Building Green

What Is Green Building?
· No green hammer hanging from your tool belt yet? Here's a rundown on the basics of green building.
By Joe Bousquin
The National Association of Home Builders says more builders are hopping on the green-building bandwagon every month: A recent NAHB survey found that by the end of next year, half of its members will employ some form of green construction in their homes.
"We're starting to see 2007 as a tipping point," says Emily English, green building program manager at NAHB. "Consumers are hearing more and more about green building, so builders are looking to incorporate more of those features into their homes."
The Basics Despite more awareness about green building, there is still a lot of confusion about exactly what green building is. For most experts, there are five main characteristics that define it:
Having an environmentally friendly site selection or "footprint." Some of the factors involved are orientation of the house to maximize natural sunlight for heat and light, as well as shade for cooling. As a result, the home's furnace and air conditioning don't have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable house. Another goal is making a minimal impact on the area in which the house is built. Forget clear-cutting the entire lot; take down only the trees and bushes that would interfere with construction. The remaining trees can help cool the house in the summer and act as a windbreak in the winter. And locating the home near shopping and other services will keep the amount of driving down — a win for the entire environment.
Using energy efficient designs and materials while building a "tighter" home to prevent HVAC loss. The use of sunlight and shade for heating and cooling is as old as mankind, but there are designs and materials specifically designed to keep the house nearly air-tight. With less outside air infiltrating the home, the indoor climate is much easier to control. LED lights use a fraction of regular incandescent bulbs, while Energy Star appliances are certified to meet strict guidelines about how much electricity they require to operate.
Because higher insulation standards and Energy-Star-compliant appliances have evolved over the last few decades, energy efficiency is often the first place builders start when going green. "Energy efficiency is certainly some of the low hanging fruit," says Brian Gitt, executive director of Build It Green, a non-profit, third-party green building education and certification group in Berkeley, Calif.
Reducing a home's water consumption through low-flow fixtures. It's true that the earliest low-flow plumbing fixtures caused problems for some homeowners, but today's versions are as good — if not better — than the old water hogs. One technology is the incorporation of air into the process; the result is a low-flow shower that feels just as strong as the one using much more water.
Promoting a healthy indoor air environment. Yes, air-tight houses are critical to energy efficiency, but an unwelcome result is indoor air quality that is five times more polluted than the air outdoors. Green builders often use some kind of fresh-air ventilation to exhaust the stale indoor air to the outside, bring in fresh air and conserve energy.
Emphasizing material conservation and waste reduction while using sustainable products in design and construction. Engineers in the building-materials business have designed all kinds of products to save lumber by using optimal value engineered (OVE) joists and beams that require minimal trimming and boring for mechanical runs. Green builders can go as far as recycling job-site waste and using it for mulch in the newly planted yard.

Another form of waste reduction is building houses that will endure for years before requiring any serious maintenance. Metal or cement-tile roofing, for example, will hold up much longer than standard shingles; many have life expectancies of half a century.
No national standards To help builders get a better handle on green building, the National Association of Home Builders has created its Model Green Home Building Guidelines. "It's a resource guide for builders who want to figure out what green building is and learn about green building techniques," English says. The Guidelines can be downloaded from the website; it's also available in hard copy and on a CD-ROM through NAHB.
While NAHB's Guidelines provides a starting point, there's still no nationally recognized standard for green homes. Instead, there are about 70 regional groups across the country promoting green building in their own regions. They include Build It Green in Berkeley, Calif., and the Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta, which works with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association to educate builders. "We don't design and build green homes, but we train and provide technical assistance to those who do," says Dennis Creech, executive director at Southface, whose EarthCraft House program serves as a green benchmark for builders in the Southeast.
A national standard may be on its way, though. The U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit group based in Washington, D.C., is currently testing its LEED for Homes pilot program in 12 different regions across the country. Jay Hall, acting manager of the program, hopes to "piggyback" with existing local groups such as Southface and have a national standard in place by late 2007. "We're trying to create a national standard for green homes, and send a clear message about what constitutes green as you go from one region of the country to the other," Hall says.
The USGBC also maintains a list of regional and local programs.

Green building now Plenty of builders are using green techniques today — and they're taking it very seriously. For example, Christopherson Homes, which puts up approximately 300 homes per year in northern California, has earned Build It Green's "GreenPoint Rated" certification. Amy Christopherson Bolten, director of community relations, says Christopherson's homes employ a variety of green techniques:
Dual-flush toilets
Low-VOC paints
Formaldehyde-free insulation
Forest Stewardship Council-certified lumber, which comes from forests managed with sustainable methods
2x6 wall studs, which allow the studs to be spaced farther apart to save lumber wood and make the walls thicker to allow for more insulation
Ventilation systems wrapped and sealed to prevent heat and air conditioning from leaking out
"Now we can show our customers how much they'll save in energy costs based on our specifications," Christopherson Bolten says.
Hurdles still present Being green isn't always easy, though. For example, FSC-certified lumber can be problematic. "It's hard to get, and it's expensive, about 20 to 30 percent more than regular lumber," says Christopherson Bolton, who estimates that building green adds a few thousand dollars in costs to each house.
Training subs to build to green specs can be a challenge, too. Then there's the fact that many homebuyers still don't know what green building is. "The public still seems to be on a learning curve with it," Christopherson Bolten says.
That learning curve appears to be on the upswing, though. With consumers hyper-sensitive to energy costs while becoming more environmentally conscious in general, most observers agree that green is the color of the future for builders and buyers, alike. "The builders in our program aren't just a couple of custom-home guys in a fringe market. They're mainstream builders," says Southface's Creech. "Eventually, I think the home-buying public is going to demand that their homes be built this way."
Joe Bousquin writes for both consumer and trade publications in the home, construction and real estate industries. A former senior writer at TheStreet.com and staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, he has also contributed to the New York Observer, Kiplinger's Personal Finance and Men's Journal.
Busted! Eight Green-Building Myths
· Green building has come a very long way in the past few years, yet some myths still persist.
By Rob Fanjoy

Green building is no longer viewed as a passing fad or some strange notion adopted by militant environmentalists on the fringe of society. In fact, the editors of Harvard Business Review dedicated a large amount of space in their June 2006 issue to explain how green building is now an established mainstream building practice.
Geared mostly toward commercial construction, the article pointed out that even six short years ago, green buildings were generally regarded as interesting experiments but unfeasible in the real world. Since then, hundreds of studies have proven the financial advantages of green buildings (residential and commercial), from reduced construction costs to lower operating costs. There have also been studies that show employers with green buildings experience significant workforce benefits, including better employee attraction and retention, lower absenteeism and improved productivity.
Even so, there are still some persistent myths that keep some in the residential construction industry from accepting that green building is proven effective and here to stay.
Myth #1: Green building is too expensive. This is a very common misconception. Although it has been debunked many times in the past, it still lingers. "A lot of the high-profile green projects that get builders' attention are very high-end, and that's one reason this myth is still around," says Alex Wilson, president of BuildingGreen Inc. in Brattleboro, Vt. and executive editor of Environmental Building News. "But the simple fact is that there are plenty of strategies for inexpensive green building, from right-sizing the structure to optimal value engineering to reducing waste, among many others."
Myth #2: Green building is all about material selection. Wilson says that in the past, people equated green building with using "green materials" such as those with high recycled content, low embodied energy, no VOCs, etc. And while he says that is an important part of constructing a green building, it is still a small part of the big picture. "Other factors such as site selection and energy performance are very important as well," says Wilson. "People are beginning to gain a greater understanding that green building is a systems approach to the entire construction process."
Myth #3: Green building products don't work as well. Wilson points to low-flow toilets and fiberglass insulation as typical products that continue to get a bad rap. People still think that 1.6 gallon-per-flush toilets don't work, even though the fixtures were mandated for all new construction more than a decade ago, and that inhaling fiberglass fibers can lead to cancer. "By and large, new green products work as well if not better than traditional products," he says.
Myth #4: Green Products are hard to find. Okay, there is some truth to this one; some green products are not manufactured nationwide and can be hard to purchase in some parts of the country. But the number of green products and systems that are available has grown exponentially over the past few years to the point where there are literally hundreds—if not thousands—of mainstream green products. BuildingGreen Inc. publishes two comprehensive directories (GreenSpec and Green Building Products) with performance data and contact information on just about every green product imaginable.

Myth #5: Green homes are "weird" or "ugly." No, you don't have to build a yurt or geodesic dome and mount huge rows of solar panels to be green. The fact is that many of today's green homes are virtually indistinguishable from "typical" homes. And if you do want to go with solar power, "There are many ways to integrate PV [photovoltaic] panels that both attractive and effective," says Wilson.
Myth #6: Building a green home is too complicated. Ron Jones is the owner of Sierra Custom Builders in Placitas, N.M., and a founder and executive editor of Green Builder magazine. In his many talks around the world on green building, he still has to address this myth. "This is a business that is about common sense, and a lot of green building is very fundamental," he says. "It all begins with a tight building envelope; the rest of it is not very exotic or akin to rocket science."
Myth #7: To get into green building, you have to sign up for some sort of program or third-party certification. While programs such as the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED and the American Lung Association's Healthy House are terrific at garnering exposure and furthering the green movement, builders don't have to get involved with them to build green. "Those programs are great at supplying templates and roadmaps," says Jones. "But green building is really about one project at a time and a builder's and owner's will to make a better choice."
Myth #8: It's an all-or-nothing proposition. Jones says there is often a tendency to separate construction professionals into two groups: good guys (those who build only green) and bad guys (those who don't build green at all). "That's not true," Jones says. "I bet there are plenty of people employing green technologies and techniques who may not even know it. I'd bet just about any builder or manufacturer in this country is doing something for green building."
Rob Fanjoy is the former editor of Smart HomeOwner magazine and former senior editor of Professional Builder. He lives in Ypsilanti, Mich., where he is using green techniques and materials to remodel his home.
Green Building Information Resources
· Use these resources for more information and education about green building.
By Marjie O'Connor
One of the concerns some builders have about green building is that if they decided to start building green, they have to take it all the way. That's not the case, according to Ron Jones, owner of Sierra Custom Builders in Placitas, N.M. (See 'Busted! Eight Green Building Myths'.) All general contractors building to code are already using green-building products, such as low-flow plumbing fixtures and the new high-efficiency HVAC systems. All builders and remodelers can decide just how green they want to be. To put it in literal terms, the level of intensity can range from a pale green (think mint ice cream) all the way to deepest forest green (think ... well, think deep forest.)
There is plenty of help available to anyone interested in green building—contractors and consumers alike. The list on this page represents only a few of those with a national scope; there are many others that focus on local and regional green-building issues. These organizations provide both home builders and homeowners with excellent basic information, such as tips on water conservation, as well as more sophisticated approaches to green building, including building a zero-energy house that generates all of its own energy needs.
The websites of these organizations also have more links to other green-building programs and publications. Be sure to take advantage of as many—or as few—as you like.
Building America U.S. Department of Energy
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse U.S. Department of Energy Phone 877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463) E-mail eereic@ee.doe.gov
Energy and Environmental Building Association 10740 Lyndale Avenue South, Suite 10W Bloomington, MN 55420-5615 Phone 952-881-1098 Fax 952-881-3048 E-mail information@eeba.org
Environmental Protection Agency Green Buildings Cate Berard US EPA (7409M) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20460 Phone: 202-564-8847 Fax 202-564-8899 E-mail berard.cate@epa.gov
Forest Stewardship Council 1155 30th Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20007 Phone 202-342-0413 Fax 202-342-6589 E-mail info@fscus.org
Green Building Initiative 222 SW Columbia St., Ste. 1800 Portland, OR 97201 Phone 877-GBI.GBI1 Fax 503-961-8991 Email: info@thegbi.org
Green Building Institute 7761 Waterloo Road, Jessup, MD 20794 Phone 443-733-1234 Fax 443-733-1219
National Association of Home Builders 1201 15th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone 800-368-5242; 202-266-8200 x0 Fax 202-266-8400
NAHB Green Building Conference Office of the Registrar The NAHB University of Housing 1201 15th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone 800-368-5242 x8338 Fax 202-266-8501 E-mail registrar@nahb.com
NAHB Research Center 400 Prince George's Boulevard Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 Phone 800-638-8556 or 301-249-4000 Fax 301-430-6180
Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing A partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and leaders of private businesses in the homebuilding, product manufacturing, insurance and financial industries.
U.S. Green Building Council U.S. Green Building Council 1015 18th Street, NW, Suite 508 Washington, DC 20036 Phone (202) 82-USGBC or 828-7422 Fax (202) 828-5110 Email info@usgbc.org
How To Get Started Building Green
· Green building is more attractive than ever to builders and home buyers.
By Richard Wall

There may never be a better time to get into green building than right now, particularly as a way to hedge your business against the slowing housing market.
"There is no slow down for my company," says Matt Belcher of Belcher Homes in St. Louis. "Last year we did 15 green homes, and this next year we'll do 25. I don't build anything but green homes."
Belcher says that a confluence of green products, how-to-build-green information, and customers easily sold on the concept have greatly reduced the obstacles builders used to face in getting started. By using the resources now readily available from national and local home builders associations and other organizations (see table), any builder can establish an individual plan to go green and execute it.
Emily English, director of the National Association of Home Builders' Green Building Program, says the NAHB's free Green Building Guidelines publication lays it all out in phased steps.
Step-By-Step Break Down "There is a learning curve to switching to green practices," says Emily. "So we have different thresholds of building green, starting with bronze, then silver and gold. The first part of the Guidelines is a checklist for what level of green you are building to. The second part of the Guidelines is how to do it, and a source of resources."
The process of going green is broken into seven guiding principles (Resource Efficiency, Lot Design, Preparation, and Development, etc.) with each specific element in a principle section given a numerical value. By adopting elements from each of the seven sections into your building program, you move into green building step by step.
"It's easier to go green this year than it was last year," says Belcher, who will chair the NAHB Green Building Conference March 25-27, 2007, in St. Louis. "There's so much more information out there. Our local HBA of Greater St. Louis and Eastern Missouri just adopted the NAHB's Guidelines. We tweak them for our area, but there isn't much tweaking needed.
"On the product side, all the manufacturers of building components saw the writing on the wall, Belcher adds. "Green products are about all they're pushing."

Sell the Green Bling Belcher said the other two largest potential stumbling blocks to going green have been selling the green concept to dubious customers and turning concept into practice on the job site. Although these are the most crucial aspects a builder needs to get right when switching over to green practices, Belcher doesn't view them as obstacles any longer.
"I sell the customers with what I call the 'green bling.' I tell them about things like photovoltaics, structural insulated panels, and the fact that lenders are raising the value of green homes by as much as 18%," says Belcher. "And when I tell them we are going to build a 3,500 square-foot home and their electric bill won't be more than $125 a month, it gets them going pretty quick."
English and Belcher offer a couple of tips for builders to keep in mind as they go green:
Getting the trades on board was more of an issue in the past than it is today, as the green trend generates information, products, workshops and buzz. Still, English says, builders switching to green should plan on spending extra time training the trades and supervising crews on site.
Belcher advises builders to tell their trade contractors from the very start exactly what they are doing—and why. "These guys pride themselves on being craftsmen, and they appreciate being involved in these advanced building techniques."
"I can say that using the Green Building Guidelines has improved my bottom line dramatically. I am not wasting a thing," says Belcher. "After my first few green houses, I was thinking, 'Why haven't I been doing this all along?'"
Richard Wall is a freelance writer based in St. Augustine, Fla.
Online Resources for Green Building NAHB Green Building Building Science Corporation Department of Energy's Building America Program Advanced Energy The Energy and Environmental Building Association The American Lung Association Green Building Initiative


PATH Announces First Top 10 Remodeling Technologies
· Innovations improve energy and resource efficiency in existing housing.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has unveiled its first Top 10 Technologies list exclusively for remodeling.
In PATH's Top 10 Remodeling Technologies for 2007, there's something to improve almost every area of the home: the building envelope, lighting, HVAC, plumbing, controls and floors. Although some technologies are relatively new, most have been around for a while, but for various reasons haven't been widely adopted. The Top 10 is designed to help push them along with much-needed exposure.
"Remodelers comprise a unique part of the housing industry and face the distinctive challenges that come with existing housing," said Assistant Secretary Darlene F. Williams of HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research. "PATH has scanned the industry for underutilized technologies that can dramatically improve the resource efficiency and energy efficiency of our existing housing. This Top 10 list offers remodelers a low-risk way to make today's housing perform better tomorrow."
The technologies include:
Air sealing with spray foam insulation
Smart ventilation/ventilation control systems
HVAC sizing
High efficiency toilets
Compact fluorescent lighting
High-performance windows/storm windows
Wireless lighting, thermostats and other controls
Solar hot water
Recycled/renewable flooring options
Tubular skylights
With its Top 10 series, PATH spotlights for the housing industry and consumers innovations that are within easy grasp. However, in past Top 10s, remodelers and homeowners had to decipher which ones applied best to existing construction. The third PATH Top 10 list, the Remodeling Top 10 follows a list unveiled in January for the entire housing industry. That list included mold-resistant gypsum, solar water heating, horizontal axis washer/dryers, induction cooktops, permeable pavers and more. The first PATH Top 10 was released in 2004.


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