BuilderBob'sSense

After over a year of providing technical support for the introduction of EarthCraft Housing to the Hampton Roads Virginia area, I have had to contemplate seriously my involvement.  What is it that I am trying to accomplish.  Is it to introduce EarthCraft housing and push builders into accepting this standard?  Or is it to get Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Building practices into housing both existing and new? 

Everyday I see Green Building talked about and highlighted on the myriad of newsletters and blogs I subscribe to.  I have come to the conclusion that my focus is on getting cost effective, energy efficient, sustainable building practices into the affordable housing area.  That a misconception exists that all practices to incorporate this technology into building is cost prohibitive.  It is not.  If we simply tighten up our conceptual building practices to a reality in the field, we can get all affordable housing producers to incorporate the practices into everyday building. 

That is my goal and that is my focus.  No matter what program is followed, all Green programs have the Energy Star thermal envelope standards incorporated into the program.  That is the bed-rock of all the programs and if affordable housing providers will simply follow those standards, which are not excessive, but rather common sense based, we can begin to make substanial in-roads into providing energy conserving, efficient affordable housing. 

I haven't blogged in a while.  I just plain got lost in the constant/daily inundation of information occurring in the Green Building Field.  Everyday there is new information, or information that is defined as new, but is really regurgitated old news.  It seems everyone wants to jump on board of this movement and have something to say about it.  I really would like to know where all these experts were over the past 30 years. 

There is a new phrase out that does sum up my philosohpy or method of approach for a builder, developer, or renovator striving to achieve a Green or Energy Star building designation, and that is:  "Pick the low hanging fruit, first."  This phrase is destined to be over used like the word "place" has been overused in the Historic Restoration industry. "We are creating a sense of place."  While it is true, I am sick of hearing it. Let's hope that doesn't happen to the fruit quote.

Picking the low hanging fruit simply refers to incorporating the most cost effective, common sense methods of application of Green-Sustainable, Energy Efficient systems to a building under construction.  That is where it all has to start.  Solar is nice, GeoThermal Heat Pumps are nice, but if you don't insulate correctly or tighten up your building envelope, what good is it in the long term vision?  Certainly to get the true producers of homes and buildings into the act, builders, you have to make sense and picking the low hanging fruit makes economic sense, something we can all relate to. 

So to quote my late father, in a sarcastic remark to my mother, "Wilma, do you like fruit, well bite my behind, its a peach." An analogy to that is, "If you like Green Fruit, pick the heavily weighted ripe Green ones, off the low hanging branch, it makes sense.

This morning it suddenly hit me that I started building energy efficient housing 30 years to soon or I am 30 years to late.  I originally believed that $3+ a gallon of gas would have occurred in the late 70's and early 80's.  That the public and the government would have demanded strict energy efficient design and practices in the construction of buildings and houses over 20 years ago.  I did my first super insulated, passive solar house in 1977.  My building business was predicated on this belief in energy conservation.  Never in my wildest imagination did I believe it would be back-seated for 20 years.  Frankly I have never built or renovated a home or older building without paying strict attention to energy, particularly insulation.  But I was certainly in the minority. 

Now the demand for competant, practical and knowledgeable practicioners of Sustainable, Energy Efficient, High Tech, Green building exceeds the supply.  Actual builders and individuals who know how to apply these methods in a cost effective manner are few and far between.  This situation will only worsen over the next couple of years as individuals and business entity's jump on the Green Bandwagon.  The real caution here is that many will only have enough knowledge to get them into trouble.  In other words their mouth will exceed their ability.  There are going to be many horror story's and litigation issues over the next few years as the industry evolves.

While their are many dedicated Green Building advocates--there are miniscule amounts of individuals who can take classroom theory concepts to applied reality.  There are even fewer who recognize that in order for it to become main-stream, which is happening now, that practical cost vs. value added decisions have to be made.  I mean who is going to put in improvements that have a 80 year payback.  The magic number is somewhere around 6 or less for owner occupied housing.  It is more for rental and commercial property, as there are more long term implications that have to be applied. 

This morning I glanced though my copy of Affordable Housing Finance's issue dealing with Low Income Housing Tax Credits.  I couldn't go more than a couple of pages without encountering a mention of Green Building.  Many states now have Green Credits included in their QAP's(Qualified Allocation Plans) that determine which developers receive tax credits.  Investors in these credits interest is piqued by whether Green is included.  Banks are motivated by Green.  Boston Capital actually stated, "The new CRA(Community Reinvestment Act) is Green.  Green is the new CRA." My question is:  Where are all the verifiers of what Green is going to come from?

You want to build in the inner city?  More and more government agencies are requiring projects to be Green.  It is not going to be an option within the next 5 years.  You want to separate your building entity from the others--you had better learn what Green is all about.