Renovating, Retrofitting, and Transforming Existing Homes into Exceptional Green Homes
BPC Green Builders transforms existing houses into homes that provide similar high performance benefits to the new homes we build. The industry term for this process is Deep Green Retrofitting. It’s most cost-effectively done as part of a whole house renovation or major remodeling project.
The homes BPC renovates and remodels are sustainable and offer numerous benefits that only green homes can offer, including exceptional energy efficiency, unsurpassed comfort, a healthy indoor environment, and a lower cost of ownership.
Can Your Home Be Converted into a Green Home?
The primary requirement for your home to be a good candidate for a green home renovation
is if its “envelope” can be reconfigured cost-effectively.
Your home’s “envelope” includes the walls, floors, foundation, and ceilings that separate its conditioned (heated and cooled) areas from the outside and the areas of your home that are not conditioned, such as a garage.
Some, but not all, existing homes can be converted into green homes that can be certified as meeting one or more established residential green building standards.
BPC can evaluate your home’s green potential and discuss with you the type and magnitude of renovations and green retrofitting needed to meet your goals for energy efficiency, sustainability, health, air quality, durability, cost, and more. We’ll also discuss any interior reconfiguration or additions you may wish to include as part of the green renovation retrofit and whole house renovation.
Undertaking a deep green retrofit is the ideal time to renovate or remodel your entire home. The converse is also true. Undertaking a whole house renovation or remodel is the perfect time to convert your existing home into a green home. Because of overlaps in what is done for each, combining a whole house renovation and remodel with a deep green energy retrofit reduces costs, duplication of effort, waste, time, and money compared to approaching them as two separate undertakings.
What Makes Green Home Renovations Different from Traditional Whole House Renovations?
From day one, deep green energy retrofit work must be an integral part of the project. Certain elements that make a home green cannot be added as an afterthought. They must be part of the home renovation’s DNA.
Converting a home into a green home always involves:
- Changes to the home’s envelope
- Heating, cooling, ventilation, and hot water system upgrades
- The use of green building materials and product selections for the project
- And more
Deep green retrofits follow the three prime directives of living green:
Reduce
Converting an existing home to a green home uses less new building material and reduces the amount of materials that would go into a landfill compared to tearing down your home and building a new one.
Reuse
In many instances, elements of your existing home that you can’t or don’t want to reuse in your deep green retrofit—like doors, hardware, windows, appliances, etc.—can be donated to nonprofits and other organizations that can reuse the materials for other building and renovation projects.
Recycle
When your existing home is renovated to be a green home, instead of unused material and construction waste going to the landfill, additional efforts are made to recycle as much as possible.
Why Choose BPC Green Builders
Established in 1998, BPC was one of the first green builders in the area. Ever since, BPC has been leading the way for other green home builders to follow.
All new and many renovated BPC homes meet or exceed established green building certification requirements, standards that far exceed local building codes for energy performance, durability, health, and comfort.
Some, but not all, existing homes can be converted into green homes that can be certified as meeting one or more established residential green building standards.
What BPC Brings to the Table
- Exceptional knowledge of green building strategies, materials, and best practices
- An extensive, award-winning, 20-plus year track record of meeting and exceeding some of the highest green building certification standards
- A no-cost evaluation of your existing home’s potential for a green home retrofit
- Providing you and your architect the information and guidance you need about green building certification standards so you can set the right green goals for your home
- Architectural design, engineering, and other green building support before and during design and construction
- Green home building material, systems, and product selections
- Preliminary budget guidance, interim, and final budgeting
- Computer modeling to confirm that your home renovation plans will meet the green performance standards desired
- Project and construction planning and coordination
- Subcontractor selection and recommendations
- Obtain municipal building permits and approvals
- Construction management experience and expertise
- Managing all building inspections, green home verifications, and certifications
- Warranty work if needed
Learn More About Our Green Retrofit Work
We have an extensive online portfolio where you can learn more about our past work and what it’s like to work with BPC Green Builders on green retrofits and renovations. Visit our Photo Gallery where you can see images and read case studies for highlighted projects. You can also read reviews from clients, architects, and industry professionals.
