Struever Brothers Overlook townhouses in Clipper Mill are Baltimore's first LEED certified homes.
That is about to change. For the past year, the USGBC has been pilot testing LEED for Homes, and the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) has been completing its own Model Green Home Building Guidelines. Soon, owners, architects, and builders will be able to take advantage of these new systems.
Although there are some significant differences between these programs, the similarities are more notable. In this series of articles, ChesapeakeHome will guide you through the essentials of answering the question “How Green Is My Home?” Each article will feature one of the categories used by the rating systems: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, indoor air quality, and resources and materials.
Sustainable Sites
Greenbuilding is a process that starts with site selection and design. It is obvious that a new home replacing good farmland, forest, or wetland must work very hard to win a green label. It may not be as obvious that choosing a site near public transportation and within walking distance of services such as banks, stores, and restaurants would also have environmental benefits.
The green roof placed on this new addition provides habitat for birds and butterflies, insulates the space, and reduces stormwater runoff.
Once the site is selected, the rating systems ask that homeowners, designers, and builders care for it. While it is more cost effective for the builder to bulldoze the site, remove the vegetation, and pave large areas, the rating systems encourage homeowners and professionals to do things like use permeable pavements and less of them, and choose native plants requiring little or no watering instead of large areas of grass. Rainwater can be harvested to cut down on potable water usage and stormwater management practices already required in Maryland can help earn points.
Want to go even greener? Try a living roof. Popular in Europe and increasingly so in the U.S., planting a portion of your roof in sedum or native plants can turn a “hot spot” in your home into a cool, comfortable island this summer.
In our next article, we will explore the techniques recommended by the rating systems for saving water, both inside and outside the home.
Polly Bart is President of Greenbuilders, Inc., an eco-friendly builder and remodeler.
For more information visit greenbuilders.com or call 410-833-4814.
