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The U.S. Green Building Council
This nonprofit organization began a green certification program for commercial and public buildings in 2000. Called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, it offers four tiers of certification for whole-building approaches to projects.
USGBC recently launched LEED for Homes, a rating system that allows consumers to compare and identify just how green a home is. LEED-certified homes are third-party inspected, performance-tested and certified to perform better than conventional homes. The certification looks at such factors such as use of energy, water and natural resources; waste generated; and health and comfort for occupants.
Director of Communications and LEED Accredited Professional with the U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C., Taryn Holowka, says LEED for Homes "is getting a lot of use and traction because it's a useful tool for homeowners, buyers, builders and others who want to live in (or build) a healthy, efficient, green home. As humans, we spend 90 percent of our time indoors, so living in a green home is important."
USGBC also has help for home remodeling projects. The council teamed up with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Foundation to create REGREEN, the first nationwide green residential remodeling guideline for existing homes. The program is not a rating system but rather a combination of best practices, learning programs and print and electronic resources for setting and achieving performance-based objectives for sustainable residential improvement projects.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
This trade association has seen green building's acceptance grow among its members and their customers. NAHB notes that, by the end of 2007, more than half of its members, who build more than 80 percent of U.S. homes, were incorporating green practices into the development, design and construction of new homes.
The NAHB is developing the nation's first and only consensus-based residential green building standard. Working with the International Code Council, NAHB expects to have the standard approved in 2008 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to create a common green baseline.
The standard, which addresses single- and multi-family building, lot and site development, and residential remodeling, is based on the NAHB's Model Green Home Building Guidelines published in 2004. The guidelines have six main focuses: lot preparation and design; resource efficiency; energy efficiency; water efficiency and conservation; occupancy comfort and indoor environmental quality; and operation, maintenance and education.
NAHB, in cooperation with the NAHB Research Center, has also created a National Green Building Program to make homes more affordable, durable and efficient. The program will link voluntary green building programs with a national online scoring tool (www.nahbgreen.org) and with educational resources.
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH)
This public-private partnership, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, works for cost-effective solutions to improve the quality, durability, energy efficiency, environmental performance and affordability of U.S. housing. The organization is made up of the home building, product manufacturing, insurance and financial industries and representatives of federal agencies concerned with housing.
According to Dana Bres, research engineer with PATH, people interested in bringing green home often don't know where to start and believe it will be too difficult or cost them too much money. The PATH web site, www.pathnet.org, provides information and other tools for homeowners.
With the very large inventory of existing public housing and private housing, the U.S. will not reach its energy-saving goals by working on new houses alone, says Bres. Even if every home built in 2008 used zero energy, it would only reduce America's housing energy needs by about 1 percent. However, those in existing homes can make a major impact together and improve their own situations with very simple practices and improvements..
Green Education
For some, it's a matter of not enough awareness about the issues.
In an October 2007 press release about The Shelton Group's Energy Pulse study, Shelton Group Chief Executive Officer Suzanne Shelton says, "The disconnect American consumers have between climate change issues and their own electricity usage is sobering. Over the years, consumers have been conditioned to think that changing their driving habits is the best way to help the environment...not that they are actually changing their driving habits, but that's one of the main things they think they ‘should' do. Because of this overwhelming awareness void, consumers have never realized that the biggest thing they can do is to use less electricity."
There are also misperceptions. A 2007 survey by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development found respondents misjudging costs and benefits of green buildings. Respondents estimated the additional cost of building green at 17 percent above conventional construction—more than triple the true cost difference of about 5 percent. They also estimated greenhouse gas emissions by buildings at 19 percent when the actual number is 40 percent, says the organization.
Whether building new, remodeling or adding on—or just improving your home's efficiency and environment—there's more to learn about bringing green home. The Green Homes Special Series will frame key issues, look at marketplace options and provide examples to spur you toward achieving your green home goals.
For more ideas, check out "BobVila.com's Top 21 Energy-Saving Ideas for 2008."
Read other Green Homes Special Series articles here.
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Text by Maureen Blaney Flietner
© 2008 BobVila.com
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