News-Record.com

Green building efforts are slowly gaining momentum in the Piedmont Triad. Two groups have kicked off education and certification programs within the past two years. The Piedmont Triad Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council has more than 200 members now and the Greensboro Builders Association's Green Building Council, which launched in January, has about 55 members and has plans to expand to Winston-Salem and Burlington.

I spoke with Cheryl Collins of the Greensboro Builders Association and she said the National Association of Home Builders has a set of homebuilding guidelines that are similar to the LEED standards being promoted elsewhere.

Speaking of LEED, Greg Savage, chairman of the Triad's new chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, said the Triad has 14 LEED-registered building projects, and more than 200 such projects are registered in the state. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a national benchmark for sustainable green building and development.

Savage, who spoke last week at a Piedmont Real Estate Council meeting, said buildings will eventually need to meet new energy standards set forth in building codes now under development.

In a press release, Savage said: "The U.S. construction industry represents 20 percent of the U.S. economy, uses 30 percent of the nation's raw materials, uses 13 percent of all potable water, generates 40 percent of all landfill wastes and represents 70 percent of all electricity consumption. Everywhere we go, we see a vital need for construction to adopt green sustainable standards."

Cheryl Collins said the building industry is still resistant to these new practices because consumers purhase homes based on location and amenities, not energy efficiency. That's why the group is stepping up its educational efforts, including holding seminars and giving away 1,000 compact flourescent lightbulbs and reusable shopping bags at the Southern Ideal Home Show that was held in Greensboro this past weekend.

I wonder if Greensboro needs two groups to accomplish this task. I asked Collins if she was concerned about competition.

She said, "What we're encouraging is to take any action at all toward green building. They are both good programs."