Green Building Initiative
The Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties announced their Green Building Initiaive this week. This press release will give you an idea of what green building is and the different approaches that can be taken:
HBA-DOC Announces Green Building Program
Durham (Novemeber 2, 2006) - Today the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Durham, Orange and Chatham counties unveiled a new voluntary residential green building program called the Green Building Initiative of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties. This new program is designed to encourage the building of homes that are more energy-efficient, healthier, and environmentally sustainable. These green homes can create thousands of dollars in utility savings for the average homeowner over the life of their mortgage.
The program, which is based on the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines, is designed to offer local builders information on products and building practices to help meet the demand and diverse needs of the growing number of homebuyers seeking green homes.
"We learned during our Green Home Tour in the spring that consumers are more than just curious," says Nick Tennyson, executive vice president of the HBA. "Many buyers seem to be making serious decisions based on the green methods used in the construction of these homes."
The HBA of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties will officially launch their local Green Building Initiative program to the public at a special event on Thursday, Novemeber 2, 2006. The event will include a press conference and tour of the first home certified to the local Green Building Initiative guidelines.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to green building. The voluntary Green Building Initiative guidelines provide area builders with a tool kit for practical ways to approach green building that are applicable to the geography and climate of Durham, Orange and Chatham counties.
"We've gotten a larger-than-expected response from our membership," says Tennyson. "Many of our builders know that the consumer interest in green building is increasing, and they want to learn and implement green building techniques now so they don't find themselves behind the curve in the near future."
Approaches to green building can include orienting the home on the lot to minimize solar heat gain in the summer and maximize it in the winter, using light colors on walls and in roofing to create a "cool shell," maximizing light and ventilation, using energy-efficient appliances and lighting as well as energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, installing ceiling fans and programmable thermostats, using green materials such as sustainable lumber and recycled building materials, and more.
The HBA's Green Building Initiative council will provide technical and marketing expertise to help local builders utilize the voluntary Green Building Initiative guidelines and will support the construction of green built homes throughout Durham, Orange and Chatham counties. The HBA is also working with representatives from various residential energy-consulting firms to implement a third-party verification process to ensure homes constructed as part of the program adhere to the Green Building Initiative guidelines.
For more information on the Green Building Initiative of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties or the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, visit www.thegbi.org or call Leigh Scott at the HBA at 919-493-8899.
ABOUT THE HBA OF DURHAM, ORANGE & CHATHAM COUNTIES:
The Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties is a non-profit trade association affiliated with the North Carolina Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders. The HBA-DOC represents over 725 members, including builders of all types of housing as well as all the allied trades, suppliers, and professions that it takes to deliver a home.
ABOUT THE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE:
The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit educational initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, please visit www.thegbi.org.
HBA-DOC Announces Green Building Program
Durham (Novemeber 2, 2006) - Today the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Durham, Orange and Chatham counties unveiled a new voluntary residential green building program called the Green Building Initiative of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties. This new program is designed to encourage the building of homes that are more energy-efficient, healthier, and environmentally sustainable. These green homes can create thousands of dollars in utility savings for the average homeowner over the life of their mortgage.
The program, which is based on the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines, is designed to offer local builders information on products and building practices to help meet the demand and diverse needs of the growing number of homebuyers seeking green homes.
"We learned during our Green Home Tour in the spring that consumers are more than just curious," says Nick Tennyson, executive vice president of the HBA. "Many buyers seem to be making serious decisions based on the green methods used in the construction of these homes."
The HBA of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties will officially launch their local Green Building Initiative program to the public at a special event on Thursday, Novemeber 2, 2006. The event will include a press conference and tour of the first home certified to the local Green Building Initiative guidelines.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to green building. The voluntary Green Building Initiative guidelines provide area builders with a tool kit for practical ways to approach green building that are applicable to the geography and climate of Durham, Orange and Chatham counties.
"We've gotten a larger-than-expected response from our membership," says Tennyson. "Many of our builders know that the consumer interest in green building is increasing, and they want to learn and implement green building techniques now so they don't find themselves behind the curve in the near future."
Approaches to green building can include orienting the home on the lot to minimize solar heat gain in the summer and maximize it in the winter, using light colors on walls and in roofing to create a "cool shell," maximizing light and ventilation, using energy-efficient appliances and lighting as well as energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, installing ceiling fans and programmable thermostats, using green materials such as sustainable lumber and recycled building materials, and more.
The HBA's Green Building Initiative council will provide technical and marketing expertise to help local builders utilize the voluntary Green Building Initiative guidelines and will support the construction of green built homes throughout Durham, Orange and Chatham counties. The HBA is also working with representatives from various residential energy-consulting firms to implement a third-party verification process to ensure homes constructed as part of the program adhere to the Green Building Initiative guidelines.
For more information on the Green Building Initiative of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties or the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, visit www.thegbi.org or call Leigh Scott at the HBA at 919-493-8899.
ABOUT THE HBA OF DURHAM, ORANGE & CHATHAM COUNTIES:
The Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties is a non-profit trade association affiliated with the North Carolina Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders. The HBA-DOC represents over 725 members, including builders of all types of housing as well as all the allied trades, suppliers, and professions that it takes to deliver a home.
ABOUT THE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE:
The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit educational initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, please visit www.thegbi.org.
posted by Ian Huckabee at 11:57 AM
0 comments
