by jennifer mccharen
It’s almost too obvious to notice at first, but since almost everything we do takes place inside some sort of building; the structures themselves can be a major part of the energy consumption problem. This is also why changing the way we create them can be a major part of the solution.
With Florida facing a population influx of around 1000 people per day, we have some serious thinking to do about our use of precious resources. A renewed focus on alternative energy sources and conservation of power, water, and open land is happening all across America. Even here, in the conservative South, the new environmental movement is alive and well.
One of the most important characteristics of the new environmentalism is that it uses a pragmatic application of technology within the existing market system to solve these pressing resource problems. The green building movement is a good example of this new tactic, and could prove to be one of the best ways to solve problems of energy over-consumption and a slowing post-industrial economy
At the head of the green building movement is the US Green Building Council, which administers the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standard (LEED for short). The LEED standard evaluates buildings for built-in efficiency features such as windows and ducts that don’t leak conditioned air, lighting fixtures designed not to waste power, and fixtures such as toilets and faucets that require less water to function properly.
The LEED standards also go a bit outside the building itself, awarding points for buildings that seek a more holistic efficiency. LEED examines a building’s connections to public transportation (which reduces employee energy consumption), and choices made in landscaping (prioritizing the use of non-invasive and drought-tolerant natives). For commercial properties, additional points are awarded to companies that provide services for their employees such as improved indoor air quality and amenities for those who commute by bicycle, like indoor bike storage and showers.
The USGBC’s standard is one of only a few nationally recognized ones, but it is far from alone. Within the past few years green standards of various stringencies have been developed by many regions, including our own.
The Florida Green Building Coalition has a standard similar to LEED, but has much less expensive certification fees. It also has a few aspects tailored to be more specific to Florida than LEED, including hurricane safety requirements.
Building to these standards is typically only 1-5% more expensive than building to conventional codes, despite the perception that green methods cost significantly more, according to Ellen Reed. Ellen runs the local blog, sustainabuild.net, and is one of Jacksonville’s leading champions of sustainable construction. She works for the firm Breaking Ground, which builds commercial spaces and is currently constructing a green roof on their office.
One of the challenges of promoting green building is getting the message across to the folks that actually wield the hammers. David Reed (no relation to Ellen) from JEA’s conservation department has been reaching out to the construction community intensively over the past year, monitoring the progress of various green projects, and teaching courses on the different green standards. For information on these courses, check out their website, jea.com/green, and look for the Green Built Homes of Florida Training Calendar.
What can you do? First of all, learn about how your home and office buildings use energy, and learn ways to improve their efficiency. JEA publishes guides to help you, and will even conduct free residential energy audits to show you exactly how your home’s efficiency can be increased.
If you’re in the market for a new home or office space, ask for green and check your facts. It’s best to look for a reputable third-party standard such as LEED or FGBC. For example, the incredible Stalwart Built homes in Florida’s panhandle claim net-zero energy costs, and boast a LEED Platinum rating (that’s USGBC’s highest standard—basically you can’t do better than that unless you live in a tent in the middle of a community garden). Their website, stalwartbuilt.com, proudly explains their impressive green features such as geothermal heating and cooling and truly innovative construction methods.
Luckily, here in Jacksonville two of the best housing deals around happen to be green ones. First time homebuyers can take advantage of down payment assistance programs through nonprofit developers like Operation New Hope and Riverside Avondale Development Organization. Both are building affordable, green-certified houses in Springfield and Riverside, respectively. Check out operationnewhope.com and radocdc.org for more information.
Article Published in the May 2008 Issue of EU Jacksonville
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