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400 builders commit to Energy Star homes in 2012 Sustainable Business Share    
Although we wonder how many new homes will be built in 2012, 400 of the nation's builders pledged they will meet newly upgraded Energy Star standards, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency. The 400 builders include six of the country's largest - Ashton Woods Homes, Beazer Homes, KB Home, Meritage Homes, M/I Homes and NVR, Inc.
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Monopoly for forest certification is wrong The Vancouver Sun Share
Imagine a situation in which an activist group with certain political ambitions and close ties to a computer manufacturer engaged in a campaign of threats against specific retailers. Targeted retailers were told that they must buy computers from only a select manufacturer (the one closely associated with the activist group) and no other, to the detriment of the retailer, market competition and consumers at large. More First national green building code approved Sustainable Business Share
For the first time, the U.S. has a national green building code. The International Green Construction Code (IgCC), approved last week after two years of development, applies to all new and renovated commercial buildings and residential buildings over three stories high. More
Green builders press for accurate appraisal values for energy-efficient homes DC Green Building Examiner Share
As the real estate market has declined, so have appraisal values. Appraisers, once seemingly over-eager to ratchet up home values for everyone's benefit but the homeowner, have apparently put it in reverse, hurting builders more than any other group. NAHB, the National Association of Home Builders, has been pressing the industry to make a change. And it's not without merit. More LEED's reach grows despite grim economy, but slower than hoped GreenBiz.com Share
LEED registration soars overseas and continues to edge upward in the United States, but growth seems to be slowing, prompting a concern that progress in green building must accelerate mightily to counter the threats posed by climate change, according to the latest Green Building Market and Impact Report. More
Wood a natural in green construction Chicago Tribune Share
A report released in October from the U.S. Forest Service found that using wood in building products yielded fewer greenhouse gases than other common building materials, such as concrete and steel. According to the report, which analyzed dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies, 2.1 tons of greenhouse gases were saved for each ton of carbon in wood products versus nonwood materials. More Factoring energy efficiency into a home's value Los Angeles Times Share
When you apply for a mortgage to buy a house, how often does the lender ask detailed questions about monthly energy costs or tell the appraiser to factor in the energy-efficiency features of the house when coming up with a value? Hardly ever. That's because the big three mortgage players — Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration, which together account for more than 90 percent of all loan volume — typically don't consider energy costs in underwriting. More
As Energy Star 3 approaches, builders work to get ahead Builder Magazine Share
By the time the new Energy Star 3.0 requirements kick in on Jan. 1, Fulton Homes in Arizona will already have a year's worth of experience with the requirements under its belt. "We were pioneers," said Dennis Webb, the Tempe, Ariz.–based builder's vice president of operations. For Fulton, complying early with the new, stricter codes gave it a head start on the local competition. Promises of energy efficiency are one way the builder has differentiated its products from competition. More Advancing building codes for energy efficiency a challenge The State Journal Share
Can West Virginia afford to adopt a more energy efficient residential building code? Can it afford not to? These hard questions are on the table as green building proponents prepare for a second attempt at updating West Virginia's energy efficiency code for residences. The questions were discussed Nov. 15 at "Will West Virginia's Building Code Go High Performance?" a discussion offered before the Nov. 16-18 Mid-Atlantic Energy Efficient Building Conference in Morgantown. More
Making his mark EcoHome Magazine Share
Though Tom Kelly has led Neil Kelly Co. for 20 years, recent decisions for the business were what caught the attention of the Fred Case Award judges, who were impressed by the company's three dynamic growth areas in home performance, handyman work and acquisitions. In an industry where company expansion by making even one purchase is a rare accomplishment, Kelly has spearheaded several successful acquisitions. More
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