In 2005, a core group of members of the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties (HBADOC) realized that green building was only going to continue to gain importance in their community. The Green Building Council of the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties began with 16 members, who spent about a year evaluating green building guidelines from which their green building program would be based. The NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines were chosen as a base, and the Council developed a set of standards that were modified from the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines to better fit North Carolina's climate and building practices. They created a detailed spreadsheet and calculator for builders to tally their projects, which includes instructions, verification information, and comparison to the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, for reference. The Council officially launched in November 2006 with a kick-off event showcasing the program's verification and certification abilities.
The program consists of several components. The Green Building Council has over 100 members in varying professions including builders (both custom and production), energy raters, remodelers, real estate agents, attorneys, publishers, insurance agents, and a variety of vendors. Membership requires $75 in dues yearly, and is available to current members of the HBADOC and also to members of the nearby HBA of Raleigh/Wake County (HBARWC). In fact, the name of the HBADOC Green Building Council recently changed to reflect this growth.
The program also consists of various educational opportunities and functions, focusing on topics such as making building practices green, green building marketing issues, and instructional courses on how to have a home certified within the program. Marketing materials and advertising campaigns are also offered through the program, so that Council members and other audiences can spread the message about the Green Building Program and the benefits of building green. The program's consumer-friendly events include Green Home Tours, which have been widely popular in the community.
The certification component of the program requires an application fee of $150 for each house, though there is a volume builder sampling option. Once the builder has submitted his fee, a technical liaison/verifier is assigned to the project to assist with questions throughout the building process. During construction, the builder documents action taken as he meets the requirements of the guidelines, and submits the documentation package to the verification committee. After any outstanding issues are resolved or corrective actions are completed, and the house is awarded a certificate. In the first year there have been over 120 projects in the program, and over half of them have achieved certification
Challenges and Accomplishments
Director of Membership and Green Building Program administrator Leigh Scott offered some insight on the challenges and accomplishments of its green building program.
As the program began to form, one of the largest hurdles to overcome was the time commitments required to get the ball rolling. While the volunteer group was dedicated and motivated, the efforts of reviewing guidelines, forming local partnerships, and planning events stretched schedules and staff resources. Another challenge was funding the efforts. Securing sponsors with local ties, especially as the program was just getting of the ground, was sometimes hard to do. Now that the program is running, and builders, consumers, manufacturers, and other community groups see the positive impact, the program now has the challenge of keeping up with growth, and the expanding needs of the council members.
Despite the initial obstacles, one of the program's greatest accomplishments are the green home tours offered yearly. The popular showcase of nineteen homes in 2007 highlighted many technologies and products used in homes that were enrolled in, or certified by the program. The event also featured education opportunities, displays, and local industry experts on hand to discuss and expand upon about the various green components and processes used. The third annual green home tour is expected to be even bigger, and will be held in spring, 2008.
Scott tells HBAs who are just starting to create a green building program to "Lean on other programs as resources." While each HBA and locality is unique, there are also a lot of common issues, like limited time and funding. Learning from what others have done- their mistakes and strategies- helps avoid unexpected pitfalls in the development process, which in turn preserves resources (and sanity).
To help other HBAs learn from HBADOC's experience, Scott provided the following materials as samples. They can be modified to suit your HBA's needs, or be used for ideas in planning your local green building programs. All files are in PDF format, and under 1MB.
Sample Ads/Flyers and Newsletters
Sample Sponsorship Package Materials and Press Release
Green Home Tour Ads and Materials