May-June 2005

Conservation Update

Feature Article

The Evolution of Green Building

by Jim Gunshinan, managing editor of Home Energy Magazine

Green Building for Homes

Reprinted with permission from Home Energy magazine.

How is the effort to create a national green building program progressing? According to Dennis Creech, executive director of the Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, pretty well.

Creech is a member of a committee that was formed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to develop a national green building program for homes. (See "Who Says a House Is Green?" Home Energy Magazine September/October 2003, p. 8.) "Efforts to create a national green building standard are very important to transforming the home building market," Creech says. That's why he's investing the time and effort to help create the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes program. LEED for Homes, or LEED-H, is an effort that USGBC hopes will build on its successful and well-known LEED for commercial buildings program (see "LEED-H Nears Completion").

However, "home building is local," says Creech. The LEED for Homes program will use a completely different model than LEED for commercial buildings. "Commercial buildings are built by architects. Homes generally are not," says Creech. And there are national organizations of architects, such as the American Institute of Architects, that can push green building values and concepts to their members nationally. There isn't a similar group for home builders. "We have to think of green building in terms of local builders," says Creech.

Creech has the wisdom of experience. Southface's EarthCraft House green building program is set to help build 2,000 energy-efficient and sustainable homes in the next year that are easy on the environment and easy on the health of the occupants. The EarthCraft House program has captured 5% of the residential market for new homes in the Atlanta area and wants to increase that to 10% in the next few years. (Atlanta is a large market; it builds about 50,000 new homes each year.) "We're not interested in boutique homes," Creech says. "We're interested in transforming the residential market."

Creating a National Green Building Program

How can the success of local programs like EarthCraft House translate into creating a national green building program? "There are five key components to most local green building programs that should also be the center of a national green building programs," says Creech. "These are site selection, including how a site handles water runoff and supports smart transportation; energy use; water conservation; sustainable materials; and the health of the occupants." Integrating these basic elements into a national program requires some artistry. "Protecting salmon waterways may be a priority in the Northwest, and that will inform how they handle site selection and water runoff. In Atlanta, we're concerned with soil erosion from water runoff, and we're also very concerned with air quality. We have a lot of air conditioners in the area." Those air conditioners require a lot of electricity, which burdens the electrical grid during peak hours in the summer. And the power plants that make that electricity pump a lot of pollution into the air.

Creech also believes that any national program should be based firmly in building science. In other words, green building programs should look at the whole house as a system. Greg Thomas, president of Performance Systems Development, a consulting firm that specializes in home performance and energy efficiency, and president of Performance Systems Contracting, a contracting company — both in Ithaca, New York — echoes Creech's concerns. "Green has become a popular label, and it seems more holistic than home performance, but the green label is not controlled," says Thomas. "Some green building programs place an emphasis on using sustainable materials and are not as concerned with energy efficiency." For Creech and Thomas, green building must integrate whole-house home performance.

And any national green building program should make the health of the occupants a top priority. For example, EarthCraft builders earn points for building according to the guidelines of the American Lung Association's Health House program. "There are other healthy house programs out there. A national program should build on these programs," says Creech.

Local programs are successful when they work in tandem with other local, state, and national home building stakeholders. (For examples of successful local programs, see "Three Green Building Programs.") The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) sponsors a program for tree conservation called Building with Trees. Atlanta builders earn points toward an EarthCraft House designation by following the NAHB tree program. Southface also works in cooperation with the national ENERGY STAR® program, the Atlanta Home Builders Association, and other partners.

Perhaps Creech is strongest in insisting that a national green building program be market based. "The best green building programs won't stop pollution unless houses are built and sold," he says, and "with green building programs, the technical issues are the easiest to solve. Achieving market acceptance is the hardest issue." Creech thinks that a national program should set a standard high enough to contribute meaningful benefits for the environment and for the health and comfort of occupants, but low enough so that mainstream builders can understand the green building concepts, implement them, and then sell the house at a profit. Most of the builders in Georgia come from small construction companies that build 10 to 200 homes a year. These builders don't have the luxury of investing in much training and research. Green building measures must fit easily into their work flow.

Thomas has some concern about setting the bar and leaving it there. If the bar is set low enough to achieve widespread initial success, then how can a green building program raise it after that? "Does it stop with education and getting everyone on board?" Thomas recommends that national green building requirements be raised over time, and that case studies show the national green building community how to raise the bar.

A national green building program has to respect local climates, topography, and building codes. Creech uses ENERGY STAR homes as examples. "The building codes in Georgia are pretty stringent compared to the codes across the border in Tennessee. It's easier for a builder in Georgia to meet the ENERGY STAR requirements." But that means that the people who build across the border may not be as motivated to build to the ENERGY STAR standard — it's too much of a push. ENERGY STAR takes this difference into account by adapting its standards and requirements by region, and by giving builders some flexibility in how they meet the ENERGY STAR energy efficiency standards. Any national green building program must do the same.

A national green building program that focuses on the basics of site selection, water conservation, energy efficiency, sustainable materials use, and indoor environmental quality; that is market based; and that respects local differences in setting its standards will be a success. Success, for Creech, comes down to market transformation. "That's number one for me," he says. A national program will have the reach to bring in new players to green building. A national program can support the growth of smaller and less developed local green building programs. And a national program can increase the visibility of programs. All that adds up to healthier and more energy-efficient homes, less pollution, and cleaner water.

LEED-H Nears Completion

The LEED-H committee was formed in 2000. The committee published draft criteria in 2001, and through 2003 it began the process of building relationships with organizations and agencies that are involved in green building. LEED-H finalized its business model in early 2004. When a LEED-H pilot is launched in April 2005, the key attributes of the program will be sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, materials and resources, water, and innovation in design and overarching issues (see Table A). There are subheadings under each attribute, with some overlap; home size is important in the design, in materials and resources used, and in energy use. The pilot program will conclude in April 2006, when the rating system will be launched. (See Table B for the complete timetable.)

Table A. LEED-H Key Attributes

Sustainable Sites	Materials and Resources
Infill and compact development	Optimized framing
Proximity to transit	Design for deconstruction and adaptability
Proximity to services	Building reuse, deconstruction, and recycling
Outdoor living spaces	Environmentally preferable materials
Minimizing auto dominance	Home size Envelope durability Systems integration

Energy and Atmosphere	Water
Quality control	Water-efficient fixtures and landscaping
Envelope and mechanical systems performance	Innovative wastewater technologies
Energy-efficient lighting and appliances	Reduced energy demand associated with hot water
Passive, renewable, and alternative energy	Drain water heat recovery
Home size	Water catchment
Systems integration

Indoor Environmental Quality	Innovation in Design/Overarching Issues
Building envelope moisture control	Universal design elements
Combustion safety	Homeowner/occupant education
Ventilation/air conveyance system effectiveness	Systems integration: integrated solutions to durability, moisture control, indoor environmental quality, and energy
Vehicle exhaust protection (garage design)	Home size
Low-emitting materials
Home landscape interface design
Quality control
Systems integration

Table B. LEED-H Timetable

Hold LHC technical charrette	Fall 2004
Finalize draft rating system	January 2005
Pre-pilot ("alpha test") rating system with builders	1st quarter 2005
Draft pilot reference materials	March 2005
Revise rating system as needed based on pre-pilot outcomes	March 2005
Finalize pilot reference materials	April 2005
Launch pilot	April 2005
Conclude pilot, launch rating system	April 2006

According to Ann Edminster, cochair of LEED-H, LEED for commercial buildings is aimed at architects, developers, and building owners; LEED-H is aimed at builders. "LEED-H is targeted at builders. If they don't use it, we haven't created a workable tool," she says. Edminster recognizes some logistical and technical challenges yet to be met for LEED-H to be a success. The logistical challenges include program costs, compatibility with other green building programs, how and through whom to deliver the program, and whether to go with a multiple tier rating or a single rating. Addressing the compatibility issue, Edminster says, "USGBC will not actively promote LEED-H in jurisdictions that have local programs." LEED-H will be promoted in areas without green building programs. As for program delivery, LEED-H has developed a business model that is based on the one used by the Residential Energy Services Network.

The technical challenges for LEED-H include how to deal with the size of a home. "For example," says Edminster, “if a home is 10% over a certain size limit, will the builder have to earn 10% more points in other areas in order to be rated? We don't know yet." Other technical challenges include establishing baseline criteria and regional adaptability, and choosing between a prescriptive and a performance-based approach.

How will LEED-H relate to home buyers? "The early adopters are a key component of public education," says Edminster, "along with committed builders and lots of publicity." While it gets LEED-H off the ground, the USGBC is collaborating with the Smart Growth and New Urbanist communities to create LEED for Neighborhood Developments, or LEED-ND. LEED-ND will focus its efforts on collaborating with architects and urban planners. The program envisions multiple structures and multiple uses, but limited scope. Land resources, energy and water use, transportation and mobility, and community design will be key attributes of the LEED-ND sustainable neighborhoods.

Three Green Building Programs

By Elka Karl, associate editor of Home Energy Magazine

Local green building programs are sprouting up across the nation. Each of the three programs described here has taken a different approach to defining and fostering green building in their communities.

• EarthCraft Expanding
• Portland's Comprehensive G/Rated Program
• Frisco Makes It Mandatory
• For More Information

EarthCraft Expanding

The EarthCraft House green building program of Atlanta, Georgia, has been in operation since 1999 — and it's been growing steadily since then. EarthCraft House has recently expanded into neighboring communities: Savanna, Macon, and Columbus, Georgia, will all have EarthCraft homes in their immediate future. Seven EarthCraft houses are planned for other states. A pilot program has been launched in Greenville and Charleston, South Carolina, and contracts are currently under negotiation in Tennessee and Alabama.

The program emphasizes training and technical assistance to builders. A home must meet energy efficiency requirements and have other green features to be labeled an EarthCraft house. All homes are inspected and blower door tested, and the checklist favors features that have the most environmental benefits. Homes must score 150 out of a possible 489 points on the scoring worksheet; bonus points are added for proximity to mass transit, photovoltaic or solar hot water, and other innovations.

EarthCraft builders must first become members of the Home Builders Association. After that they may join the EarthCraft House program and receive training, design and construction advice, marketing materials, and direct referrals. Incentives for homeowners to build green include reduced closing costs and lower interest rate mortgages, as well as other loan assistance programs. The program has constructed more than 1,700 homes.

Builders have a great deal of flexibility in home building through the EarthCraft program. First, builders submit a preliminary worksheet that outlines EarthCraft measures they anticipate using on a home. After the building process is under way, builders can adjust these measures, as long as they adhere to the minimum required points. In order for the home to qualify as an EarthCraft house, inspectors must verify that all the measures listed on the worksheet were used during the building process. They conduct visual inspections, perform diagnostic testing, and document results. This includes visually inspecting insulation levels in the attic, doing blower door testing, and securing a copy of the site's erosion control site plan from the builder. All first inspections are free to the builder.

"The home builders have been the core of the program since the beginning," says Jim Hackler, EarthCraft House program director. "It's driven through home builder associations in every area that we're expanding to." With this expansive and integrated program, builders, homeowners, and the environment all stand to benefit. For EarthCraft, the future seems bright — and big.

Portland's Comprehensive G/Rated Program

G/Rated, a project of Portland, Oregon's Office of Sustainable Development, began in 2001 in response to Portland residents' desire for assistance with, education about, and support of green building. Funded through residential and commercial solid-waste fees, grants, and contracts, G/Rated supports several smaller programs, including the Build It Green! residential home tour. This self-guided tour through 20 Portland homes is followed by an information fair that gives visitors access to vendors and contractors who are knowledgeable about green building.

Most of the G/Rated program is focused on technical assistance and grants for residential and commercial building projects. Stephanie Swanson, communications manager at G/Rated, says that G/Rated "works with a lot of other city bureaus and programs in Portland." These include Energy Trust of Oregon, Portland General Electric Earth Advantage, and the Bureau of Environmental Services.

G/Rated helps homeowners solve green building problems, such as how to improve air quality, choose sustainable materials, or install photovoltaic panels. G/Rated also provides access to green building research, resources, and publications; assistance with loans, tax credits, rebates, and other financial incentives; and training for commercial and residential design construction professionals on green building issues. In addition, the green Investment Fund, which originally provided 30 homeowners with $1 million in grant money to encourage the latest in green building, will now provide $500,000 in grant money annually, beginning this fall.

G/Rated offers one of the nation's most comprehensive green building training series for commercial and residential building design and construction professionals. Launched in February 2003, the 16-week Rethink series explores new ideas, technical training, and the latest in green building innovations and practices. Oregon boasts the most LEED-certified buildings in the country. Swanson says that in the next few years G/Rated wants to continue to "increase professional capacity to make sure expertise in green design and construction is available. We need to continue to push the bar on that." As it stands, Swanson says that the boom in green building practices has paid off for builders, who currently have more work than they can handle.

Other program highlights include the Case Studies section of the G/Rated Web site, which highlights successful green building projects in both the residential and commercial categories. These summaries serve as guides for builders, business owners, or homeowners interested in adding green components to their projects. The Web site also provides information about other green programs in Portland, including LEED, the Portland General Electric Earth Advantage program, and ENERGY STAR. A comprehensive list of financial incentives for green building for commercial and residential buildings ensures an even wider public interest in green building practices.

Frisco Makes It Mandatory

In May 2001, Frisco, Texas, became the first city in the United States to adopt a mandatory residential green building program. Jeff Witt, division manager in the Comprehensive Environmental Planning Office, says that Frisco's building community insisted on the green building program's mandatory status. "The builders told us, 'If you want to make this a level playing field, you have to make it mandatory.'"

Frisco's green building program mandates ENERGY STAR program requirements as the minimum building standard for new homes. Thus far, 2,340 homes have been built, with 8,000 lots in the queue. Frisco's green building program focuses on waste reduction, pollution reduction, water conservation, energy conservation, and sustainable development. The city's minimum green building standards revolve around energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, and waste reduction. Energy efficiency must be at least equal to ENERGY STAR requirements. Water conservation is emphasized through drought-tolerant landscaping, and by providing information about xeriscaping and water conservation. Irrigation systems must be zoned and must include a rain and freeze sensor, and all bedding areas must be mulched. Indoor air quality requirements include such measures as insulating living areas to R11, installing carbon monoxide detectors, sealing all joints of air distribution systems with duct mastic, and providing exterior ventilation systems installed per American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers standards.

Waste is reduced by providing recycling center and compost options, by having builders follow construction waste reduction/reuse plans, and by recycling construction wastes such as brick and wood.

Frisco's Web site has a comprehensive outline of its green building program, with resources for homeowners and home builders. The city also sponsors a green home fair each year. People come from throughout Texas and neighboring states to participate and learn about green building practices.

There has been overwhelming support for the program from home builders and homeowners. In fact, Witt says that people have been known to buy from throughout Texas and neighboring states to participate and learn about green building practices.

For More Information

• EarthCraft House Program
• G/Rated Program

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State Energy Offices Bulletin

Stories submitted by state energy offices about their projects.

Arkansas

Northwest Medical Center Receives Energy Saving Honor

Northwest Medical Center of Washington County was one of 40 hospitals nationwide to receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® Award for reducing overall energy consumption. The rating system recognizes top performing hospitals and measures current energy performance, goal setting, and savings tracking. It rewards improvements in energy performance.

For more information, visit the Arkansas Department of Economic Development.

Colorado

Colorado Fuel Cell Center Proposal Selected by the Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation

The Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) selected a proposal for the Colorado Fuel Cell Center (CFCC) from the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) that allows the state to expand fuel cell related research, development, education, and commercial applications. The proposal also provides $1 million to match OEMC's $2 million investment.

The Colorado School of Mines (CSM), Versa Power Systems, Inc., and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will support the CFCC as subcontractors and cost-share providers. The CFCC will be located at CSM and GTI will manage its daily operations for two years.

Extensive research on electrochemical technology, materials, and fuel processing will be performed by the partners, and by CSM students and faculty. CSM will add fuel cell courses to its curriculum and oversee all student and faculty research programs. After two years, research and development contracts and consulting agreements will allow the CFCC to be self-sustaining.

For more information, visit the OEMC Web site.

Kentucky

	Students in a classroom at Roy Lee Walker School study with natural lighting, an important element of high-performance schools. Studies show that natural lighting helps students perform better on tests. Credit: Innovative Designs

High-Performance Sustainable Schools Workshop Held

A workshop cosponsored by the Office of Energy Policy, which helped school administrators engineers, and architects learn how to build better, healthier, and more energy-efficient buildings, was held in Frankfort on May 10 and 11. High-performance schools are not only energy efficient, but healthier and more comfortable than traditional buildings. Participants learned that studies show a direct link between high performance schools and improved academic performance.

Tour of Biodiesel Plant Conducted

On May 12, the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy, in conjunction with the University of Kentucky, sponsored a tour of the Griffin Industries biodiesel plant in Butler. This event gave participants a firsthand look at the biodiesel production process and presented the factors involved in establishing and operating biodiesel production facilities. Speakers discussed the benefits of biodiesel, the impact of current energy policy on the development of the biodiesel market, and presented ideas to encourage the development of biodiesel plants. The tour was sponsored by a grant from the Southern States Energy Board.

The Griffin Industries Biodiesel Plant is one of the most advanced biodiesel production facilities in the world. The facility produces Griffin Industries' own Bio G-3000^TM Premium Biodiesel Fuel. Griffin Industries supplies Bio G-3000 to the motor fuel industry, regulated motor vehicle fleets, and other diesel fuel/middle distillate market segments.

Missouri

“Drive Clean and Green across Missouri” Makes Final Stop in Kansas City

"Drive Clean and Green across Missouri," a caravan of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, finished a weeklong, statewide trek in Kansas City. The event was sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Energy Center, St. Louis Regional Clean Cities, and Kansas City Clean Cities coalitions. It was designed to introduce Missourians to the latest in high-efficiency hybrid vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles.

The event kicked off in St. Louis and stopped in Wentzville, Columbia, Jefferson City, Rolla, Lebanon, Springfield, and Warrensburg before the vehicles arrived in Kansas City. It was sponsored by the National Biodiesel Board, the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Corn Growers Association, Laclede Gas, Missouri Propane Gas Association, various organizations associated with alternative fuels, and various automobile manufacturers.

For more information, read the April 7, 2005 Missouri Department of Natural Resources press release.

New York

Farm Demonstrates New Solar Electric System for Agricultural Community

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provided an incentive of $16,800 to install a new photovoltaic (PV) system on a 13½-acre farm, Farm & Granary^TM, in Wawarsing, Ulster County. The farm is owned by Michael Siegel and Barbara Caldwell, who were seeking ways to use the sun's power to assist them in their holistic farming operation. They wanted to reduce pollution and extend the growing season for their organic heirloom vegetables.

With financial assistance from NYSERDA and the technical expertise of Jeff Irish of Hudson Valley Clean Energy, Inc., a 30-panel PV system was constructed on the roof of the Farm & Granary barn. Each panel can produce 140 watts of electricity. The direct current power produced by the solar panels is converted into alternating current. The total alternating current power is 3.5 kilowatts and the total annual output is estimated to be 4,900 kilowatt-hours.

The new system should reduce the amount of energy purchased for farm operations by 85% and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by more than 5,300 pounds annually.

For more information, read NYSERDA's Farm & Granary fact sheet (PDF 408 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.

NYSERDA Small Commercial Lighting Program Awards Competition Prizes

NYSERDA announced that Wolberg Electrical Supply Company of Albany and Warren Electric Supply of Queensbury are the winners in the New York Energy $mart^SM Small Commercial Lighting Program (SCLP) Quarterly Installation Competition for the fourth quarter of 2004. The award recognizes those participating companies (Allies) that are the most active in supplying or installing projects during the previous quarter. The new lighting systems provide better lit spaces for employees and customers and save small businesses thousands of dollars in energy and maintenance costs.

Wolberg Electrical Supply received $1,000 in award funds for completing eight lighting projects, or supplying the materials for these projects, in the Small Distributor category. Warren Electric Supply received $1,000 for completing eight projects, or supplying the materials for these projects, in the Large Distributor Category.