Kermit the Frog doesn't think so. But like a lot of things, it depends on who you ask. If you ask me, my answer would be "Yes, it is easy and it's getting easier."
In a new survey, which polled 1,001 U.S. homeowners, 28 percent of respondents said they believe it's extremely important to be environmentally responsible. But is it hard to build green? Do you have to live in a straw-bale cottage or some other strange building to say you're a green home owner? The answer is NO and NO.
In February, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) launched the NAHB National Green Building Program at the International Builders' Show® in Orlando, Fla. The new program helps to demystify the process and debunk the myths of green building for consumers and home builders. The NAHB program is designed to accelerate the movement of residential green building into the mainstream.
The program has an easy-to-follow checklist on its Web site - http://www.nahbgreen.org/ - to help make it easier for builders and consumers to include the seven essential elements of green building: energy efficiency, water efficiency, resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, effective lot and site development, minimal global impact and homeowner education and maintenance.
Along with the checklist, builders and home buyers will find a wealth of resources on the site to help make green building a reality, including links showing how environmentally-friendly products and materials work.
Is it a lot more expensive? The survey revealed that 32% of U.S. consumers consider purchasing more expensive renewably sourced products to help deter global warming; and nearly 65% of U.S. consumers said they are willing to pay 5 percent more for products made with renewable resources. Whether you're considering building a new home, or just want to make your existing home more environmentally-friendly, you can take steps to go green that won't break the bank.
Many green elements can be included during the building design process. Using the Systems Engineering Approach to Home Design and Building we are able to design homes that are cost effective to build as well as energy and resource efficient. In fact, the energy consumption of new houses can be reduced by as much as 50% with little or no impact on the cost of construction.
Now more than ever, you can find a wide range of green building products in the marketplace to help achieve your goal of being more environmentally responsible. These green building products include green insulation products, like GreenFiber's Cocoon Cellulose Insulation made from 85% recycled paper fiber, mostly recovered post consumer content; BioBased spray foam insulation made from soybean oil, an annually renewable resource, produced by over 600,000 farmers, right here in the U.S; or UltraTouch fiber insulation made from recycled denim; energy-efficient windows and doors; energy-efficient furnaces, air conditioners, and water heaters; energy-efficient appliances; chemically neutral low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints; flooring; and natural landscaping products. Mst, if not all, home improvement stores carry a full line of compact fluorescent bulbs which use 70 percent less energy. And advances in green technology like solar roof panels and shingles and wind turbines have made these items less expensive.
The Building Contractors Association of Southwestern Idaho (BCASWI) has just formed a Green Building Council to promote the NAHB Green program to educate our members and consumers and encouraging builders to adopt the NAHB National Green Building Program which offers innovative, resource-efficient building techniques, while preserving affordability.
"We're bringing green building into mainstream home construction," said Steve Martinez, BCASWI President and local home builder. "Builders can do a tremendous amount to make homes more environmentally friendly, without pricing them out of the reach of the average homebuyer. The goal of our Green Building Council will be to educate builders and consumers about building green."
This summer, the BCASWI will begin offering the NAHB University of Housing's Green Building for Building Professionals course, leading to the Certified Green Professional designation - your assurance of commitment to continued education of the green building process.
But you don't have to wait to learn more about being green. You can visit the NAHB Green website at http://www.nahbgreen.org/. You can download a free guide at www.nahb.com/greeninnovation, or you call or email me.
Chuck Miller GMB CGB MIRM CMP MCSP CSP
President / Builder - Chuck Miller Construction Inc.
(208) 229-2553
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