New Home Builders Reach An Agreement on Efficiency
At the end of August, without the usual taking up of arms to once again address the latest round of codes being proposed by another government agency, The Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) and the Institue for Market Transformation (IMT) reached an understanding with the Leading Builders of America (LBA) organization about new efficiency standards for the construction of new homes moving forward.
The term efficiency here is a practical term adopted by the real estate industry which refers to making a home more efficient in its use of energy on all levels – the HVAC system, kitchen appliances, the use of solar power, and green energy implementations which used to be custom home additions but in many markets have become the standard. Examples of green building include specialized insulation, specialized siding, high-effiency electrical wiring, HVAC units with modern technology that uses a fraction of the energy of old compressors, double insulated windows, and many other features. There has been a push from all sectors, including the federal government, to increase energy efficiency to reduce greenhouse gases and decrease the United States’ dependency on oil to produce all types of power in this country.
The proposed changes by the NRDC and the IMT are for performance-based standards designed to reduce energy consumption by up to 20% in the next 2 years. ACcording to David B. Goldstein, co-director of the energy and transportation program at the NRDC, it has taken 40 years for builders and efficiency promotors to “step over the line” towards each other instead of drawing that line in the sand.
“This is a breakthrough — this agreement shows there’s progress,” said Goldstein in an interview. “This is the first time we’ve talked to LBA as a group on overarching code issues. While we didn’t agree on everything, we narrowed the differences enough.”
The agreement includes a Home Energy Rating System that can quantifiably show a builder and home buyer alike the rating that their home has for energy efficiency. The higher the rating, the more money a homeowner will hopefully save in energy bills and other costs. This is a win-win for builders who can now provide substantial percentages and statistics to their home buyers as to why their product is more energy-efficient and thus a more valuable buy. While this is a major step in the right direction, the vote over the new standards will be taken in October’s International Code Council meeting.
Many builders at Bedico Creek have been certified with the National Association of Home Builders as Green Certified Builders. This means that they have taken a course, been educated on the latest trends and technologies in green building and take continuing education courses about the subject matter to stay current with the latest developments in energy efficiencies. If you are interested in working with a builder who is a Certified Green Builder, Contact Bedico Creek at 985-845-4200 or E-mail [email protected].
