This is a copy of an article posted by the NAHB on October 14, 2009

Original post link: http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?newsID=9843

ABOUT THE NAHB RESEARCH CENTER: Located in Upper Marlboro, Md., the NAHB Research Center promotes innovation in housing technology to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and home building products. Created over 40 years ago as a subsidiary of NAHB, the NAHB Research Center has established itself as the source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues. Through its various testing and certification services, the Research Center seal is internationally recognized as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance. Since February 2008, the NAHB Research Center has been administering National Green Building Certification using the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines; in January 2009 the option to have a project scored to the National Green Building Standard became available when the Standard was approved by ANSI.

I have spent the last 20 years in the home building industry. I have seen many changes in that time, but the biggest and fastest growing change is the increasing demand for

Green Building

. For years many builders, sub contractors, suppliers and manufacturers have said this is a phase that would die out. But I don’t think that is going to happen. The certification of LEED AP and NAHB Certified Green Professionals is growing very rapidly. This increase is showing that more people in the home building industry are taking Green Building more serious. The real estate industry is even moving to Green with their Ecobroker designation.

Well you may ask “What is a Certified Green Professional?”

The description from the National Association of Home Builder, which certifies and administers the designation, states: “The Certified Green professional in an exclusive designation offered by the National Association of Home Builders, designed to teach building industry professionals strategies for incorporating building principles into homes using cost-effective and affordable options. Requirements include: 24 hours of classroom instruction, industry experience and adherence to the CGP Code of Ethics. To maintain CGP status, designees are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every three years.”

The CGP initial training helps the designee to choose products and practices for greater energy efficiency, a better understanding of indoor and outdoor water conservation practices and preserving indoor environmental quality. This training also helps the designee to understand sustainable building practices and products, along with a full understanding the certification process and benchmarks of the Green Building Program. A CGP is dedicated to the practices of green building and trained to deliver it in a way that best suits your needs. The CGP will be able to explain the hows and whys of green building and help educate you on which features are appropriate for your project.

I have always had an interest in green building and have studied for years on different products and practices. I work in the supply side of the home building industry, so I had more interest in the products and have tried to educate myself on which products are best and how they fit into a green project. This lead to creating this blog called Green Building Ideas.

So recently I decided to become a CGP. I was impressed with the CGP course and did learn some great things. I am also a member of the local home builders association and have been amazed at the interest that these home builders have in Green Building.

I see LEED becoming the standard Green Certification for commercial construction and the NAHB’s Green Building Program becoming the standard for residential construction.

Original article: What is a Certified Green Professional? – written by Steve Feller on Factoidz

The Green Building process is becoming more talked about everyday, whether new construction or remodeling, home owners want to have a more efficient and environmentally friendly home. But Green Building is much more than just following a checklist. Green Building or sustainable building is composed of certain elements like design, energy savings, water savings, health and managing resources used in the home. The check lists are the guidelines to help determine what areas need to be addressed in the process and what steps have to be taken. But these check lists and the points often fuel the factor of Green Washing.

Green Washing is when a manufacturer, supplier or builder intentionally or unintentionally makes false, misleading or exaggerated claims about their products and the environmental benefits they may have.

A great example of Green Washing is when a builder puts a few energy efficient products in a home and claims it is a green home. Another example may be when a manufacturer uses recycled products and makes a green claim. Check the percentage of recycled material in the product before believing every green claim. Also check to see if a company is truly watching out for the environment in their everyday practices and not harming the environment with some other product they may produce.

A couple easy phrases may just be the tip to help with determining whether a product is green.

First don’t fall for the phrase, “My product is LEED or NAHB Green Certified”, USGBC’s LEED or NAHB Green Build Programs do not certify products, they only provide guidelines on what a product have to achieve to fit within the guidelines.

Also watch for generic phrases like “This product uses the newest Eco-friendly or environmentally save technology”, but has no documentation to back it up.

Beware of the maintenance free claims. Just because a product may be maintenance free does not make it green.

Always asks for documentation to substantiate the green claim. If a company can not provide you proper information you are asking for, it is an immediate red flag that they probably don’t really understand what makes a product green.

Labels and certification documents are always the best way to determine whether a company or a product can back up the Green claim. Energy Star, FSC, SFI or WaterSense are just a few of labels you can look for. These are considered third party certification that has already determined that a product fits within proper criteria. You can find a more extensive list of these third party certifications at Green Building Ideas/resources.

Some products may be very green and may not hold a third party certification. Consider these labels as a filter to help but don’t always disregard a green claim just because it does not have a third party label on it. Do your research and look into the company or product before making a decision.

Finding products and substantiating claims may be the longest and most time consuming process in any project, unless you find a builder that has a strong background in the green building process. Ask your builder if he or she is a NAHB Certified Green Professional or AP LEED certified. Then ask to provide you with examples of a green project they have completed. This will make your, new construction or remodeling, green project a more satisfying experience.

The National Association of Homebuilders National Green Building Program is starting to take off very well within the residential building segment. This program is offered by NAHB’s University of Housing, the Certified Green Professional designation is another way building professionals can become educated in, and involved with green building. The designation requires 24 hours of NAHB-approved training, and additional continuing education every two years. Subjects covered in training discuss how green homes provide buyers with lower energy costs and higher value, and will include strategies for incorporating green-building principles into homes without driving up the cost of construction. The designation curriculum requires completion of the Green Building for Building Professionals two-day course and either the Business Management for Building Professionals one-day course or having another current NAHB professional designation.

Upon successful completion, that individual is awarded the CGP designation, recognizing a high degree of professional competence. This designation is available to individuals only, and does not apply to companies, nor to specific homes or projects.

Courses are offered at local home builders association and at NAHB national events. For a complete list of course offering and dates, visit www.nahb.org/courses.

For more information about the Certified Green Professional designation, visit www.nahb.org/cgpinfo or call the NAHB at 800-368-5242.

Do you have a Green Business?

Get GREEN products wholesale and redistribute.

Stop the environmental damage from plastic. Designer reusable grocery bags.

In the tough economy, today more people are going back to school because they can’t find a job without the degree. In the construction industry more project superintendents and project managers’ positions require a construction management degree. Construction management professionals need a variety of skills to succeed in this dynamic field. Professionals coordinate projects varying from road and bridge construction to residential projects and the construction of buildings like schools and hospitals.

Knowledge of construction science, construction management, and business are crucial for successful individuals in the field of construction management. These are the three main fields of study in the Construction Management degree program at Westwood College. Attending a construction management school can help you prepare for this dynamic career, and Westwood College will help you get the experience and training you need.

So with the down turn in housing and overall construction many might asks why go into this field of study. With the direction of President Obama the road and bridge construction is going to become one of the hot job needs over the next several years. The housing and commercial construction will start to pick up in 2010. It may be slow at the present time but the construction industry will increase over the next 10 years.

With the emphasis on Green building, renewable energy and energy efficient remodeling, it would be a great plus to add a LEED or NAHB Green Program certification to any Construction Management degree. This may just be the edge you may need to land that great Construction Management position. Many of the new government and local city projects are going LEED certified, so have this certification on your resume would enhance your ability to get into this field.

For more information about Westwood College’s Construction Management degree follow this link:

http://www.westwood.edu/degree-programs/business/construction-management/degree.asp

For more information on LEED certification follow this link:

Everblue LEED Certification

For more information on the NAHB National Green Building Program follow this link:

NAHB National Green Building Program

Yes, the size of your home does make a difference when building a green home or a green project. There are many factors play into the square footage and design of your home.

1. The amount of materials used in the construction of a home makes a difference in the point system. The idea is to minimize the amount of materials to construct the walls of the home. Expanding the on center spacing for studs in walls, using single top plates with interior walls and expanding the on center spacing for floor joist are just a few of the items that can help. But remember that it is important to follow current building codes and manufacturer specs.
2. The size of the home will also affect the HVAC system. Running more duct runs lowers the efficiency of the system resulting in more energy to heat and cool a home.
3. Designing the home to minimize what is called wet walls. These are walls that have plumbing in them. Design the home so bathrooms and the kitchen are as close as possible. This saves on material to run water lines and drain lines.

The National Association of Home Builders Green Program has done extensive research to determine what the appropriate square footage based on amount of bedrooms should be. In the NAHB Green Program they have devised a chart which helps with determining the proper square footage. They have also assigned a point system to encourage new home construction to minimize the size of green homes. The chart below explains how the point system works.

Guidelines for Efficient Floor Plan Design

# of Bedrooms

Sq Ft — 2 –/– 3 –/– 4 –/– 5 –/- Points

Sq Ft — 1382 – 1890 - 2648 - 3424 – 0

Sq Ft — 1332 – 1825 - 2555 - 3296 - 1

Sq Ft — 1282 - 1756 - 2459 - 3172 - 2

Sq Ft — 1232 -1688 - 2363 - 3048 – 3

Sq Ft — 1182 - 1619 - 2267 - 2925 - 4

Sq Ft – 1132 - 1551 - 2171 - 2801 – 5

Sq Ft – 1082 - 1482 - 2075 - 2677 - 6

Sq Ft — 1032 - 1414 - 1979 - 2553 - 7

Sq Ft — 982 - 1345 - 1883 - 2430 - 8

Sq Ft — 932 - 1277 - 1788 - 2306 - 9

The LEED certification also has points based on the size of the home. It is not described as well as the NAHB Green Program. If you use the actual work sheet it takes into count the square footage of the home but does not provide an easy read chart like above.

So yes the size of the project does matter. So if you are planning on building a new home and want to Go Green, you need to start in the designing phase before you begin the project.