Watch the video on Green Building Programs.
As green building has gained popularity in the last two decades, professional and environmental groups, homebuilder associations, industry leaders, and federal, state, and local government agencies throughout the country have organized green building programs. Program focuses can vary—some deal with research and design innovations while others concentrate on disseminating information about green building practices and advocating adoption by mainstream builders. Some green building programs target certain types of construction projects, such as affordable housing, schools, and healthcare facilities, providing advice about site selection, design and materials, and even funding options.
This article highlights 6 national programs including: LEED for Homes, The Green Communities Program, Building America, The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing, The American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment, and The Green Building Initiative. Many other notable, national organizations have sustainable building programs such as Habitat for Humanity, Global Green USA, and the National Resources Defense Council. In addition, regional, state, and local programs are available.
LEED for Homes
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) developed the LEED Green Building Rating System in 1998; today it's the nationally accepted benchmark for high-performance green building. Builders who attain LEED certification also will qualify for government incentives. The LEED rating system uses 8 different categories to measure the overall performance of a home. Each category contains a specific number of credits; each credit is worth 1 or more possible points. Homes are given a LEED certification rating based on the total number of points scored. LEED Certified is awarded to homes scoring between 45 and 59 total points; LEED Silver is awarded to homes scoring between 60 and 74 total points; LEED Gold is awarded to homes scoring between 75 and 89 total points; and LEED Platinum is awarded to homes scoring between 90 and 128 total points. Find more information at www.usgbc.org.
The Green Communities Program
Green Communities is a 5-year, $555 million initiative to create more than 8,500 homes that deliver health, economic, and environmental benefits to low-income families and communities. This effort is a partnership between Enterprise, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Global Green USA, the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association, Southface, the National Center for Healthy Housing, and leading corporate, financial, and philanthropic institutions. Green Communities is the first national green building program focused entirely on affordable housing. It incorporates innovations from the mainstream green building movement and emphasizes additional steps that are key to successful affordable housing, such as selecting sites with easy access to public transportation, schools, and services. Green Communities also offers grants, loans, tax-credit equity, training, and technical assistance to developers and builders. Find more information at www.greencommunitiesonline.org/.
Building America
Building America is a private/public partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It combines the knowledge and resources of industry leaders with the DOE's technical capabilities. Under the program, systems-engineering research is conducted to develop energy-efficient solutions for new and existing housing that can be implemented by production homebuilders. One program goal is to produce homes on a community scale that use on average 30% to 90% less energy than conventional-built homes. The program also strives to help homebuilders reduce construction time and waste, improve builder productivity, provide new product opportunities for manufacturers and suppliers, and implement innovative energy and material-saving technologies. To date, 5 Building America teams have worked with more than 551 different industry partners to construct 32,976 homes throughout the U.S. Find more information at www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america.
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) is a voluntary partnership between leaders of the homebuilding, product manufacturing, insurance, and financial industries, and representatives of federal agencies concerned with housing. Managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), PATH staff members provide expertise in various construction systems, housing issues, and technology policies to improve new and existing homes. Find more information at www.pathnet.org.
The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment
The American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment (AIA/COTE) works to advance, disseminate, and advocate—to the profession, the building industry, the academy, and the public—design practices that integrate constructed and natural systems and enhance the design quality and environmental performance of homes and other buildings. The AIA has 58 state and local COTE chapters throughout the U.S. Find more information at www.aia.org.
The Green Building Initiative
The Green Building Initiative's (GBI) mission is to accelerate the adoption of practical, credible building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthy, and environmentally sustainable homes and commercial buildings. To this end, GBI introduced Green Globes environmental assessment and rating tool in the U.S. in 2004. It's an online green management tool that offers an interactive, flexible, and affordable approach to environmental design. It includes an assessment protocol, rating system, and guide for integrating environmentally friendly design into commercial buildings. Once a project is complete, Green Globes also facilitates recognition of the project through third-party verification. GBI is an accredited standards developer under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and has begun the process to establish Green Globes as an official ANSI standard. Professionals involved in the design or management of commercial buildings can access Green Globes at no charge; however, a fee is charged to receive third-party verification. Find more information at www.thegbi.org/greenglobes.
To learn more about green building programs, visit:
www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=147
www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/pubs/resources.htm
www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/Partnerships
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