The official launch tomorrow of the National Association of Home Builders’ green building program is an obvious signal to the construction industry. By creating a national standard, the NAHB is telling its membership to emphasize energy efficiency and eco-friendly materials when building and remodeling.
And industry professionals gathering here in Orlando this week for the annual International Builders’ Show, among the largest of its kind in the world, seem to understand the need for change.
A national standard means it won’t be business as usual. Local trade associations, including the Long Island Builders Institute, are expected to tweak guidelines from the new national standard to create even stricter local guidelines based largely on regional climates and conditions.
“It’s a front-burner issue for us now,” said Michael Watt, executive vice president of LIBI, “and the national standard pushes it out front even further.” Watt expects LIBI to release it’s own green-building program some time in the next six months.
NAHB’s National Green Building Program covers education and continual training for industry professionals, and it also includes a certification program. New homes will be graded in seven specific categories, and points achieved will earn structures bronze, silver or gold ratings.
The NAHB program is similar in concept to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). But among residential builders, the LEED program often is perceived to be architect driven and applies mostly to commercial structures.
Also, for each building, LEED certification can run up to $5,000; NAHB certification should be in the $1,000 range.
On Long Island, some alterations to the NAHB program make sense, says John Barrows, a green-building expert and LIBI member who owns J. Barrows Inc. in East Hampton. “For example, we’re pushing for points in whole-house dehumidification,” said Barrows, who is serving on a LIBI green-building committee. Adding a whole-house dehumidifier allows air-conditioning systems to work more efficiently and reduces energy consumption. “In areas with high humidity, that will be a good change.”
Another typical change for Long Island is recognizing the use of outdoor reset controls, energy-saving devices that allow gas- and oil-fired boilers to run at lower temperatures.
Barrows, who is teaching several green-building courses at this event, says changes must be approved by NAHB. “They’ll typically allow changes if they are more cost effective and considered an improvement on an existing guideline,” Barrows said.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a nonprofit that oversees the implementation of business standards worldwide, is expected to approve NAHB green guidelines some time in April. Afterward, the hope in the industry is that new-home buyers and homeowners planning remodeling projects will proclaim green as a favorite color.
How do your new home plans rate in the NAHB Green Building Program? Visit www.nahbgreen.org to see.