Going "Green" Might Mean Pushing Up Daisies

Something that most people don't even consider. "Green" is not always the best way to go. At least not without a little homework.

The buildings commonly referred to as "green" could actually be hazardous to your health, according to a new report.

That's one of many warnings out of a new report from the Institute of Medicine, which tracked the potential impact of climate change on indoor environments.

The report cautions that climate change can negatively and directly affect indoor air quality in several ways. But the scientists behind the study warn that homeowners and businesses could also be making the problem worse by pursuing untested or risky energy-efficiency upgrades.

"Even with the best intentions, indoor environmental quality issues may emerge with interventions that have not been sufficiently well screened for their effects on occupant safety and health," the report said.

There are always unintended consequences when structures are modified.

To save costs and cut down on emissions, building owners typically find ways to seal off potential leaks and conserve energy. But in "weatherizing" the buildings, they also change the indoor environment.

By making buildings more airtight, building owners could increase "indoor-air contaminant concentrations and indoor-air humidity," the report said. By adding insulation, they could trigger moisture problems. By making improvements to older homes, crews could stir up hazardous material ranging from asbestos to harmful caulking -- though that problem is not unique to energy improvements.

Older homes lacking outside air intakes are susceptible to quite a few issues not seen in homes designed to be nearly air-tight. Mold could become a problem because of high humidity levels. In older homes humidity levels change relative to outside air humidity levels; this will happen to a much lesser degree once a home is sealed.

Many of the newer home air conditioning units have variable speed air handlers which allow them to control the relative humidity throughout the house along with the temperature. Older systems are simply cooling systems with no designed ability to control humidity levels.

Large commercial buildings are required by law to have a minimum supply of outside air to make sure that carbon dioxide levels don't get too high and oxygen levels too low. Most houses don't have outside air intakes. Only a few of the newest houses have outside air intakes.

Once an older home is sealed without any outside air intake it is possible for the carbon dioxide levels to increase and oxygen levels to decrease. decreased oxygen levels can create a condition similar to sleep apnea. When your blood oxygen level drops your body only has one way to increase oxygen levels --increase your heart-rate sometimes for long periods. Low blood oxygen can cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Take steps to improve the efficiency of your home, just consider what effect it might have on you and your family. To make an older house truly efficient is often not a cheap task. There are many products out there which claim to help you on your energy costs, but are so expensive up front; the savings are often a gimmick.

One of the best things people with older homes can do is buy a programmable thermostat to decrease the run time of their air conditioning unit when their not home. Programmable thermostats are relatively cheap now.

If you plan to make any major changes to your home, it's a good idea to call someone and have them advise you on what options are available and truly cost effective. Nobody wants to spend $10,000 to decrease their power bill by $20 a month.

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