Builder- March 2009 - (Page 3) “For as long as people have been building shelter, we’ve looked at buildings in the context of what nature does to them,” says Ron Jones, founder of GREEN BUILDER and editor of Green Builder Magazine. “It’s only in the past few decades that we have really started to seriously look at it from the other direction and to examine the effect that buildings have on nature — not just individually, but collectively. As human population expands dramatically, we have to look at our built environment, the resource drain that it creates — not just materials used to build, but operationally. We have to examine all the other elements — indoor environment, quality, the waste stream, water — and of course we can’t have any of this discussion without talking about energy. These issues combined help us understand how much impact we have on the environment.” “ Green sells homes, but it has to be real. The Environments For Living program sells homes. Dr. Lstiburek states: “The main benefit to the builder to actually provide a demonstrably green building is that the builder gets to sell a house that the public wants to buy. Green sells homes, but it has to be real, because the public is savvy enough to sort through what’s real and what’s not.” Additionally, he notes that while the Environments For Living program may not bring the customer through the door, it closes the deal. “That’s a huge benefit. The Environments For Living program sells homes. And the reason it sells homes is that it gives builders credibility they wouldn’t otherwise have.” –DR. JOSEPH L. LSTIBUREK Dr. Lstiburek says he has seen some builders struggle unnecessarily to meet the air tightness and duct tightness requirements of the Environments For Living program. “If you’ve been focused on building appearance and you have to shift your focus to actually delivering a building that works, those performance specs aren’t easy. But they become easy once you’ve got your systems in place to deliver them. It’s an entirely different way of looking at how you put the building together.” In other words, says Lstiburek, for some builders “it ain’t easy being green” – but not to those who are open to change. ” and an internationally renowned building scientist, believes green building is, first and foremost, all about energy. “Eighty percent of all environmental damage on the planet deals with energy in one way or another — finding it, transporting it, creating it, or using it,” says Dr. Lstiburek. According to him, green building efforts must focus on three key areas: energy efficiency, water efficiency, and material efficiency. “Of the three topics, I think energy is 80 percent of the deal. If you want a green, sustainable building, you have to keep your eye on the priorities. It has to be ultra energyefficient first, then water-efficient, and then material-efficient.” Make your homes stand out with the Environments For Living program. The Environments For Living program provides solutions and standards that matter, with a comprehensive range of energy-efficiency services and tools. And we make it easy to give homebuyers tangible benefits, including limited guarantees* on comfort, and heating and cooling energy use. To learn more visit www.environmentsforliving.com. *See the guarantee for complete details and limitations. Go to http://builder.hotims.com for more info The Environments For Living program is a registered mark of Masco Home Services, Inc. http://www.environmentsforliving.com http://builder.hotims.com
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