Green building standard
COURTESY : www.buildingwithchemistry.org
Green building standard
First enumerated in the Code of Hammurabi and subsequently improved following disasters such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992, building codes improve the health, safety, and welfare of all building occupants.
As we increasingly recognize the role of the built environment to address issues beyond just the minimum safety of occupants, a number of codes, standards, and rating systems have been developed. These offerings help improve the performance of buildings to address 21st century concerns – improving energy efficiency, resiliency, health, and sustainability.
Green Building Standards
Green Building Standards generally segment requirements into separate chapters such as energy efficiency, indoor air quality, sustainable site selection, and materials and resource use. They often set minimum benchmarks for performance and focus heavily on detailed specifications. Building standards are typically written in highly-technical language used by regulated professions and trades, such as architects, engineers, plumbers, and electricians. These standards are then adopted by reference into buildings codes, which can be enforced by state and local jurisdictions depending on their specific circumstances and policy priorities.
Common standards related to building practices are created through consensus processes by organizations such as ANSI, ASTM, and ASHRAE.
Green Building Codes
Green Building Codes are established by law as mandatory building requirements adopted by a state or local jurisdiction. Adopted codes are often based on established standards, and “model” code language is developed by building industry professionals with input from stakeholders. Currently, model codes are revised and updated on a continual basis in an open, public forum where amendments are proposed, debated, and voted upon.
Example of green building codes:
- The International Sustainable Construction Code (ISCC) is developed by the International Code Council (ICC), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ASHRAE, the U.S. Sustainable Building Council (USSBC), and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).The technical backbone of the IgCC is ASHRAE Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The standard addresses site sustainability, water use efficiency, energy use efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and the impact on the atmosphere, materials, and resources by buildings, as well as high-performance operation.
Green Building Tools
Green Building Tools allow aspects of sustainable or “green” building to be analyzed, including:
- Energy efficiency modeling
- Indoor air quality analysis
- Materials screenings and evaluation
Green building tools can be standards themselves and are referenced in whole-building sustainability systems, codes and certifications.
Every Home BPC Builds today meets the US Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) certification standard. The ZERH standard requires the certified home also meet the certification requirements for the EPA ENERGY STAR for Homes and the EPA Indoor airPLUS programs.
Many BPC homes built today also meet other green building standards and certifications as well as the three above.
Green Building Standards and Certifications
EPA ENERGY STAR Certification
ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote energy efficiency for businesses and consumers. ENERGY STAR has sets of standards for certifying appliances, homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities. ENERGY STAR is now a basic Green Building Standard but not the highest.
One of the requirements for a house to earn the ENERGY STAR label is that it must pass inspection based on separate checklists. These checklists include building science practices focused on thermal insulation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and water management.
Every home built or renovated by BPC Green Builders meets or exceeds ENERGY STAR certification standards.
EPA Indoor airPlus Qualified
An EPA standard, the agency defines Indoor airPLUS is a voluntary partnership and labeling program that helps new home builders improve the quality of indoor air by requiring construction practices and product specifications that minimize exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants.
Clean air is essential for everyone’s health, but it can be especially important to those that have chronic respiratory conditions.
All homes BPC builds today meets or exceeds Indoor airPlus Qualified Homes standards
EPA WaterSense
WaterSense is a US EPA certification for products and homes that follow established EPA standards for water efficiency and use.
The WaterSense standard is critical to use in areas such as the South West, where clean drinkable water is always in short supply. It is a standard that also helps reduce the demand for treatment of water before and after use. Reducing demand for pre and post-use water treatment the need for water treatment plants and their costs are also reduced.
Meeting EPA WaterSense or similar water-related standards are required for some green building certifications.
US DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Certification
Zero Energy Ready Home was previously called DOE Challenge Home
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) established and manages certifications for green homes called Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH). The Zero Energy Ready Home certification is the most rigorous US government green home standard. ZERH requires the home also meets the US EPA ENERGY STAR home and Indoor airPLUS certification standards, which are incorporated into the ZERH program.
The goals of this program include the home having the potential for the house to generate as much energy as it uses, if not more if the home adds a modest size PV solar panel system or other clean energy generation system. A ZERH need not have energy generation equipment installed at the time of construction, but must be prewired to make adding such a system easier.
Zero Energy Ready Home certification requirements also include energy-efficiency, indoor air quality, advanced construction methods, quality, durability, and other benchmarks.
To be a certified Zero Energy Ready Home, the home must be no less than 40-50% more energy-efficient, without solar panels factored in, than a typical new home of the same size. With solar panels, ZERH’s use even less net energy.
All homes now built by BPC meet or exceed Zero Energy Ready Home certification standards
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