Green Occupations: Educating Builders and Brokers

Defining Green

Despite all the progress that has been made to educate consumers and home industry professionals on all things green, there remains the important matter of defining what “green” means. To date, no universally accepted “green home” standard exists. Programs like the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) have established criteria in place for certifying a residence with the “LEED for Homes” (LEED-H) award, but even within the LEED rating system there are numerous performance levels that can be achieved by an aspiring green home.

“We like to think there are shades of green,” says Ryan Moehring of EcoBroker International, a green certification program for real estate professionals. “We believe a property with several green features is better than a property that has none.” 

In 2008, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its National Green Building Standard, which established an industry-wide standard by which green buildings are measured. The NAHB offers the guidelines for sale on its web site, for $31.95.

Building Green

When a consumer wants to build a green home, he wants a contractor who has some knowledge and experience in the matter. Enter the burgeoning industry of green builder education. Programs and certifications are springing up countrywide, all aimed at legitimizing the home builder as a green home builder. 

Green Builder College offers one such program. Offering courses in Green Building, Energy Basics, Energy-Efficient Homes, Managing Moisture, and IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) Fundamentals, the Green Builder College awards the Green Builder certification to those who complete all the courses and successfully pass a final certification exam. Level 1 Green Builder Certification— costs $700 and requires 40 credit hours. “The certification helps differentiate our students, which include builders, developers, remodelers, and designers,” says Sara Gutterman, co-founder and CEO of Green Builder College, which has expanded its curriculum to include advanced green certifications.