I agree completely. The Architect and builder can plan and specify an energy efficient design on paper. But, the building will only perform the way they intended if it's built the way they designed it.

Infrared investigations, with and without blower doors, are discovering major deficiencies in insulation installation, ductwork, air gaps and thermal bridging.

There has been very little verification of all these "green" claims. Too many times it is just a purchased logo and marketing hype. It is time to prove the customer is getting a building that performs.

Architects, designers, builders - we can all do more for a greener world but what about the client who won't pay for it? We need to educate the client too. If the client wants it, then the trades will have to start providing it.

As a Certified Building Contractor, S.I.P. Certified, LEED Certified. My Company builds in Florida. We have found Sub Contractors willing to explore the new " Green Way" but I find myself teaching them. We do have many so called Green Contractors in the area but as we know there are many shads of green. We have a problem with getting "GREEN" material, being so far south. And by the time it gets here, $$$. We are starting a new era in building. Contractors will get on the wagon or fall by the way.

I think this seems like a wide-open opportunity for trades willing to go green.

What is "green" anyway? As a homeowner looking to do some major remodeling work it's trendy to throw the term around but even casual inspection shows much of it seems false or vague, except the increased price tag. And the typical homeowner is most likely closer in income range to the trades than the builders, so it is a good indicator of their mentality. Why do green materials invariably cost more? Surely the licensing/patents shouldn't be the reason. It doesn't make sense: if they are TRULY green, the production and final costs should be the same as the non-green options, if not cheaper. Otherwise this nullifies any eco-friendly reasons to "go green". Higher costs mean more $$$ which means more energy expended to purchase the materials. No wonder both owners and the trades aren't as keen to go green, especially in these lean economic times. To spend an additional $100 - $150 K for a green house means your great-grandkids will be in college before the mortgage is paid off, assuming you've had kids yet!. How many more countless hours of energy will be expended to cover those costs? What impact will THAT have on the environment? The breakeven point is too far in the future to make the effort worth this "noble cause". A green initiative must be energy efficient in every way. Otherwise it's just a way to guilt-trip/hustle money out of a gullible public.

I believe that the construction laws will need to have some backbone in requiring a certain portion of green in every structure built. That would force everyone to get educated in green. Education is the key. I would like to see college and trade courses available for those who do not understand it. I am chair of our church addition committee and I am amazed at the lack of common knowledge. I feel like I am having to educate a whole congregation and running into a few "walls" on the way (Could it be that a woman does not know what she is talking about?) I required a couple members of our committee to attend an energy seminar so they could help me educate. Again, education is the key...and a look at the bottom line of long term savings, everyone wants to keep the money in their wallet, but it is a matter of spending money to save money. Just my 2 cents.

Your assuming the builders know what they're looking at or that they're looking at all!

Must builders are really salesmen and have little if any knowledge about houses - they only sell them. much like a car salesman that can tell you what the features are but can't begin to tell you how they work.

The superitendent or job foreman should be your target.

The owners don't want to pay for the upgrades, the builder doesn't know anything about building, and subs don't care.

It's up to the architect to spec it and foreman to see it through.

Same problem happened in the 70'- if a builder wants to deliver a "green" or "energy efficient" product, she/he has to be able to physically do everything required in order to show the workers how it has to be done- no cure for this. Someone has to lead, and the builder has to be the person who know what and how to do anything different. We build zero energy homes, like many other people starting in the 70's, and we simply have to do it ourselves and hire teachable help- not experienced help.

I am from Pennsylvania and looking into building a house in an area that does not promote green building yet. Can you recommend how can I educate myself on building and obtaining materials for an energy efficient house, including options such as using grey water, solar and/or wind energy, and the best heating solutions? I have been searching for websites and seminars via the internet, but I am not sure what the best path is to take.

**First off, good for you for wanting to build a sustainable house. It's can be frustrating if you don't have a contractor who is already on board with green building, so that's where I would start. If you are searching the Web, try the Department of Energy's website at www.eere.energy.gov/ and search the residential building technologies, there is a wealth of information there. **

As long as people are paid to do work, they'll try to shortcut it - that's just human nature.

Ultimately, it's the client's responsibility to make sure the work is done to spec. He/she may (or WILL) have to trust the contractor to some extent, but a knowlegeable consumer is his/her own best insurance.

This may mean making a nuisance of yourself - visiting the site as often as possible, making sure the work is done right, and insisting that it be re-done on the spot if deficiencies are found. Maybe after the first few times, the crew and supervisors will get the message.

As sub contractors, using only green products (Sealection500 spray applied foam insulation and cellulose insulation), we have experienced builders who are willing to use inferior "recycled" products and call them green, and end up with a house that doesn't perform as well as if they used our products. Sealection 500 foam will save money on power bills, every month, for the life of the house.
Insulation isn't a sexy product, so it's hard to interest a builder or homeowner in spending a bit more $$$ initially, in order to save $$$$ in the long haul. Education is the key.

Green is new and essentially undefined in the building industry. What does it cost? What makes sense from the menu list of building Green? For instance Bamboo floors are the new 'trend'. They are what I call 'sexy green'. A well marketed buzz word created by the flooring industry. GREENER is to use locally sourced laminate for floors or any locally sourced product, FSC wood is Greener than imported bamboo that uses a virgin product with a huge carbon footprint. As a builder we have had to study and work very hard to build Smart Green. We have a product that energy models close to SIPS & ICF construction working with state energy consultants and energy research college departments. This product is build for about 1/3 the cost of SIPS or ICF construction. We believe Green should and MUST be cutting edge in regard to energy conservation. FYI? It is a LOT of work to come up with the answers. We do it though because it has to be accomplished to go forward as a builder. It is always changing with new product knowledge.

Trades, schmades, show any human being the bottom line SAVINGS and they will move towards green. DUH!!!

I have been trying to build a "green" home for over a year now. Most of the builderes that I have contacted have not been willing to change their ways of life. One young builder even told me that his work and energy effeciency was 'sufficient'. That's like telling me my gas mileage is sufficient so I souldn't try to improve things.
I don't want a large house with science fiction gadgets. I want a 2,000 sq. ft. home that utilizes the most economical of a number of possibilities. Things lilke tankless water heaters, excellent, safe insulation, well sealed exteriors, eco-friendly paint and flooring, geo thermal heat, rain barrels and possibly collection tanks and if possible solar or wind technologies will go a very long way for a home with 3 people in it. Baby steps.
My favorite answer was not from a high end builder who had already won awards for "green" buildings but from a contractor who looked me in the eye and said he didn't know much about the concept yet but he was willing to learn along with me.
I'll take that attitude & honesty any day.