Green Certification...not good news!

This week-end we received news thatwe would not be able to be certified as a LEED-ND community. It was very disappointing because the areas that we fell short in, are areas that can not be changed at this point. There is an environmental prerequisite and though we satisfied local, state and federal requirements, we could not satisfy the LEED requirement. Since it is a prerequisite, none of the other issues matter.

Overall, I think it is good that USGBC is trying to recognize neighborhoods but I think the program has many kinks to work out. If your project is in a dense, urban area surrounded by existing development and your buildings are already designed, you should probably pursue the certification. If your projext falls into Stage 2 under USGBC's guidelines, I would proceed with extreme caution. You likely won't have the information in the format (e.g., already built) that USGBC is looking for. When asked to provide estimates, USGBC did not accept our estimates. We were using the best information that we had to make a realistic and achievable projection. To be told that your estimate is not acceptable by a committee that is not located in the area nor that understands local markets, is frustrating.

Was it worth it? We spent ten of thousands of dollars and much of it was wasted on trying to guess what USGBC wanted. If you are considering the program, I would wait until USGBC provides concrete examples of what is acceptable and concrete examples of how they want the information provided. Too often, the existing examples only applied to Stage 1 projects so the other two stages did not have clear guidance. The program is probably best suited for Stage 1 projects. Knowing that, I would not pursue it if I had it to do over again.

One of These Things is Not Like the Other....

A reader commented on a previous blog entry:

I have driven by this Subdivision several times and the homes look like any other homes in Gainesville. What is the difference between these homes and the other Subdivisions surrounding it? Is the difference inside the walls?

Then, later, she asked:

After driving by this subdivision several times, what is the deal with your signs up front? First LEED Community in Alachua? can you explain what this means to me as a consumer?

These are great questions.....

First of all, I am going to disagree. I don't think these homes look like any other home in Gainesville - they are like homes you may find in some of the other New Urbanist developments, but they are not what you find in a typical subdivision. Obvious differences include the height off the ground (provides privacy in houses that are close to the street), higher end windows that have depth and add contour to the house (rather than the flat windows you typically see), high level design with attention to proportion and scale (these houses were designed by an architect, not a builder, with an eye towards the entire picture of the neighbhorhood and how the houses fit together), classic design details versus trendy home finishes, lack of garages on the front (garages are located off the alley behind the house), and a neighborhood planned to fit into the urban community.

Secondly, I will agree that yes, there are many differences behind the walls. The houses were planned for efficient use of wood and other materials to reduce waste -- walls use "pre-cut" lengths of wood, as well as full sheets of OSB siding materials. This not only saves money during construction, but prevents our landfills from filling up with needless waste -- did you know that 10% of the material ordered to build a house is wasted? That is a lot of garbage in our landfills, a lot of needless transportation costs, and a lot of expense in our pockets. The houses were carefully insulated and sealed -- insulation was inspected by a third party energy consulant to make sure that nothing was missed (such as behind the bathtub) and that the insulation met not just Energy Star, but the highest Energy Star standards. All houses are also prewired to be a "Smart House" and fiber optic cable is run to each house, giving these houses some of the fastest internet speeds in the country. Why is that environmental you may ask? If you can stay home and work effectively, then that is one less car on the road. Other items that are included in some of the houses include insulated hot water pipes, built in vacuums, and products treated with non-toxic chemicals to resist pests and fire.

Finally, LEED certification - what is that? The US Green Building Council, which manages the LEED programs states:

LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.

There are other green building programs out there -- the better known ones in this area include programs by the Florida Green Building Coalition and the National Association of Home Builders. LEED stands out as the program that these newer programs are measured against. The USGBC, through the LEED program, not only certifies homes through the LEED for Homes program but they certify commercial and office buildings, hospitals, schools and government buildings. And, if you did not know already, the University of Florida requires all of it's buildings to be LEED certified. There is an up front cost to this certification, but there are lasting savings in energy, health care, quality of life and carbon footprint cost.

So what do those signs mean to a buyer? It means the this developer and these builders picked the most stringent and most carefully documented green program available. It means that they followed the rules, tracked the materials and waste, carefully chose their materials and paid for third party certification. It means that not just a builder built your house, but an architect, a green consultant, an engineer, a landscape architect, and an energy expert. And that benefits you because you, as a homeowner, would have a copy of all of this documentation, all of the warranties and information, and access to these experts if you have questions. What does this sign mean? It means that the builder did a "good job" -- and you do not have to take their word for it. They can prove it.

What Makes a LEED® Certified Home Different?

The homes in Brytan are all LEED-H certified - which means that they are registered with the US Green Building Council LEED for Homes program before construction is started, a group of experts (including an architect, the builder, the developer, the green consultant) all carefully scrutinizee the plan and chenge the home to make it more durable, more efficient, healthier and more sustainable.   There is not a standard checklist, the builder and developer can choose to incorporate items that are appropriate to the location of the home and can also choose a level of certification.  For instance, in Florida we are concerned about moisture intrusion, hurricanes and certain pests.   So those risks must be evaluated and mitigated during construction.  Also, during the building process, a third party follows the building process and verifies that the home is built as planned. 

Some homeowners think this process happens with every home.  However, typical builders consider floorplan, cost per square foot, and a trendy facade (the latest finishes that sell the house - round top windows, stone veneer, granite countertops).  Durability is considered equal to code compliance and Energy Star certification is sometimes offered since buyers are showing more interest in lower utility bills.  Often, Energy Star and other energy conservation measures are marketed as "green", even though that is the only green component of the project. 

LEED for Homes certification (and other similar programs, when properly administered) offer more than just energy efficiency.   Additional areas that are addressed include the following: 

Sustainable Sites:   Most people think only of the structure when thinking of a green building, however the design of the site can have a significant environmental impact.   Managing stormwater onsite, landscaping appropriate to the region, plants that are easy to care for without fertilizers and pesticides, removal of invasive species, and minimization of other adverse impacts. 

Water Efficiency: Water efficiency measures in new homes can save an average of 30,000 gallons per year per home with little to no impact to the homeowners through appropriate water saving fixtures and careful planning of landscaping and management of irrigation.   This not only saves water, a limited resource, but saves the homeowner money in both water use and sewage fees.  

Energy and Atmosphere:  Energy conservation can be demonstrated through Energy Star certification in the LEED for Homes program.  In addition, there are incentives to use refrigerants that have less environmental impacts and to incorporate simple energy saving strategies such as insulated water lines. 

Material and Resources:  Choosing the best building materials is more than just putting in a bamboo floor and using VOC-free paint.   Using wood products from sustainably grown forests, providing recycling for the waste generated during the building process, and designing the building to take advantage of pre-cut lengths of wood all contribute to a sustainably built home. Products that are locally produced, the contribute to indoor air quality, and that contain recycled materials are encouraged in the program.  

Indoor Environmental Quality: We spend much of our time indoors, and due to energy efficient building, levels of pollutants within the home can grow to unsafe levels.  Preventing problems from moisture which leads to mold and mildew, limiting use of materials containing formaldehyde and other chemicals, and adding fresh air ventilation all contribute to healthy indoor air.   

Innovation and Design:  This area of the program addresses long term durability and regional issues and also allows for improvements and innovations that may not have been addressed when the program was designed.  

Awareness and Education:  Homeowners may be overwhelmed by everything they hear about their new home, and there may be systems they are unfamiliar with.  The LEED for Homes program requires builders to familiarize buyers with their home and teach them to operate it effectively.  In addition, each home comes with an "Operating Manual" incorporating all of the instructions and warranties for not only the appliances, but for all the fixtures and finishes installed in the home.   It also can provide information about the neighborhood, transit, and local amenites, making it especially valuable to someone unfamiliar with the community.

Location and Linkages: Location and linkages not only addresses the impacts of the location of the site itself (selection of location that promotes environmentally responsible land use patterns) but also the neighborhood. Credit is given for infill and redeveloped areas with existing infrastructure, connection to sustainable transportation options (such as transit, cycling and walking), and proximity to community resources (schools, stores, services) to minimize dependence on automobiles. 

Future blogs will address some of the specific areas in more detail.   For more information, check out the USGBC website and specifically, the USGBC's LEED for Homes program.   More questions?  Shoot me an email!