6 inspired. WINTER 2011

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7inspired.design446.com

B E C O M E A L E E D - E R

Modern environmental consciousness may have its roots in the publication of Rachel Carson’s 1962,

non-fiction book, Silent Spring, which dealt with the negative effects of pesticides on the ecosystem. Eight years later on April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was held. The result has been an interest in environmental stewardship that has rippled through virtually every aspect of social consciousness.

Concern for the environment, which is now front and center in the international dialogue, spawns both innovation and controversy. One industry noticeably affected by the pursuit of sustainability is homebuilding. The growth of programs such as LEED (Leaders in Energy & Environmental Designs) is indicative of the growing interest in green building. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit community of leaders that has set forth the goal of, “working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation” inaugurated the LEED program in 1998.

LEED provides a context in which building projects can be accredited on an internationally recognized scale. The standards are a useful tool for builders planning new projects and consumers who are trying to sort out the advantages of competing properties. Marketers can also

use the LEED criteria as a means of communicating the environmentally positive characteristics of a property to buyers and renters. While the LEED system has the potential to become a powerful marketing tool, it remains a complex mystery to many building industry professionals and consumers.

LEED compliance is a complicated process. Although standards are specific to various building categories, they can be simply defined as a point system based on established benchmarks for: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Each property’s rating is determined by a formula that totals points for meeting LEED norms. Assigned ratings from lowest to highest are: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Adhering to LEED standards requires builders to rethink traditional methods of orchestrating their projects. According to Ed Walters, Jr., founder and president of the Walters Group, a Barnegat, NJ based development firm, “The LEED system encourages a holistic view of the building process. Instead of simply viewing each aspect of a project in terms of code compliance, the LEED system requires builders to look at every building material, mechanical system and construction technique

as part of a single entity designed to reduce energy consumption and minimize environmental impact.”

Walters began his pursuit of LEED certification for his Ocean County, NJ project, Stafford Park, in 2006. The mixed-use project will include a 6.5-megawatt solar energy facility comprised of 1,026 solar arrays and occupying a 55-acre former landfill site. The project, which is the first of its kind in New Jersey, will eventually include 650,000 square feet of retail space, in addition to 216 market rate and 112 affordable apartments, plus 349 single-family homes. It is estimated that the solar energy facility, along with the four 1.5 mw wind turbines that are also planned will supply up to 70 percent of the power used by the entire residential and commercial complex. Currently six retail buildings in the project have earned LEED Silver designations. An additional retail store and 112 affordable apartments have been designated LEED Gold.

“We have learned a lot about sustainable building throughout this process and the good news is that green building presents many customer benefits for our homebuyers and renters,” explains Walters. “Features such as Energy Star, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, sealed ductwork and improved insulation work together with air and moisture barriers, programmable Taking the“LEED”

in Green Building

Marketers who wish to capitalize on their “Green Credentials” can take some advice from Mary Shelton, president of the Knoxville, TN based Shelton Group, a firm specializing in green products. Shelton offered the following suggestions in August 2010 edition of ECOHOME Magazine:

• Avoid talking about “green” homes. Package your houses as “energy-efficient homes with green features.”

• Tailor marketing messages to an eco-minded audience and eliminate any marketing geared toward customers who are not interested in either green or efficient homes.

• Talk in specific terms of how much lower your home’s utility bills are compared to conventional homes in the same neighborhoods. This gives clients a justification for purchasing a home that may be slightly more expensive.

• Partner with local banks to offer financing; ideally, financing that allows for a better interest rate because special mortgage programs allow homebuyers to borrow more due to lower monthly utility bills that raise their qualifying rate.

Green building methods offer many advantages to both builders and the community. Pioneers in this growing field bring with them true enthusiasm and the hope that future generations will enjoy a cleaner, brighter and more sustainable environment. This burgeoning trend promises great advances in building technology. Our challenge, as marketers, is to communicate the value of these innovations to the public. ■

We are approaching an era when homes will be self-sustaining in terms of energy usage.

by Stan Lemond thermostats and other components to produce buildings that are about 30 to 50 percent more energy efficient than those routinely built to code.”

“It’s difficult to be precise in terms of cost savings consumers realize when they purchase a LEED certified home because there are many variables to consider,” notes Walters. “The size of the home, the LEED rating and the manner in which the owner operates and maintains the home’s systems all come into play.”

Walters estimates that on a “typical” $300,000 home, LEED certification may add between $7,000 and $10,000 to the price. That’s approximately $45 to $60 per month on a 6 percent, 30 year-fixed rate mortgage. Considering that LEED compliance could save the homeowner $100 per month in energy costs, the net savings is $40 to $55 per month.

There are many other advantages to the LEED program unrelated to energy usage. Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) finishes, carpet fibers and adhesives improve interior air quality. Enhanced techniques for construction waste disposal and the use of recycled building materials reduce environmental impact. Highly efficient plumbing fixtures lessen water usage and preserve natural resources. In addition, manufacturers are developing “cradle to cradle” processes in order for materials to be recycled into their original form with nominal processing.

“We are approaching an era when homes will be self-sustaining in terms of energy usage,” says Walters, who comments that progress is evident in the more than 10,000 zero energy homes already built in Europe. These are “Passive House” homes built mainly in Germany and Austria.

LEED is only one measure of green building standards. The National Association of Home Builders has its own NAHB Green certification program.