You’ve likely heard talk about “Green Building,” or “Energy Star Certified,” or other numerous eco-friendly terms describing a new type of construction.  Seems as though everyone is saying it in some way or another.  Why?  It’s reported that 70% of customers would buy a “green” product… provided that it was affordable enough and within their budget.  And because of this, businesses want to let customers know that they can offer something green and/or renewable.  But what about your home?  And why all of a sudden are we hearing about “building green?”  Have you ever wondered why people weren't talking “building green” years ago (when you built your first house)… actually, some were.  We just didn’t listen, or we didn’t know them.  Often though they were passed off as simply “tree-huggers,” etc.  

As society’s dependence on fossil fuels continues to grow, the availability of these resources continues to decline.  While this is indeed a scary thought, it’s also a fundamental truth -- and the cornerstone to green building.  Get ready… here’s the explanation of green building like you’ve never completely heard.  It is the sole concept of green building… and it’s not just about lowering your utility bills.  What is green building?  Green building is a way for you to make a positive difference in the world around you, by reducing your impact on the planet.  But you say… “I’m not that big of an environmentalist… I don’t recycle, I don’t drive a hybrid.  Sure I care about the planet, but it’s not something I feel I need to concentrate on right now.”  Green building is still for you.  You don’t need to be an environmentalist, or an eco-extrem-ite; but if you could own a home that was healthier, more comfortable, and less expensive to operate... wouldn’t you be interested?  Of course you would.  Now let’s get on to the basics.

Beracah Homes is a Certified Energy Star production plant (meaning every home built in the Greenwood plant is built to Energy Star code) and their builders are certified by Green Advantage.  While Energy Star you might know, Green Advantage you may not.  Green Advantage is the leading 3^rd party certification agency in the United States, and works hand-in-hand with the U.S. Green Building Council.       

David Johnston, author of Green From The Ground Up (and who personally taught all of our preferred builders, Green Building practices) sums up perfectly what green building is…

“Green building encompasses every part of construction, not just the house itself but everything around it, and how the house and its occupants relate to the community around them.  In theory, it can seem simple.  In practice it can get complicated.  At its most basic, green building is a tripod of three interrelated goals:

• Energy Efficiency – The cornerstone of any green building project.  A well designed and green-built home consumes as little energy as possible and uses renewable sources of energy whenever possible.  Lower energy use not only saves homeowners money but also has broader societal benefits, including fewer disruptions in energy supplies, better air quality, and reduced global climate change.
• Conservation of natural resources – Conventional building needlessly consumes large quantities of wood, water, metal and fossil fuels.  There are great varieties of effective building strategies that conserve natural resources and provide other benefits, such as lower costs.  Strategies include the use of durable products to reduce waste and specifying recycled-content products that reuse natural resources.
• Indoor air quality.  Poor indoor air quality is often caused by mold and mildew that are the result of leaks or poorly designed and maintained heating and cooling systems.  Another common source of indoor air pollution is the off gassing of chemicals found in many building materials.  Some are known carcinogens.”

3 simple concepts that make up green building.  There isn’t a tally sheet or checklist that is required to make a home “green” and there’s not a requirement to purchase solar panels or wind turbines, geothermal systems or tankless hot water heaters.  Green building is a systematic approach that covers every step of design and construction from land use and site planning to materials selection, energy efficiency and indoor air quality.

That’s it… now, click here to read about the 3 myths of "Green Building."