There is a great deal of excitement about ecologically friendly homes in Chicago. However, we feel that the biggest benefits green building should provide have not yet been realized because the focus has not been on the right issues.
At Green Home Chicago, we believe that the most important green building principles (in order of importance) are:
- Energy efficiency (Meet or beat the EPA's Energy Star standard)
- Indoor air quality
- Materials choice (focused on locally produced materials)
- Everything else (Storm water management, fresh water use, heat island effect reduction, siting, etc.)
Energy use is, by far, the biggest environmental impact of a building over its life-cycle. Over the life span of a conventional building, the energy consumed in heating, cooling and other power use can produce 70% or more of its greenhouse gas emissions. In the Midwestern climate, with our cold winters and hot summers, making buildings energy efficient has large environmental and financial benefits. For this reason we will focus on energy efficiency as the cornerstone of "green" building.
Features like active solar and geothermal are environmentally attractive but are not currently cost effective in most applications. Practices like using recycled-content materials, low VOC products and sustainable lumber help make a building "greener," but may not have large measurable environmental benefits. However, if these practices were universally adopted they would add up to significant improvements in the greenness of the industry as a whole. Energy efficiency, on the other hand, produces large tangible benefits homeowners can see on their energy bills every single month.
So how do we define energy efficiency? In our opinion, the best certification system we currently have for that is the EPA's Energy Star standard. Energy Star requires buildings to have their energy efficiency measured by an outside party when construction is complete. The current standard, which is updated often, states that the building must be proven to be at least 15% more efficient than the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) to receive an energy star rating.
We must approach green building as an industry and not a cause. The environmental movement must graduate from a small group dedicated to saving the planet to "greening" mainstream business practices. We cannot rely on government agencies to propel ecologically sound ideas forward. Therefore, the business world must lead the way. In business terms, "green" building is no different from conventional building. Put simply, to succeed in the marketplace, green building must be financially advantageous for builders and for buyers. Any other approach will result in a loss of momentum for such important ideas.
Green building is the most important and profitable hedge we have against an energy crisis. It is also one of the most substantive ways a builder can differentiate themselves from the competition and a buyer can increase the "affordability" of her home.
Natural gas and electricity prices will most likely continue to rise in the future. In this economic climate, energy-efficient building makes more financial sense than ever. Given the long lead times for delivery of new homes, it is imperative that we, as green building professionals, get it right. And right now.
Additional Resources
Lifecycle analysis office buildings (pdf)
Energy Star Guiding Principles
