Originally Posted By: gromicko
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NAHB Plans National Guidelines for ‘Green’ Homes
(January 22) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is planning to establish a set of "green" building guidelines that apply to developers across the country by the end of 2004. Although only aproximately 40,000 U.S. residences have been constructed according to green standards in the past decade--just a tiny sliver of the overall market--observers believe the trade group's national guidelines will stimulate more environmentally-friendly housing.
Modeled after guidelines already in place in Florida and other leaders in the field, the national standards would address critical issues, such as geographic disparities that affect the use of environmentally friendly materials, that current standards set by local housing groups fail to take into consideration. Developers would have a menu of green practices, with each option including information on how much it will cost to use and how it will benefit both the environment and consumers.
"We are trying to empower builders with information so they don't have to re-create the wheel," states NAHB Research Center President Michael Luzier.
Source: Wall Street Journal (01/21/04); Carlton, Jim