NAHB: Cost-Effective Green a Trend to Watch, NAHB Says

NAHB: Cost-Effective Green a Trend to Watch, NAHB Says

January 21, 2010 - The key to the mainstreaming of green is to make sure that consumers understand the value of green upgrades – and exactly how cost-effective that sustainable construction can be in the long run, according to four green home building professionals who spoke at a press conference on Wednesday at the National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders’ Show.

Builders, remodelers and product manufacturers are beginning to green their processes and incorporate more energy-, water- and resource-efficient features. They are learning how to reduce waste on the job site to save enough money to pay for these upgrades – and help ensure that the builder makes a profit, said consultant Steve Bertasso, who helps builders achieve these measures.

Green building has truly reached the tipping point because it’s moving out of the custom home market into the realm of high-production homes, he added. "This year is going to be a big change in the production [building] environment," Bertasso predicted. "Consumers are asking questions they didn’t ask two and a half years ago and contractors are making better decisions."

The key to reducing the nation’s energy use is to green existing homes, said Philip Beere, who is remodeling distressed properties near Phoenix’s new rapid transit line. Adding insulation, improving the ventilation and air conditioning systems and replacing turf grass with landscaping more appropriate to the Southwest’s desert climate doesn’t cost much more than a traditional remodel, but "retrofitting these homes to be green is a good solution," he said.

Connecticut home builder Jim Pepitone called himself a "late adopter," but one who has finally seen the green light – and believes the rest of the industry can’t be far behind. Builders need to educate consumers on air sealing, the importance of right-sized heating systems and good insulation, and the advantages of rooms that can serve more than one purpose so the home can be smaller and less expensive. "We need to make sustainable attainable," he said.


Read the Original Article Here

Geography

Green features! Many green programs award points for NOT having certain items: garages, air conditioning, etc. Is this fair?

Just because a builder is from the Northeast or Northwest and can build without an air conditioning system (try building a house in the Southern states with out A/C) or the geographical regions that detached or no garages could be built, should they get more points in the program?

My question is this: Should points or recognition be given for this or should we be held accountable to provide the best performing system for the geographical area that we build?

- Posted by GBCGC Executive Committee Member Thom Chumney.

When a home energy audit pays - Jan. 7, 2010

When a home energy audit pays - Jan. 7, 2010


This article appeared on CNN Money on January 7, 2010. Green Building Council Member Larry Newton forwarded it to our attention. Larry is an instructor of the Building Performance Institute (BPI) classes offered locally at Midlands Technical College. For more information on this story and BPI certification, please contact Larry Newton by e-mail at lnewton@sc.rr.com.


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Answers About Green Roofs

We received an e-mail with a question or two about green roofing materials. We sent this question to council member Nancy Rye of Columbia Wholesale, Inc. She sent the question to Mike Vance, a Certain Teed sales representative. Thanks for the question, and here's the answers we've got so far. We'll post more as they come in.

Information on Green roofing materials from Mike Vance of Certain Teed:

Inherently, the lighter color shingles(Landmark AR Mist White and Silver Birch) are the two regular priced, 30 year shingles that have qualified with an SRI of 29 or greater. SRI is an index used to measure reflectivity. This is the real advantage of these products. Insulation can help tremendously but reflecting all the sun and heat is equally important. And don't forget the importance of proper ventilation on the roof as well.

Now the only way to get Energy Star rated shingles outside of the light colors is to use the new Solaris or similar shingle with solar reflective granules. The Solaris is a Landmark Premium product with a lifetime warranty versus the 30 year warranty on regular Landmark. This warranty difference is key as the push for "green" building incorporates sustainability as a major component....hence a limited lifetime warranty on the Solaris. We could have made the product in a 30-year but that would have defeated the purpose and given us more SKU's which affects capacity.

There are some things to consider in deciding on the higher priced Solaris versus a standard 30-year. Cost savings is one...energy cost reduction over the long haul can be substantial. In addition, we have discovered several municipalities and utilities across the country who are giving credits, reduced rates, etc. on their monthly electric charges. And, in the case of a re-roof, you can also take advantage of the Tax Credit available for Energy Star rated products.

Thanks Mike!

Here's a link to the Energy Star website page that deals with this information.

SCE&G proposes energy savings - Business - The State

This article from The State newspaper gives an overview of the SCE&G energy efficiency plan. The power/utility company met with many different groups for input in developing this plan, including the Green Building Council of Greater Columbia. We are pleased to see the utility company is taking these steps and will keep appraised of the plan as it develops and moves forward. See the article here:

SCE&G proposes energy savings - Business - The State