first home certified under leed-h pilot

Washington, D.C. — Launched in August 2005, the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes pilot (LEED-H), a one-year test to ensure that the rating system is practical and effective for the homes market, recently recognized the first LEED-certified home built by Ideal Homes in Oklahoma City, Okla., and certified via LEED for Homes Provider Guaranteed Watt Saver Systems, Inc. The pilot includes 75 other builders—production, custom, multi-family, and affordable housing—who are building approximately 350 additional homes slated for certification.

In addition to testing the rating system itself, the pilot is employing a new delivery method for certification that recognizes the unique needs of the residential market and takes advantage of the vast expertise that already exists throughout the United States. The USGBC has selected 12 LEED for Homes Providers to service some of the country's leading housing markets. These providers are local and regional organizations that have been chosen to provide technical, marketing and verification support to builders, and have demonstrated outstanding abilities and have a proven record of supporting builders in the construction of high-performance, sustainable homes.

For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/leed/homes.

fhba & fgbc partnership announced to promote affordable green building

Tallahassee — The Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA), a Tallahassee, Fla.-based trade association representing more than 19,700 corporate members involved in Florida's home building and remodeling industry and known collectively as “the voice of Florida's housing industry,” and the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), an independent non-profit organization that was established in 2000 to promote green building in the state of Florida, have announced a newly created partnership designed to promote affordable green building.

The partnership allows FHBA and FGBC to unify Florida's green building standards by advocating the FGBC Green Home Designation Standard and Green Development Designation Standard as the “green standards” for builders to follow; advocate incentives for builders and developers whose projects are certified under FGBC Standards; and develop resources to educate and encourage the public to consider green building. For more information, visit www.fhba.com and www.FloridaGreenBuilding.org.

columbia river gorge touts largest residential leed/solar development in nation

Mosier, Ore. — Northwest developer Peter Erickson's Mosier Creek Homes, a 34-unit residential development along the Columbia River, is being billed as the largest residential and solar community project in the nation following the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes (LEED-H) guidelines. Located in the small town of Mosier (population 410) in the heart of Oregon's agricultural and recreational country—an area that is becoming more and more known for its commitment to renewable energy and its development of sustainable, LEED-certified communities—the new housing development is expected to pique both the interest of developers nationwide as well as energy aficionados.

The State of Oregon's solar tax incentives (also available in other states) together with Federal Energy Tax Credits and Energy Trust of Oregon incentives were instrumental to the economic viability of this project. In the case of Mosier Creek, the solar electric and thermal hot water system were nearly $28,000 - but with the financial incentives, mostly at the Federal level, the net cost was reduced to around $8,000.

Phase one of Mosier Creek Homes LEED pilot will be occupied by the end of the summer of 2006, and the entire development is scheduled for completion by mid-2007.

educational partnership to focus on benefits of direct vent gas and electric fireplaces, promote clean indoor air

Minneapolis — Fireplace manufacturer Hearth & Home Technologies Inc. (www.hearthnhome.com), has partnered with the American Lung Association Health House program—a national program developed to improve indoor air quality through its demonstration homes, training programs for consumers and builders, and educational partnerships and alliances—to promote clean indoor air. Part of an exclusive agreement with the Health House program, the educational partnership will help raise awareness among builders and consumers about the air quality benefits of innovative technologies like direct vent gas and electric fireplaces.

For more information, visit www.lungusa.org and www.HealthHouse.org.

call for entries for 2006 world habitat awards

Coalville, Leicestershire U.K. — Applications are now being accepted for the 2006 World Habitat Awards. Established by the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) in 1985, the World Habitat Awards seek to identify practical and innovative solutions to current housing needs and problems around the world. Two awards are given annually, one to a housing project from the global South and one from the global North, and the awards are open to all organizations worldwide, including: central and local governments, NGOs, community groups, research and academic institutions and the private sector. An award of £10,000 will be presented to each of the two winners at the annual United Nations global celebration of World Habitat Day. All applications should reach BSHF by June 1, 2006. For more information, visit www.bshf.org.

cherokee investment partners breaks ground on mainstream greenhome of the future

Raleigh, N.C. - Making strides in demonstrating that environmentally-focused construction is compatible with conventional building and better living, sustainable brownfield redevelopers Cherokee Investment Partners (www.cherokeefund.com) held an official groundbreaking for its National Homebuilder Mainstream GreenHome in Raleigh, N.C.—the first of its kind known to be built in a typical suburban neighborhood.

The Mainstream GreenHome showcases a number of innovative, environmentally friendly features, while looking and functioning as a traditional home, and is the first home in the nation known to be built in a typical subdivision under the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines; just one of three green homes in the nation known to meet such guidelines. Cherokee expects that the lessons learned from this project will encourage the mainstreaming of sustainable homebuilding practices nationwide.

The home utilizes a range of technological innovations to minimize impact on the environment without sacrificing comfort, and aims to: Use 50 percent less fossil fuel than the conventional home; recycle or reuse 90 percent of all organic waste on site; consume 50 percent less water than the conventional home; recycle 75 percent of all construction and demolition waste; retain 95 percent of all storm water on site for reuse; create wildlife habitats; and provide exceptional indoor air quality with 95 percent of all products having low or zero volatile organic compounds

The GreenHome is expected to be completed in the fall of 2006 and will be available for tours. For more information, visit www.MainstreamGreenHome.com.

Links

• Sustainable Home
• American Lung Association
• Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF)
• Hearth & Home Technologies Inc.
• Health House program
• Florida Green Building
• USGBC's LEED Homes