AT HOME with Concrete - 04/02/2008 (Plain Text Version)

CHBC Chairman
Michael Weber

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In this issue:
Concrete Technology Tour Offers Solutions
Free Green Verifier Training
NAHB Green Building Program Begins
The Housing Market Continues to Decline
Strong Growth Projected for Cement Demand Through 2030
It’s Easy Being Green: 2008 Green Building Conference
First Ever Concrete Lunch Draws Crowd
Tile Roofing Institute Spring Forum
Calendar of Events
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NAHB Green Building Program Begins

On Feb. 14, NAHB made a very important announcement during a well-attended press conference at the International Builders' Show:

" The National Association of Home Builders has launched the NAHB National Green Building Program to allow any builder, anywhere, to build green homes — while keeping green practices voluntary, market driven and most importantly, affordable.

Green Building Subcommittee Chairman Ray Tonjes joined me at the podium during "Green Day" at IBS to announce the great news.

“We green builders have wanted to see these sustainable building practices go mainstream for years, because we have always known that it’s the right thing to do,” he said. He's right, of course, and that's why the NAHB National Green Building Program, or NAHB Green, will be so important to our industry.

The program features a dynamic online scoring tool at www.nahbgreen.org, which shows the builder how to accrue points in seven categories: water, energy and resource efficiency; lot and site development; indoor environmental quality; global impact and homeowner education. The program sets point requirements in each category to meet the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.

Homes are inspected and verified by local green experts and the documentation is sent to the NAHB Research Center for review for national certification.

Local home builders associations will continue to provide education, advocacy and promotional assistance to their green builders using new, expanded resources from NAHB. As I told those who attended the program launch press conference, NAHB builders have been green pioneers, building 100,000 green homes certified by local programs all over the country. The NAHB National Green Building Program builds on this energy and innovation, provides national, third-party certification, and takes green building mainstream. The time has come. Home buyers are ready for green, and NAHB is ready for today’s home buyers.

What NAHB Green Means

NAHB Green includes services and resources available to home builders and local home builder associations all over the country. These include:

The NAHB Green Scoring Tool. With this free online tool, any builder in any part of the country can gauge how green a project will be. The tool provides a “design report” that compiles the information the builder has provided and scores the home to rate it as Bronze, Silver, or Gold depending on the points accrued. Builders can also obtain design and technical assistance as they plan what green features to include. The Web site also includes a list of approved verifiers with whom the builder contracts to conduct two inspections, including one before close-in, and gather all the necessary documents to submit to the NAHB Research Center for national certification.
The NAHB Green Certification Service (that is, the NAHB Research Center) will train and register this network of verifiers throughout the country who will be audited regularly for practices and conflicts of interest. Standardized training will ensure the same rigor of inspections and document collection throughout the country. Interested in becoming a certified verifier? The CHBC will offer the verifiers class for free to attendees of the 2008 Concrete Technologies Tour June 1 - 3 in Charlotte, NC. Register today.
The latest professional designation from the NAHB University of Housing for builders, remodelers, and other related housing industry members is included in NAHB Green: the new Certified Green Professional Designation. To qualify, applicants must complete NAHB's "Green Building for Building Professionals” course and business management course requirements. By early March, 63 industry professionals had received their designations with more qualifying every week.
A variety of green educational opportunities at the International Builders’ Show and other venues provide the latest in green building technologies. The NAHB National Green Building Conference is an especially important event to attend. This is the only national conference targeted to green building for the mainstream residential building industry. Don't miss this opportunity to gather contacts, information and ideas by networking with designers and suppliers and attending exceptional education sessions, May 11-13 in New Orleans.
The opportunity to be recognized is a clear benefit to all homebuilders, and the National Green Building Awards do just that. Members are honored in a variety of categories, and winners enjoy significant promotion in all NAHB Green efforts.
Finally, NAHB Green provides tools for the network of existing and upcoming HBA-sponsored green building programs and efforts. Resources include assistance in starting a local effort, finding the best organizational structure, marketing and advertising tools, assistance on tying into technical resources like the Certification Service and Verification Administration as well as non-technical advocacy, builder and public education, and alliance opportunities.

So where do you start? Visit www.nahbgreen.org to learn how to certify your project, become a national verifier, expand your HBA's green advocacy, or become a Certified Green Professional. Staff members at NAHB and the NAHB Research Center can also help.

In fact, they are waiting — and ready — for your call!"

- Bob Jones
NAHB Senior Officer