Winter 2008
Single Family New Construction Checklist
Built Green Santa Barbara is developing a new Checklist and Handbook for Single Family New Construction. On April 18th a group of community stakeholders participated in an all day workshop to identify the components of the new checklist. A draft version of the new checklist is currently under review, and is available for viewing. Please email a request to info@sbcontractors.org if you would like a copy of the draft.
Updated Remodel Checklist
Built Green Santa Barbara is updating the Checklist and Handbook for Remodels. On April 18th a group of community stakeholders participated in an all day workshop to identify the components of the updated checklist. A draft version of the updated new checklist is currently under review, and is available for viewing. Please email a request to info@sbcontractors.org if you would like a copy of the draft.
Built Green Expo, Conference & Tour June 13 + 14, 2008
The Expo & Conference is another part of Built Green Santa Barbara's mission to encourage building owners and developers to voluntarily incorporate sustainable planning in their projects. At the top of the agenda are efficient building materials, new products and techniques that result in superior environmental quality, energy efficiency, and natural resource conservation. The Built Green Expo will be at the Santa Barbara City College Main campus on June 13 and 14, 2008 and is open to industry professionals and the public.
The Built Green Expo will feature the latest products and services offered in the Green Building marketplace today, and will interest building industry professionals, homeowners, and the general public. The Expo will have a variety of seminars, panel discussions, and demonstrations, with eminent speakers on topics related to energy efficiency, material selection, and sustainable approaches to design and construction problems.
BUILT GREEN SANTA BARBARA is a voluntary environmental building program that distinguishes and promotes resource efficient development, design, and construction. Green building practices go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor air quality. Built Green Santa Barbara members are a network of building industry professionals, developers and homeowners working together to improve quality of life in Santa Barbara.
Green Building is Here
At a March 26 press conference during the National Green Building Conference in St. Louis, MO builders heard that sustainable building products and techniques are advancing quickly into the mainstream. Based on a survey of NAHB home builders conducted last year by McGraw-Hill Construction, between 40% and 50% of the homes built in 2010 are expected to be green, containing at least three of five green building elements. That represents a major upsurge of activity in the green market. Last year, according to McGraw-Hill estimates, an estimated 2% — or $7.4 billion — of the residential construction market was green.
"It is interesting that people are really starting to commit to building green homes, moving away from just adding energy-efficient appliances," said Harvey M. Bernstein, McGraw-Hill Construction’s vice president of industry analytics, alliances and strategic initiatives. "Though it’s still a small number, builders are already getting it when it comes to the value of green homes, and it appears home owners are too."
A new home buyer survey by the company has found a high degree of customer satisfaction with green homes. Sixty-three percent of the green home buyers in the poll said that their green purchases were motivated by the lower operating and maintenance costs that come with energy- and resource-efficient homes.
Eighty-five percent of the green home buyers said they were more satisfied with their new green homes than with their previous, more traditionally built homes. The public interest in sustainability extends into the existing market, with the survey finding that about 40% of home owners who had recently completed remodeling or renovation work on their properties had used green products or materials. Ninety-two percent of the builder members participating in the McGraw-Hill research said that they are moving toward green building because it’s "the right thing to do."
