NAHB’s Voluntary Model Green Home Building GuidelinesWritten by Neda Dabestani-Ryba
NAHB’s Voluntary Model Green Home Building GuidelinesBy Neda Dabestani-Ryba Prudential Carruthers REALTORS The voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are designed to move environmentally friendly home building concepts further into mainstream marketplace. Currently, there are approximately thirty communities throughout U.S. that have green home building programs in place or in development. By developing set of voluntary national guidelines, NAHB intends to help facilitate adoption of green home building practices and formation of additional local programs in parts of country not currently served by programs. In spring of 2003, NAHB approved a resolution supporting green building. In response to NAHB member’s requests to provide membership with technical guidance to support new green building policy, NAHB tasked NAHB Research Center to manage a project to develop national green home building guidelines. The NAHB Research Center worked together in an open, public process with over 60 Stakeholder Group members from home building industry to create those guidelines. The guidelines contain six primary sections: Lot Preparation and Design - With lot preparation and design, builder has opportunities to demonstrate environmentally sensible construction practices. Even before foundation is poured, careful planning can reduce home’s impact on vegetation, soil, water, plus a home’s long-term performance can be enhanced. Such preparation can provide significant value to homeowner, environment, and community. Included for end user, especially developers, is a Site Planning Appendix that closely mirrors this section and provides additional guidance. Resource Efficiency – This section shows how certain framing techniques and home designs can effectively optimize use of building materials. Construction waste management concepts are also discussed. In addition, information is provided on how a home’s durability and amount of time and money needed for maintenance are affected by how certain materials are used. Energy Efficiency – This is most quantifiable aspect of green building. The information on this section will help a builder create a building envelope and incorporate energy efficient mechanical systems, appliances, and lighting into a home that will yield long-term utility bill cost savings and increased comfort for homeowner. It contains only requirements to participate in this voluntary program: compliance with 2003 International Energy Conservation Code, use of ACCA manuals to size HVAC equipment, and 3rd party plan review to verify compliance with section. Water Efficiency/Conservation – Although, relative importance of water availability and usage varies from region to region, concern with adequate supply of water is becoming more widespread geographically. Experience also shows that employing line items from this section of guidelines for indoor and outdoor water use can decrease a homeowner’s need for water and thus reduce utility bills, regardless of location.
| | Why is Market Research important?Written by Martin Day
Market research is an essential part of any business that wants to offer products or services that are focussed and well targeted. Business decisions that are based on good intelligence and good market research can minimise risk and pay dividends and by making market research part and parcel of business process and conducting market research throughout lifecycle of a product or service market research will bring following benefits:- Market research will help you better communicate - Your current customers experiences are a valuable information source, not only will they allow you to gauge how well you currently meet their expectations they can also tell you where you are getting things right and more importantly where you are getting things wrong. By asking customer you not only show them that you care but you also take guess work out of customer services.
|
