- # Smart Homes in Maryland: Cutting-Edge Technology for a Sustainable Future

  ## Smart Home Builders from MD

At TCBC, all of our homes are High Performance Smart Homes. Currently, our homes meet the LEED GOLD or National Green Builder Standard (NGBS) GOLD Certification Standards. Our homes are also smart homes. TCBC is committed to building High Performance Smart Homes.

### WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

High Performance Homes provide a better experience for the homeowner including greater comfort, healthier indoor air, lower utility bills. These homes have a higher quality of design, materials, and construction that result in a better value to the homeowner. To learn more, CLICK HERE

### Indoor AirPlus

Indoor AirPlus program is a voluntary program created by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help improve indoor air quality in homes. Homes built to earn the Indoor airPLUS label include features to reduce contaminants that can lead to poor indoor air quality, including mold, moisture, radon, carbon monoxide, toxic chemicals and more. There are many sources of indoor air pollution – everything from building materials and household cleaner to biological pollutants such as dust mites and pet dander.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Some common sources include:

- Paints
- Paint strippers and other solvents
- Wood preservatives
- Building materials and furnishings

The Indoor AirPlus program has requirements that include design, construction, and verification of those requirements. Clean air is good for everyone’s health, but it can be especially important to those who have chronic respiratory conditions. We hope you will enjoy the fresh and clean air of your new home from the Columbia Building Company for many years to come.

### ZERH

The Zero Energy Ready Home Program or ZERH is a voluntary program by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to reduce energy usage and the US carbon footprint. A DOE Zero Energy Ready Home is a high-performance home that is so energy efficient that a renewable energy system could offset most or all the home's annual energy use. These homes represent a whole new level of performance with rigorous requirements that ensure outstanding levels of energy savings, comfort, health, and durability.

Certified homes are also eligible to receive the Federal 45L Tax Credit - up to $5,000 per home. Ask your Columbia Building Company Salesperson about this tax credit before construction starts. Enjoy the comfort of your new home knowing that your energy bills will be significantly lower than other new homes that don’t have this certification.

### Indoor AirPlus

Indoor AirPlus program is a voluntary program created by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help improve indoor air quality in homes. Homes built to earn the Indoor airPLUS label include features to reduce contaminants that can lead to poor indoor air quality, including mold, moisture, radon, carbon monoxide, toxic chemicals and more. There are many sources of indoor air pollution – everything from building materials and household cleaner to biological pollutants such as dust mites and pet dander.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Some common sources include:

- Paints
- Paint strippers and other solvents
- Wood preservatives
- Building materials and furnishings

The Indoor AirPlus program has requirements that include design, construction, and verification of those requirements. Clean air is good for everyone’s health, but it can be especially important to those who have chronic respiratory conditions. We hope you will enjoy the fresh and clean air of your new home from the Columbia Building Company for many years to come.

### ZERH

The Zero Energy Ready Home Program or ZERH is a voluntary program by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to reduce energy usage and the US carbon footprint. A DOE Zero Energy Ready Home is a high-performance home that is so energy efficient that a renewable energy system could offset most or all the home's annual energy use. These homes represent a whole new level of performance with rigorous requirements that ensure outstanding levels of energy savings, comfort, health, and durability.

Certified homes are also eligible to receive the Federal 45L Tax Credit - up to $5,000 per home. Ask your Columbia Building Company Salesperson about this tax credit before construction starts. Enjoy the comfort of your new home knowing that your energy bills will be significantly lower than other new homes that don’t have this certification.

### High Performance Homes

Over the past ten or fifteen years a couple developments have emerged that challenge the wisdom of just “doing it the old way” in construction. First, the field of building science – our physics-based understanding of how buildings function and how heat, air, and moisture interact with building components – is all grown up now. And the science is telling us that the “old way” not only wastes energy, it delivers questionable indoor air quality and comfort to building occupants. The science also illuminates a safe and practical road to a better way of building, “high performance building,” that brings superior efficiency, health, comfort, and durability.

#### It’s not just the products we use. It’s our whole approach.

It’s easy to dig up a plethora of building products labeled “sustainable” or “green.” Some of these products are great and are truly sustainable. Unfortunately, others are snake oil. And be warned, there are some builders that will incorporate some of these “green” products within a home that is not high performance.

Where high-performance houses are concerned, we believe the entire approach is important: this includes everything from the design details to the choice of materials and the installation methods. All of these aspects must work in concert to deliver a highly efficient home that lives up to the label: high performance.

#### Why it makes a difference

90% of new homes in the US are built to just meet the minimum standard performance levels required by local building codes. Building codes and inspectors only ensure lowest legally allowed levels of performance of new homes.

Benefits

ALL Installed Performance Features are Verified by 3rd Party Energy and Green Raters:

- - Healthier
  - Continuous mechanical ventilation air
  - MERV 11 air filters
  - Low emission building products (including: insulation, flooring, paint, etc.)

- - Improved Comfort
  - Enhanced thermal envelope
  - Enhanced humidity control

- - Improved Durability
  - Enhanced exterior water and moisture management
  - Non-toxic pest controls

- - Improved Energy Efficiency Levels
  - Heating and cooling equipment
  - Water heating
  - Lighting and appliances.

- - Environmentally Responsible
  - Water efficient plumbing fixtures
  - Stormwater management features (to protect local watersheds)
  - Use of local building products, and products with recycled content.
  - Construction waste management (landfill diversion)

Two of the most important factors in building a High Performance home are a Well-Sealed Building Envelope and Creating Better Indoor Air Quality.

#### A Well-Sealed Building Envelope

It all starts with design. A designer will use energy modelling to test how a home will perform once built and engineers assess the home to meet a higher standard. By using better window systems, high performance insulations (yes, it costs more but saves you more over the long run), and air sealing techniques can build a structure that doesn’t leak air. Did you know that a drafty home can be responsible for up to 30% of a structure’s heat loss? Addressing air leaks will address heat loss and poor energy performance but that strategy must be coupled with one of ensuring we still get a fresh air cycle in our airtight home.

#### Creating Better Indoor Air Quality

A High-Performance home isn’t just energy efficient. It provides a healthier environment for you and your family. How does it do this?

When the home is built to be air tight – you need a method of cycling in fresh outdoor air, while exhausting the warm, moist air generated in your home by living in it (especially in kitchens and bathrooms). Airtight construction controls the transfer of heat and moisture into and through the building envelope. With a properly sealed building envelope and an air exchange system to regulate the indoor air quality, your furnace will provide exactly the right amount of conditioned air to every room, keeping it uniformly cool during the summer, and warm in the winter. Keeping humidity under control will also reduce the risk of condensation in your home, which can lead to cases of mold and mildew.

#### High-Performance Home Elements

There are many other elements that go into building a High-Performance Home such as using fixtures that conserve water, using appliances that conserve electricity, recycling where possible, using low VOC paint and flooring, etc. At CBC, we strive to incorporate as many High-Performance Home elements as possible to achieve a price performance balance that provides exceptional value and comfort to our customers.

A home is smart when it can help with the day-to-day of life by automating tech for security, convenience, comfort, and entertainment. To learn more, CLICK HERE .

### SMART HOMES

What is a smart home? That seemingly simple question has many different answers, depending on who you ask. In short, a “smart home” is a residence equipped with a number of devices that automate tasks normally handled by humans. When devices can “talk” to one another in your home, it creates a unique ecosystem that makes your life easier. Appliances and devices that can communicate on a home network include some appliances, lighting, heating, A/C, shades, security system, sound systems, TVs, and so much more.

For some homeowners, turning a house into a smart home can be as simple as buying a connected speaker. For others, it can involve linking several different products, including speakers, cameras, computers, smartphones, tablets, televisions, security systems, appliances, and more.

#### SAVING ENERGY (AND MONEY)

For many, the driving force behind creating a smart home is the potential to save energy and money with automated heating and air conditioning systems. Smart thermostats, such as those made by Alphabet’s subsidiary Nest, quickly and precisely automate the heating and cooling of a home. This usually reduces the owners’ electric bill. Other products such as connected lights and appliances can use less energy by powering down when not in use. These kinds of products should be high up on anyone’s smart home checklist.

#### MAKING LIFE SIMPLER

Comfort is key. We all try to have as much of it as possible, so it’s obvious this is one of the main reasons to get a smart home. You can start with things as simple as getting smart lights. These can turn on/off using voice commands, location rules, sensor detection, or even simple schedules

#### SECURITY AND SAFETY

While you can buy alarm systems to protect your home, smart homes can offer added security. Connected lights, cameras, and even doorbells can help make a home safer. If you’re home alone and someone is checking out your house to see if they can break in, having these kinds of devices might scare them off.

#### HANDLING REGULAR HOUSEHOLD TASKS

If you want to take some of the tedious tasks of home care out of your hands, connected and automated devices have you covered there too. The most obvious device is the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner from iRobot, along with similar products. However, appliances can also come with smart home functions. Picture a laundry machine that automatically starts a wash cycle, or fridge that orders milk online when it senses that you’re low.

#### MAKING THE HOME MORE ENTERTAINING

What is a smart home if not also a place to hang out and relax? This technology can also keep you entertained and informed in new and exciting ways. Connected speakers, combined with AI-based digital assistants, can play music, offer news and sports scores, and can even help you control other connected devices as well. Connected devices can also find a good film to watch, either at home or in a real movie theater.