With the growing concern about the environment, homebuyers don’t only want a green home, they want to know exactly how green it is and what makes it green.  Green Building Standards establish clear parameters on what constitutes green building and have specific criteria that are used to rate homes objectively.

Until recently, there was no national standard for residential green building.  To address this gap, local homebuilding organizations began creating standards for use within their county or state.  Earlier this year, two major national organizations released green building standards for residential construction.  The two organizations are the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).  Both standards rely on a similar list of key principles.  Those key principles are detailed below, but first is a brief explanation of the organizations and their standards.  If you’ve heard of Energy Star and are wondering what that is, go to What is Energy Star? for more information on that program.

The NAHB’s Green Building Standard was created over several years with input from a broad range of constituents.  The standard consists of a scoring tool that assigns points for meeting certain criteria.  This comprehensive scoring tool is available on-line and includes all the supporting information (definitions and explanations) required to score a home.  The points correlate to levels of compliance defined as Bronze, Silver, and Gold.  In conjunction with the standard, the NAHB has established a verification program, whereby a 3^rd party Verifier certifies whether a building meets the green building criteria.  More information on the NAHB’s green building program is available at www.nahbgreen.org.

The USGBC is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. USGBC is composed of more than 15,000 organizations from across the building industry that are working to advance structures that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.  The USGBC created the green building standard called “LEED”, an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  The LEED standard was initially created for commercial structures.  Earlier this year, the USGBC released LEED-H, a standard for homes.  Like the NAHB standard, ratings must be verified by a 3^rd party that is certified by the USGBC.  More information about USGBC and LEED is available at www.usgbc.org.

There are similarities and differences between the two standards.  One of the main similarities is that they are both voluntary standards.  Either a builder or a homeowner can choose to have their home built according to these guidelines, and can receive documented verification that it meets the specified criteria.  There are also several key principles that are integral to both of the standards.  They include the following:

1.  Lot Preparation and Design - Even before the foundation is poured, careful planning can reduce the home’s impact on natural features such as vegetation and soil; and enhance the home's long-term performance. Such preparation can provide significant value to the homeowner, the environment, and the community.

2.  Resource Efficiency – Advanced framing techniques and home designs can effectively optimize the use of building materials. This section also details how careful material selection can reduce the amount of time and money needed for home maintenance; and demonstrates equally important construction waste management concepts.

3.  Energy Efficiency – This is the most quantifiable aspect of green building. The information in this section will help a builder create a better building envelope and incorporate more energy efficient mechanical systems, appliances, and lighting into a home, yielding long-term utility bill savings and increased comfort for the homeowner.

4.  Water Efficiency/Conservation – Although, the relative importance of water availability and usage varies from region to region, the concern with adequate supply is becoming more widespread geographically. Experience also shows that employing the line items from this section of the Guidelines for indoor and outdoor water use can reduce utility bills, regardless of location.

5.  Occupancy Comfort and Indoor Environmental Quality – Effective management of moisture, ventilation, and other issues can create a more comfortable and healthier indoor living environment.

6.  Operation, Maintenance and Education - Given the level of effort that a home builder goes through to create a well thought out home system, it would be a shame not to give the home owner guidance on how to optimally operate and maintain the house. Line items from this section show a builder how best to educate homeowners on the features of their new green home.

Athena Custom Homes can build your home to meet either (or both) of these standards.  In fact, our manufacturer, Epoch Homes, uses so many green building practices and materials that our homes qualify for a Bronze rating on the NAHB standard without any changes or upgrades!  Green Building is easily obtainable and affordable at Athena Custom Homes!

Still have questions about these standards or how they apply to your new home?  Please call us today for answers at 401-245-2103 or request more information on-line.  More information on these standards is also available at www.nahbgreen.org and www.usgbc.org.