise of our beautiful blue marble? I’m all in!
Enter Mr. Crusty.
Like standing next to a bullet train of words, he unleashed his rebuttal. All I could do was stand in amazement as this unassuming and aged man opened the institutional sized, #10 can of whoop-ass and fed it to the vendor by the shovel full. I could begin to quote the exchange, but only in fear of being banned from this wonderful newspaper.
With the help of AI wizardry and some Google searches the following is what he was effectively trying to portray to the vendor.
Embodied Energy: Existing buildings already represent a significant investment of embodied energy, which is the energy used in the extraction, manufacture, transportation, and construction of all the materials that went into building it. Tearing down an existing structure to build new essentially throws away this embodied energy and requires using even more energy and resources for new materials and construction.
Reduced Waste: New construction generates significant waste: Demolition of existing structures and the construction process itself produce considerable amounts of waste that often end up in landfills.
Repurposing Structures: Renovating allows for the reuse and repurposing of existing structures and materials, significantly reducing waste. For instance, one calculation suggests revamping an older house instead of building new saves the carbon equivalent of 93 cars driving for a full year.
Material Conservation: Renovations often involve reusing materials like bricks, timber, and steel, which conserves natural resources that would otherwise be used to create new materials. This aligns with a circular economy, promoting continuous reuse and recycling of materials.
Time to Offset: While new green homes are designed for efficiency, it can take years – even decades – for the energy savings of a new energy-efficient building to offset the high upfront environmental impact of its construction. Studies have shown that it can take 10 to 80 years for a new energy-efficient building to catch up with an older, energy-retrofitted building in terms of climate impacts.
Resource conservation: New construction depletes natural resources: Building new requires extracting and processing raw materials like timber, metals, and minerals, which can lead to deforestation, habitat destruction, and resource depletion. Renovation, on the other hand, conserves resources: By repurposing existing materials, renovations reduce the demand for virgin resources and the associated environmental impact.
Faster project completion and cost savings: Renovations are often faster and potentially more affordable: Adaptive reuse projects can be completed quicker and potentially at a lower cost than building new, particularly if the existing structure is sound and reusable. In essence, the "greenest" building is often the one that already exists, especially when renovation efforts focus on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and the use of sustainable materials. Ultimately, the most environmentally sound choice depends on various factors, including the condition of the existing structure, the scope of the project, and the commitment to sustainable practices during both renovation and potential new construction. As eco-consciousness continues to rise in popularity with consumers, the building industry has birthed a slew of sustainable vendors – and some that just aren't.
Let the buyer beware: The green living magazine “New Life Journal” suggests that home renovators do some investigating before jumping at a green price tag. A lot of products marketed as green due to their energy efficiency ratings may use less electricity than some of their counterparts on the market but may also be constructed out of wholly unsustainable materials or made in environmentally harmful ways. What may appear green might not be green at all. This is a marketing ploy known as “Greenwashing.” I don’t know if Mr. Crusty had heard of the term before but he sure knows what it is.
Warren O'Shea is the owner of O’Shea Builders LLC, Maine’s most award-winning remodeling contractor. He has 35-plus years of residential remodeling experience. He is a certified home inspector and has been featured on HGTV, Food Network, and Maine Cabin Masters. He is a recipient of the Portland Police Department’s “Citizen Award,” and is a staunch consumer advocate. Warren has, and continues to, co-author articles for nationally distributed trade magazines. <
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