News

Contact: Noelle Overly
(312) 988-2109
noverly@thegbi.org

Local home builders launch new green building program
-- Launch Part of Nationwide Earth Day Celebration --

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 21, 2008) Today, the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Kentucky, HBA of Northern Kentucky, HBA of Lexington and HBA of Louisville unveiled a new voluntary residential green building program called Green Build Kentucky. This new program —partnered with the Green Building Initiative™ (GBI)— is designed to help bring more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly homes to Kentucky by providing a baseline for practical green building methods and training resources for local builders.

The program was unveiled at a green home in Lexington. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Secretary of the Environmental Protection Cabinet Robert Vance and representatives from the Department of Energy were in attendance.

"This innovative program is the first of its kind in the state of Kentucky," said Bill Hodges, chairman of the Green Building Committee at the HBA of Kentucky. "We are proud to introduce Green Build Kentucky. This comprehensive green building program will help more homeowners appreciate the numerous benefits of green built homes."

BENEFITS OF GREEN HOMES
Green building in residential construction offers many advantages beyond just improved environmental performance. Owners of green homes reap various benefits, including utility savings, improved indoor air quality and less overall maintenance. Not surprisingly, green homes also have less negative impact on the environment by saving energy and reducing waste, particularly during construction.

"Because a typical 2,000 square foot home generates four tons of waste material during construction, the practice of green building aims to use renewable resources and to recycle excess job-site materials whenever possible," said Hodges. "When you also factor in improved indoor air quality and reduced environment impact, you really begin to see the true value of a green home."

COMMON GREEN BUILDING BEST PRACTICES
Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to green building, Green Build Kentucky's green building guidelines are based on fundamental green building principles including:

Minimize Solar Heat Gain

• Position the structure so the longest walls and most of the windows face north and south
• Position infrequently used rooms, such as storage spaces and service areas, on the west side to act as buffers from the sun

Maximize Natural Light and Ventilation

• Ensure that most rooms have windows on two walls
• Position windows for cross ventilation

Create a Cool Shell

• Consider light colored surfaces for walls and roofing
• Choose metal, concrete or wood roofing, which absorb less heat than asphalt shingles

Ensure Efficient Heating and Cooling

• Install a programmable thermostat
• Install ceiling fans in major rooms

Use Efficient Appliances and Lights

• Use Energy Star rated appliances
• Install task lighting to reduce the need to light whole rooms

Choose "Green" Materials

• Consider renewable and sustainable lumber for framing, doors and flooring
• Consider materials with recycled content (i.e. fly ash, slag, carpet, insulation, siding, roofing, flooring, counter tops, outdoor decking)
• Use non-chemical, bio-based cleaning products

GBI CELEBRATES EARTH DAY ACROSS THE NATION
The program launch is also part of a week long, nationwide celebration of Earth Day by the not-for-profit GBI, which is an education and marketing initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of green building practices.

In addition to activities in Kentucky, the GBI also has the following events planned for the Earth Day week:

• A dedication ceremony to recognize the Bristol-Myers Squibb research facility in Wallingford, Conn. as the first building to assess its environmental performance using the new module of the Green Globes rating system—Green Globes for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings (Green Globes-CIEB);
• A dedication ceremony to recognize The Point at Morristown as the first building in the state of New Jersey to receive a Green Globes rating for achievements in sustainable design and construction identified using the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system for commercial buildings; and
• The presentation of a sustainability award on Earth Day to a team of university students and professors for their sustainable design proposal as part of the EPA’s annual P3 award ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"While there's significant room for improvement, Earth Day is an opportunity to celebrate the steps people take every day to better our built environment," said Ward Hubbell, GBI president. "It's also a day to focus on how we can continue educating ourselves and others about the many ways we can collectively contribute to a more sustainable world."

For more information on the Green Build Kentucky, visit www.hbak.com or call 800-489-4225.

For more information about the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system, or the GBI, visit www.thegbi.org.

ABOUT THE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE: The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit education initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, please visit www.thegbi.org.