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Building Green: What Does LEED Certification Mean and How Does It affect You

By
Real Estate Agent with Bean Group / Franklin

Today's consumers are environmentally conscious or at least they are trying to be. They want to know that the products they are buying are not harming the environment and perhaps even benefiting something. As a result, more companies are claiming that their products or services are eco-friendly and environmentally safe. Who holds these companies accountable for their claims? There are third party non-profit groups established to do just that and the US Green Building Council (USGBC) is one such group that is the driving force in the area of construction.

USGBC developed The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating SystemTM and it is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. It provides the building industry with consistent, credible standards in five key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. (http://www.usgbc.org/)

One way to earn LEED rating points or credits is to use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified lumber. The FSC certifies forests for good management based upon 10 principles and 57 strategies. These principals and strategies address legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits and environmental impact. It's a lengthy, expensive process for a forest management company to go through, but once they receive the forest management (FM) certification, their forest becomes FSC-certified. This is desireable because the demand for FSC-certified products is increasing and that means more money, however, accountability doesn't end there.

Builders then use the FSC-certified lumber in the building of homes, and Wood-Product Manufacturers use it in the development of their products, sometimes changing it from it's original certified state into something else. One example of this is the cabinet maker who finishes a product with stain or urethane, which outgasses toxic fumes, thus changing the FSC lumber into something that does not improve indoor environmental quality. This is where chain of custody (COC) certification comes in. Someone in the company becomes responsible for maintaining an inventory management and documentation system, which gets checked regularly by an accredited certifier, thus assuring that the product has maintained its standards of FSC certification. Every person who transforms that product has to have a chain of custody certification. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?  This might explain why the whole idea of green building is slow in gaining popularity.

Last summer, USGBC launched a new program called LEED for Homes, geared more towards small business. It gives credits for wood product manufacturers who recycle and use environmentally safe finishes on their products. How will you know if a product is LEED certified? Look for the checkmarked tree logo.

So, how does LEED certification affect you, the consumer? Well, initially, it's going to affect your wallet. Green projects are typically running 25 percent more than standard projects, according to a recent article in Modern Woodworking magazine (January 2007), and this is due largely to scarcity of  material and to higher production costs. It will become less expensive, however, as the demand for green building increases. You can speed things along by asking your local home building supplier what they are doing in regards to green building, and by supporting their efforts.

For more info, the nearest Green Building Council Chapters to New Hampshire are in Vermont and Massachusetts. Their web sites are http://www.vgbn.org/ and http://www.greenroundtable.org/, respectively.

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Comments (4)

Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes
nice info. Thanks for sharing your insight on this great issue! Do good and make more money...what a concept.
Apr 18, 2008 07:42 AM
Jonelle Simons
Windermere Real Estate - Park City, UT
Hi Fellow EcoBroker - Great Post about LEED!  The "green" wave is really starting to catch on out here... and i think in most places in the country
Apr 18, 2008 07:51 AM
Anonymous
Chet Waters

Hi Frances,

Just a quick note to say that you did a really great job of explaining the LEED Certification. You present the image of a true real estate professional. You are a good example for all Realtors to follow.

I am a retired Realtor in South Florida after 19 years in the real estate business.

Hillsboro, New Hampshire was my home from 1975 to 1980. New Hampshire is a great place to live Frances.

Best of luck with your real estate career.

 

Chet Waters

"Learn How To Find Your BMW And At The Price You Can Afford". Go To:

http://www.bmwsauctions.com

 

Apr 18, 2008 07:52 AM
#3
Frances Sanderson
Bean Group / Franklin - Franklin, NH

Thanks to all of you for your encouraging words. I feel that the next 10 years is going to show a big change for all of us, and I am happy to be doing what I can to bring about that change :-)

Fran

Apr 18, 2008 08:42 AM