Builder - November 2008 - (Page 48)

GREEN HOUSE boxes. ChloroFill uses formaldehyde- and VOCfree resin binder panels and, unlike particleboard, the panels don’t need a laminated ﬁnish. Keep ’Em Happy T he latest consumer research by McGraw-Hill Construction reports that 87 percent of green homeowners are more or much more satisﬁed with their green homes than with their previous, non-green homes (see chart below). Those with annual incomes of less than $50,000 had a 98 percent satisfaction level due to their home’s Green Building Guidelines) is approved by ANSI—a designation that will trigger a companion scoring and rating system to certify homes under that standard and enable multifamily, remodeling, and development projects to qualify. “It will be a completely different set of tools from the guidelines,” she says, though similar in design and application. “The [NGBS] has higher thresholds in several categories and more options [compared to the guidelines].” The program is also being reﬁned to respond to emerging trends, namely builders and developers seeking to certify entire projects (versus individual homes) and address liability issues associated with promises—overt or otherwise—that tend to accompany high-performance homes. “Builders are asking for advice about how to articulate a home’s performance without making promises that depend on the lifestyle of the occupants,” says English. The NAHB is also using the program’s popularity, speciﬁcally the number of third-party certiﬁed homes (an estimated 115,000 nationwide) and the growth of HBA-sponsored and other voluntary green building programs, as political leverage against state and local green building mandates. “Mandates don’t guarantee results,” says English. “A voluntary program fosters more organic changes.”—R.B. CODES while their costs come down over time.” The new code also creates a level playing ﬁeld for green building standards across all local jurisdictions. To date, says Castillo, only about 40 California municipalities mandate any sort of green building standards, causing confusion and cost overruns among builders who cross borders. Local officials will now have to adopt the state’s code as a minimum standard, with the ability to boost certain segments at their discretion.—R.B. BUILDING Left Coast Formula Builders in the Golden State take a collaborative approach to new, more stringent building codes. P More Satisﬁed Neutral 12% 53% 34% Much Less Satisﬁed 1% Much More Satisﬁed Source: McGr aw-Hill Construction lower operating costs. The study, co-sponsored by USGBC, estimates that 330,000 market-rate, green-built homes have been produced since 2005. Look for the complete McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Report at www.usgbc.org or www.construction.com. erhaps the most noteworthy aspect of California’s new mandatory green building codes is the complete support it received from the state’s Building Industry Association (CBIA). After decades of playing (and usually losing) the opposition game over codes and other regulatory initiatives affecting the industry, the CBIA has changed its tactics to cooperation and consensus—and has still come away with safeguards for its builder members and housing affordability. “If we weren’t part of the process, it would be shoved down our throats,” says CBIA spokesman Mike Castillo, referring to the new code authored by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development. “I think it kind of freaked them out that we were willing to work with them,” he says. Performance and prescriptive standards will push new housing in the state to be 50 percent more energy efficient than current national stan- dards (a 20 percent bump up from the state’s existing code) and progressively address critical issues of water conservation and indoor air quality during the next three years. “It will be a smooth, easy transition with interim steps and programs that help builders comply,” says Castillo. “Builders can ease into new technology and products [such as photovoltaics] photo: courtesy iLevel BETTER BUILT: Builders in California collaborated on the state’s stringent green building codes to create a mutually beneﬁcial result. TO READ MORE STORIES ON GREEN BUILDING, GO TO W W W.BUILDER ONLINE.COM/GREEN. GOT GREEN PROJECTS, PRODUCTS, OR DESIGNS? E-MAIL DENISE DERSIN AT: ddersin@hanleywood.com 48 ■ B U I LD E R nov e m ber 2008 W W W.BUILDERONLINE.COM http://www.usgbc.org http://www.construction.com http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM/GREEN http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM/GREEN http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM

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Builder - November 2008

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