The Green Building Trend Supports Sustainability

The most significant trend in home improvement and renovation is the “green building” movement. As global warming and climate change become more imperative issues, homeowners seek responsible solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. Sustainability is the new concept inspiring many home remodel projects and the goal is to utilize materials and methods that meet current needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

Green building can be promoted by establishing environmentally desirable and technically attainable goals in a home improvement, renovation or remodel project. Examples might include:

–Reducing energy consumption by 30% from current levels;

–Reducing water consumption by 50%;

–Diverting 75% of demolition and construction debris from landfills by recycling and reusing;

–Self-generating 20% of total power consumption.

Going green does not necessarily mean spending top dollar for innovative technology and materials. In fact, smart green building is often founded in repair and reuse. Take windows, for example. Older windows are frequently replaced in a home improvement project with new “improved” windows. However, most experts agree that a very small percentage of a home’s energy escapes through the windows. The attic and roof areas are primarily where energy is lost. Therefore, if the older windows are still performing, keep them in good condition and insulate the attic and roof instead. This reduces demolition debris in the landfills and maintains windows that are likely to better match the home’s original architectural style.

It is generally believed that green strategies can add about 5% to the overall construction cost of a residential sized project. Projected long term savings in energy costs usually far exceed such upfront expenditures. The construction industry is seeing incentives for green building projects. Homeowners will also receive such benefits as tax credits, utility rebates and permit fast-tracking.

The U.S. Green Building Council has established a voluntary rating system called LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which assigns points in judging a project’s sustainability. LEED certification can be applied to mega-construction, such as the $7 billion, 18 million square foot mixed use CityCenter Project in Las Vegas, as well as to modest single family home renovations. Depending upon point accumulation for such earmarks as water savings (5 possible points) and materials selection (13 possible points), LEED levels rise from Basic, to Silver, to Gold, to Platinum. This national system provides cutting-edge benchmarks to measure environmentally responsible construction. Guidelines for LEED certification can be found at the USGBC website, http://www.usgbc.org/.

Anyone embarking on a home renovation or remodel project should check with local utility companies for incentives. Additional valuable resources are available from the National Association of Home Builders at http://www.nahb.org/ and Green Building Initiative at http://www.thegbi.org/home.asp.