HCHBA GREEN BUILDING COMMITTEE

High Country Home Builders Host Expo on Going Green June 27
Story by Owen Gray
High Country Press
June 11, 2009 Issue

Good news for all you homeowners out there who are interested in going green but don’t know how. The High Country Home Builder’s Association (HCHBA) Green Building Committee is inviting you to their Why Green? Resource Expo on Saturday, June 27, at the Builder’s Plaza on Highway 105 Bypass. 

Running from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. the Expo will feature presentations from 12 business professionals speaking on green topics in their field. Admission is free.

“We realized that the homeowner knew very little about how to easily discover and discern green and, in an effort to educate the public about what to look for when thinking about green, we organized the Why Green? Expo,” said Judy Wagner, HCHBA member and sponsor of the Expo.

Wagner added that there is an inordinate amount of ‘green washing’ nowadays, a scam that involves a company claiming a product to be Energy Star certified and thus a green product when, in fact, it is not. The Why Green? Expo hopes to expose people to businesses and contractors who are indeed Certified Green professionals. This will help limit the chance of people being fooled by green washing.

“All of our presenters truly believe in what they are doing. They love helping the environment and consumers,” said Wagner.

Each presenter will be given four minutes to introduce himself or herself and explain what they can do to help homeowners. The presenters and their topics for this year are: Judy Wagner and Brian Rogers of NAR Green Designee Realtors: What a Green Designation can do for you/Avoiding green washing; Sam Zimmerman of Sunny Day Homes, Inc.: Green Retrofit Remodeling; Travis Thompson of T-Square Solar Solutions Solar Water Heating, Building Performance Engineering: HERS Certification and Blower Door Testing; Quint David of ASU Energy Center: Alternative Energies; Jeremy Bollman of Mountain Lumber: Green Vendors; Adrian Tait of Green Studios: Green Home Design; Scott Eggers of Blue Ridge Energies: CFL’s and Water Heater Jacket Kits; Drew Petery of Mountaineer Sheet Metal: Green Heat and Air Geo-Thermal; Robert N. Oelberg of ASLA PA: Green building guidelines for site development and landscaping; Distinctive Kitchen and Design: Green Products for Kitchen and Bath.

Following the presentations will be a question and answer session in which attendees can go more in depth with individual presenters that they wish to know more from.

One of the biggest issues that Wagner hopes to clear up is the question of expense.

“Most people who are skeptical about going green are worried that it might cost them up to 20 percent more than usual. That’s simply not true. At most, the cost increase would be 5 percent and most people would get their money back over time in savings,” said Wagner. 

Refreshments will be served at the Expo starting at 9:00 a.m. The presentations are expected to start precisely at 9:00 a.m., said Wagner. 

“We’re going to be on it,” she said.

The Builders Plaza is located at 755 Highway 105 Bypass in Boone, beside the Coca-Cola bottling plant.

The HCHBA Green Building Committee is a branch of the High Country Home Builder’s Association. Their mission is to promote Green Building through education, training and special events.

For more information about the Why Green? Expo or the HCHBA Green Building Committee, call Susan Miller at 828-297-6566 or click to www.hchbagreen.com.


Want To Go?
Date: Saturday, June 27
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: The Builders Plaza, Boone
Cost: Free

NAHB Press Release
May 20, 2009 - As builders and remodelers retool their businesses in a tight credit market and recapture the interest of jittery consumers, this spring is the greenest yet for the nation’s home building industry, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).   “We’ve said for a while that green building is a bright spot in a down market,” said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a home builder and developer in Tulsa, Okla. “However, the growth of the NAHB National Green Building Program exceeds even our most optimistic expectations.”   For instance, more than 3,100 builders, remodelers, designers and others in the home building business have earned the Certified Green Professional educational designation. Based on the successful completion of 24 hours of instruction, industry experience and commitment to continuing education, the designation provides consumers with confidence in the qualifications of credentialed professionals, Robson said.   A Master Green Builder-Remodeler designation that incorporates additional building science and project management coursework is slated to be unveiled next year, he added.   More than 200 single-family homes, remodeling projects and developments in 43 states have received National Green Building Certification, with another 300-plus scheduled for inspections.   “The NAHB Research Center has certified projects ranging from affordable starter homes to high-end custom homes with every conceivable amenity,” Robson said. “This national certification program clearly is making green building more mainstream.”   The number of state and local home builders associations affiliated with the NAHB National Green Building Program hit 99 last week, so there are now 40 states with affiliated programs. These programs team national certification with professional education and consumer awareness initiatives.   “The fact that 17 of these programs are statewide is especially encouraging for home buyers and home owners because it increases their access to bona fide green building, whether they live in South Dakota or South Carolina,” Robson said.   Homes certified in the NAHB National Green Building Program meet benchmarks set for energy, water and resource efficiency; indoor environmental quality, lot and site development and home owner education and home maintenance. Green building practices are incorporated into every step of the home building and land development process to minimize environmental impact.   Various tax credits for energy-efficient products, like Energy Star-rated windows, and a growing number of state and local incentives for buying green are also encouraging consumers to choose energy- and resource-efficient products and homes,” Robson said.   Consumers can find a Certified Green Professional, a local green building program and a gallery of certified green homes atwww.nahbgreen.org.

Originally Posted April 23 by Martin Holladay on GreenBuildingAdvisor.com 

Can the Planet Continue To Support U.S. Levels of Consumption?

In the U.S. and Canada, many residential builders use the word “sustainable” as a synonym for “green.” We hear about sustainable development, sustainable homes, and sustainable building products.

Now that the word “sustainable” has become ubiquitous — even at the GreenBuildingAdvisor Web site, where a new $736,000 home on the coast of Maine is described as a “sustainable spec house” — it’s time to take a step back and consider the word’s history.

Originally, It Applied to Forestry Practices
In 1713, a German author, Hans Carl von Calowitz, used the phrase “nachhaltende Nutzung” (sustainable use) to describe forestry practices that limit woodcutting to the forest’s average annual growth. Many historians consider this to be the first use of “sustainable” in its modern meaning.

Later, regulators proposed limiting catches of marine fish to levels which could be maintained over the long term, a system referred to as “sustainable fisheries management.” In the management of forests and fisheries, debate continues over the methods used to determine sustainable harvests. However, use of the term “sustainable” in these contexts is easily understood.

Is the U.S. Lifestyle “Sustainable”?
Foresters generally agree that one cord of firewood per acre per year can be sustainably harvested from a Vermont hardwood forest. However, it’s much trickier to determine whether the practices leading to the construction of $736,00 spec houses in Maine are “sustainable.” How many $736,000 spec houses can be “sustainably” built per year in coastal Maine? After a thousand years of “sustainable” spec-house construction, what will coastal Maine look like?

For those of us living in North America, it’s easy to lose perspective when considering an appropriate definition for a “sustainable” lifestyle. About one-third of the world’s population eats fewer calories than necessary for health, defecates outdoors, and has no access to clean drinking water, electricity, or a telephone. At the same time, about 80% of the world’s resources are consumed by 20% of the world’s population. (Yup, that means us.)

As Himalayan glaciers shrink and huge chunks of Antarctic ice crash into the ocean, Americans continue to consume a disproportionate share of the earth’s resources. Our lifestyle clearly threatens the stability of the planet’s climate. We already have too many cars, too many televisions, too many swimming pools, and too many houses.

The 2,000-Watt Society
Some European environmentalists are acutely aware of the shameful contrast in resource use between rich and poor countries. For example, a group in Switzerland has calculated that the current level of worldwide energy use amounts to 2,000 watts per capita, equivalent to twenty 100-watt bulbs, burning continuously. In the U.S., per capita energy use is about 12,000 watts — six times the world average. In Bangladesh and sub-Saharan Africa, the figure is well under 500 watts.

Swiss environmentalists have founded the “2,000-Watt Society,” a non-profit group founded on the moral principle of global equity and dedicated to reducing European energy use to 2,000 watts per capita. This goal has been adopted at the highest levels of Swiss government. Among those embracing the 2,000-watt-per-capita goal is Walter Steinmann, the director of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy — roughly analogous to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Of course, the 2,000-watt goal is itself open to criticism. The main problem with the goal is that current levels of worldwide energy use are clearly unsustainable. But at least the Swiss have considered global equity when making their calculations.

Imagining a “Sustainable” House
Considering the twin crises of Third-World poverty and global warming, who knows what a “sustainable” house would look like? If the house measures 400 square feet and includes cold running water, a single light bulb, and a toilet, it would be a huge step up the ladder for much of the world’s population. Unfortunately, achieving that goal would probably strain global resources to the breaking point.

I don’t believe that every American needs to live in a shack out of solidarity with the world’s poor. But it’s important to be honest. Our lifestyle is clearly unsustainable. As long as we’re moving in the right direction — that is, beginning to lessen the adverse environmental impacts of our lifestyle choices — there isn’t any shame in living an unsustainable lifestyle. But as we struggle to move toward a new future of improved global equity and environmental balance, let’s avoid the temptation to pat ourselves on the back.

Every time I hear a North American builder use the word “sustainable,” I cringe. As typically used, the word is self-serving, self-congratulatory, and deeply insulting to the world’s poor. So unless we’re talking about forestry or fisheries, let’s avoid using the word altogether.

United States of America (Press Release) February 4, 2008 -- (FORT MILL, SC – FEBRUARY 2008)

With the high cost of energy ranking as a top concern among American consumers, homeowners are turning their attention to renewable energy sources to lower energy costs and reduce consumption. This focus has led to a demand for products that make homes more energy efficient, including solar water heaters and the role the technology plays in low-energy homes in the U.S.


“Five years ago, when oil prices hovered around $20 a barrel and the price at the pump was just above a dollar a gallon, energy costs barely registered among Americans’ top concerns,” said Josh Plaisted, president of Kineo Design Group, a Berkley, Calif.-based engineering and consulting company that specializes in product design and development in the solar industry.


“Today, you will find high energy costs among the top five concerns of consumers,” he said. “Whether it’s natural gas, electricity or gasoline prices, energy weighs heavily on their minds, and they are clamoring for solutions.”


According to Plaisted, consumers can have the greatest impact on their energy costs by reconsidering how they heat their water. The average household spends about 25 percent of its home energy costs on heating water, he said, noting that solar water heating offers homeowners not only a solution to rising energy costs but also offers environmental benefits.


“Studies have shown that owners of solar water heaters can save as much as 50 percent annually on their utility bills over the cost of conventional water heating,” said Plaisted, who entered the solar thermal industry in 2000 after earning a master’s degree in thermal systems engineering from the University of Wisconsin. He founded Kineo Design in 2002 to bridge the gap between engineers, architects and contractors and the solar energy systems specified in their designs.

North America’s leading skylight manufacturer, VELUX America, has introduced a line of solar water heating products in the U.S. in February at the 2008 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida. A leader in the solar water heating industry in Europe, VELUX has developed and manufactured solar thermal water heating systems and products that efficiently harness the energy of the sun. According to VELUX, the U.S. demand for these advanced technology systems is steadily growing as consumer awareness of the increased cost of energy grows.


VELUX solar water heating systems utilize one or more low-profile roof top solar energy collectors containing a glycol (antifreeze) solution to gather heat. An electronic controller activates a pump to feed the heated solution through insulated tubing to a solar hot water tank. The heat is transferred through a heat exchanger from the solution to the water in the insulated tank, where it is held until needed, and the solution is returned to the collectors to be reused. In addition, homes must also include an auxiliary electric or gas heating system to ensure a reliable supply of heated water. 


“Solar thermal water heating is not new to the U.S. – the U.S. was the world leader in the industry following the energy crisis of the early 1980s,” said Jim Cika, manager, solar products, for VELUX. “However, in the mid- to late-1980s, as the cost of energy suddenly sank to record lows, American consumers were once again enjoying cheap oil, federal and state tax subsidizes for solar water heaters were eliminated in the U.S., and the demand for solar systems came abruptly to an end.”


As the U.S. market for solar water heating products was collapsing, Germany, Austria and other European countries continued to focus on product innovation, Cika said.
source: FPR

“European countries saw what was happening in the U.S. in the 1980s, took the technology and continued innovating,” he said, noting that the U.S. Department of Energy reports that 82 percent of all green house gasses emitted by human activity is energy-related carbon dioxide. “They made solar water heaters more energy efficient and more cost efficient. Twenty years later, Europe is a global leader in solar water heating technology, and now this technology is returning to the U.S.”


While solar water heating systems usually cost more to purchase and install than conventional water heating systems, the financial benefit of a solar system is realized over the long term. A typical solar installation for a three- to four-family household costs about $7,000, but state and federal tax credits, state rebate programs and utility company incentives can reduce the final price tag by more than 50 percent. These savings, along with long-term savings associated from using the sun to heat the water, are causing U.S. consumers to take a second look at the advantages of solar.

“Low-energy houses will be the houses of the future, and for consumers concerned with long-term energy costs, solar systems will play a prominent role in reducing energy costs in U.S. homes,” Plaisted said, noting that the return on investment of a solar system varies by region.


According to the North Carolina Solar Center, which is operated by the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University and serves as a nationwide resource for solar and other renewable energy programs, less than 5 percent of the world’s population lives in the U.S., yet the U.S. consumes 24 percent of the world’s energy. As a result, the center notes that the future of energy conservation will rely heavily on advancements in renewable energy resources.
“Our position is, the sun comes up every day, so it’s only logical that we find a way to harness this energy,” said Dona Stankus, manager of building programs for the North Carolina Solar Center.


“People today are truly interested in reducing their personal energy costs, and they are finding out that current solar water heaters are among most reliable and affordable technologies in the renewable energy debate,” she said.


For more information:
http://www.veluxusa.com/service/installationHelp/solarInstallerLocator/

Originally Posted Mar 9 by Martin Holladay  on GreenBuildingAdvisor.com 

Manufacturers Suffer, But Buyers Rejoice

LOS ANGELES, CA — With dozens of new photovoltaic (PV) module factories churning out more panels than the market can absorb, PV prices are finally dropping.

“A dramatic fall in the price of solar panels has made the clean power source a better deal than ever before, but solar manufacturers’ profits have dwindled thanks to that rapid decline,” reports the Reuters News Service. “After hitting $4.20 a watt in the middle of 2008, solar panel prices have slid almost 30 percent to about $3 a watt, with research firm New Energy Finance predicting a further 20 percent drop this year.”

According to John Segrich, an analyst for Gabelli & Company, this year’s worldwide demand for PV modules is estimated at 5,200 megawatts, while the 20 largest PV module manufacturers are expected produce 7,000 megawatts of modules this year. This oversupply is one reason that PV module manufacturers have seen their stock prices drop 50% from recent peaks.

PV prices are likely to continue dropping in months ahead. Renewable Energy World reported, “The cost of photovoltaic electricity is due to plummet in 2009, according to a new analysis by New Energy Finance. Its latest Silicon and Wafer Price Index shows average silicon contract prices falling by more than 30% in 2009 compared with 2008. … Furthermore, with thin-film PV module manufacturing costs approaching the $1/watt mark, crystalline silicon-based PV will come under severe competition for larger projects, resulting in margins shrinking throughout the silicon value chain, the company argues. … This may pressure crystalline silicon module manufacturers to reduce selling prices by more than the reduction in costs in order to retain their market and the company suggests that current silicon-based solar module prices of $4/watt could drop to $2.60/watt by the end of 2009.”

Of course, lower PV prices are good news for builders and homeowners, especially in light of the 30% federal tax credit for PV installations. “It’s a great thing,” Barclays Capital analyst Vishal Shah told Reuters. “The pain that we are seeing in the industry right now is going to manifest into stronger growth in 2010 because prices are so low.”

This article by Calli Schmidt is from the NAHB's Online Newspaper: Nation's Building News.

Energy Star has published comprehensive information on how the housing industry and consumers can take advantage of the federal tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements in the new economic stimulus package. The credits are expected to significantly increase demand for green renovation projects this year and next, according to federal officials.

Congressional economists project that the new provisions will generate an estimated $6 billion in remodeling work by the end of 2010.

The credits will be the centerpiece of new marketing efforts for remodeler Scott Sevon, CGR, GMB, CAPS, GMR, CGP of Sevvonco Inc. in Palatine, Ill. “We will be featuring information for consumers on our Web site, brochures and other promotional materials,” he said. “We want to make sure they can come to us for accurate information.”

Remodelers trained in and experienced with making energy-efficient upgrades are well-positioned to take advantage of increased consumer interest in consuming less power. They can also use the tax credits to encourage home owners to undertake a more complete renovation that can be certified under the National Green Building Standard as part of NAHBGreen, the NAHB National Green Building Program.

The Internal Revenue Code Section 25C for existing homes, which had expired at the end of 2007, was reinstated as part of the economic rescue package passed by the Bush Administration last fall. Installing energy-efficient windows, doors, roofing and insulation as well as furnaces, air conditioners and heat pumps all qualified for the credit.

But remodelers found that the terms of the 25C credit — equal to only 10% of the cost of each product and with a lifetime cap of $500 — weren’t quite strong enough to get home owners off the fence and into a contract.

Under the stimulus legislation signed by President Obama, the percentage of the cost and lifetime cap have been tripled to 30% and $1,500, respectively, and the deadline for installing them has been extended through the end of 2010.

In addition to expanding the 25C tax credit, the IRS 25D credit for renewable energy products has also been expanded and is even more generous for specific improvements — including geothermal heat pumps, solar panels, solar hot water heaters, small wind energy systems and fuel cells. The 30% tax credit applies to these products but there is no cap on their cost through 2016. In addition, these credits also apply to new construction, as well as to remodeling and renovation projects.

The newly expanded tax credits are in alignment with industry research showing that remodeling and retrofitting the nation’s older homes will have a far more significant impact on reducing residential energy consumption than meeting even the most aggressive efficiency goals for new homes, according to Greg Miedema, CGR, CGB, CAPS, chairman of NAHB Remodelers.

A December 2008 survey by Whirlpool Corporation revealed that 84% of consumers said that energy efficiency is significantly more important than water use or other potential savings when it comes to home appliance efficiency. Seventy-two percent of  respondents seek the Energy Star label when making purchasing decisions. (Click here to read a related story in this issue of NBN.)

“These new tax credits are another way that the home building industry can combat the potential effects of global climate change by encouraging home owners to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes,” said Miedema.

A 2008 California study showed that homes built before 1983 were responsible for 70% of the greenhouse gas emissions related to single-family envelope energy consumption.

The study also found that spending $10,000 to retrofit a 1960s home could save 8.5 tons of carbon at a cost of $588 to $1,176 per ton, depending on existing tax credits and incentives. By comparison, increasing the energy efficiency of a new home 35% over current state requirements would cost about $5,000 and would reduce emissions by 1.1 tons at a cost of $4,545 per ton.

The bottom line is that retrofitting existing homes with energy-efficient features is four to eight times more carbon- and cost-efficient than adding further energy-efficiency requirements to new housing, the study showed.

Tax Credit How-to

Details on qualifying improvements are available on the Energy Star Web site.

Remodelers should familiarize themselves with the model types and products that qualify for the tax credit so they can advise their customers. However, they do not need to give their clients the product sales receipts to verify the claim. Certification statements in the manufacturer's product information may suffice.

Home owners can claim the 25C and 25D credits on Form 5695 when they prepare their income tax returns. They should also retain records that include:

Name and address of the manufacturer Identification of the component Make, model or other appropriate identifiers Statement that the component meets the 25C standards Climate zones for which the criteria are satisfied Additional information for storm windows, if applicable A declaration that the certification statement is true

For more information, e-mail Calli Schmidt at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8132.

"A tax credit of up to $8,000 is now available for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009. Unlike the tax credit enacted in 2008, the new credit does not have to be repaid."

Learn how you can take advantage of this $8,000 tax credit to buy the home of your dreams.

Below is an article by Michael Chandler from FineHomebuilding.com.  Chandler is the instructor for an upcoming Certified Green Professional course being offered April 1st at Builders Plaza in Boone, N.C.  Chandler is a custom builder in the Chaple Hill area and a leader in Green Building.  His depth of knowledge and his approach to teaching makes him a great instructor.  Download a registration form and information on the upcoming course here.  Early Bird registration (a $75.00 discount) is Febuary 27th, 2009. 

Source: http://finehomebuilding.taunton.com/item/4860/a-modest-green-proposal

(Editor's note: This is the first post from Michael Chandler, a frequent contributor to Fine Homebuilding magazine andGreenBuildingAdvisor.com).

Americans can get to work fixing our own home weatherization problems without government handouts if we just give them a chance. We can put Americans to work fixing America’s problems, we already have most of the systems in place, we just need to get started.

According to NAHB there are 75 million homes that are critically in need of weatherization and as much as 80-percent of our light commercial stock falls in the same category. President Obama is promoting a weatherization program to provide free weatherization for low income homes and tax credits for middleclass alternative energy improvements. But it would also be possible to provide a new financing structure to allow a for-profit weatherization industry to flourish that could address the needs of many more than just two million families of all income levels while giving jobs to American workers and saving our tax money for other projects.

We have lots of Americans of all income levels who are too hand-to-mouth to be able to afford the $5,000 or so it would take to make the most critical improvements to their homes. So they just put up with the high energy bills and poor indoor air quality and discomfort of living and working in drafty, underperforming buildings. It doesn’t need to be this way.

I’m proposing a zero-dollar-down weatherization program that will be applicable to rental properties, fully mortgaged properties on the edge of foreclosure, and light commercial as well as all categories of residential, not just low-income. By keeping the loans small enough, in the $5,000 range, and applying the right fixes to the right projects, the energy saved by the weatherization could balance the cost of the loan.

We will reach more people if we simplify the application process by not tying up the equity in the building but instead using the homes’ electrical connection to the grid to secure the loans. The weatherization projects could be selected and designed such that the energy savings would be equal to the loan payment but the payment would be included in the electric bill and if you failed to pay your power would be cut off. Your equity in your home or your rent payment would be unaffected. Any occupied building or mobile home might qualify, even rentals and foreclosures, so long as the electric bill was being paid and the energy saved by the weatherization would balance the cost of the loan.

We need to save the tax money for things we can’t do for ourselves. Let the banks loan the money, not the taxpayers. We’ve already loaned enough to the banks as it is.

While the loan payment would be included in the electric bill, we shouldn’t expect electric companies to be leaders in efforts to reduce demand for their product. Net metering of solar PV and wind power has been plagued by lack of utility acceptance. But electric companies are already set up to deliver a bill, which includes tax, and enforce its payment by cutting off power if necessary. Let them be the collection agent and use their mailing lists to promote neighborhood energy campaigns to fix as many homes in one neighborhood as possible before moving to the next neighborhood rather than just fixing homes scattershot all around the area.

Existing, professionally managed, insulation companies can do the work. We should require that they have workers comp but offer government subsidized general liability insurance to offset the increased risk of all these small jobs in occupied homes. When Jimmy Carter declared the energy crises “the moral equivalent of war” and instituted solar tax credits we saw way too many failed solar panels due to incompetent workmanship. Let’s keep the weatherization industry well managed and professional and not open the field up to any guy with a pickup and an insulation sprayer.

To do this we need independent oversight. Here is where we can leverage taxpayer money through the Department of Energy’s existing Energy Star Home Energy Rater system to train, license, and oversee a legion of energy auditors to seek out the projects that can most benefit from tightening ducts and sealing crawls, floors, windows and attics to the point that the reduced energy usage would offset the loan payment. We can use the existing community college system to train these workers using materials from the DOE.

Trust but verify, keep the energy auditors accountable through a taxpayer subsidized licensing and oversight organization similar to the way we currently regulate termite inspectors and pesticide companies. It is good for the auditors to be employed by the weatherization contractors (for improved communication) but they should be required to provide before and after reports to the licensing agency showing the improvements made and backing up the quality of the work.

Keep the loans small, not more than $5,000, so the payback cost would balance the fuel savings but lets also encourage the auditors to educate the occupants and provide a menu of additional strategies they could take on to further improve their energy efficiency on their own. We are aiming for the low hanging fruit here Americans can stand on their own two feet for the rest.

Let’s put Americans to work fixing America’s problems, we can do it, let's get started.