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Kentucky effort promotes energy-efficient building
Kentucky home builders are launching Green Build Kentucky, which is a program that encourages construction of environmentally friendly buildings that qualify under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR&#reg; program, according to
The Courier-Journal
.
Kentucky trails much of the U.S. regarding homes with ENERGY STAR ratings and those certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) residential homebuilding program. Less than 6 percent of new residential construction in Kentucky last year was ENERGY STAR-rated compared with 11 percent nationally. In addition, USGBC has certified hundreds of homes across the U.S., and Kentucky is one of 15 states without any certified projects.
However, ENERGY STAR certification has increased in Kentucky, from 2.4 percent in 2005 to 5.2 percent in 2006 to 5.5 percent in 2007.
Building officials say reluctance to go green may be a result of Kentucky's comparatively low electricity costs, but there are homebuyers who want features that conserve water, electricity and natural gas.
"It's what's happening," says Chuck Kavanaugh, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Louisville. "It's not some kind of fancy trend that will go away. It's here, and people are interested in this."
Green Build Kentucky follows a set of national guidelines from the National Association of Home Builders. To qualify under Green Build Kentucky, homes would gain points for energy efficiency and conservation, such as using solar water heating.
The homes also must meet ENERGY STAR requirements for insulation, windows, duct systems and other products. Basically, a home must be more energy-efficient than the standard international building code for residential buildings.
Making the program work will depend largely on local homebuilder groups. Louisville builder Vince Kimbel is ready for the change. He says it typically costs an extra $1 to $10 per square foot (or 1 to 3 percent of a house’s cost) to meet ENERGY STAR requirements, but home buyers see those costs as paying off in the future with energy savings.
A new incentive was passed by the General Assembly that offers builders $400 tax credits and developers $800 tax credits for building or selling new and manufactured ENERGY STAR homes in Kentucky. The bill went to Gov. Steve Beshear (D-Ky.), a supporter of Green Build Kentucky, who has not yet signed the bill into law.
Although Green Build Kentucky doesn't currently address existing homes, the next phase of the program is expected to address that issue.
5/9/2008
