I often enjoy looking back to gauge how far we have come in improving the green building environment. There is an interesting evolution to the theme as we enter a new phase of green.
Green has gone from the early extremist, to an accepted level, to a sought after theme. Please don’t get me wrong but have we really gone anywhere? The consumer seems to respond to the commercials, but is there real improvement in the making?
Large materials suppliers were slow and reluctant to jump in until the consumer generated demand for green goods and services. The biggest failure is the clear vision of what value has been added to the green home verses a standard one. We see recycled materials listed in many products and some have actually made an effort to change the product. In a lot of cases the product has not changed but the advertising has only reflected the buzzword. This has added a lot of confusion for the consumer, as they jump on the bandwagon-to pursue a growing market.
“Green building” — watch those Green Bucks grow. Mold is Gold. People are very busy, and the hype and care tactics abound! This is one of those times when not doing ones homework may be more of a sacrifice in money or health, than we would care to make. The green community has had a hard time relating a clear vision to the public.
Understanding green programs can be a bit of a challenge. As green programs have been set up across the country different goals have been the focus of these different groups. This also can create confusion but is clearly logical. Climate, materials and government regulations all impact the goals of the program.
In Portland for example, the program focuses on energy efficiency, so it’s not surprising the sponsor is the power company. In dryer states, a large focus is on the landscaping and saving water savings as scarce supplies rely on snow pack or rivers. In Denver, the state made the program happen with a very large funding package. Solar systems may get a bigger focus where it is cost effective or if government subsidizes the program, as in California.
The local “Built Green” Program of the Kitsap Home Builders has a point system in eight green categories. This gives the program a balance and flexibility, yet the consumer can clearly review the enrollment form and see what is different.
When buying a home having a sticker on the window similar to the new cars makes sense. If you use a Kitsap Built Green builder, they are required to attend a educational class on the program. This year we’ve had such demand that the number of builder training class were doubled. The consumer is now driving the demand for green homes.
You now have a clear, understandable program to judge the product you may be considering buying, or the builder’s qualifications to build your “Green Built” home. You will also have the support of the resource guide available to a qualified Kitsap HBA “Built Green” Builder.If you would like more information on the program go to KitsapHBA.com and click on the “Built Green” link for a list of green builders and a program overview. You can also download the enrollment form for your builder there if he is a Kitsap HBA Member.
698-8242 or R_Courson [at] msn [dot] com.).
