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News
LOCAL HOME BUILDERS LAUNCH NEW GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM
Program to Provide Education and Resources for Builders and Consumers
Horsham, PA. (September 26, 2006) - The Home Builders Association of Bucks and Montgomery Counties (HBA) in partnership with the Green Building Initiative (GBI), is unveiling a new, locally-relevant green building program called the Keystone Green Building Initiative (KGBI). This program is designed to help bring more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly homes to the Bucks and Montgomery Counties area by providing a baseline for practical green building approaches for local builders.
The KGBI will serve as an educational and marketing resource for the HBA members and consumers alike, and will promote the use of green building guidelines that were based on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines and adapted to the local construction market.
"This innovative program is the first of its kind in Southeastern Pennsylvania," said Howard Cooper, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Bucks and Montgomery Counties. "We are proud to introduce the KGBI. This comprehensive green building program will help more homeowners appreciate the numerous benefits of green built homes."
The Green Building InitiativeTM has been working with local home builder associations across the country to develop locally-relevant green building programs. These programs help builders develop homes that can help reduce energy bills, provide a healthier living environment for families all while being considerate of the environment.
The HBA of Bucks and Montgomery Counties will officially launch their local program, the Keystone Green Building Initiative to members and residential construction colleagues at a special event on Tuesday, September 26, 2006. The half-day program will open at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown where Carl Seville, an award-winning green builder and author will deliver a keynote address on the fundamentals of green building. Following the program is a tour of the first KGBI certified green home.
BENEFITS OF GREEN HOMES
The green building trend goes beyond just saving the environment. Owners of green homes reap various benefits that include 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.
"With energy costs continuing to rise, everyone wants to save money on monthly utility bills," said Howard Cooper, HBA executive director. "When you also factor in improved indoor air quality, you really begin to see the true value of a green home."
"Green homebuilding isn't necessarily about state-of-the-art technology and innovative design," says David V. Hartke of Stampfl-Hartke Associates. "Creating healthy ecologically friendly spaces through the use of sustainable and recyclable resources, native vegetation and energy efficient systems is what we hope to achieve with KGBI," he continues. The KGBI certified home featured during the launch belongs to Hartke.
HBA members applaud Hartke for spearheading the formation of KGBI. Other committee members include; Cooper; Jim Moulton, Moulton Builders, Inc.; Jim Steele, S&G Water Conditioning; David DeLuca, Ryan Homes; Mike Swerdloff, Swerdloff Properties, Inc.; Peter Stanthorpe, Builder/Architect magazine; George Mullikin, DOMAIN building performance and Ed Howard.
"KGBI is about more than saving energy, which is only one of seven points," says Moulton. "Builders will be evaluated on a series of green requirements including site selection, resource, energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, innovation and homeowner education. Several custom builders probably come close to achieving bronze levels without changing any of their current practices."
HBA will introduce this point system and more at the KGBI launch event. Seville's keynote address will take the audience from foundation to rooftop, highlighting green building techniques, products and potential results and benefits at each stop. He will conclude with tips on building green and how to sell the concept to builders and buyers.
An Atlanta, Geo., builder and 2005 Green Building Advocate of the Year, Seville is a member of Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, the Atlanta chapter of NARI and currently serves on his state's Governor's Energy Advisory Panel and Green Building Subcommittee and the Green Building Education Curriculum Committee of NAHB.
ABOUT THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF BUCKS AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES: The Home Builders Association of Bucks and Montgomery Counties is located at 721 Dresher Road in Horsham. For more information about the Keystone Green Building Initiative call 215.657.1300 or visit www.thegbi.org/keystone or www.hbahomes.com.
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.