Homebuilders and homebuyers across the country are increasingly interested in green building. Earlier this year, the Triad Green Building Council was formed to address the need for education about the subject in our area. The council includes builders and other industry professionals throughout Guilford, Forsyth and Alamance counties. One of our key areas of focus is to provide information for our members and area consumers. A great resource for anyone interested in finding out more about green building is the National Association of Home Builders Web site at http://www.nahbgreen.org.
The first step in the education process is explaining what it takes to make a home green. Building green means incorporating environmental considerations and resource efficiency into every step of the homebuilding process to minimize environmental impact. That means that during the design, construction and operation of a home, the following must be taken into account: • Energy and water efficiency.• Resource-efficient site planning, building design and materials selection.• Indoor air quality.• Homeowner maintenance and the home’s overall impact on the environment. Although we cannot avoid affecting the environment when a house is built, green building can work toward minimizing that impact. Today’s green homes incorporate not only climatic considerations, but they also are resource- and energy-efficient, safer for occupants, and often less expensive to maintain.
Many builders are using green building practices in their homes as part of their current standard practices; Energy Star windows and appliances, recycled content materials, and water-conserving fixtures are all important parts of a green-built home. Recycling construction waste is a very important part of green building.
Additionally, when you see the Energy Star designation, it means these homes have had their energy-efficiency independently verified by an inspector known as HERS raters (the acronym stands for Home Energy Rating System). These professionals advise builders on how to select the most appropriate energy-efficient features for a home, inspect and test the home during construction, and then verify that the home meets Environmental Protection Agency’s strict guidelines for energy efficiency. To move to the next step of sustainable building, the builder should consider a whole-house systems approach. The home is composed of several independent components which, when planned and fully considered, can work together to increase performance and efficiency. For example, making a home’s building envelope tighter through air sealing and quality building techniques can affect the way the builder designs the home’s ventilation system. It is through such a forward-thinking process that builders can gain cost efficiencies for homeowners. The NAHB Green Home Building Guidelines offer an ideal place to start. The guidelines consist of a variety of items that a builder and homeowner can choose from in creating a green home, organized into seven guiding principles: • Lot design, preparation and development.• Resource efficiency.• Energy efficiency.• Water efficiency.• Indoor environmental quality.• Operation, maintenance and homeowner education.• Global impact.
Homes built to the NAHB Green Home Building Guidelines can now be certified by a third-party administrator. Builders must work with energy raters and verifiers who will inspect and validate items within the guidelines.
To delineate different levels of green building, the guidelines include three thresholds. The first level, bronze, features items that demonstrate the builder paid special attention to a project’s environmental impact. The next two levels of green home building, silver and gold, include additional items that place increasingly greater emphasis on green practices. Building green is not new to many area builders. But now that NAHB has introduced the green building guidelines and certification process, you will begin to see more and more homes in our community earn the certified green designation. This designation will assure you that these homes have been constructed to national guidelines and inspected by independent verifiers. The future of residential construction is green. Join us as we strive to green the American dream.
Scott Allred, president and owner of Precept Construction, is chairman of the Triad Green Building Council.
