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Builders Get Help In Building Green

Builders in the Treasure Valley have a new resource to help them create earth-friendly homes.

The Building Contractors Association of Southwestern Idaho said Monday that it is embracing new voluntary guidelines developed nationally.

The association also is forming a new Green Building Council that will provide resources and education for local builders on how to participate in the National Green Building Program launched this year by the National Association of Home Builders.

"We're bringing green building into mainstream home construction," said Steve Martinez, a home builder in Eagle and president of the local association. "Builders can do a tremendous amount to make homes more environmentally friendly, without pricing them out of the reach of the average homebuyer. Our Green Building Council aims to educate builders and consumers about building green."

Homes in Southwest Idaho already must comply with the International Energy Code, a minimum standard that must be met before a home can be certified for occupancy.

"This new program goes above and beyond the basic standard," said Joe Kunz, spokesman for the local association. "The Green Building Council will provide training for local builders who want to include the new standards in their projects.

"If it's done wrong, it takes more time to figure it out," Kunz said. "We'll help them know what to do when during the building project."

The program encourages environmentally friendly practices from lot design and preparation to water efficiency.

Chuck Miller of Chuck Miller Construction has been asked to chair the new Green Building Council. He said it was his presentation to the BCA that got the program rolling.

"I've been following the program since it was released as a draft to the NAHB," Miller said. "It's geared toward builders and is more affordable than other programs."

Miller said the Green Building Program is similar to the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System in that it requires third-party, independent certification.

"The fees are less than the LEED program," Miller said. "And you can do most of it online, which means a lot less paperwork."

The new program also can be modified for builders in the Treasure Valley.

"NAHB members have demonstrated that the Model Green Home Building Guidelines are flexible," Martinez said. "So joining the new national program is right for our area, one that considers our climate and other factors that affect home construction and energy consumption."

Martinez said new homes are 100 percent more energy-efficient than those built during the 1970s.

And while new standards for green buildings have in the past been marketed to high-end, niche builders who cater to a wealthy clientele, Kunz said customers are now finding that a green certification has become a marketing tool.