CHICAGO Green Home Guide

Transcription

1 CHICAGO Green Home Guide

2 Table of Contents Introduction to Your Green Home The Purpose of this Manual... 4 What Are Green Buildings?... 4 Why Are Green Buildings Important?... 6 Your Role in Your Green Home... 6 Green Highlights at AMLI Maintenance Schedule Day One at AMLI Emergency Information Program Your Thermostat How to Have a Healthy Home Indoor Air Pollution Paints and Coatings Airborne Particles Ventilation Green Cleaning By selecting AMLI as your home, you have the foundation to create a healthy, green living space. How to Save Money on Your Utilities Lighting and Appliances Heating and Cooling Exterior Structure and Envelope Water Use Community Resources AMLI Recyclables What s in the Area? Learn More Environmental Impact of Energy Use Energy and the Environment Water and the Environment Natural Resources and the Environment Green Power Appendix: LEED Checklists Operations and Maintenance Manual 3

3 Introduction The Purpose of This Manual This manual provides you with basic information about the special features of your green home. We hope you will use it to develop an understanding of our green features, save money on utilities, further reduce your environmental footprint, and keep your home healthy. What are Green Buildings? A green home is designed and built to be healthy, comfortable, durable, energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible. A common misconception is that all new buildings built to meet building code requirements are high-quality and high-performance homes. However, many new buildings do not achieve much in the way of the green benefits listed. Whereas green buildings are built to exceed the performance levels offered by conventional, code-compliant homes. USGBC The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable practices in the building industry. To better serve its mission, the USGBC created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ) green building program, which is the preeminent program for design, construction, maintenance and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED encourages developers to be more sustainable in terms of project location, water, energy, indoor air, operations and purchasing, innovation, and regional environmental concerns. Every project is required to meet minimum sustainable standards and receives a final level of certification based on the number of sustainable efforts accomplished. The property is then awarded a certification level of certified, silver, gold, or platinum. 4 Operations and Maintenance Manual 5

4 Why are Green Buildings Important? Buildings have a significant environmental impact. It is estimated that buildings annually consume more than 30% of the total energy and more than 60% of the electricity used in the United States. Developing more sustainable buildings helps mitigate this environmental impact and creates enormous benefits for the environment and for the buildings occupants. Your Role in Your Green Home By selecting AMLI as your home, you have the foundation to create a healthy, green living space. But just like your car, your home needs regular maintenance to prevent equipment malfunctions, minimize health risks, and keep it operating as efficiently as possible. A green building may also have special features that you may be unfamiliar with. Some of these special features have operational and maintenance requirements that will help to ensure that your home remains environmentally responsible and resource-efficient. This manual provides operational and maintenance tips on how to keep your new LEED certified home healthy, comfortable, durable, efficient, and environmentally responsible. Look for the logos! 6 Operations and Maintenance Manual 7

5 ENERGY STAR The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s (EPA s) ENERGY STAR Program was created to help identify the best ways to save energy. It is a voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. Certified Communities Our ENERGY STAR certified communities reduce energy, save money, and help protect the environment by generating fewer greenhouse gas emissions than typical multifamily communities. To be certified as ENERGY STAR, our communities must meet strict energy performance standards set by the EPA. Specifically, to be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification, a community must earn an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher, indicating that it performs better than at least 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide. The ENERGY STAR score is based on actual operating efficiency, taking into account each community s size and variations in weather. Certification is Annual Certification is given on an annual basis, so each community must maintain its high performance to be recertified each year. The energy use data submitted in the certification application must be verified by a licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect to be eligible for approval. AMLI s ENERGY STAR Communities AMLI communities are certified after a year of occupancy and only in regions where whole building energy use is available through the utility provider. Check AMLI.com to see if your AMLI community is ENERGY STAR certified. 8 Operations and Maintenance Manual 9

6 Green Living AMLI s commitment to sustainability is driven by our mission to create healthy living spaces for residents and to be a responsible steward of our environment. LEED CERTIFIED BREATHEASY SMOKE-FREE COMMUNITY* ENERGY- EFFICIENT LIGHTING WATERSENSE PLUMBING FIXTURES FRESH AIR VENTILATION HEALTHY BUILDING MATERIALS PREMIUM AIR FILTERS BIKE STORAGE & REPAIR SHOP* ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES COMMUNITY RECYCLING PROGRAM *at select communities. Visit AMLI.com for more information about the green initiatives at your community. 10 Operations and Maintenance Manual 11

7 Help Us Help You At AMLI we guarantee quality. An essential part of ensuring you live sustainably is providing you with a well-maintained apartment home. This is one of AMLI s reasons for providing our 48-hour service guarantee where we promise to complete routine service requests within 48 hours, or you live rent-free. Please help us provide you with the best quality by reporting any issues with your home. The maintenance schedule to the right highlights a few of the ways we guarantee quality in your home and recommends ways you can build on our foundation to benefit even further from our efforts. Maintenance Schedule Help Us Control Air Pollutants Clean entry/walk-off mats Vacuum carpets Use kitchen exhaust fan while cooking Day One Regularly Winter Spring Summer Fall Use bathroom exhaust fan while bathing Help Us Increase Efficiency If replacing bulbs, use energy efficient LEDs Use power strips on electronics to reduce phantom loads (TVs, chargers, etc.) Clean the lint screen every time after using the clothes dryer Change ceiling fan direction for appropriate season Program and adjust your thermostat for seasonal changes Help Us Provide Durability, Health and Safety Check the caulking and grout around showers. Report any issues. Check for leaks around dishwashers and washing machines. Report any issues. Check for plumbing fixture leaks. Report any issues. If you find evidence of pests, please report immediately. AMLI will complete routine service requests within 48 hours, or our residents live rent-free. 12 Operations and Maintenance Manual 13

8 Day One at AMLI Welcome to AMLI! We are so glad you chose to make AMLI your new home. While there is always a lot going on during a move, we highly recommend you take the time to do a couple of quick things. 1. Be sure to review the Emergency Information and follow the steps on the next page, so that you can be prepared in case of an emergency. 2. Ask a member of your onsite AMLI team to help you program your thermostat. When set to reasonable temperatures, programmed thermostats can produce big savings in your wallet without sacrificing comfort. Or feel free to do it yourself with the helpful links to instructions and programming guidelines on page 16. Emergency Information Immediately after moving into your home, take a few minutes to do the following. Don t wait until you have an emergency! Save the number for your local poison control center, especially if you have small children. Learn the route to the nearest hospital emergency room(s). Contact local authorities for emergency suggestions for local and regional natural disasters (e.g. flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake). Identify fire escape routes. For more detailed emergency and safety information, go to: U.S. Fire Administration usfa.dhs.gov Home Safety Council homesafetycouncil.org/index.asp 14 Operations and Maintenance Manual 15

9 Choose your community below for information on how to program your thermostat. AMLI Deerfield AMLI Evanston AMLI Lofts AMLI River North AMLI 900 What Has AMLI Done? Programmable thermostat s have been installed in each apartment in order to make it easier for you to save money and decrease your carbon footprint. What Can You Do? Take time shortly after moving in to program your thermostat and enjoy energy savings for the rest of the year. Need help? Schedule a maintenance request, and we can assist. Learn more about the recommended temperatures for comfortably saving you the most money here. 16 Operations and Maintenance Manual 17

10 How to Have a Healthy Home Your Healthy Home AMLI cares about providing the building blocks for a healthy home. From installing fresh air ventilation equipment to ensuring low- and no-emitting paints are used in your home, we strive to create a home with superior air quality and healthy building materials. Paints & Coatings Interior paints and finishes add to the beauty of homes and help protect surfaces. However, many paints, coatings, sealants and adhesives contain chemicals that slowly off-gas into the air. Most VOCs are released at the highest rate when they are applied the new paint smell. However, significant levels of VOCs will continue to off-gas long after application. Your LEED home includes paint, adhesives, sealants, and carpet that are low or no VOC. Bathrooms Showers, plumbing leaks, household cleaners, wastebaskets, drinking cups, damp carpeting and flooring, bacteria and viruses Bedrooms Poor ventilation, dust and dust mites, bacteria and viruses, pet dander, dry cleaning Storage Old clothing and bedding, dust Living Areas Tobacco smoke, furniture, pets, hobby supplies (such as varnishes and glues) Yard Pollen, dust, pesticides and herbicides Kitchen Cooking, gas, appliances, household cleaning agents, garbage pails, plumbing leaks Garage Paints, solvents, auto exhaust Airborne Particles & Environmental Tobacco Smoke Airborne particles are a common indoor pollutant that when inhaled can cause health problems such as asthma. These particles eventually settle out of the air and become dust on a surface. But small What Has AMLI Done? particles take a long time to settle out, and they can easily be kicked up into the air again. Your LEED home includes several measures to minimize airborne particles. What Can You Do? Indoor Air Pollution According to the EPA, indoor air pollution is one of the worst environmental dangers we are facing. There are several prevailing sources of pollution in any home such as common household cleaners, combustion appliances, tobacco products, building materials, heating and cooling systems, and the outdoors. At AMLI we ve worked hard to minimize these pollutants in your home. For example, adhesives and sealants off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOC), which is a common trigger for asthma and other allergy related irritations. Your home; however, features low or no VOC interior finishes, which reduce the contaminates in your home. AMLI s Breatheasy program prohibits smoking within the building and anywhere on the property to eliminate one of the most harmful sources of indoor air pollution. During construction we used materials to ensure a healthier environment in your home such as low VOC paint, adhesives, sealants, and carpet. Minimize indoor air particles by using walkoff mats at all entries to your home. It is important, however, to clean them regularly, so that they do not become a source of particles. Vacuum all carpets at least weekly to remove indoor air particles. Use low emitting ( low VOC ) paint when painting anything in your home. Several programs, such as Green Seal Standard, will label these products. 18 Operations and Maintenance Manual 19

11 How to Have a Healthy Home Ventilation Ventilation systems improve indoor air pollution by exhausting airborne pollutants from your home while replenishing your home with fresh air. LEED homes have ENERGY STAR labeled exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms, which must be vented directly to the outdoors. These measures help provide better indoor air quality, while protecting the building from moisture damage (which ultimately prevents building damage and mold). In contrast, many code compliant homes that are not LEED certified do not have ventilation systems and/ or do not exhaust air directly to the outdoors. Green Cleaning According to the EPA, common cleaning products are one of the primary sources of indoor air pollution. Therefore switching over to non-toxic cleaners can make a big difference to the quality of your air. Cleaning products marked with the Green Seal or Ecologo certified logo go a long way in improving indoor air quality. At AMLI we only use cleaning products that meet these green standards to ensure a quality clean and create a healthier environment for you. AMLI IS GREEN WHEN WE CLEAN! Click here to watch this video on Green Cleaning. What Has AMLI Done? Installed a LEED approved ventilation approach in your home to bring in fresh air and expel pollutants. Installed premium MERV 8 filters, which remove air pollutants such as dust or pollen. We only use green cleaning products in our communities to support healthy indoor air quality in your home. Click here to watch this video on Spotless Shine Without Chemicals. What Can You Do? While we make sure to clean your community with green cleaning products, the products you use after move-in are up to you. By choosing products that are Green Seal of Ecologo certified, you can make sure to keep your apartment healthy and free from toxins. These indoor plants help purify air and absorb odor. Consider having one or two in your home. All of our cleaning products are Green Seal or EcoLogo certified, creating a healthier environment for our residents and a more sustainable world. 20 Operations and Maintenance Manual 21

12 Your Savings AMLI is deeply committed to responsible energy use. Not only does this commitment help lower your carbon footprint, but it also can help save you money! With a few easy steps you can maximize your savings. Exterior Structure & Envelope Your home is designed to protect you from conditions outside, including heat, cold, wind, and rain. LEED focuses on improving the whole building performance in various ways. A few examples include: Envelope improvements and construction materials Efficient heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) Efficient lighting systems Just as rain can cause damage if it enters your home s exterior, leaks and moisture originating within the home can also damage the structure. This damage can result in lower air quality, energy loss, or wasted water. Water Use Reduction: Plumbing Considerable energy is used to move, treat, and heat water. The average family of four uses 300 gallons of water every day, and, on average, approximately 70% of that water is used indoors. In addition to normal water use, leaky faucets that drip at the rate of one drip per second waste more than 3,000 gallons of water each year. Water Use Reduction: Landscaping Landscaping can be a major use of water for any project, and it can have significant impacts on the local ecology. Your LEED home features many drought-tolerant plant species that require much less water than conventional plantings. Lighting and Appliances Heating and Cooling What Has AMLI Done? What Can You Do? According to the U.S. Department of Energy s Residential Energy Consumption Survey (2001), lighting and appliances use 34% of energy consumed in homes. Energy-efficient bulbs and fixtures, however, can use 25-80% less energy while still emitting the same amount of light, and ENERGY STAR appliances can use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models. Using ENERGY STAR-labeled power strips can also save some of the energy use attributed to phantom loads (the energy that appliances continue to use even when they are turned off). The U.S. EPA estimates that households spend $100 per year to power devices not in use. Combatting phantom loads can, therefore, bring significant savings. Well-designed heating, cooling and ventilation systems are essential elements of a comfortable and healthy LEED home. These systems are required to maintain comfortable temperatures within a building; however, they can also be one of the major causes of excessive energy use in buildings. LEED-certified buildings have heating and cooling equipment that is often 20 to 30 percent more efficient than equipment that meets the minimum efficiency standards. When used properly, this translates into lower energy cost for the building and its residents. Installed ENERGY STAR appliances, which are 20% or more energy-efficient than standard appliances. Uses LED and CFL lighting to decrease energy consumption from lighting. Air-sealed and tested the apartment so that your climate controlled air is not lost by escaping outside. Installed programmable thermostats in all residences to help efficient temperature control. Installed WaterSense fixtures, which increase water efficiency (without losing performance). Planted native and adaptive plants that require low levels of watering to survive and encourage native habitat and species. Turn off lights and fans when they are not in use. Unplug appliances you do not use often and use power strips to make it easier to shut off your devices when you are not using them. Choose bulbs, fixtures, and appliances with the ENERGY STAR label. Use the instructions on page 16 to program your thermostat and set reasonable temperatures. Clean the lint screen of your dryer after every use. Report any problems with the exterior or interior structures. Check occasionally for leaks in pipes, fixtures, and appliances and report to your onsite AMLI team immediately. Minimize water use when washing clothes or dishes by always using a full load. Turn the water off when brushing your teeth or shaving. 22 Operations and Maintenance Manual 23

13 Your Community Living at AMLI is about more than just experiencing a quality home, exceptional service, and a worry-free lifestyle; it is about enjoying and participating in the community around you. We can help you find local places to explore, alternative forms of transportation to try, and community resources to help you live a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. AMLI Recycles Aluminum cans & foil Tin or steel cans Plastic bottles #1-5 and 7 Cardboard and paper Newspapers and magazines Glass Non-Recyclables Plastic bags and wrap Styrofoam Soiled boxes Soiled paper products Broken Glass What Does The Number on Your Plastic Product Mean? Number 1 Plastics Recycled for use in: fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, new containers Number 2 Plastics Recycled for use in: laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, benches, fencing Number 3 Plastics Recycled for use in: decks, paneling, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats Number 4 Plastics Recycled for use in: trash can liners, shipping envelopes, paneling, floor tile Number 5 Plastics Recycled for use in: signal lights, battery cables, ice scrapers, bicycle racks Number 6 Plastics Recycled for use in: Insulation, egg cartons, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers Number 7 Plastics Recycled for use in: plastic lumber, custommade products 24 Operations and Maintenance Manual 25

14 What s in the Area? At AMLI, we want to help you find convenient methods of alternative transit and the best opportunities for dining and retail in your community. Shopping and exploring your local area not only boost the local economy, but also help cut down on your carbon footprint. Check out our AMLI PERKS program to receive discounts in your community and learn more about your community s neighborhood and WalkScore. Choose your community below for your neighborhood WalkScore, which contains information on public transit, restaurants, and retail in your local area. AMLI Deerfield AMLI Evanston AMLI Lofts AMLI River North AMLI Operations and Maintenance Manual 27

15 Learn More Interested in Knowing More? We hope this guide has helped you learn more about what it means to live at AMLI and what you can do to make your experience with us even better. Read further to learn more. Environmental Impact of Energy Use The U.S. has 4.6% of the world s population but produces roughly 25% of the world s greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. EPA estimates the energy consumption of the average American home creates 22,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually (about twice as much as a car). According to the Energy Information Administration, by 2025, U.S. energy consumption will increase 40% an amount equivalent to the current consumption of California, Texas, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois. The negative environmental impacts of energy production are well-known: Pollutants from fossil fuel generation are showing up in our food chain supply and are now known to cause a host of human health problems. Coal-fired electricity generation causes 37% of greenhouse gas emissions, making 28 it the leading cause of global warming. There are also over 60,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel that have accumulated in the U.S., with no available solution for its storage or disposal. The electric power industry accounts for 39% of fresh water use, which further limits this important non-renewable resource. The safety and security of our nation s power infrastructure is also highly vulnerable to disruption through accident or malice. Every kwh saved reduces these impacts. In Colorado, where 92% of our electricity comes from burning coal, each kwh saved prevents about 1 lb. of CO2 from being pumped into the atmosphere. Sources More Info Operations and Maintenance Manual 29

16 Energy & the Environment Energy efficiency saves consumers money. Preventable energy waste (from the power plant to losses in the home) costs Americans hundreds of billions of dollars every year. In 2016 the average American household paid over $1,300 per year in home energy costs. Reducing the amount of energy we consume in our homes has an immediate impact on utility bills. Energy Efficiency and Your Bill There are several easy changes we all can do to save energy and see a reduced bill: sealing air leaks, switching to more efficient light bulbs, or using a programmable thermostat. There are also higher investment measures that AMLI has taken such as adding insulation, energy efficient windows, and more efficient water heaters. These additions can reduce utility bills by hundreds of dollars annually. Other Benefits of Energy Efficiency Energy-efficient equipment is typically higher quality and more reliable. When the building shell is well-sealed to air leaks, and heating and cooling systems are adjusted to the needs of the resident, the energy-efficient home will be more comfortable. Studies have shown that natural light ( daylighting ) improves mood and productivity in work and learning settings, while also decreasing energy demand. Energy-efficient motors are often more quiet, reliable and controllable than their less efficient counterparts. Home insulation and high-efficiency windows not only keep the internal temperature comfortable, but also shield the home from outside noise. Energy efficiency reduces negative impacts on the environment. Water & the Environment In the United States, we are lucky to have easy access to some of the safest treated water in the world just by turning on the tap. We wake up in the morning, take a shower, brush our teeth, grab a cup of coffee and head out for the day. Water is an important part of our daily lives, and we use it for a wide variety of purposes, but do we really understand how much we use? The average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day at home. Roughly 70 percent of this use occurs indoors. Water also plays an important role in our local communities. Local business and industries could not thrive without water. Firefighting, municipal parks, and swimming pools all require a great deal of clean water. An array of pipes, canals, and pumping stations managed by our public water systems are needed to bring a reliable supply of water to our taps each day. Where does all this water come from? It starts out as rain or snow and flows into our local lakes, rivers, and streams or into underground aquifers. You can use the following links to learn more about water in your state, including how it is being protected and where your local drinking water comes from. How is water used in my state? Learn more about water where you live. More Info 30 Operations and Maintenance Manual 31

17 Natural Resources & the Environment Green Power Preservation of the natural environment is essential for maintaining community sustainability. Water: Adequate, high-quality water supplies are necessary both for community use and local ecosystems. Communities and jurisdictions must work together to ensure an adequate water supply to meet future needs. Energy: Communities require energy. Nonrenewable sources for power generation and transportation cause pollution and the harmful effects that ensue. Energy conservation and the use of renewable fuels provide cost-effective and more sustainable alternatives. Air & Climate: Both the natural ecosystem and human health can be adversely impacted by declining air quality and climate change. Communities can preserve air quality by limiting or eliminating the discharge of harmful chemicals into the air and by minimizing the sources of air pollution. Biodiversity: Biodiversity is particularly important for creating sustainability because of the specialized roles each species plays in maintaining an ecological balance. Communities can promote healthy wildlife by supporting integrative approaches for managing, protecting, and enhancing local wildlife populations and habitats. In addition to providing a protective covering for soil, water, and the atmosphere, forests are also renewable sources of an endless variety of products. In a healthy ecosystem, policies and programs must balance the use of these resources with conservation needs. More Info Green power can be defined as energy from indefinitely available resources and whose generation has zero/negligible environmental impacts. Wind, Wave, Tidal, and Small Scale Hydro: Wind power and hydro power use mechanical energy to generate electricity. The movement of air or water turns the blades of a turbine, and the motion of the blades generates electricity. Biomass: Biomass power can use either a directfired system, where burning the biomass heats water and generates steam that turns a turbine, or use a co-firing system, in which biomass replaces coal. Landfill Gas: Landfill gas is extracted from landfills using a series of wells and a blower/flare system. This system directs the collected gas to a central point where it can be processed and treated. The gas can be used to generate electricity, replace fossil fuels, fuel greenhouse operations, or be upgraded to pipeline quality gas. Geothermal: Geothermal power captures heat energy from underground sources to generate electricity. Solar: Solar power uses specially constructed panels to absorb the sun s energy and convert it into electrical current. Source 32 Operations and Maintenance Manual 33

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