By, Staff Seattle Magazine
Do you know your LEED from your Living Building? Deciphering local green-home certification is the first step of eco-house building
Green Houses
Most of us “green” our homes with the same scattershot methods we use to improve our diets (organic apple here, “natural” energy bar there). We buy an Energy Star dishwasher, blow in some extra insulation and build our deck with wood stamped with a logo that looked sustainable under the sallow CFLs of Home Depot. But even homes accessorized with à la carte green features weigh heavily on the environment. According to the Seattle-based nonprofit Bullitt Foundation (whose mission is to promote sustainable development), buildings currently generate 39 percent of carbon emissions, 65 percent of waste and 70 percent of electrical use in the United States.
So it’s good news that more local homeowners have gone beyond sustainability snacking and committed to a whole-house menu. Perhaps that’s because there is growing evidence that a home built or retrofitted to be energy- and resource-efficient will add green to the wallet. Airtight ductwork and solar panels are expensive, but so are energy costs. Homes meeting green certification standards can save 30 percent or better on energy performance over a single-family residence built to traditional code. Also, according to a study by Phinney Ridge–based GreenWorks Realty (greenworksrealty.com), green-certified King County homes are selling at a faster rate and for higher prices than non-certified homes.
Which may be why green-home certification programs are booming. Patti Southard, project/program manager for Green Tools Solid Waste division in King County, says enthusiasm for the locally developed “Built Green” home certification (see next page) has surpassed expectations. “Our goal was to have 10,000 Built Green homes certified by 2010,” she says. “We had them by the end of 2007. This is a region of the country where we have a lot of early adopters.”
This is also a region where we hear a lot of green-home buzzwords without necessarily understanding the nuances of each. Does “Built Green” mean your house gets an Energy Star? Is a “Living Building” as good as “LEED certified”? And what about “zero energy” and “passive energy” homes? (FYI: Those last two are strategies builders may use to attain the different types of certification outlined on page 50.)
Green-home certification programs provide invaluable guidance through the process of creating a more sustainable home, but before consulting a builder or an architect, brush up on which ones mean what. All of these programs set specific goals for a builder working on a sustainable-home project in a variety of categories, such as energy and water consumption, indoor air quality and use of sustainable materials. A note to buyers: Since MLS listings claiming “green” status vary greatly, check for proof of one of the following certifications through the programs themselves.
Built Green
Run by: King County Master Builders Association in association with King and Snohomish counties
Details: Twenty-five percent of new construction in King County is now built to this standard. Certifies homes from one to five stars, based on points accrued after assessment in five areas, taking into consideration everything from a home’s landscape to the sustainability of its materials to toxicity of finishes and energy efficiency of systems. Projects earning one to three stars are self-certifying—the builder certifies that a checklist of green requirements has been completed. Four- and five-star projects require third-party verification.
Testimonial: King County’s Southard says, “Built Green is the more user-friendly program [compared to LEED for Homes].” She also considers Built Green superior in offering incentives to builders who use local materials. And she says its new remodel standard (which requires an energy audit and retrofit) is “the best remodel checklist in the country.”
Where to see it: Issaquah’s zHome development (z-home.org), which offers monthly walk-through tours, and Martha Rose Construction’s Fish Singer Place (martharoseconstruction.com).
More: For King County’s green building tips, visit your.kingcounty.gov and search for “greenbuilding.”
Read the full story. http://www.seattlemag.com/0p212a2253/shelter-green-houses/
Great read. I enjoyed reading your post and I like your take on the issue. Thanks.