< May 2012 >

Building Green Partners

Amanzi Marble and Granite

Building Green

Home builders and home buyers across the country are increasingly interested in green building. But what exactly makes a home green?

Building green means incorporating environmental considerations and resource efficiency into every step of the home building and land development process to minimize environmental impact. That means that during the design, construction, and operation of a home, the following must be taken into account: energy and water efficiency, lot development, resource efficient building design and materials, indoor environmental quality, homeowner maintenance, and the home's overall impact on the environment. Although we cannot avoid affecting the environment when a house is built, green building can work toward minimizing that environmental impact.

Most builders are using green building practices in their homes as part of their current standard practices; ENERGY STAR® windows and appliances, recycled content materials, and water-conserving fixtures are all important parts of a green built home.  Additionally when you see the ENERGY STAR designation, it means these homes have had their energy efficiency independently verified by an inspector known as a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rater. These professionals advise builders how to select the most appropriate energy-efficient features for a home, inspect and test the home during construction, and then verify that the home meets EPA's strict guidelines for energy efficiency.

To move to the next step of sustainable building, the builder should consider a whole-house systems approach. The home is composed of several independent components which, when planned and fully considered, can work together to increase performance and efficiency. For example, making a home's building envelope tighter through air sealing and quality building techniques can affect the way the builder designs the home's ventilation system. It is through such a forward-thinking process that builders can gain cost efficiencies for homeowners.

The National Green Building Standard is an ideal place to start. These guidelines consist of a variety of items that a builder and home owner can choose from in creating a green home, organized into guiding principles:

Homes built to the National Green Building Standard can be CERTIFIED GREEN by a third party administrator through a verification process. Builders must work with energy raters and verifiers that will inspect and validate items within the guidelines.

Building GREEN is not new to many area builders...however with the new certification programs, you will begin to see more and more homes in our community earn the GREEN CERTIFIED  designation. This designation will ensure you that these homes have been constructed to national guidelines and inspected by independent third party verifiers.


The future of residential construction is GREEN.