Do you live your environmentally Green status?

Building green to some people has become a status or social icon in many communities across the globe. There are the true environmentally conscious people that are doing a green build project for the right reasons and I applaud you for your determination.

Many builder and developers are promoting green building just to attract new clients to sell homes to and they find loop holes to meet the certification just to state they are true green build projects.

Let's first look at how a project can be certified as "Green Build".

The LEED® certification is determined by points achieved in several different categories.

This is a list of the different categories and the maximum points available in each.

Sustainable Sites 14 points

Water Efficiency 5 points

Energy & Atmosphere 17 points

Materials & Resources 13 points

Indoor Environmental Quality 15 points

Innovation & Design Process 5 points

By the point system the project will be broke into a rating of certification.

Certified 26-32 points

Silver 33-38 points

Gold 39-51 points

Platinum 52-69 points

A project can reach a certified green listing without to much effort. There are many points that can be cheaper and easier to achieve. One example is installing a $400 bike rack earns one point where a $15,000 - $20,000 efficient gas saving furnace is also one point.

Energy Star® came out several years ago and many builders that already build a good home could qualify for an Energy Star® rating if they just documented certain products in the home. Again this got used as a big buzz word when selling the home.
Yes having an Energy Star® or LEED® certified green home will guarantee to be a better and more energy efficient home. But it does not say that the same home next door that is not certified is any less efficient. It only proves that the builder did certify that the products used meet the rating.

With the strict building codes we have today many homes do meet these requirement but the builder just has not taken the time to certify the home.

When you are looking for a new home and you want to look for a certified green built home, ask what level of certification and what points in each category did you meet. This will give you a better understanding if the builder is really trying to build a energy efficient and environmentally friendly home or if they are just using the phrase "Green Build" to attract more business.

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The main reason for building a green certified home is to create an energy efficient and environmentally friendly home.

Many of the points in achieving a certified rating have to do with saving our natural energy resources. This is measured from how a product is manufactured down to how efficient the product saves energy in the home. One example is the windows in the home. How are they manufactured? Does the manufacturing facility use recycled product? Does the manufacturer recycle its waste? Does the facility use natural gas in the heating process? Is all the suppliers and distributors in the chain using ways to reduce waste and use energy efficient means? How far is the product delivered? Does the window exceed certain performance ratings?

This is where I come to the statement "NASA could probably build a water container that could keep water at 35º but what good would it be with a 1" hole".

I have seen so many homes built that claim they are saving energy with insulation, heating and air conditioning systems or proper home placement to utilize the sun. Then they put a cheap or low quality window in and that entire savings "goes out the window".

I could use many examples about the products in the home but this make the point about picking the proper products to achieve a green built home.

One other point I would like to make is the reason someone wants to have a green built home.

If you want an energy efficient home to help save energy and money going through the certified green program may be a waste of time and expense. You can achieve this without the hassle. But if you truly are devoted to helping save our environment the LEED® certification can guarantee you are doing your part.

I see so many people state they want a "Green Built Home" and really don't understand the whole process and are not truly devoted to why this process was created in the first place. They are building a 10,000 square foot home and drive around in a gas guzzling SUV. Now I know this is where I am going to offend someone but this just does not make any sense to me. This is a status symbol in my book.

The LEED® certification process takes into account the square footage of the home and the more square footage the more energy saving points are needed. This also affects the rating on how well the environment around the home is being protected.

I support and applaud the people that truly want to make a difference to saving our environment and natural resources. But I think it is foolish to say I have a green home but don't believe in the whole reason around it. I also don't think marketing homes using the "Green Building" phrase is not always right.

It is the buyer's responsibility to understand what makes a green built home and have the dedication to the environment to want one.

"Green Building" has become a catch phrase similar to global warming. Many jump on board to act like they are helping our environment or be part of a cliquish group and really don't understand the whole aspect of what it is about. To many a green built home is a home that uses no lumber. That is as far as there thinking goes.

Go to the USGBC - U.S. Green Building Council. Website to learn more about what a LEED® certified Green Built home really means before you decide to start a green built project.

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