There are dozens of green building standards and guidelines that define how a "green" house should be built. While some programs focus on the materials used to build the home, others examine the performance of the home after completion. Still others look at occupant health, and some evaluate how the home works within the community.
Trying to satisfy all these requirements might seem impossible on the home buyer's limited budget, but having a specific, well-defined set of performance goals can be very helpful for the builder. Instead of simply adding one or two energy-saving features to placate the tree-hugging buyer, adopting the standards of an existing local or national green building program can make the job of building, and explaining the benefits of the home much easier.
Questions to answer
Before getting started, builders should define their reasons to go green. To transform your construction firm from traditional to progressive, you must understand your company, customers and green goals. A good way to start is to answer the following questions:
- What's the price pinch point? Unfortunately, applying energy-efficiency standards to the traditional building process may drive up the cost of building. Among the first questions a builder should ask is "Are my customers willing to pay more for an environmentally responsible home? If so, how much?" Though many customers can recoup costs in energy savings over the lifespan of the house and will find higher resale value when they move, convincing them to spend more up front can be a challenge. Understanding the threshold that buyers are willing to spend on a more durable, healthy, efficient home can greatly help define just how green your company can go and still make a profit.
- Where do you get a stamp of approval? Is a certificate that proves the homes you build are green an important validation for you — or your customer? While some programs, such as Energy Star, offer certification, other programs, including the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines, are more like toolkits that allow builders to pick and choose options for green building. (The NAHB will offer a professional designation in green building starting in 2008.) Before signing on to any program, make sure you are comfortable with what you will — or won't — get when construction and inspection are complete.
- Should you go local, regional or national? More and more local green building programs are sprouting up all around the country, which can make getting involved in the movement quick and easy. These local programs offer resources close to home, but they might not carry the same weight as a nationally recognized program. Is it important that your customers have name recognition of the program you are involved with, or will a home-grown program suffice?
Once you have answered these questions, the next step is to pick the program that best suits your company and customers.
Getting with the program
Understanding the basics of green building programs is the best way to find one that will fit your company: its size, location, customers' buying needs and overall green goals. The following is a list of a few national, regional, and local green building programs and a brief description of their main objectives and how their programs work.
NAHB Model Green Building Guidelines
Developed in 2003, the NAHB Model Green Building Guidelines offer suggestions for builders in six main aspects of the building process:
- Lot preparation and design
- Resource efficiency
- Energy efficiency
- Water efficiency/conservation
- Occupancy comfort and indoor environmental quality
- Homeowner education
For each section, examples and suggestions are offered to help builders find solutions and options for incorporating green building methods, materials and technologies. The voluntary program does not offer a specific certificate (that will change in 2008), but it is the basic structure for many local home builder association green building programs.
LEED for Homes
Arguably the most recognized name in green building certification, the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program hopes to launch LEED for Homes by the end of 2007.
Like the established LEED Green Building Rating System, a benchmark for commercial structures that use less energy, water, and natural resources, LEED for Homes will offer builders a wide range of options to satisfy the three different levels of the certification program: Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
Currently the program is still in pilot stage with about 375 builders representing 6,000 homes across the United States. About 200 homes have been LEED certified.
Energy Star Qualified New Homes
While Energy Star has long been the standard for energy- and resource-saving home appliances, builders of new buildings of three stories or fewer, including single-family homes, can apply for the Energy Star distinction.
Homes must meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines and be at least 15 percent more energy-efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC). Additional energy-saving features can make them 20 percent to 30 percent more efficient than traditionally built homes, which can mean great savings in energy bills over the life of the home.
Specific areas that the program concentrates on are:
- Effective insulation
- High-performance windows
- Tight construction of the building envelope and well-sealed ducts
- Efficient heating and cooling equipment
- Efficient products
The final step to successfully building an Energy Star-rated house is that it must pass an inspection by an independent home energy rater to meet the EPA's guidelines for energy efficiency. When the home passes the final inspection, it is given the gold star brand found on Energy Star appliances. While not as aggressive as other green building programs, the brand recognition makes the program attractive for builders just getting started in green building.
