What is Green Building? A focus on construction that reduces the overall impact to the environment.

Why am I hearing so much about Green Building? A proliferation of media coverage about global warming, coupled with higher energy and fuels costs have given the green movement a considerable amount of press coverage.   The government has invested heavily in agencies that are tasked with building awareness.

What are the concepts behind Green Building? The basic concepts are: improved design/construction; energy efficiency; efficient materials; water conservation; indoor environmental quality; reducing global impact.

What  is LEED?  LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) created LEED as a rating system for green building.

What are my options for Green certification?  LEED is probably the best known of the certification and green rating options. In addition, the NAHB has created the Model Green Home Building Guidelines as another great option.

What is a green Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?  The LCA analyzes the environmental impact of a product from creation to the end of its useful life span. This includes the raw materials used, the energy consumed, durability and the impact of disposal. The lowest possible LCA impact is preferred.

What is the additional cost associated with Green Building? McGraw-Hill conducted a study in 2006 that indicated that green homes would range 6%-8.7% higher than the cost of a typical home.  Many of the additional costs are associated with certification of products and compliance with rating programs. Many green building concepts can be adopted with little, or no additional cost.