"It’s Not Easy Building Green"
By Dave Porter
In this age of global warming, deforestation and overflowing
landfills, many of us are taking a hard look at the part we
play in conserving natural resources. That’s why green
building is becoming the rage. But as home builders, how do
you make educated choices about your green or sustainable building
and marketing practices? Here are some helpful suggestions.
What Is Green? Various definitions are creating a problem. There
does not seem to be one definition for green construction and,
therefore, builders, appraisers, lenders, county officials,
trades people, real estate agents (and lest we forget) consumers,
all seem to have different perceptions about what it means.
To be truly built-green, a project needs to include
many components: site selection, design (this is often undervalued,
because green construction starts with green design), air quality,
durability of construction, natural light use, water conservation
(inside and outside the home), natural landscaping, job site
waste reduction and recycling, recycled products in construction,
alternative building components, energy saving appliances and
lighting, energy alternatives (such as solar) and of course,
robust insulation.
Other considerations include the size of the home
and its use of space and impact on the land. The next stages
of green include zero net energy homes that can sell energy
back to the utilities by producing green power by harnessing
such natural elements as the wind and sun.
The Green Tower of Babble is another problem. Scores of special
interest groups, each with a green message, add to the confusion.
Each group wants a bit of your time and a bit of your wallet!
Everyone has heard of ENERGY STAR® and that
they certify appliances. They also certify homes. But energy
savings is only one (albeit very critical) part of the green
puzzle. In Washington’s King and Snohomish Counties, the
charge is being led by the Master Builders’ “Built
Green Program” and in Portland, OR, it’s the “Earth
Advantage” program. These programs advocate current green
components and the willingness to incorporate smart ideas from
other groups (a kind of sub-branding of products, techniques
and standards, like incorporating ENERGY STAR appliances and
their practices.)
Building an authoritative and clear educational
program about green building is paramount for all concerned.
Green Can Be Costly. This is perhaps one of the
biggest consumer concerns and often the biggest myth. Some of
the added costs for a green-built house are real, but many are
not.
Paying for upgraded appliances, insulation, HERS
(Home Energy Rating System) testing — all add up. HERS
testing is important because it validates that a home is indeed
energy efficient, but requiring every similar home to be tested
layers costs.
A compromise on verification is needed to insure
quality but manage cost impacts. For some, this will still work
against home affordability. On the other hand, some buyers are
willing to pay more than we’d expect. They know they will
save on utility costs and there is a quality-of-life factor.
In a study conducted by David Johnston, “The
State of Green Building 2001,” buyers said that they were
prepared to spend more on green features than builders expected,
an indication that the builders were probably leaving profits
on the table.
Industry partners are also an important cost-saving
resource. They can help with marketing and in some cases financial
incentives for consumers. Lenders such as Countrywide Home Loans
are offering, in targeted areas, closing cost reductions when
buyers buy built-green homes.
Token greening (a.k.a. "green washing")
can be another major issue when dealing with green construction.
Some builders will throw down carpet from recycled plastic bottles
and slap up a recycled product logo on the kitchen counters.
Consumers will see through the "green wash" very quickly.
Buyers see the value of healthy living and durability of construction
and they are more environmentally educated than any other generation.
Government Forced Green Is Not the Solution. As
counties and cities increasingly begin to see that there is
a benefit to green building, it needs to be emphasized that
encouraging green is a far more productive approach than controlling
green. It’s too early in the green revolution for cities
and counties to mandate green building standards. Let the Green
Built or Earth Advantage (or similar) programs have a chance
to succeed.
If consumers drive the market demand for green,
then builders will see the advantage in attracting purchasers,
while realizing the profit potentials from green.
Regulators (“sticks”) requiring green
can lead to adversity for both builders and their customers.
Collaboration, on the other hand, creates a synergy that produces
stellar results. The private sector can “own” and
promote green. Cities and counties should challenge builders
and developers to increase their output of built-green homes.
If builders don’t embrace the cause over a reasonable
period of time (say two to five years), then perhaps some formal
ordinances might be appropriate.
A great example of how the private sector is stepping
up to the plate is a new alliance between the City of Issaquah
and Port Blakely Communities. They are partnering in establishing
ways to create green communities. It’s a promising collaboration.
Builders in Issaquah Highlands will be green builders. They
are planning for all of the builders going forward in that development
to build to a three-star, built-green standard. This effort
will incluce a turbo-charged, built-green demonstration home.
In the definition of green at the beginning of
this article, the individual home site was listed as a piece
to building green. In the Issaquah Highlands instance, it’s
exciting that the entire development will be green.
The challenge is there for home builders both
large and small as well as the industry at large to find ways
to champion green. The legacy is ours to build, and the time
is now.
Dave Porter is first vice president in the Pacific
Northwest for Countrywide Home Loans — National Builder
Division. He is a national speaker and writer. Contact him by
e-mail or call 888-877-4879.
