June 22nd, 2008

Get with the Program: Green Building Trainings

Posted by Shayna Prunier

Move over LEED, there are some worthy contenders in the green building market that are now gaining a lot of steam with green building professionals looking to measure high performance homes and buildings.  There is no doubt that the LEED rating system offered by the US Green Building Council offers the premier rating systems on the market, but what if you just aren’t up for such high standards? 

I was recently fortunate enough to be able to attend the Certified Green Building Professional program offered through Build It Green.  Build It Green is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy and efficient building practices in California.  While headquartered in Northern California, Build It Green has just expanded into Southern California.  Not only do they provide extensive training and educational forums, their green home rating system, GreenPoint Rated provides a new 3^rd party verification program for homeowners searching for an alternative to LEED.   

As a LEED accredited professional and designer by trade, I went into the Certified Green Building Professional Training course thinking I had a lot of knowledge in the green building movement, and soon realized that there is always more to learn.  As we all know in the green building industry, things change daily and we should be updating and refreshing our knowledge on a regular basis.  This course was insightful and chock full of great information to apply to green buildings. The strategies were real and completely achievable, and the instructors were very knowledgeable.  This course takes you through a step-by-step analysis of all systems, materials, and technologies involved with building or renovating a home.  All of the discussion focused on buildings that embrace energy-efficiency and health.  There was no “green guilt” placed upon anything or anyone, and the emphasis was on knowing the benefits of green building rather than focusing on the consequences of “non-green” approaches.      

We all know that connections with other green professionals are a huge benefit.  Not only does Build It Green provide great education, they emphasize the necessity to connect with other professionals.  This philosophy is actually what makes the green movement so unique.  If we truly want to make a difference on the planet, we should be making every effort to support and learn from each other’s expertise. 

I am sure you are all asking what to do if you are not in the state of California.  Although you will not be able to certify your home to the Green Point Rated level, I would not discourage any green professionals from taking this course.  However, if you are not up for a trip to California, there are many local and national programs that provide valuable green building guidelines.  The US Green Building Council has a great list of programs across the country, which you can see here. In addition, ASID which is the American Society of Interior Designers, has their own set of green guidelines for remodeling, called REGREEN. The National Association of Home Builders also has green building guidelines you can see here.  One last option is using the Energy Star green building guidelines, which you can review here.

Whether you choose to certify yourself or your home, make sure the benefits achieve your personal green goals and don’t over-focus on the points of a particular program.  Keep in mind that points are not the point, and the bigger picture is making a positive environmental difference.