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Residential Green Building Toolkit – Index of Information

1. Preface Letter

2. Overview of 2009 Residential Green Building Advocacy Initiative

3. USGBC Policy on Residential Green Building

4. Roles and Responsibilities

5. Election Primer and Process

6. Conflict of Interest Document

7. Residential Green Building Committee Case Study

8. Regional Advocate Committee Case Study

9. LEED for Homes Talking Points

10. LEED for Homes FAQs

11. Green Homebuilding by the Numbers

12. Sample Memoranda of Understanding: New Mexico, Texas

13. Sample Chapter-generated Project Profile

14. USGBC Statement and Talking Points on National Green Building Standard

15. RGBA Market Snapshot Questionnaire


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November 1st, 2008 U.S. Green Building Council Residential Green Building Advocates Dear Advocates, It is our great pleasure to welcome you and acknowledge the commitment that you have made to USGBC and your Chapter to make a difference in the residential construction industry. This toolkit has been created to assist you and your Residential Green Building Committee (RGBC) to achieve greater success in transforming the residential marketplace. It is clear to the U.S. Green Building Council and the Chapters that this position, done well, will demand a lot of time on both your part and that of the RGBC. To help you succeed in this role, we will be distributing the toolkit and holding monthly webinars to provide you with as much up to date information as possible We understand the commitment you are making and encourage you to contact us with any issues and/or ideas about processes or information that you think will make all of the RGBA and RGBC’s jobs easier and more successful. On our part we will endeavor to communicate frequently and clearly to support you in the role that you have undertaken to change your marketplace. We look forward to working together, making a difference and greening the residential building industry in the United States. Thanks again for all that you do! Sincerely, Tom Flanagan ([email protected]) U.S. Green Building Council, Residential Coordinator J. Stace McGee ([email protected]) U.S. Green Building Council, Residential Advocacy Consultant


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USGBC Position on Advocacy for Residential Green Building Intent To clearly state USGBC’s advocacy position on residential green building, which will guide and support the efforts of USGBC, its chapters, and its affiliates and ensure they are in keeping with USGBC’s core purpose and guiding principles. Resolution WHEREAS, green building is the smart way to build because it addresses the triple bottom line – providing environmental, economic and community benefits; WHEREAS, the residential market in particular is local, decentralized and significantly affected by regional economic conditions; WHEREAS, governments at all levels are more frequently playing a role in the transformation of the residential market to a more sustainable built environment, and local stakeholders are demanding a stronger voice in the process; WHEREAS, an advocacy strategy that is also locally based, and promotes government incentives for residential green building, may accelerate residential green building market transformation; WHEREAS, a clear position statement will maximize USGBC’s advocacy efforts in the residential marketplace by 1) allowing the Council to more effectively build relationships with state and local legislative and regulatory officials; and 2) facilitating USGBC’s participation in stakeholder coalitions on green building policy and relationship building with relevant associations, corporations, and non-profit organizations; WHEREAS, USGBC believes that government involvement should support and complement market forces; and that effective government residential green policies should encourage residential green building; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT, USGBC will support government action that complements market forces in order to accelerate green residential market transformation to a sustainable built environment. USGBC will support initiatives such as:

• Market-based policies that provide financial and structural incentives for residential green building using LEED for Homes and other residential green building programs that

• USGBC has determined to be mission-driven, third-party certified, verifiable and proven effective.

• Government incentives designed to foster residential green building and sustainable land use in the public and private sectors.

• Government adoption of LEED for Homes for publicly owned and/or publicly funded residential projects.

In instances where organizations or local leaders initiate policy proposals independent of USGBC or its chapters, USGBC and its chapters will work collaboratively with all local stakeholders to develop and promote sound residential green building policies on a consensus

Adopted by USGBC’s Board of Directors: November 5, 2007


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LEED for HOMES Stakeholders, Roles and Responsibilities National Staff

Residential Market Development Staff o Manage national program strategy, structure, business plan, technical expertise,

certification tools o Develop and manage relationships with organizations that support

advancement of green building (EEBA, DOE Building for America, EPA Energy Star, ResNet, ICC, ORNL, NREL, NAHB-RC, Habitat for Humanity, etc)

o Develop and manage relationships with other residential programs (EFL, Energy Star, GE EcoImagination, GBI, NARI, NAHB, etc.)

o Work closely with HBAs and regional green building programs and assist Chapters in making in-roads for collaboration

o Develop content for presentations, case studies, marketing collateral, workshops, webinars, etc.

Marketing Department

o Collateral development (case studies, brochures, presentations) o Manage www.greenhomeguide.org o Respond to national press inquiries. Direct local inquiries to RGBA. o Create national public relations opportunities

Education Department

o Develop LEED for Homes training programs o Select LEED for Homes Faculty o Develop LEED for Homes presence on Greenbuild365.org

Advocacy Staff

o Manage pro-active efforts for and reactive responses to federal policies o Coordinate efforts for and responses to regional or state policies o Make advocacy updates available to stakeholders

Chapters Staff

o Serve as a conduit for information and resources from national staff departments to chapters and vice versa

o Champion chapters’ needs to national staff departments o Coordinate CSC policy development, implementation and adherence with

regards to Homes o Manage Extranet as it relates to Homes

Development Staff

o Develop national level relationships with foundations interested in funding green residential building and education (Home Depot Foundation, etc)

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Legal Counsel

o Review all activities for legal, conflict of interest, 501c3 issues

GBCI Manage LEED for Homes Professional Accreditation and continuing education

requirements o Develop LEED for Homes Professional Accreditation o Develop the LEED for Homes Professional Exam o Coordinate exam registration o Coordinate exam delivery

Regional Homes Champion (RHC)

Coordinate efforts for and responses to regional and state green building policy initiatives

Coordinate relationships with regional green building programs Coordinate quarterly calls with Regional Residential Green Building Champions to

facilitate the transfer of information and coordination of program direction

Chapters Residential Green Building Advocates (RGBA Volunteers)

o Establish, grow and maintain chapter Residential Green Building Committee o Serve as point of contact for advocacy efforts o Establish, maintain and elect a Residential Green Building Advocate using

dynamic governance Residential Green Building Committee

o Develop bridge-building relationships with local: LEED for Homes Providers Chapter membership (residential and commercial) Green building programs and organizations HBAs Green Home Builders Utilities Housing organizations State or local government agencies Energy conservation groups Residential service providers (architects, designers, builders, real estate

agents (including MLS organization), home inspectors, appraisers (including appraisal practices/policies), mortgage providers (including loan discounts), insurance providers (including insurance discounts))

Green building centers Trade schools (HVAC, plumbing, construction, real estate, landscape,

etc) and construction management degree providers Consultants (RESNET providers, HERS raters, EFL and Energy Star

certifiers, etc) o Grow chapter membership from residential sector (see above groups)

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o Serve as contact for local media (providing both expertise and referral to local expertise from the above participating groups)

o Provide local workshops by coordinating with local education committee and LEED for Homes Faculty

o Provide local symposiums to educate consumers about the difference between the different local green building programs

o Provide presence (and possibly educational workshops) at local and regional building and green building conferences and expos

o Maintain market snapshot o Support any and all programs, efforts and rating systems that legitimately

advance residential green building in accordance with the USGBC residential green building advocacy policy statement

o Develop “Project Profiles” of local LEED for Homes projects

Providers Submit homes locally, regionally, or nationally for certification Grow Green Rater and HERS Rater resources Partner with Chapters on educational workshop efforts Assist in development and maintenance of local market "snapshot" Serve as local market expertise for LEED for Homes Coordinate with other stakeholders on advocacy issues and marketing opportunities

Green Rater Provide visual and documentation-based verification services for registered projects

(may include or not include HERS energy modeling and testing) Attend local LEED for Homes Technical Trainings to introduce yourself and explain to

consumers what your role entails


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Election Primer - Residential Green Building Advocate USGBC is requesting that each chapter, branch and/or affiliate identify one Residential Green Building Advocate (RGBA) to fulfill the role of helping to market, educate and provide customer support in their area for green homebuilding. Qualifications An RGBA must be actively involved in the green home building market and be a member of the chapter they will be representing. Ideal candidates will be individuals that have extensive experience in the green residential construction industry, whether as builders, contractors, developers, architects, designers, bankers, etc. Training Plans

• This advocate will be required to participate in monthly RGBA conference calls with USGBC National. These will provide updates on the LEED for Homes program, introduce tools and information to help RGBA address the marketplace, and provide RGBAs with a forum for group discussion.

Term The expected commitment for this volunteer role is at least one year. It is highly suggested that the RGBA come from the RGBC and be a past chair or co-chair of this committee. USGBC suggests that Dynamic Governance (DG) be used to select this individual to be the RGBA. Go to page two (elections process) of the one page DG document provided in your RGB toolkit. If your chapter is not knowledgeable of DG and feels uncomfortable utilizing it, please use an alternate, consensus-based process than ensures an open and competitive selection.

The RGBA needs to be identified by December 8th, 2008. Going forward, the RGBA role will be filled in accordance with the election processes of each Chapter. Please send contact information and bio for your chapter’s advocate to Tom Flanagan ([email protected])

RGBA Role Overview: A chapter’s Residential Green Building Advocate (RGBA) volunteers to serve as the local face of USGBC’s LEED for Homes program, helping to build awareness and demand for green construction practices in the local homebuilding industry. Further, the RGBA will serve as chair or co-chair of a chapter’s Residential Green Building Committee (RGBC). The work defined below is not the sole responsibility of the RGBA, but should be coordinated and delegated by the RGBA or the RGBC co-chairs. The RGBA and the RGBC will be on-the-ground champions for USGBC National’s ongoing efforts in both marketing LEED for Homes; increasing local awareness of LEED for Homes and green homebuilding practices; and encouraging multi-faceted relationships between and among local and regional green homebuilding programs, local Home Builders Associations (HBAs), LEED for Homes Providers, and the USGBC chapter network. To that end, the RGBA and the RGBC will:

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National Level

• Develop a working knowledge of the LEED for Homes Rating System, the REGREEN guidelines, the NAHB Model Green Homebuilding Guidelines, the forthcoming NAHB National Green Building Standard, and any active local green homebuilding program

• Participate in at least 1/3 of monthly RGBA conference call with USGBC National o Updates from National / RGBAs /RHCs o Regional updates o Share Market Snapshot data o Highlight successes / problem areas

Chapter Level

• Create a Residential Green Building Committee; Meet at least bi-monthly; keep minutes

• Encourage and develop a residential component of chapter make-up and scope of work • Report up to Chapter Chair/ED on RGBC’s plans, actions, and successes • Develop and maintain a Residential Green Building Committee webpage, containing,

at least: o Links to LEED for Homes webpage, greenhomeguide.org, regreenprogram.org o Information on upcoming Residential Educational opportunities o Contact information for the RGBA and/or RGBC co-chairs

Local Level

• Establish a regular information-sharing conference call with a nearby LEED for Homes Provider

• Establish a collaborative relationship with any nearby HBAs • Establish a collaborative relationship with any nearby Apartment Associations • Maintain a Market Snapshot and prepare updates quarterly • Work with USGBC Education Dept. to plan at least 2 LEED for Homes Program

Reviews annually • Work with USGBC Education Dept. to plan at least 2 REGREEN workshops annually • Work with local HBAs and Providers to plan joint educational events throughout the

year • Serve as the local face of LEED for Homes, answering green home-related questions

from the public, and directing any technical/press inquiries appropriately • Serve as the local face of LEED for Homes, appearing at local home shows, utilizing

USGBC-produced marketing collateral to drive interest in LEED for Homes and green homebuilding

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Regional Level • Develop side-by-side comparisons of LEED for Homes and local green homebuilding

programs • Lay groundwork with local professionals to increase demand for upcoming LEED for

Homes AP credential, and LEED Green Rater Credential • Elect among regional RGBAs a Regional Homes Champion (RHC)

o RHC will coordinate region’s RGBAs and report into Regional Council • Participate in quarterly regional RGBA calls

o Discuss and define local / regional goals and priorities o Share Market Snapshots / RGBC meeting minutes o Identify local market demand for Homes education programs

USGBC Chapter Conflict of Interest Policy 1 of 4 Approved by the USGBC Board of Directors, September 19, 2007


To: USGBC Board of Directors From: USGBC Chapter Steering Committee Date: 9/5/07 Subject: Revised Chapter Conflict of Interest Policy

USGBC Chapter Conflict of Interest Policy

All Chapter Board members must sign and agree to abide by this policy when they become elected or appointed and annual thereafter. The Chapter Secretary should collect and file all signed agreements at the first board or committee meeting (as applicable) of the year.

Intent

This policy is designed to ensure that all officers, directors, committee members and other persons serving in a leadership capacity of, for or on behalf of the U.S. Green Building Council (“Leaders”) and its Chapters or provisional chapters exercise good judgment in dealing with conflicts that could undermine the best interests of the Council.

Definition

This policy applies to USGBC Chapters and provisional chapters and their governing boards as well as any committees created by Chapters or provisional chapters.

Policy

Leaders must avoid and minimize activities and situations that actually, potentially or apparently conflict with the Chapter or provisional chapter’s interests or interfere with the leaders’ duty to serve the Chapter or provisional chapter with undivided loyalty (“conflicts”). Conflicts include: (1) having a direct financial or close personal interest in a company, service or product that could be affected (in a positive or negative manner) by a decision of a board, committee or other Chapter or provisional chapter governing body on which the Leader serves, (2) serving as a partner, director, officer or trustee of another entity that has an interest in a transaction with the Chapter or provisional chapter, (3) revealing or misusing confidential information, (4) accepting or offering substantial gifts, excessive entertainment, favors or payments which may reasonably be construed to constitute undue or otherwise improper influence, (5) breaching any fiduciary duty owed to the Chapter or provisional chapter, (6) participating in any private inurement transactions, which include transactions where the Chapter or provisional chapter’s resources are transferred to an individual solely by virtue of the individual’s relationship with the Chapter or provisional chapter and without regard to accomplishing the Chapter or provisional chapter’s purposes, (7) exploiting opportunities for personal or private benefit that could otherwise benefit the Chapter or provisional chapter, (8) taking direct action on behalf of the Chapter or provisional



chapter that may result in material personal or private benefit or that may result in a material adverse impact to a personal or private competitor, and (9) competing with the Chapter or provisional chapter, and (10) generally includes transactions where an ‘insider’ receives economic benefits from the Chapter or provisional chapter greater than the value of the consideration received by the Chapter or provisional chapter (IRS section 4958).

Leaders shall stand in a fiduciary relation to the Chapter or provisional chapter and their fiduciary responsibilities are to perform their duties, including their duties as members of a committee, in good faith, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, skill and diligence, as a person of ordinary prudence would use under similar circumstances.

Conflicts are not inherently improper. However, Leaders must be conscious of conflicts and act with candor and care in dealing with such situations.

Practice and Procedure

I. Disclosure.

1. Leaders must disclose all conflicts of interest to the entire committee or Chapter or provisional chapter board as described above (if not previously disclosed) and at any other time immediately following discovery of a conflict, including conflicts related to any item included in any meeting agenda. Disclosures must be written and must include sufficient detail so as to allow a complete and objective assessment of the conflict. (Note: disclosures can be separate written documents attached to the official meeting minutes or can be made verbally and included in the official meeting minutes.)

2. The committee chair or Chapter or provisional chapter board (or a conflicts committee) is required to review each disclosure immediately and determine whether the interest disclosed results in an actual conflict within a specified time frame.

3. The Chapter or provisional chapter board, as part of the review process mentioned above, should determine the scope of the conflict and limit the restrictions imposed on the Leader in appropriate circumstances.

4. Chapters and provisional chapters must, as part of their annual reports to USGBC, verify that they have adopted and are enforcing this conflict of interest policy. Verification is a requirement of USGBC policy.



II. Conduct.

After a Leader discloses a conflict, the Leader may not participate in any voting related to the conflict, but may participate in discussions or answer questions at the discretion of the committee chair or Chapter or provisional chapter board.

Example 1: A Leader serves on a committee addressing indoor air quality standards for the LEED Green Building Rating System and also on the provisional chapter’s board. The Leader, in addition to her affiliation with the provisional chapter, is employed by a company that manufactures a product that is designed to improve indoor air quality. Recognizing the potential for a conflict, the Leader discloses her employment and agrees to conduct her activities in accordance with this policy. She should be encouraged to continue serving on the committee and offering her unique insights into indoor air quality standards, whether or not such insights benefit her employer or adversely affect her employer’s competitors. However, she should abstain from voting on indoor air quality standards in the committee. She should also abstain from voting on indoor air quality standards in the Board. She should not abstain from voting on matters that do not directly or predominantly involve air quality standards, such as the complete LEED Green Building Rating System.

Example 2: The Chapter oversees a grant that is intended to stimulate environmentally advanced architectural practices. As part of this oversight, the Board is tasked with awarding a portion of the grant funds to a qualified architect to develop model architectural practices. The Board believes that a Leader serving on the Chapter’s Board of Directors is the most qualified candidate for the position. Recognizing that its award of grant funds to the Leader is not an actual conflict unless the Leader is provided payment in excess of the value provided. The staff should research a reasonable, fair market value for the work to be performed by the Leader. The Board should then use this research to establish the amount of grant funds to be awarded to the Leader. Upon notification of the award, the Leader should disclose her interest in these funds to the Chapter Chair and thereafter abstain from making motions, voting, executing agreements or taking any other similar direct action on behalf of the Chapter on matters which directly or predominantly involve the grant or any of the Leader’s activities that are funded by the grant.

Example 3: A mid-western developer contacts the Board in search of an environmental consultant for her project. Based on the nature of experience sought by the developer, the Board believes that one or more Leaders or members of the Board may be qualified to perform the work. Because of concerns that members will perceive a conflict if the developer is only given the name of a Leader, the Board broadcasts the opportunity to all members by posting the solicitation on the Chapter’s Web site. A Leader responds to the solicitation and subsequently enters into a consulting contract with the developer. Immediately after entering into the contract, the Leader should disclose this relationship to the Chapter or Chair.



III. Documentation.

All conflict disclosures and actions taken by the committee chairs or Chapter or provisional chapter Board of Directors in connection with such disclosures must be noted for record in the minutes of the then-current meeting of such group. The group may summarize and catalog conflict situations from time to time for reference purposes.

IV. Availability.

Copies of this policy are available to all Leaders. As new Leaders are created, they shall be provided copies of this policy.

V. Disciplinary Action

If the Chapter or provisional chapter board receives a complaint about a conflict of interest that has not been appropriately disclosed and handled at the committee or other chapter or provisional chapter governing body level, that group’s leader may be asked to speak with the Chapter or provisional chapter board (or a conflicts committee) leader to resolve the issue. If the complaint continues, the issue will be written up and forwarded to the Chapter or provisional chapter governing body designated to determine if organizational guidelines have been breached and how the issue might be resolved. In instances where a breach of this conflict policy has been identified, the person with the conflict may be required to undo the transaction or to return any profits to the Chapter or provisional chapter.

Residential Advocacy Campaign

1800 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE NW SUITE 300 WASHINGTON, DC 20036 T:202 828-7422 F:202 742-5110 WWW.USGBC.ORG

USGBC CHAPTER CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM

Return to: ______________________,

USGBC Chapter Secretary, (name of USGBC Chapter)

I have received a copy of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Chapter Conflict of Interest Policy, have read it and understand its contents. I will not engage in any activities prohibited by USGBC’s Chapter Conflict of Interest Policy. I understand that any such action or failure to act can subject me to disciplinary action including possible expulsion from USGBC. In any instances in which I am in doubt, I will promptly consult with my USGBC Chapter Board. In addition, if I become aware of a potential or actual conflict of interest problem, I will immediately report the facts, following the disclosure process. Signature: _____________________________ Name: ________________________________ Title/Position: __________________________ Date: _______________________


Residential Green Building Advocate Case Study

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USGBC-St. Louis Regional Chapter Residential Green Building Committee Case Study Building Audience and Market Share for Residential Green Building since 2006 Contact: Jean Ponzi, Residential Green Building Advocate EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Garden

[email protected] (314) 577-0246 Green Homes Committee - Background USGBC-St. Louis Regional Chapter (chartered 2001 – current membership 700+) launched a residential green building focus in 2006, with formation of a Green Homes Subcommittee of our Advocacy Committee; other subcommittees are Green Schools, Higher Education and Government Advocacy. Green Homes joined a healthy, goal-oriented structure of working committees (Executive, Program, Finance, Membership, Marketing Advocacy and Emerging Green Builders) in advancing overall chapter goals. LEED in St. Louis had generated major local and national headlines in 2005, when the locally-based international construction firm Alberici earned the highest-ever LEED-Platinum rating for their very visible headquarters building. Public interest in LEED was beginning to raise interest in applying these standards to homes. Our first committee chair took the job because he had a strong commitment to bringing the LEED compilation of sustainable principles and practices to the general home-owning public. Plus, St. Louis was a city where NAHB was piloting their Green Building Initiative standards, and local homebuilder Matt Belcher was elected president of the NAHB Green Building Council in ’06. Messaging from headquarters about LEED for Homes relative to other rating systems generated a little local worry about USGBC’s leadership position, as this new segment of the building market was warming to Green. However, it wasn’t competition or fear that fostered the Green Homes movement in St. Louis. Cooperation, partnership and a genuine merging of strengths to address common goals were and are our driving forces! Committee Goals & Accomplishments Our first Committee Chair, Frank Lorberbaum, is a designer with a pre-LEED extensive Green Home rehab to his credit. General goals evolved from overall chapter commitment to educating the public, as well as building professionals about benefits of Green, relationship of building practices to climate change, etc. Green Homes Subcommittee goals and accomplishments for 2007:

• Develop and deliver formal Green Homes presentations and classes for public and professionals

o Goal: 12 – delivered 20+ around Missouri/Illinois bi-state St. Louis region • Develop tabletop display on Green Homes suitable for general display

o Informal display materials gathered, used – did not fabricate one specific display

• Develop matrix to compare LEED – ENERGY STAR and NAHB’ GBI

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o Adapted matrix developed elsewhere • Identify local LEED-H provider

o No local entity pursued provider RFP issued by USGBC, but two well-respected local raters undertook LEED Certification inspections, working with OK and MI providers

o Laclede Gas, local utility, committed to provide independent 3rd party verification for GBI certification applications - a critical element in maintaining veracity of Green Homes certifications in St. Louis region, and a strong influence within NAHB – this was a direct outgrowth of USGBC Green Homes Subcommittee relationships – very positive!

• Develop one-page flyer to address “Greenwashing” issues for builders, realtors o Adapted and using excellent Eco-Logo materials

• Add Green search criteria to local Multiple Listing Service categories o St. Louis was 3rd city in US to add Green to MLS! Criteria have since been

refined, updated a couple of times • Sponsor Green Homes program on USGBC-St. Louis chapter program schedule

o LEED-H Showcase (Oct ’07) featured three local builders who now hold two LEED Platinum and two GBI-Gold certifications for homes presented; 75+ attendees.

• Pursue fast-track permitting process with local utilities o Efforts ongoing, coordinated with Government Advocacy Committee continue

• Support EarthWays Center’s 7th annual Green Homes Festival and coordinate new Green House Tour presented with this event (Sept. 29-30 ’07)

o 2,000 festival attendees included 200 House Tour attendees, visiting 6 area new homes registered for or holding LEED-H, GBI or ENERGY STAR certification

Currently chaired by EcoUrban Homes’ Jay Swoboda (who holds LEED-Platinum for a modular custom homes in City of St. Louis), 10-committee goals focus more on developing the business side of residential Green, with continuing efforts to educate the public and motivate consumer Green Homes choices:

• Improve public and industry perception of LEED-H with a marketing / PR campaign - Ongoing

• Identify and secure a LEED-Homes provider in St. Louis - No takers yet! • THINK BIG! Target 3 tract builders (over 100 homes per year) to join USGBC and get

at least one to join the USGBC Green Homes Sub-Committee – Still needed • Support Greening the Heartland and engage 50 non-USGBC individuals and

companies to attend. o Achieved – and Greening The Heartland attendance topped 1,000!

• Create an online regional Green Homes presence for regional green residential projects through a blog or message board o USGBC members Sage Homes and Eco-Urban Homes both maintain these forums

• Interface with Government Outreach to identify two municipalities with potential to adopt pro-Green measures and draft proposed residential ordinances & legislation - Efforts underway

• Create a Regional Database for Green Homes, Builders, Contractors, Architects, Vendors o EarthWays Center maintains resource listings, database development still needed

• Grow membership of the Green Homes sub-committee - Ongoing

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• Review newly added green criteria for the regional MLS and make recommendations o MLS now lists certifications awarded and registrations, plus ___ specific Green

features. • Identify opportunities for partnerships with Emerging Green Builders, Habitat for

Humanity, HBA, St. Louis Association of Realtors (SLAR). o SLAR “Meet The Green Builder” program Feb ’08 drew 130+ attendees, 90+

turned away due to room capacity; Habitat for Humanity is blitz-building 27 LEED-registered homes summer ’08 in City of St. Louis; HBA partnered with USGBC to deliver “Benefits and Challenges of Building Certified Green Homes” program March 08 – capacity attendance of 150+, etc.

Committee Membership – Expanding Involvement Regular email notices circulated by our chapter coordinator announced formation of the LEED-H Subcommittee. Individuals already involved in the chapter who were interested in residential as well as commercial green building naturally gravitated to the new LEED-H focus, including homebuilders self-identifying as Green who had been contacting chapter about opportunities to learn more and market their investments. We also reached out to the early bird green HBA members, including local custom homebuilder Matt Belcher, who chaired the NAHB Green Building Council from 2006-2008. As residential green building has engaged more businesses and individuals in our area (builders, product/service providers, architects, educators - folks who are PASSIONATE ABOUT SHARING INFORMATION – EAGER TO LEARN AND NETWORK) all are invited to participate in the committee. We do not focus committee resources (other than regular email communications and program announcements about what’s happening locally) on actively recruiting from specific segments of the community. The USGBC-St. Louis membership overall is pretty diverse and EXTREMELY well-networked overall, so the residential promotion activity naturally draws from this pool of person-power and its scope of influence. Addressing Legislative Goals Chapter leadership has discouraged the LEED-H committee from independent legislative activity, instead strongly steering residential-level interests into working within overall Government Advocacy Subcommittee strategies. These have included working with local municipalities as well as state and federal-level legislators to draft measures promoting use of LEED standards for public building projects. It gets tricky promoting a set of standards for residential green building, because three nationally-recognized standards are in use in our area: LEED-H, GBI and ENERGY STAR Homes. HBA leadership is traditionally very resistant to requirements set at the legislative level. Leaders of our local USGBC-HBA partnership work hard to advocate for policy measures, including incentive and requirements, that advance our mutual interests, rather than competing for control in the legislative milieu. Educational Efforts Public education was the central focus of our committee’s first year goals. Individuals and firms have contributed to educational efforts. And the EarthWays Center (EWC) of Missouri Botanical Garden has emerged as an educational leader in these professional circles. During this year, EWC’s strong (vocal, visible, dedicated to meeting needs of professional and public

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constituencies) participation in USGBC and HBA residential-green committees has been a uniting as well as promotional force - advocating for green schools as well as green homes. EWC is been the office and staff of USGBC-St. Louis since our chapter was chartered in ’01 – a great fit for all. Being a part of a major cultural institution, Missouri Botanical Garden, EWC offers the chapter economy of scale for all overhead factors, use of excellent meeting/programming space, and a non-partisan, widely respected organizational home. Regionally respected since 1988 for environmental education programs and staff expertise, EWC is a non-competitive partner with for-profit interests. We are cultivating audience for the builders, product-service providers, legislative leaders, etc. We are not trying to sell homes, HVAC systems or native plants – but we promote all of these green building elements by educating public and professional audiences about eco-logical value of integrating specific components into a high-performance whole. We strive to build eco-literacy, so that our varied audiences can identify and avoid green-washing claims. We are terrific presenters at public events, from Earth Day to Home Shows: actively engaging the public in dialogue that connects their projects/interests to the services being promoted. Recent outreach highlights include: • EarthWays Green Homes Festival & House Tour

o 07 event on our grounds drew 2,000 attendees, including 200 for tour of 6 certified new homes

o 08 event will occupy our entire city block, feature 21 expert workshops and a tour of 12 new and rehabbed homes – expected attendance 3,000+ (see www.greenhomesstl.org)

• Adult class offerings addressing new home construction (using LEED-H , GBI or ENERGY STAR Homes standards for certification or as best practices guidelines) and existing home improvement (using Home Performance with ENERGY STAR) are offered through EWC and the local community college district.

• Green Building Pavilion was heavily promoted highlight of ’07 and ’08 HBA St. Louis Home & Garden Show (annual attendance 85-90,000), building on several years’ partnerships as “Gateway Healthy House”

• NAHB 07 Green Building Conference, held in St. Louis, included tour of EWC – fostering dialogue among USGBC/HBA leaders to advance mutual interests.

• Collaborative exhibits at ’07 and ’08 regional Earth Day Festival – annual attendance 10,000+

• USGBC-HBA jointly sponsored program, “Benefits and Challenges of Building Certified Green Homes,” March 08 – 150+ (over room capacity) attendance by professionals representing membership of both organizations.

• Two LEED-H related sessions during “Greening The Heartland” spring ’08, spotlighting specific LEED-Platinum projects (2 located in St. Louis) and “Marketing Benefits-Learning from Challenges.”

USGBC-HBA in St. Louis: An Active Partnership to Advance Mutual Goals In my perception, the strongest factor advancing residential green interests in our area is the fact that almost all players in our region share resources, cross-promote and work together in just about every respect. There is so much opportunity for business development, compared to standard homebuilding and home improvement practices, that all boats will absolutely rise through our shared efforts to promote the integrity and benefits of green overall. The most important element of this exceptional climate of partnership is that leaders of USGBC and HBA alike are vocal advocates of the crucial importance of independent third-party verification

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of any and all green claims. The St. Louis HBA has been a standard-bearer within NAHB in this advocacy – supported by our local gas utility, Laclede Gas, and Laclede’s spokesperson Tom Schultz, a tireless and tremendously motivating team-builder. I’m very proud that as the general public interest increases in All Things Green, St. Louis area residents are seeing and hearing plenty about the genuine characteristics of sustainable principles, not “I’m Greener than You Are!” kinds of claims. EWC plays a strong role in this public messaging, make no mistake, but the entire cadre of residential green advocates are together promoting the how/why importance of green. St. Louis is a community of “who you know” so this strategy of person-to-person partnership-building has worked well, across organizational boundary lines. The Value of LEED-H Our LEED-H subcommittee was initially chaired by a commercial architect, Frank Lorberbaum, who had personally retrofitted an upscale St. Louis home to embody Green systems and products, prior to local use of any certification systems other than ENERGY STAR product ratings. Several of our members were experienced with the LEED commercial building systems, either through attending trainings or through direct design/build project experience. It was a simple matter to expand this fluency into the lexicon of residential building. The challenges of LEED-H certification are an ongoing topic of discussion among committee participants. These challenges include the cost of obtaining LEED-H and limited availability of local verification/inspection personnel. No one here has elected to become a LEED-Homes Provider, although there has been some interest. For the record, comparable – though different – challenges exist in HBA green circles, locally and nationally. This said, St. Louis boasts three LEED-Platinum certified homes, plus a couple of projects holding LEED-Gold. There are over 30 LEED-registered homes in our area. This summer (’08) Habitat for Humanity-St. Louis is blitz-building 27 affordable homes all registered to earn LEED-Gold, and the St. Louis County Dept. of Health – Planning Division has funded a 12-home development of affordable new homes, utilizing LEED-H, GBI and ENERGY STAR standards; this project includes metrics for comparatively evaluating performance of these homes and for homeowner usage of the high-performance features during the first year of occupancy. Look for this development, Patrician Place, to garner national attention in the coming year or so. Residential-Green Challenges in St. Louis • Early on, lack of clear messaging and presentation resources. Availability in ’08 of the

LEED-H PowerPoint, ReGreen resources, and an increasingly strong body of local project case studies has filled the resource gap, but we were lacking in this area in our initial year of promotional work.

• Who is our audience? Builders? Public? Policy-makers? Very different messages and strategies are needed to address these sectors. It helps to have an education-professional partner like EWC working to advance residential green, but it’s very challenging to the building-profession partners to have to juggle message focus, working multiple audience sectors.

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• Housing market downturn has cut into builder interest/willingness to take trainings - let alone take risks with new methods! Hopefully more interest in trainings will develop over time.

• New committee members would sometimes join to “learn all about Green,” taking up limited meeting time with basic-issue questions and discussions. We didn’t want to discourage this level of interest and involvement, but it was difficult to manage unless “newbies” were willing to invest in formal training opportunities to acquire the resources they were seeking.

Keys to Success in Any Community • Have clear goals that address low-hanging fruit, middling challenges and really tough

issues. • Build on the success of commercial green building interests, while making sure you

effectively translate goals and concerns into the métier of residential building with its very different scale of owner-builder relationships, material buying-power, etc.

• Work together! There’s such a big market for residential green building, all boats are bound to rise.

• Engage – and financially support – an educational partner like EWC in your community! It’s very helpful to have a spokesperson/organization that has no fiscal interest in getting green homes sold.

• Take advantage of synergies between LEED-H and ENERGY STAR Homes. Direct newcomers to LEED-H principles to ENERGY STAR learn the basics.

• Do everything you can to safeguard and promote independent third-party verification – and to help professional and public audiences build topical literacy – to counteract Greenwashing. One bad experience, widely publicized, can bring down a lot of diligent efforts, and be HARD to counteract.




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USGBC-Chicago Chapter Residential Green Building Committee Case Study Contact: Laureen Blissard, 2008 Chair & Residential Green Building Advocate [email protected] (630) 728-0435 Green Homes Committee – Background Sent out an email to the membership requesting interested members contact the RGBA directly – qualifications were that they primarily be residential building practitioners. See text below. We also decided to hold our meeting during the day (4pm-6pm) so that we’d be assured that the majority of the attendees were practitioners and not primarily homebuyers/consumers. Additionally, we dedicated the first half of the meeting to what we call ‘educate the provider’ where we’d have a 300-400 level presentation on either a residential green building program overview, specific credit, or a specific RGB technique. Chapter begins Residential Green Building Committee Based on a national USGBC rollout of LEED for Homes and in response to regional demand in the area of residential green development of all kinds, the Chapter is organizing a new committee comprised of residential practitioners - developers, builders, architects, suppliers, residential building organizations, etc. In general, the committee's goals are to market, educate, and provide customer support for residential green building and build effective partnerships. This committee has been tasked with: • Identifying and prioritizing the issues relevant to the transformation of the marketplace. • Providing support to the Residential Green Building Advocate(s). • Developing a working understanding of the residential green building programs in the

marketplace - this includes the City of Chicago Program, LEED for Homes, and the NAHB program.

• Working in conjunction with the Chapter's State & Local Government Committee and the National USGBC Chapter Coordinator to keep track of residential green building initiatives by identifying and prioritizing legislative opportunities. Some of the responsibilities include:

• Development or advisement of educational programs which will educate the home building community about residential green building programs in their areas - this includes the City of Chicago Program, LEED for Homes, and the NAHB program.

• Development of an advocacy / speakers bureau that provides experts to speak to the press, municipalities, or the home building community in general about residential green building. This same panel will also be available to answer questions generated by the public.

• Development and implementation of a marketing plan for residential green building. • Development of a services bureau of home building service providers that are educated in

residential green building that interested home builders, home buyers, or renovators can utilize as a resource. Besides builders, designers, architects, and developers, this list could also include brokers, finance specialists, insurance agents, pest control companies, appraisers, etc.

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How the Chapter supported the creation of the RGB Committee The RGBA made the proposal to the board based on the directive from National as well as current volume of inquiries from the public. Identifying key stakeholders Utilized the information from the RGBA training, membership database, and who was generating inquiries from the public – and we focused heavily on HBA’s by identifying chapter members that had ‘dual citizenship’. Developing a diverse committee Identified key areas of education: RGB provider (not LEED for Homes def), advocacy at the municipal level, consumers and looked for individuals that could provide targeted education. We also looked at the RGBA training documents that suggested certain membership categories. Committee Goals & Accomplishments Utilized the information from the RGBA training, what was being asked via inquiries from the public, – and what the committee as a whole wanted to achieve. We also did a member survey across the entire chapter membership for our overall strategic planning process and responded to the request for residential green building education. What we feel is achievable at the moment:

1) Education of providers (not LEED for Homes def) with promotion of education based on commonalities/applicable ‘credit’ within the residential green building program that the provider is using (LEED for Homes, Chicago program, NAHB, energy star) – committee is composing a matrix of commonalities across all of the RGB programs in the area.

2) Education of consumers on REGREEN as a whole as well as components thereof. Education of consumers on LEED for Homes so they can intelligently ask a provider to use the program.

3) Providing LEED for Homes workshops via the chapter’s regular programming channels and deliberately not through the RGB committee.

4) Gathering of intel regarding municipalities that have codes preventing residential green building practices in order to begin ‘preemptive’ discussions with those munis.

5) Education eventually to be modeled on AIA CEU guidelines (structure of program, content goals, etc.)

Educational Efforts • January RGB committee meeting: LEED for Homes • February RGB committee meeting: Chicago Green Homes Program • March RGB committee meeting: NAHB guidelines • April RGB committee meeting: Energy Star • April 15th LEED for Homes workshop • May RGB committee meeting: Insulation methods

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• May 22nd Panel Discussion about how to promote residential green building featuring presenters from the city of Chicago, HBAGC (HBA greater Chicago land), Energy Star, and the USGBC in the evening @ the Chicago Center for Green Technology in the city, moderated by Jim Hackler.

• May 23rd Same Panel Discussion as above but instead in the suburbs co-hosted with the NIHBA (northern Illinois HBA)

• June RGB committee meeting: Energy Efficient Windows • July RGB committee meeting: Pervious Pavers • August RGB committee meeting: no educational component - focus solely on committee

work / check progress of education initiatives Addressing Legislative Goals Illinois currently has legislation in place for energy efficient residential so the committee decided to begin focusing on gathering Intel regarding municipalities that have codes preventing residential green building practices. Committee Membership – Expanding Involvement We focused heavily on identifying chapter members that had ‘dual citizenship’ and existing relationships with the local HBA’s. They in turn helped promote the new committee to the HBA’s. Many new HBA/chapter members were attracted to the fact that we did not call the committee ‘LEED for Homes’ nor did we overtly make it appear that we were only going to focus on LEED for Homes. Relationship with local HBA I feel it is strong and we are viewed as a resource for residential green building education. USGBC-HBA in Chicago: An Active Partnership to Advance Mutual Goals We had very few but did not see that as a problem. The benefits were that if we needed an answer while discussing another RGB program as to the parallel – we could get an instantaneous answer. The Value of LEED-H Our events and our relationship with other organizations are the measure of our success. We have worked with HBA’s, CAF (Chicago architecture foundation), the city of Chicago and recently have been invited to provide educational resources for the Midwest Homebuilders show in March by the HBAGC. Residential-Green Challenges in Chicago • Initial concerns about the arguments ‘at the top’ caused wariness on the part of local

participants and HBA’s. • Trying to get the events better publicized. Keys to Success in Any Community • Be patient – some participants only want to be at the committee mtg for the educational

component and not the committee mtg afterwards – thankfully there has been cross-over and we have engaged volunteers that bring great expertise to the table.




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USGBC- New Mexico Chapter Residential Green Building Committee Case Study Contact: Armando Cobo, AIBD, CGP NM LEED for Homes Chair / RGBA BGNM Founding Member

[email protected] (505) 884-3308 Green Homes Committee – Background The Committee started out as a need to merge the goals of two organizations, USGBC NM and Build Green NM (BGNM), who have the most prominent Residential Green Building Rating Systems in the State of New Mexico. Also with the availability of Tax Credits in NM for Homes built to the LEED for Homes Silver level or the BGNM Gold level, parties from both organizations wanted to promote Green Homes through either of these programs so that as many homes could be built as Green as possible. It should be noted that the central NM Home Builders Association started BGNM. The Committee started out as a merging of members from the USGBC NM and BGNM and another non-profit organization, Foundation for Building, who at the time was interested in becoming a LEED for Homes Provider in NM. The committee is comprised of realtors, hers raters, designers, builders, etc. How the Chapter supported the creation of the RGB Committee The chapter recognized that USGBC National was increasing their emphasis on Residential Construction and wanted to reach out to potential new members from both Commercial and Residential Construction. The formation of the RGB Committee has helped increase the promotion of LEED for Homes and increased the NM Chapter’s association with Residential Green Building. Identifying Key Stakeholders Our key stakeholders come from USGBC NM, BGNM and Foundation for Building and were identified by the need to promote LEED for Homes and increase Residential Green Building in NM. Developing a Diverse Committee The committee was created by members from the three organizations listed in number one, making the committee a unique partnership. Committee Diversity was identified early in the formation of the committee as a goal. It is still a goal to attract new members to the committee from Banking, Appraisers and Government officials. Committee Goals & Accomplishments The committee introduced the development of goals at several meetings until the committee formulated the final goals listed below. The Committee’s Purpose Goals is as follows:

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• Promote Green and Sustainable Building in NM through LEED for Homes and other Green Building Programs.

• Work of Facilitating the green building process for getting certification and tax credits • Influence Legislation • Coordinate definition of Green Building • Get Designers & Builders Involved. Addressing Legislative Goals Although the committee is not currently working on a legislative issue it has been designated as a committee goal. However, some of our committee members in Albuquerque and Santa Fe are very involved with their city’s Green Building Task Force, helping develop green codes and the State’s Green Bureau. Educational Efforts Goals number 1, 2 and 4 are all require increasing education to the residential building industry. At this year’s sustainability week over 200 people attended 16 different classes for the general public and building professionals at the opening event of the Chapter’s Sustainability Week. Our committee coordinates with the built green tour (9th annual Res. Bldg. Tour) which is one event during sustainability week. We’ve been helping educate our Code Officials and Inspectors, at the Local and State levels, by providing free training and seminars on green building. Committee Membership – Expanding Involvement We realized that by combining the resources of both organizations we could advance our common goals of better promoting and developing our agendas. We started working with the Mayor of Albuquerque developing a Green Task Force and with our Governor’s office developing a Sustainable Building Tax Credit. Relationship with local HBA The relationship with the local HBA is very good. Most of our LEED for Homes committee members are members of the HBA in Albuquerque and Santa Fe as well and are working to expand to other municipalities in New Mexico. USGBC-HBA in New Mexico: An Active Partnership to Advance Mutual Goals Several of the committee members have attended a LEED for Homes workshop. This committee promoted the first LEED for Homes workshop in December 2007. Successes of Committee • Sponsored the 1st LEED for Homes Workshop in NM. • Memorandum of Understanding was signed between GBNM & USGBCNM to promote

each other’s programs and honor membership discounts to their respective events. Residential-Green Challenges in New Mexico Keeping all members involved in the committee is always a challenge.

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Keys to Success in Any Community • Take the initiative to cooperate and pollinate with other groups. • Do not be arrogant, there is a lot more to be gained from joining forces with like-minded

goal groups than to have the attitude that “my program is better than yours” or trying to change the world by themselves.




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USGBC-Orange County Chapter Residential Green Building Committee Case Study Contact: Cathy Baranger, RGBA

[email protected] (949) 250-0607 ext. 8796

Developing the committee Sent out an email to those I think would be interested in the committee Linked-up with the Advocacy Committee; Held a meeting. How the Chapter supported the creation of the RGB Committee Provided Administrative staff support. Identifying key stakeholders Found those that were well connected and filled in the gaps with marketing, attorneys, builders, and professional people. Committee Goals & Accomplishments In the first couple of meetings decided we wanted to have a local focus and set our goals and Mission Statement with that in mind. Mission: Promote the design of sustainable new home and remodeling practices in Orange County through communication and education. Educational Efforts

• Holding Existing Homes workshops for homeowners. “Greening the Orange”. It was a joint event put on by the Advocacy Committee and the Sustainable Homes Committee (that’s what we are calling it). We invited the all the municipalities in Orange County and gave them a free box lunch and 2 hours worth of jammed information on creating a Green Building Program in their city. Relationship with local HBA Good. I can almost immediately update our committee with current happenings within the local BIA. I am also a member of the Orange County Chapter of BIA. I invited a few members of that chapter to be on our committee. The Value of LEED-H We had many LEED AP’s on the committee. Also, folks that are familiar with (and in some cases are raters for) Green Point. Some are Certified Green Builders as well. With this knowledge we are able to dive right into topics and projects. Success of committee • We are planning two 2-hour seminars at no charge to homeowners to talk about “Greening

their homes”. There will also be a tour of a Green Point Rated apartment complex. • One of our committee members has built the first Green Point Rater single-family

residence in Orange County. He is conducting tours and we are having one of our committee meetings there.

mailto:[email protected]

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• Co-organized the “Greening of the Orange” event with county municipalities. Residential-Green Challenges in Orange County • Keeping the committee members coming back to each meeting. Some only come for a meeting or two. • Those that are committed are a real asset. We have a strong core base. • The meeting time was also a challenge but we have settled on a 7am –8:30am meeting time

once a month. Seems to work well for most people.

Keys to Success in Any Community • It works out well to have a committee chair/advocate that is well connected with many

different organizations/personal contacts, etc.



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USGBC- California Regional Advocates Committee Regional Advocate Committee Case Study Contact: Michael Kloefkorn, Co-Chair - Residential Green Building Advocacy Committee [email protected] (415) 974-5352 x209 Background The RGBA Collaboration Group in California started shortly after the training in DC last summer. James Bill of the Redwood Empire Chapter organized a meeting for the advocates somewhere around October of 2007. We talked about our plans to get started on the formation of the committees and agreed to share what we were learning. It appears the various chapter's RGBA committees started forming at differing rates. I organized the next phone call in January of 2007 with a couple thoughts in mind. The Growth of the Northern California Chapter's (NCC) committee had taken a life of its own with members increasing faster than the lack of structure could handle. Also clear was that chapter boundaries were somewhat artificial and and that many builders, architects, developers etc crossed chapter boundaries in their work. In addition we had in common the LEED for Homes provider, Davis Energy Group (DEG) and BuildIt Green (BIG), the organization responsible for California's Green Point Rated (GPR) program. The invite list included BIG, DEG as well as all of the advocates in CA. BIG, through their Government Affairs Manager, was gracious enough to host the call via their conference line and offer it for the group to use for future calls. They generously provided a password and login for the organizing regional Residential Green Building Advocates. Getting Started The first of two infrastructure problems were solved.

1. How to get somebody to host the conference calls. 2. The second was how to share documents and what to do with the documents that were

of common value. After some discussion the needs became clear and, due mainly to the NCC having the capability a RGB Pacific Regional council Collaboration Group was set up on the NCC Community pages. We now had an email address for all to use to reach each other as well as a blog, wiki and document repository.

The need for a regular day/time for calls became apparent as nobody had time to herd the cats and organize these calls each month. We requested that everybody post their preference on the wiki. Discussions about what each committee was up to brought up another issue, data was being collected on jurisdictions and what their policies or requirements were for green building with some of the other chapter's committees having started creating questionnaires for jurisdictions and creating local lists of jurisdictional policies. The value of this for builders and members was apparent and the need for a general format and statewide database became clear. The NCC had also started similar activities through the general Advocacy Committee. As a group we were able to connect the various people doing this including groups outside the chapter such as BIG and StopWaste.org. These efforts are ongoing and a champion or organizer for this has yet to emerge.

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Reaching Out As we shared what each of our chapters was up to we agreed to share what might be of value to other chapters, such as the Strategic Plan being developed by the NCC. This has just concluded and once a few minor revisions are made we will post this to the RGB PRC Collaboration community pages for other chapters to use as they see fit. Another item that came up was how to handle organization of the committees. The NCC RGBA committee had grown to an unmanageable size of it own accord - we were not actively seeking additional members during our organizational phase. Word of mouth attracted many people to the committee and the monthly meeting had grown beyond the size that work could be accomplished during the meeting. As we shared our struggles with organization of the committee due to its growth Jay Corrales shared a similar story and interestingly, virtually the same solution - a Core Committee (steering committee) and a Corresponding Committee (general committee or committee at large) This seemed to validate the approach and subsequent conversations steered each of us to a more similar common structure. Through the closer connections Mike Lillis (C4 Chapter) and I were able to connect at PCBC in San Francisco. He was traveling up to SF and we were fortunate enough to be able to have him join our monthly meeting. Another plus of the collaboration was the ability to assist newer chapters or organizing groups. The newer chapters/groups had not been able to send a representative to the training in DC and we were able to share our experience as well as some of the direction given us from National as to what the RGBA Committees were and were not. Specifically the fact that we were not LEED for Homes Committees and that our mission of outreach and collaboration was better served by reaching out as Residential Green Building Advocates and not as LEED proponents needed to be shared as this was not understood by one of the new chapters. The difference between 'A'dvocacy and 'a'dvocacy* is not clear to all chapters or advocates in the RGBA world and is worth addressing at the committee level. Moving Forward In California we have some unique and common issues, T-24 energy codes, GPR etc and this has suggested to us that the collaboration so far be restricted to the state. Two of the advocates have suggested bringing in other RGB advocates, notably from Hawaii and Texas. We think this could be of significant value to our region and to the other regions but many of the issues have been somewhat CA specific to date. The monthly calls have included RGB advocates from all the chapters in CA; San Diego, Orange County, LA, Central California, Inland Empire, Central California Coastal (C4) Redwood Empire and Northern California as well as Pepper Smith of Davis Energy Group, representatives of Build It Green and the member from the NCC who is heading up the jurisdictional database. *the NCC has generated a distinction between Advocacy with a capital 'A' and with a lower case 'a'. The NCC's distinction - 'A'dvocacy deals with legislative and regulatory advocacy and 'a'dvocacy is education and outreach.

1800 Massachusetts Ave, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036

T: 202 828-7422 F: 202 828-5110

LEED for Homes Talking Points

Key messages

LEED for Homes is a voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance homes.

www usgbc org

• LEED homes are designed and built with the intention of being more comfortable, more durable and healthier for the people living inside compared to a standard home

• Green homes are built to perform better than the average home. LEED-certified homes can produce lower utility bills as they must performing significantly above code on energy modeling tests and integrate water-saving strategies. During construction and through the life of the home, LEED homes also have a smaller environmental footprint than most conventional homes.

LEED certification is something that consumers can look for to identify homes that have been third-party inspected, performance-tested and certified as truly green homes designed and built to perform better than standard homes. Homebuilders using LEED are able to differentiate their homes as the best on the market.

Supporting messages

Overall, the net costs of owning a green home are comparable to those of owning a conventional home – and sometimes even less. Green homes can save money compared to a conventional home by:

• Using less energy – according to their average Home Energy Rating System scores, LEED homes have predicted energy savings of 30% over homes built to international building code, and LEED Platinum homes average as high as 60% in predicted energy savings.

• Using less water, both for in-home use and for outdoor irrigation. • Making owners eligible for advantageous home financing options with some lenders. • Lowering home insurance premiums with some insurance providers. •

LEED defines green building: There are over 1,200 certified homes and over 13,000 registered homes as part of LEED for Homes.

• 36 LEED for Homes Providers from all over the country are administering the LEED for Homes program at the local level.

LEED for Homes can be applied to affordable housing, mass-production homes, custom designs, stand-alone single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses, suburban low-rise

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apartments, urban apartments and condos, and lofts in historic areas. LEED for Homes may also be applicable to major home renovations.

According to the 2008 McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket report “The Green Homebuilder,” the value of the green home market through the end of 2008 is $12-20 billion – between 6% and 10 % of the overall residential construction market. By 2013, McGraw-Hill predicts green homes will be between 12% and 20% of new single-family homes – worth $40-70 billion.

The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health and productivity. While buildings are part of the problem, they are also part of the solution. Building green, in both commercial and residential construction, is a way to have an immediate and measurable impact on the health of the environment.

Next steps:

To learn more about LEED for Homes, visit www.thegreenhomeguide.org. If members of the media have any additional questions, have them contact Ashley Katz, [email protected] or Taryn Holowka, [email protected].

http://www.thegreenhomeguide.org/




Green Homebuilding by the Numbers D U.S. Green Building Council:

ecember 2008

Membership • 16,727 member organizations, including corporations, governmental agencies,

nonprofits and others from throughout the industry. • 78 regional chapters and affiliates across the United States.

LEED® Green Building Rating System™

• LEED was originally created as a green building certification program in 2000 for new commercial construction and expanded in 2004 to include commercial interiors/tenant improvements and existing buildings. In 2006 it was further expanded to include core & shell, and in 2007 a LEED rating system for schools was launched.

• Rating systems for neighborhood development, retail and healthcare are currently pilot testing.

• The LEED for Homes pilot test concluded in February 2008, when the program officially launched.

• As of December 2008, 1,300 homes had received LEED for Homes certification, and more than 3,500 had registered their intent to seek certification.

• 36 LEED for Homes Providers are administering the LEED for homes program at the local level, and more will be selected in the near future.

U.S. Housing Market

• Residential investment – including new home construction, residential remodeling, production of manufactured homes, and brokers’ fees – represented 4.6% of the $13.8 trillion U.S. GDP in 2007. When combined with spending on other housing services, including rent, the housing market made up 15.2% of the GDP, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

• According to the 2007 McGraw-Hill SmartMarket Report on Attitudes & Preferences for Remodeling and Buying Green Homes, the value of the “true” green home market was $2 billion in 2005. Given forecasts of the housing market and other trends, green homes are expected to be worth $60 billion by 2010, making up 10% of the overall housing market.

• More than 1.8 million residential buildings are built annually, according to the 2006 Annual Housing Starts report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Renovation is one of the largest construction sectors. The industry was worth $275 billion in 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Energy Consumption

• Buildings account for nearly 40% of total U.S. energy consumption. Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

• Households use about one-fifth of the total energy consumed in the United States each year; the residential sector is responsible for 21% of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.

• Based on their Home Energy Rating System (HERS) scores, the average home certified under LEED for Homes since its launch in February 2008 is predicted to use an estimated 30-60% less energy than a comparable home built to International Energy

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Conservation Code. Based on the average HERS ratings for each level of LEED certification, these homes could potentially see energy reductions of:

o Certified: Up to 30%. o Silver: Approximately 30%. o Gold: Approximately 48%. o Platinum: 50-60%.

• The average household spends some $1,500 each year on energy bills. By choosing ENERGY STAR-rated products, consumers can cut this by 30%, saving about $400 each year. Source: ENERGY STAR.

• Energy cost increases are the No.1 trigger cited by home builders when considering building green homes, according to the 2006 McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Residential Report.

• Electronic devices in standby mode account for 10% of home energy use – up from 2% in 1980, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That includes most devices with a remote control, such as televisions, that are in “power off” mode but are still plugged in.

Water Consumption

• Building occupants use 12% of the total water consumed in the United States, according to a 2008 study by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. According to the National Energy Technology Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Energy, roughly 7% of U.S. water use is in the residential sector.

Waste

• Building-related construction and demolition debris totals approximately 136 million tons per year, 43% of which is generated from residential sources, according to estimates by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Health

• 64 million homes, 83 percent of the privately owned housing units built before 1980, have lead-based paint somewhere in the building. Twelve million of these homes are occupied by families with children younger than 7, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 1995 National Survey of Lead-Based Paint in Housing.

• In a 2004 study by Perth, Australia’s, Curtin University of Technology, children who had been exposed to volatile organic compounds of more than 60 micrograms per cubic meter as toddlers were four times more likely to have asthma than those exposed to lower levels of VOCs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identify more than 900 VOCs, many of which are found in some common household products, including paints, adhesives and cleaning products.

Fun Facts

• By 2010, California's building energy-efficiency standards will create 8,000 new jobs in the state, with a net economic benefit of $4 billion, according to the California Climate Change Center at the University of California-Berkeley.

• More than half a million U.S. families, 40% more than in 2004, now live in ENERGY STAR-qualified homes and are saving about $110 million annually on their energy bills, according to ENERGY STAR’s “Overview of 2005 Achievements” report.

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http://www.curtin.edu.au/

July 2008

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• In “The Public Benefit of California’s Investments in Energy Efficiency,” the RAND Corporation estimates that, since 1975, energy-efficiency investments have boosted the state of California's economy by 3% ($31 billion) more than if the investments had not been made – equivalent to a net savings of $1,000 per household

• In 2000, the United States used 123 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to supply water and treat wastewater, just under 4% of total electricity sales, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute.

• The average new refrigerator used 1,278 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year in 1980. Today, there are full-size, automatic-defrost refrigerator-freezers on the market that use less than 400 kilowatt-hours per year, according to Steven Nadel of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

• Average daily U.S. carbon dioxide emissions per person, according to Sierra Magazine: 122 pounds. Average worldwide: 24 pounds. Amount that could be emitted without raising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere: 9 pounds.


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LEED for Homes FAQs for Homebuilders What is LEED? LEED is a national third-party certification system that recognizes leadership in green building. It is developed by consensus process by volunteer members of the U.S. Green Building Council who contribute their expertise to its technical development. LEED was first introduced in March 2000 for new commercial construction, and has since grown to include specialized versions for homes, neighborhood development, commercial interiors, high-performance building operations and maintenance, and core and shell development. More than 3.2 billion square feet of real estate in the U.S. and in 60 countries are pursuing LEED certification. LEED measures green homebuilding performance based on seven categories: site selection, water efficiency, materials & resources, energy & atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, location & linkages, and innovation. Within each of these areas, projects earn points toward certification. LEED has four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum, with Platinum representing the highest level of achievement. Why should I build a LEED home? LEED certification recognizes and celebrates leadership in high-quality green homebuilding, and allows you as a builder to clearly differentiate your work. For the homebuyer, LEED is like the nutrition label on the side of a box of crackers: It clearly labels in measurable terms that the home has healthy, green, efficient features that have been third-party verified. What is the difference between LEED for Homes and other green programs? LEED is a national third-party certification system for green homebuilding. It is designed to recognize leadership, so the program is rigorous and focused on measurable results. LEED for Homes features lots of support for builders who choose to work with the rating system, including Reference Guides, instructor-led workshops and online courses. There are also more than 70 highly regarded local or regional green home building programs in the United States. (Visit www.greenhomeguide.org for a complete list.) Each of these programs is unique, with its own specifications and requirements. By reviewing the checklists for LEED and other available local or regional programs, you can choose the rating system that works best for your goals. What types of homes can use the LEED certification system? The LEED for Homes certification system is tailored for the construction of new single-family or low-to-mid-rise multifamily buildings. Existing homes undergoing extensive renovations

LEED for Homes Frequently Asked Questions

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are also eligible to participate in the program. Contact a LEED for Homes Provider to determine if your project is suitable. What about remodeling projects? For green remodeling projects, USGBC and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) partnered to create REGREEN, the first nationwide green residential remodeling guidelines for existing homes. The REGREEN guidelines are available for download from our joint website, www.regreenprogram.org. What about affordable housing? Affordable housing is also addressed by LEED for Homes, and funding from a generous grant from The Home Depot Foundation is available to help offset costs associated with LEED certification, including local rating and verification services. Contact a LEED for Homes Provider for more information. How can I participate in LEED for Homes? First, check out www.usgbc.org/LEED/homes to download the LEED for Homes Rating System and Checklist. These documents are an easy way to familiarize yourself with the program, so you can decide if you want to take the next step and register a project. OK, so I’m ready to register a project for LEED for Homes certification…

- Connect with the LEED for Homes Provider of your choice. They’ll walk through the checklist with you so that you can see how the Homes Rating System applies to your project. Your Provider will also help you complete a HERS rating or other onsite inspections that may be required to submit your project for LEED certification.

- Set your green goals. LEED is a flexible system, so you’ll need to choose which credits are aligned with your project’s green goals. Your goals should include which level of LEED certification – Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum – you’re aiming for.

- Register your project. You can register your project online through the USGBC website. Registration fees apply.

- Document and verify. Working with your Provider, you’ll need to complete a HERS rating (if necessary), and on-site inspections of the project to document that you’ve met the LEED credit requirements that reflect your green goals.

- Certify. Once your project is complete and your documentation is ready, your Provider will submit your final LEED checklist to USGBC for certification. Following a rigorous review, your project will be awarded its final certification.

- Celebrate! We want to help you to celebrate your achievement with a certification packet you can share with your homebuyer and a PR toolkit to shares the good news with your community.

LEED for Homes Frequently Asked Questions

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How can I stay up to date on the progress of LEED for Homes? Get involved in one of the many USGBC committees. USGBC members interested in LEED for Homes Committee activities can join the LEED for Homes Corresponding Committee e-mail listserv. Just sign up online in the Your Account section of the USGBC website (www.usgbc.org/YourAccount). Corresponding Committee members receive committee meeting minutes, periodic updates and announcements regarding LEED for Homes volunteer opportunities. Non-USGBC members can join a public announcement distribution list by sending a request to [email protected].

What does it cost to register a home with LEED? USGBC members are eligible to receive significant cost discounts for program participation. Registration and certification fees vary based on housing type: Single-Family Registration: $150 Members/$225 Non-Members Certification: $225 Members/$300 Non-Members Multi-Family Registration: $450 Members/$600 Non-Members Certification: $0.035/sqft Members/$0.045/sqft Non-Members What if I’m building a lot of homes all at once? If you’re registering more than one home at a time – or a multifamily building with more than 50 units – volume pricing discounts may apply. Please contact your LEED for Homes Provider for more information. How do I contact USGBC? You can call USGBC at (202) 828-7422. Please mention that you’re a homebuilder interested in LEED for Homes, and our receptionist will transfer you to a member of the Homes team.

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How to Plan a LEED for Homes Technical Review Workshop

Public Workshops

LEED for Homes Technical Review workshops may only be presented by USGBC designated and trained LEED for Homes Faculty members. LEED for Homes Technical Review workshops are eight hours in length, and focus on the details of the LEED for Homes Rating System. Trainings that are not hosted by USGBC may not use the USGBC or LEED logos, and must not violate USGBC’s copyright protections of the LEED for Homes Rating System. USGBC’s Role

In all authorized LEED for Homes Technical Review workshops, USGBC will have the lead role in the following tasks: Curriculum development Trainer qualification, selection, training, and licensing Distribute Meeting Resume and On-site Coordination Guide – best practice requirements and standards Preparation of training materials and ordering the workbooks from the local printer On-line registration and collection of fees Customer service Workshop evaluations Preparation and reconciliation of the attendee roster Preparation of the workshop marketing flyer/collateral to disperse to the USGBC

Chapter, Homes Providers and any sponsors Distribution of net revenue to the USGBC Chapter supporting in the workshop planning and delivery

Local USGBC Chapter Role

USGBC will work with local USGBC Chapters in the planning, delivery, and execution of LEED for Homes workshops unless the Chapter opts out of participating in this role for an individual workshop. If a USGBC Chapter does choose to participate, the Chapter workshop contact will:

One designated Chapter contact will inform the USGBC Education Planner of tentative workshop date to secure timeline

Contact all local LEED for Homes Certification Providers designated for their region to invite them to become involved in the workshop planning, promotion and/or delivery

Formally notify the USGBC Education Planner that the local chapter and the interested LEED for Homes Certification Providers plan to deliver a LEED for Homes workshop

Contact, confirm, and negotiate a contract for two LEED for Homes workshop faculty members. Notify the designated USGBC Education Program Planner of the confirmed faculty members

Confirm the workshop date Handle logistics for the workshop along with payment, including but not limited to the following items in

accordance with the USGBC National Guidelines: o Venue Selection and Contract o Logistics o Catering o Audio Visual o Event greening

Define the role of participating local LEED for Homes Certification Providers in the planning, promotion, and/or delivery of the LEED for Homes Technical Review workshop

Handle general marketing for the workshop Execute all day-of workshop duties including returning workshop supplies as outlined in the USGBC On-site

Coordination Guide Develop a year-long plan for LEED for Homes workshops with the designated USGBC Education Program

Planner

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If, in general, or in a specific instance, a local USGBC Chapter does not want to participate in LEED for Homes workshop, the Chapter workshop contact should:

Notify the USGBC Education Planner in writing that they do not plan to participate in LEED for Homes workshops If the Chapter chooses to participate in LEED for Homes trainings at some future date, they should notify the

USGBC Education Planner of that approximate timeline

LEED for Homes Faculty Role

If contacted by the USGBC Chapter or a LEED for Homes Provider, the LEED for Homes Faculty member shall: Finalize a contract/task order with the local chapter for workshop delivery Participate in a planning meeting with the local USGBC chapter and local LEED for Homes Certification Provider

(as appropriate), at least two to three months in advance of the event to allow for the proper amount of marketing time

LEED for Homes Certification Provider’s Role

All local LEED for Homes Certification Providers will be invited to participate in LEED for Homes Technical Review workshops taking place in their designated regions. LEED for Homes Certification Providers will work collaboratively with local USGBC Chapters in all LEED for Homes workshops, unless the local USGBC Chapter notifies USGBC that they do not choose to participate. To support a local LEED for Homes Technical Review workshop, the LEED for Homes Certification Provider will:

Send a representative and/or provide collateral materials to the workshop session to provide an overview of the LEED for Homes certification services offered by the Provider.

Assist the local Chapter with planning, promotion and/or delivery of the LEED for Homes Technical Review workshop as agreed with the Chapter workshop contact. If a local LEED for Homes Certification Provider does not want to participate in a LEED for Homes Technical Review workshop, the LEED for Homes Certification Provider shall:

Notify the local USGBC Chapter, other local LEED for Homes Certification Providers, and the USGBC Education Planner that they do not plan to participate in a LEED for Homes workshop and/or presentation.

General Planning Steps for the USGBC Chapters (or LEED for Homes Certification Provider in the event the local USGBC Chapter does not participate).

Step 1: Identify the need for a LEED for Homes Technical Review workshop. Step 2: Contact all local LEED for Homes Certification Providers (designated for the state in which workshop is being

conducted) to determine if they are interested a participating in the preparation for the Workshop. http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1554

Step 3: Chapter proposes a tentative date.

Step 4: Chapter contact will let the USGBC Education Planner in their region know of the intent to schedule a

workshop. Planner will approve tentative date or suggest alternate date based on regional calendar. Step 5: Contact two LEED for Homes Faculty members to determine availability for tentative dates. Step 6: Schedule a planning conference call at least three to six months in advance of the planned training date. The

purpose of the meeting is to plan the following aspects of the workshop and/or presentation: Date of the event Location • Identify ONE contact to work directly with the USGBC Education Program Planner Faculty fee and travel costs Roles and responsibilities for the following key tasks:

o Sponsorships o Recruiting o Meeting organization

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o Day of activities o Volunteer staffing o Revenue sharing

This meeting shall include the key members from the local USGBC Chapter and the key members from the LEED for Homes Certification Providers that will be participating in the workshop.

Step 7: Contact the USGBC Education Planner with all of the details finalized with the main contacts. Remember to include copies of all orders so Planner can confirm requirements have been met.

Step 8: Confirm the date with the USGBC Education Planner and provide the completed coordination checklist and

the venue contract. Please note the workshop will not be posted on the USGBC website without completed documents.

Step 9: USGBC Education Planner will post the workshop on USGBC website in order to open up registration. Step 10: USGBC Education Planner will provide the workshop flyer, and confirm with all involved parties that the

workshop is posted. Step 11: USGBC Education Planner will update the contacts weekly on the registration numbers. Step 12: One week prior to the workshop, the local USGBC chapter will confirm whether the workshop has the

attendance to proceed as planned and update all involved parties and confirm individuals to staff the workshop.

Step 13: USGBC Education Planner will order and ship workbooks and materials one week prior to the workshop and

email the most current attendee roster two days before the workshop or as requested. Step 14: Local chapter contact will confirm numbers for the workshop one week to three days prior to the workshop to

confirm catering orders. The USGBC Education Planner will contact the local contacts if numbers drastically rise. Catering should be ordered for at least five above anticipated attendance, in order to accommodate for faculty and on-site staff.

Step 15: Local chapter will be responsible for printing the name badges for the attendees, faculty, and on-site staff

and printing the certificates of attendance for each attendee based on the attendee roster. Any last minute or on-site registered attendees should be provided with a blank name badge. Certificates for these individuals will be created and emailed if they indicate a request on the Certificate of Attendance Request Sheet.

Step 16: On-site contact will bring the name badges and certificates as well as any USGBC marketing material to the

workshop. The certificates of attendance should not be distributed until the afternoon break to ensure full workshop attendance. All other duties are outlined in the On-Site Coordination Guide.

Step 17: USGBC will handle online evaluations for the course and will provide results to the contacts and faculty

post-workshop. Step 18: Return the following materials to USGBC immediately following the workshop using the FedEx return slip

provided by USGBC: Attendee roster along with any on-site registration forms AIA Credit Request Sheet Certificate of Attendance Request Sheet Unused workbooks On-site reference guide orders once the LEED for Homes reference guide is available for sale.

Step 19: USGBC national will finalize the attendee number for the workshop and collect outstanding fees. Once

finalized, USGBC will remit the workshop revenues (minus per attendee administrative fee) to the local USGBC chapter.


Sample Memorandum of Understanding

CHAPTER PROJECT PROFILE

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36% another enticing fact can be added here and

the text overfl ow looks like this

some facts look Different like this

PROJECT NAMECITY, STATE

LEED ® Facts[Project Name] [Project City, State]

LEED for [Category]Certification awarded [Month, Day, Year}

[Gold] [pts awarded]*

Sustainable Sites [X]/14

Water Effi ciency [X]/12

Energy & Atmosphere [X]/29

Materials & Resources [X]/26

Indoor Environmental Quality [X]/14

Innovation & Design [X]/4

*Out of a possible [xx] points

The information provided is based on that stated in the LEED® project certifi cation submit-

tals. USGBC and Chapters do not warrant or represent the accuracy of this information. Each

building’s actual performance is based on its unique design, construction, operation, and

maintenance. Energy effi ciency and sustainable results will vary.

SAMPLE

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CHAPTER PROJECT PROFILE

ABOUT CHAPTER[Chapter Name] Ud ex eu feuisl iusci blan henisi.Na feui te tat irilis do od delismolorem illummy nim dunt numsandrem nonsectem niat. Ut ilit, con vulputem iure dolore tet, quisl in henisit, quat praessi tate tem quat aliquatie core min hendreet, vel ipis ad et lamcorp eratincilis do odolorem

www.chapterwebsite.org[555 555-5555]

© 2009 [Chapter]. Printed on 100% post consumer recycled, chlorine-free paper with non-toxic soy inks. Chapter is a separate [state of incor] 501c3 nonprofi t corporation.

[PROJECT TITLE]

[Article Title Goes Here][Sub-heading title]

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Architect: xxx

Civil Engineer: xxx

Commissioning Agent: xxxContractor: xxx

Landscape Architect: xxx

LEED Consultant: xxx

Lighting Designer: xxx

MEP Engineer: xxx

Structural Engineer: xxx

Project Size: xxx

Total Project Cost: xxx

Cost Per Square Foot: xxx

Photographs Courtesy of: xxx

PROJECT BACKGROUNDi ssequis sequipisi blaor iriurem vent venim do dolore ea autpat alit wis adiam vel ent lorem nonulla ndionsed min ulputpat velesequip esto con velestionsed esto corpercipisl exerat alismodiamet am velendi psustisim digna alit nostrud te eugiamet, sequipsustie ming exeriusci el in velesenisl ip et in utpate magniam quam dolummy nullam aut ullam enisit eu feugiam consenim dolutpat wis del ulla feugiam atin henisis sequat.Met nonsequ amcommy num nismodolum velenim dipit atuero ea feugait loboreet lut alit nis diatet ad mincilisim et wismod dolorem eugait venibh er augiat iustisim ea con vol

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Thoughts and Talking Points for RGBAs in regards to the new NAHB National Green Building Standard From Tom’s note to the RGBAs: Our mission here at USGBC is to transform the built environment, and our mission on the Residential Market Development team is to bring more affordable, durable, sustainable homes to market. For us, LEED for Homes continues to provide an industry leading, nationwide residential rating system, helping builders and homeowners readily identify high quality, green homes. Our view is that a rising tide will lift all boats, and NAHB’s new Standard makes green homebuilding available to more builders, providing an invaluable stepping stone toward high achievement in the LEED for Homes Rating System. The work that you all are involved in continues to move our mission forward. The alliances and collaborative relationships you are building with Home Builder Associations and regional green homebuilding programs are essential to demystifying the green residential construction market, helping give voice to a clear and consistent message: a green home is better home, plain and simple. With LEED for Homes, myriad regional programs – and now NAHB's Standard – homebuilders are free to choose any or all of the programs which suit them best. Remember that the work you’re doing is creating more opportunities for homebuilders to succeed in a struggling market, and for more families to live in comfortable, durable, high performance green homes.

Some Adapted Talking Points:

• LEED stands for leadership. LEED is voluntary, and it’s very rigorous. LEED certification differentiates the very best green homebuilders, and challenges the rest of the market to catch up.

• ANSI standards are typically meant to be mandated: like manufacturing standards and building

codes.

• USGBC views the new NAHB green home standard very much as we see ASHRAE’s Standard 189p – it may be a great tool for localities that are ready to mandate a baseline green home standard across the board. For instance, the International Codes Council was a partner in NAHB’s green home standard.

Response to “will it create market confusion?”

• The biggest issue for homeowners today isn’t choosing a green homebuilding program – it’s finding a green home period. Less than one percent of all new homes are being certified today.

• That said, there’s room in the residential market for different approaches.

• LEED sets the bar for national leadership, but not all homebuilders are going to be ready to take

that step.

• Already, there are more than 80 local and regional green homebuilding programs, including some that have been developed by local NAHB chapters.

• USGBC’s mission is a sustainable built environment, and we’re confident that LEED will work together with the other good green home programs available today.

Response to “what makes for a good green home program?”

• Developed by consensus by a diverse group of stakeholders, including builders, manufacturers, homeowner advocates, and environmental organizations.

• Measures achievement, not intentions.

• Third‐party verified.

Basic LEED for Homes Talking Points: Key messages LEED for Homes is a voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high‐performance homes.

• LEED homes are designed and built with the intention of being more comfortable, more durable

and healthier for the people living inside compared to a standard home • Green homes are built to perform better than the average home. LEED‐certified homes can

produce lower utility bills as they must performing significantly above code on energy modeling tests and integrate water‐saving strategies. During construction and through the life of the home, LEED homes also have a smaller environmental footprint than most conventional homes.

LEED certification is something that consumers can look for to identify homes that have been third‐party inspected, performance‐tested and certified as truly green homes designed and built to perform better than standard homes. Homebuilders using LEED are able to differentiate their homes as the best on the market. Supporting messages Overall, the net costs of owning a green home are comparable to those of owning a conventional home – and sometimes even less. Green homes can save money compared to a conventional home by:

• Using less energy – according to their average Home Energy Rating System scores, LEED homes

have predicted energy savings of 30% over homes built to international building code, and LEED Platinum homes average as high as 60% in predicted energy savings.

• Using less water, both for in‐home use and for outdoor irrigation. • Making owners eligible for advantageous home financing options with some lenders. • Lowering home insurance premiums with some insurance providers.

LEED defines green building: There are over 1,300 certified homes and over 10,000 registered homes as part of LEED for Homes.

• 43 LEED for Homes Providers from all over the country are administering the LEED for Homes program at the local level.

LEED for Homes can be applied to affordable housing, mass‐production homes, custom designs, stand‐alone single‐family homes, duplexes and townhouses, suburban low‐rise apartments, urban apartments and condos, and lofts in historic areas. LEED for Homes may also be applicable to major home renovations. According to the 2008 McGraw‐Hill Construction SmartMarket report “The Green Homebuilder,” the value of the green home market through the end of 2008 is $12‐20 billion – between 6% and 10 % of the overall residential construction market. By 2013, McGraw‐Hill predicts green homes will be between 12% and 20% of new single‐family homes – worth $40‐70 billion. The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health and productivity. While buildings are part of the problem, they are also part of the solution. Building green, in both commercial and residential construction, is a way to have an immediate and measurable impact on the health of the environment.

Residential Market Research[Market] [Residential Green Building Advocate] or [Responsible Party, describe] [Contact Information] [Date]

LOCAL GREEN SCENE 1. What are the Local / State Incentives & Rebates?

[Describe all available Local and State incentives and rebates for residential projects applicable to your region] Research / Data Source Date

2. What are the Green Building Mandates on a Local and State level?

Research / Data Source Date

3. What City, County and/or State green building programs are available?

[Please describe the program]

4. How many Energy Star rated homes are in your chapter’s region?

5. What green building programs/incentives are offered by the local utility companies? 6. Please comment on your local utility company’s commitment to green building.

[Is the utility active through sponsorship, membership, or any green building level?] Please rate on a scale from 1‐5. 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest form of commitment.

7. Who are the local green building champions?

[Please list the individuals or organizations that are most active in the market promoting green building.]

8. Who is the local green builder champion?

[Please list the builder(s) in your market who is(are) responsible for most of the green building] 9. What local green building educational programs are offered in your region?

[Please list what institutions are offering education around green building, i.e. other non‐profits, community colleges, state and private universities, etc.]

LOCAL GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION 1. What other residential green home certification programs (other than LEED) are available in your

market? a. Please describe the program and analyze it for level of rigor as compared to LEED. b. How many homes are certified under the program? c. Provide an analysis of LEED credit similarities.

CHAPTER / PROVIDERS

1. What is your chapter’s professional demographic (residential versus commercial)?

2. How many meetings has your Residential Homes committee had and how often do you meet? 3. What is the structure and membership count of your Residential Homes committee? 4. How often does your chapter steering committee (i.e. Board of Directors) meet?

5. Is there any chapter connection to government organizations, utility companies, non‐profit

organizations, etc? Please rate on a scale from 1‐5. 1 being no relationship at all and 5 being a highly productive working relationship.

6. What is the chapter relationship with the LEED for Homes provider(s)?

[Please explain how the chapter and the provider work together and describe past experiences, collaborations, etc.] Please rate on a scale from 1‐5. 1 being no relationship at all and 5 being a highly productive working relationship.

7. What is the chapter’s involvement in past and/or planned LEED for Homes workshops? Also, was/is the provider involved?

8. Describe your chapter’s relationship with the local HBA. Please rate on a scale from 1‐5. 1 being no relationship at all and 5 being a highly productive working relationship.

9. Describe your chapter ‘s relationships with other related programs/organizations. Please rate on a

scale from 1‐5. 1 being the no relationship at all and 5 being a highly productive working relationship.

HOUSING MARKET 1. What are the annual housing starts in your market? Please provide numbers covering the last three

years.

2. What is your market’s national rank for housing sales?

3. What is your current home stock?

4. How much of your current home stock is new construction?

5. How much of your current home stock are existing homes (resale, not new construction)?

6. What is the rate of resale versus new construction starts?

7. What is the foreclosure rate for your market? Please give figures over the last year.

8. What are your average house values over the last five years?

9. What is the average home price in your market?

10. What is the unemployment rate in your market?

11. What is the bankruptcy rate in your market?

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