Competing Green

Building environmentally sound, sustainable homes was once perceived as a quaint but impractical idea for builders in terms of time and money needed to implement on a large scale. Besides, most homebuyers weren't expressing interest in the concept, so what would be the point?

Today, more builders seem to be getting the point. Environmentally friendly, or "green" building, isn't just appealing to a fringe element of the population. Word is getting out that green-built homes are simply better built homes. They are better constructed, more energy efficient, less susceptible to mold and moisture issues and can have a very traditional look and design. These qualities can appeal to a wide range of buyers.

"There's this misperception that a 'green' house has to look like a spaceship made out of recycled tires and have sod on the roof," says Jim Hackler, program manager for the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Homes Program. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, known for its national green building rating systems for commercial buildings, is in the pilot stage of testing a national green building ratings program for homes. "You don't have to sacrifice the aesthetics. "It's the technique that goes into the house," Hackler continues. "It's a combination of best practices on how to build a better house and how to save money."Green beneath the façade

Many elements of green building are not outwardly apparent.

"It's the things that you don't see," Hackler says. "The layer of quality that's underneath the house, behind the walls, in the systems — the things that aren't real sexy. But the builder knows about these and gets real excited about them."

Builders feel good about presenting a home that's well made and comfortable, as well as environmentally sound. It gives them unique selling points, something other than "crown molding and granite countertops," to discuss with their buyers, according to Hackler.

"There are builders who want to differentiate themselves from a marketing standpoint," says Hackler. "One of the things that really resonates with families is better indoor air quality . . . that's something consu "It was a requirement by the city of Pleasanton (Calif.)," says Alvarez, "They provided us with a green points calculator from Alameda County Waste Management Authority. In filling the form out, we realized we have been doing it. We've been doing it for a long time and just never really thought about it."

Alvarez says building green came naturally in some ways because it made good business sense.

"Recycling of lumber and materials is something that we've always done," says Alvarez. "We just refuse to throw away usable pieces of material. It's proper business. It costs a lot of money to haul that away, and it's just plain unnecessary."

And in some ways, green building has been a matter of conscience.

"I've always been environmentally [aware]," says Alvarez. "I came from another builder and I started doing it over there. . . . It's just the right thing to do."

Milner says that as energy costs continue to rise and new homes continue to be built, green building will continue to increase.

"I cannot see it as a passing thing," Milner says.

"In the Southeast, green building is certainly an emerging market that is coming into its own," he continues. "I feel like those who embrace it earliest are the ones that are going to establish themselves in the marketplace as builders that are leading edge."

Milner has some advice for builders who are undecided about green building.

"Don't wait until it's forced upon you," he says. "Begin to investigate now and see how you can get into a program."

Green Building Program Material Criteria*

STANDARD HOME	NAHB MODEL GREEN HOME BUILDING GUIDELINES	PROPOSED LEED FOR HOMES CHECKLIST
	ENERGY STAR Energy Efficient Windows	ENERGY STAR Energy Efficient Windows
Single Pane Windows	• Improved Frame Materials	• Improved Frame Materials
	• Multi-pane Glazing	• Multi-pane Glazing
	• Glass Coatings	• Glass Coatings
	• Gas Filled Space	• Gas Filled Space
	• Warm Edge Spacers	• Warm Edge Spacers
	• Improved Weather Stripping	• Improved Weather Stripping
Non-Energy Efficient Appliances	ENERGY STAR Energy Efficient Appliances	ENERGY STAR Energy Efficient Appliances
	• Clothes Washers - 18–25 Gallons/Load	• Clothes Washers - 18–25 Gallons/Load
	• Refrigerators and Freezers - 40 percent Less Energy	• Refrigerators and Freezers - 40 percent Less Energy
	• Dishwashers - Uses Less Hot Water	• Dishwashers - Uses Less Hot Water
Standard Lumber Framing Methods	Use Advanced Framing Techniques	Material Efficient Home Framing
	• Reduce Building Material Used For Framing	• Use Advanced Framing Techniques
Non-certified Woods	Certified Wood For Wood and Wood-Based Materials and Products	Certified Tropical Hardwoods
	• Third Party Certification	• Forest Stewardship Council Certification
Standard Products	Environmentally Preferable Products	Environmentally Preferable Products
	• Carpet	• Carpet
	• Adhesives and Sealants	• Adhesives and Sealants
	• Cabinetry and Casework	• Cabinetry and Casework
	• Composite Panels	• Composite Panels
	• Interior and Exterior Doors	• Interior and Exterior Doors
	• Flooring (non-woven)	• Flooring (non-woven)
	• Paints	• Paints
	• Wall Coverings	• Wall Coverings
Non-continuous Insulation	Increase Effective R-value of Building Envelope	Efficient Exterior Wall Insulation
	• Continuous Insulation in Exterior Walls
Virgin Materials	Recycled Content Materials	No information available at present
Non-Renewable Materials	Renewable Materials	No information available at present
	• Agricultural Byproduct-Based Products
Traditional Materials	Resource Efficient Materials	No information available at present
	• Contain Fewer Resources
Standard Lighting Fixtures	ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package (ALP)	ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package (ALP)
Non-Locally Produced Materials	Locally Available, Indigenous Materials	Locally Produced Materials
Standard Plumbing Fixtures	Water Efficient Plumbing Fixtures	High Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures
*INFORMATION COMPILED BY ROSS SPIEGEL, AIA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP; ASSOCIATE, FLETCHER-THOMPSON, INC., CO-AUTHOR OF "GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS: A GUIDE TO PRODUCT SELECTION AND SPECIFICATION."

Residential Green Building Program Statistics*

PROGRAM	CITY	STATE	TOTAL HOMES BUILT	2004 HOMES BUILT	2003 HOMES BUILT	2002 HOMES BUILT	2001 HOMES BUILT
New Mexico Building America Partner Program	Albuquerque	NM	3,227	727	0	0	2,500
Hawaii Built Green	Honolulu	HI	4	3	1	0	0
Built Green Colorado	Denver	CO	18,242	5,742	5,000	3,854	3,646
Built Green Kitsap	Bremerton	WA	445	67	47	53	278
Built Green of SW Washington	Vancouver	WA	47	11	10	26	0
Built Green Seattle	Bellevue	WA	5,652	1,652	1,800	1,200	1,000
Build Green Program of Kansas City	Kansas City	MO	18	6	9	3	N/A**
California Green Builder	Sacramento	CA	635	0	90	545	0
EarthCraft House(tm)	Atlanta	GA	2,430	400	1,230	300	500
Green Building Program	Austin	TX	4,545	753	602	715	2,475
Innovative Building Review Program	Santa Barbara	CA	993	26	18	16	933
Green Points Program	Boulder	CO	2,155	450	139	260	1,306
Green Building Program	Frisco	TX	11,239	1,932	2,910	4,797	1,600
"GreenStar" Building Incentive Program	Chula Vista	CA	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Green Building Program	Scottsdale	AZ	460	239	38	54	129
WI Green Built Home	Madison	WI	1,981	792	637	350	202
Green Home Designation	Cocoa	FL	80	65	10	3	2
NC HealthyBuilt Homes	Raleigh	NC	49	37	12	N/A	N/A
VT Built Green	Burlington	VT	14	14	N/A	N/A	N/A
Earth Advantage(tm)	Portland	OR	2,527	1,113	916	498	0
Southern Arizona Green Building Alliance	Tucson	AZ	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Green Home Choice	Arlington	VA	3	2	1	N/A	N/A
I-Built	Flagstaff	AZ	0	0	0	N/A	N/A
EcoBUILD	Memphis	TN	47	39	8	N/A	N/A
Tacoma-Pierce County Built Green(tm)	Tacoma	WA	0	0	0	N/A	N/A
NJ Green Affordable Green Program	Trenton	NJ	919	472	161	144	142
City of Aspen Efficient Building Program	Aspen	CO	47	47	N/A	N/A	N/A
Green Building in Alameda County	Alameda	CA	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
TOTALS			61,927	14,589	13,639	12,818	14,713
RUNNING TOTALS				61,927	47,338	33,699	20,881***
*Provided by The NAHB Research Center **N/A indicates that either the green building program in question was not in existence at that time, or that records were not being kept on how many homes were built under that program for that particular year. ***There were 6168 homes recorded as being built according to a green building standard from 1990 through the end of 2001.