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| Builders
Embrace Green
Building To
Save Energy,
Conserve Resources
- Article
Date - Feb.12.2007 |
|
Alaska
home builder
Jack Hebert
told Congress
today that the
housing industry
is committed
to implementing
green building
techniques that
reduce energy
consumption
in both new
and existing
homes, improve
indoor and outdoor
air quality
and conserve
water and natural
resources.
“Energy
efficiency is
the primary
focus for many
builders and
home buyers,”
Hebert, president
and CEO of Cold
Climate Research
Center based
in Fairbanks,
Alaska, told
members of the
Senate Subcommittee
on Energy.
Hebert, who
serves as a
National Representative
of the National
Association
of Home Builders
(NAHB), said
that the nation’s
home builders
support green
building and
energy efficiency
legislation
that is voluntary,
market-driven
and cost-effective
for builders
and consumers.”
Recognizing
that approaches
to green building
need to distinguish
among the regional
differences
around the U.S.,
NAHB in 2005
launched its
Model Green
Home Building
Guidelines as
an alternative
to green building
mandates. The
guidelines were
developed with
input from more
than 60 industry
stakeholders
– including
builders, researchers,
manufacturers,
environmentalists
and government
agencies.
“The
guidelines embody
the flexibility
that builders
need to achieve
efficiency and
conservation
goals without
meeting costly
national or
statewide mandates,”
said Hebert.
Local adoption
of the guidelines
allows builders
to better address
regional and
local environmental
concerns, to
assess life-cycle
costs based
on local building
codes and climate
zones, and to
encourage innovation
to meet higher
and broader
energy efficiency
objectives.
“Simply,
there is no
one size fits
all green building
standard,”
said Hebert.
“Alaska,
North Dakota,
Florida and
Maine all have
different efficiency
needs and requirements
based on their
climate. Solar
panels don’t
work in Fairbanks
like they do
in Miami. Only
flexible, locally
grown green
building programs
can adequately
take local issues,
architecture,
weather and
geographic differences
into account.”
Stating that
the U.S. Green
Building Council’s
Leadership in
Energy Efficient
Design certification
pilot program
for single-family
homes (LEED-H)
would have a
drastic effect
on the affordability
of housing,
Hebert noted
that this program
is “costly,
requires many
unnecessary
mandatory provisions,
offers little
flexibility
and contains
extensive implementation
fees that could
cost a builder,
and ultimately
the home buyer,
from $12,000
to $15,000 extra
per home.”
NAHB has submitted
its guidelines
to the American
National Standards
Institute’s
development
process, with
the goal of
offering local
jurisdictions
an “off-the-shelf”
green building
program that
is consensus-based
and truly green,
but flexible,
he said.
Extending and
expanding the
tax incentives
in the Energy
Policy Act of
2005 would also
help encourage
energy efficiency
in housing,
he said.
“Unlike
spending programs
or one-size-fits-all
rules, tax provisions
allow market
participants
– builders,
home owners
and home buyers
– to marry
the energy incentives
with market-determined
supply and demand,”
said Hebert. |
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