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March 27, 2008
The National Green Building Standard
It's always been my belief that there are two ways to really change our building practices in this country. Overwhelming consumer demand and building code. The latter is finally happening, somewhat strangely at the hand of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the International Code Council (ICC) and the NAHB Research Center have started the process of developing an ANSI standard for green home building construction practices. What does that mean? A standardized green building code .
The standard is being developed with the basis of the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, and input from dozens of residential construction-related organizations in the U.S.
The 2004 Edition of the Guidelines can be downloaded from the NAHB Research Center web site.
It's expected that the process will be completed by the end of 2008 (really, does building code MOVE that FAST?!?!)
But isn't it exciting? I am being optimistic and eagerly awaiting this new standard.
Posted by Stacy Hunt at 10:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 21, 2008
ICC - in the fray or in the way?
If you haven't noticed, green is really the HOT thing this decade. So no wonder that the International Code Council (ICC) has finally taken notice and decided to, of course, regulate it.
The ICC is developing a certification program called the Green Building Professional Certification that will be a tool to help communities and code officials ensure that green building programs can play nice with the established International Codes. To make the green-grade code officials will have to pass a test to make sure they understand the ICC's own "green" programs like the International Energy Conservation Code, and the International Plumbing Code. The ICC will also take measure of their officials understanding of a plethora, well, lets say select few, other rating systems including the USBGC LEED program, the NAHB's National Green Building Standard, and Green Building Initiative's Green Globes program.
As stated in the ICC News Release ...
"This new certification will test building safety professionals' knowledge of green building to ensure the structure or system is safe and sustainable as provided by the various green building rating systems," said Code Council Board President Steve Shapiro, Director of Codes Compliance for Hampton, Va. "As code officials, we can have a positive impact on our communities by facilitating safe and sustainable construction while promoting the environmentally-focused features of the I-Codes."
I have to scratch my head at this.
First, if someone wants to incorporate green building technologies into their home, does it matter if their improvements match the criteria in the LEED or Green Globes program? My understanding is that the ICC is about "Providing the highest quality codes, standards, products, and services for all concerned with the safety and performance of the built environment." At least that's their mission statement. So as long as the technologies are safe, that is to say, don't make the house fall down, why should the ICC care?
Or is there more at work here?
You may recall my posting about the dust-up between the green roof folks, the ICC, and the National Roofing Contractors Association. From the outside it looked an awful lot like a powerful trade group using the ICC to limit a cottage industry from gaining market share.
Now the ICC is edging into green building programs, but for what purpose? Could it be that they want to put some legs under the NAHB's National Green Building Standard? Isn't this approach pretty much the ICC making an "approved" list of green building programs? I thought they were about design elements and technologies?
There are plenty of new homes out there that have mold issues, can't stand up to hurricanes, have 30 year roofs that only last 15 years, and are being invaded by termites. Aren't those more pressing safety issues for communities than, for instance, some LEED point criteria like using recycled materials, bamboo floors, and including daylight views?
People wonder why green building technologies are having such a difficult time really hitting the mainstream building market. We speculate as to why the cost is so high to incorporate some of the most aggressive energy saving, water saving, and common sense ideas that are easily accessible to the home builder. Could it be that every time we try to do the right thing we find that someone is looking over our shoulder? All of these inspections, speculations, and certifications cost time and money - to the builder those two are the same thing. All the marketing, certifications, and pageantry of green building programs could easily be called the "noise" that drowns out the actual message.
This is why the "green" elements of a home are the first thing on the chopping block when the home buyer sees change orders and cost over-runs.
"We would have loved to have beefed up the insulation, but it just cost too much," the home buyer laments. Can you blame them? Houses have to be built to a finite budget.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of green building programs if they can move the industry closer to the goal. You'll recall we're trying to reduce energy consumption, water consumption, create healthy living spaces, and build homes that will outlast their mortgage (50 year loans included). The goal is building better homes, not getting a silver medal or stamp of approval from a trade organization.
If you want third party validation, how about getting a HERS rating?
I suspect America would love to go green, if it weren't for all the red tape.
Posted by Andrew Hunt at 10:07 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
March 10, 2008
Green materials just in time for St. Patty's Day
Spring is about to spring (or is it sproing?) and your lawn isn't the only thing coming up green. A new Web site set to launch on March 17, 2008, will offer builders, designers, and home do-it-yourselfers a chance to shop for recycled building products online.
PlanetReuse.com is looking to hit a grand slam in green construction practices. The Web site will offer a free listing service for anyone trying to get rid of usable, but unwanted, construction materials and equipment from around the world. In addition to not creating a carbon footprint with a store front, PlanetReuse.com virtual warehouse works on several other green levels.
- LEED points. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System offers points for using recycled and salvaged building materials. PlanetReuse.com offers help with the documentation making it easier for builders to submit final plan.
- Landfill. Most jobsite waste is preventable. There are many ways to keep the dumpsters from overflowing and with a little effort builders can actually turn that waste stream into a revenue stream. You can read more about jobsite waste here in a great blog entry by Stacy.
- Recycling is the greenest option. Whether you are listing salvaged materials or surplus equipment, giving a second life to building products is the one of the greenest things a builder can do. Reusing products reduces the amount of natural resources and energy burned in production and transportation.
For consumers, an online catalog of reused and recycled building materials can mean an opportunity to find rare and unique items. Everything from American chestnut salvaged from New England barns to Belgium blocks from Belgium could be available. With a constantly rotating inventory world-wide it might pay for custom builders to bookmark the site.
Posted by Andrew Hunt at 5:12 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
