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Green Builders Expand in North Carolina's Triangle Area
The Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties has joined with the HBA of f Raleigh-Wake County to form the Green Home Builders of the Triangle.
The coalition of North Carolina home builders, suppliers and industry leaders launched the program at a Jan. 28 press conference attended by Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, Cary Mayor Pro-tem Julie Robinson and Durham County Commission Chairman Ellen Reckhow.
“We are pleased to join an established program with a successful track record,” said Tim Minton, executive vice president of the Raleigh-Wake County builders. “The joint program enables us to encourage our members to participate in green building practices across the Triangle.” Recent drought conditions in the area have focused more attention on water efficiency practices, one of the tenets of green building, he added.
“It made perfect sense for us to bring the Raleigh-Wake County HBA into the program, because many builders in our area construct homes all over the Triangle,” said Nick Tennyson, executive vice president of the builders group representing builders in Durham, Orange and Chatham counties. “Having a collaborative, Triangle-wide program will result in a bigger, stronger initiative.”
In its first year, the green building program of Tennyson’s HBA enrolled 150 homes and issued certificates for nearly 100 of those.
Based on the Model Green Home Building Guidelines developed by NAHB in 2005, the program enables builders to apply for certification by meeting performance goals for lot design, preparation and development; resource efficiency; energy efficiency; water efficiency; indoor environmental quality; operation, maintenance and home-owner education; and global impact.
Third-party review of the certification packages for each home is provided by an independent contractor with extensive experience in green building techniques and materials.
The HBAs have worked hard to keep the green building program cost-effective for builders. As a result, it has been embraced not only by custom builders but also by local volume builders who construct hundreds of homes annually. The homes represent a wide range of styles and prices, including entry-level houses and even Habitat for Humanity projects.
Triangle residents will have the chance to view some of the homes enrolled in the program during a Third Annual Green Home Tour scheduled for May 3 and 4, according to Bill Beasley, chair of the Green Home Builders of the Triangle.
“Potential home buyers and builders have become much more interested in green building as energy prices have gone up, and the recent drought has made it clear that energy is not the only ‘green’ issue,” said Tennyson. “We believe that this voluntary, HBA-managed program is a great way for us to address these concerns and help to create a more sustainable future for the Triangle.”
For more information on green building resources available from NAHB, e-mail Calli Schmidt, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8132.
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Register now for The 2008 National Green Building Conference, held May 11-13 in New Orleans. Get contacts, tools and ideas that are good for both the environment and your bottom line.
The National Green Building Conference is the only national conference targeted to green building for the mainstream residential building industry. Network with designers and suppliers, attend exceptional education sessions and develop the skills you need for profitable green building.
For information and to register, visit www.nahb.org/greenbuildingconference, call 800-368-5242 x8338, or e-mail registrar@nahb.com.
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