Residential Green Building

There are two organizations promoting green building in the United States: The United States Green Building Council (USGBC), and Build It Green (BIG).  The USGBC through their  'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design' program (LEED) originally promoted green building measures for commercial buildings, but recently added residential green building standards.  LEED has enjoyed national use.  Build It Green, started in Berkeley, has promoted residential green building in California with 'Greenpoints Rating'.  Both organizations provide training and certification credentials for builders and design professionals. 

The State of California has been a leader in requiring water and energy conservation, alternate energy sources, and sustainable design.  They first addressed energy conservation in 1978 with Title 24 part 6 - the California Energy Code.  In 2011 they adopted and enforced Cal-Green, the California Green Building Standards Code. In addition to LEED type standards for commercial buildings, the residential portion of Cal-Green is almost a copy of build-It-Green's Greenpoints, requiring new home construction meet a required number of points chosen from a variety of sustainable building measures chosen from a checklist.  Local jurisdictions are required to adopt and enforce State Building Codes, however, many already require buildings meet the slightly more stringent LEED and Greenpoint ratings.  In July 2012 Cal-Green will also require green measures for remodels to existing homes.  The State Cal-Green Building Code allows individual cities and towns to adopt more stringent green building measures.  

Many towns and cities have included Greenpoint requirements in their residential building codes, but the threshold that triggers application, the qualifications of designers making applications, and the review and enforcement of Greenpoint measures differ greatly between authorities.  Luckily, the actual measures that earn points to achieve a Greenpoint rating have not been changed.  Greenpoints can be earned in five general areas: Community Design; Energy Efficiency; Water Conservation; Resource Conservation; and Indoor Air Quality.  For a new residence, there are approximately 200 different green building elements arranged in 16 different categories.  

Most Greenpoint measures require slightly more initial construction expense but by reducing maintenance or operating costs, are less expensive or even more economical in the long run. An obvious example of this would be the measures that reduce  energy use but pay back over time with reduced heating and cooling costs.  A less obvious measure that reduces both energy and maintenance costs is the points earned for larger roof overhangs.  Larger overhangs keep homes cool in summer with the shade they create, and also reduce rain weathering, extending the life of exterior paint and reducing the chance for wall leaks.  If the home is located on the site for passive solar heating, overhangs also can be configured to allow sun in the winter but block the sun during the summer. 

Some Greenpoint measures do not add to initial construction cost but require more planning and design.  An example of this is constructing water efficient landscapes.  In California's dry summers, drought resistant planting uses less water.  This saves some costs from reduced irrigation requirements, but also saves the electricity used by pumps to transport water.  Other measures if incorporated into your home will increase construction costs.  Forest Steward Certified (FSC) rated wood is more expensive then clear cut lumber.  The destruction of habitat and the environment is not computed in the purchase price.  It can be argued that FSC wood is less expensive in the long run.  Proper forest management will allow the continued harvest of timber lands while clear cut logging methods will eventually deplete this resource and create scarcity.  As more green products are used, the cost of green building materials will come down. 

Whether designing a new home or remodeling your existing residence, Greenpoint green building measures are easy to achieve with some planning.  Careful selection is needed for some building components to take advantage of rebate incentives or tax breaks offered by utility companies, counties and states.  The goal is to achieve a healthier home to live in while also creating a healthier and sustainable environment.