The fourth annual Texas Green Home Summit will be bringing several nationally renowned speakers here to Texas on April 18 including Sam Rashkin, Peter Pfeiffer, and Ryan Taylor. These three will be joined by local experts such as Jim Sargent, the builder of the region’s first net zero energy home, Chris Miles, a local radio personality and builder of several award-winning homes that were made available to the public, and Denise Hickey who will explain what builders need to know regarding the short and long-term availability of water resources. » Read more: Texas Green Home Summit to Feature Top National and Local Experts
Texas Green Home Summit to Feature Top National and Local Experts
March 6th, 2012 by philcrone No comments »SAVE Act Webinar, March 14
March 6th, 2012 by philcrone No comments »
SAVE Act 101: An Introduction
Ron Jones, Ken Gear, Philip Henderson
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 10:00 AM Pacific/1:00 PM Eastern
On Wednesday, March 14th at 1:00pm ET, the Green Builder® Coalition and Green Builder® Media will present an informational and thorough look at the SAVE Act. Moderated by Green Builder® Coalition Chairman Ron Jones, he’ll be joined by Ken Gear (Leading Builders of America) and Philip Henderson (National Resources Defense Council) to examine all aspects of the SAVE Act. Together, they’ll explore what the bill contains, how it proposes to modify home appraisals and how it might benefit the owners and occupants of energy efficient homes.
EPA WaterSense Webinar, Re-Scheduled
March 5th, 2012 by philcrone No comments »
EPA will be holding an informational webinar on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time where you can learn more about WaterSense, the benefits of joining the program, technical aspects of WaterSense labeled new homes, and how to earn the WaterSense label for your newly built homes. Partnership is free and you will have access to a suite of tools and materials to help promote your involvement in the program and your WaterSense labeled new homes. Click here to register today! If you have questions about the program or becoming a partner, contact the WaterSense Helpline at (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) or watersense@epa.gov.
Due to a scheduling conflict, the March 14 WaterSense new homes webinar has been rescheduled. Registrants will receive a cancellation confirmation from gotowebinar@citrixonline.com. » Read more: EPA WaterSense Webinar, Re-Scheduled
Drought May Still Mussel up Water Restrictions
January 31st, 2012 by philcrone No comments »by Phil Crone, Director of Government Affairs and Green Building Programs
A few weeks ago, I wrote that the North Texas Municipal Water District is considering a move to Stage 4 water restrictions (their highest contemplated level). Such a move would have a significant impact on the 1 million customers that get their water from cities that the District serves.
In furtherance of Stage 4 restrictions, a city may prohibit the irrigation of new landscaping using treated water, prohibit permitting of private pools, and initiate a rate surcharge for water use that exceeds normal rates according to the District’s Model Drought Contingency Plan. The plan, which was finalized in 2008, contains model ordinances for cities to adopt. Cities served by the District include Allen, Frisco, Garland, McKinney, Mesquite, Plano, Richardson, Rockwall and Wylie. » Read more: Drought May Still Mussel up Water Restrictions
Texas Green Home Summit to Focus on Water Conservation: April 18
January 20th, 2012 by philcrone No comments »The Texas Green Home Summit is one of the state’s largest green building events and the only one aimed at helping residential building professional find relevant solutions to today’s problems.
Summit programming will focus on water efficiency as the industry grapples with increasing challeges arising from drought and access to sources of water supply critical to the region’s continued growth. Other seminars will feature some of the state’s leading building science professionals as well as policy makers who will be defining the market landscape at the state and local levels.
Summit partners and exhibitors will benefit from their ability to reach hundreds of potential customers on the Show floor and thousands more via the media outreach that will occur in advance of the Summit.
Discounted registration of only $65 per person is available for a limited time, visit www.texasgreenhomesummit.com to sign up today.
Green Built Texas to Update Construction Protocol
January 20th, 2012 by philcrone No comments »
Green Built Texas is undergoing a comprehensive process to upgrade its single family construction protocol. The changes linked in the document below were recently approved by the program’s Board of Directors for implementation no later than May 1, 2012.
Several builders are currently piloting the new program in advance of its implementation. The HBA may take the feedback received from them to make slight adjustments or clarifications to the adopted protocols, but only as the need arises.
Builders are encouraged to contact their GBT verifiers for more information about these changes.
Green Built Texas Version 3.0 as approved by Green Built Texas Board of Directors.
EPA to host webinar on how to sell Energy Star v3 – Jan. 17.
January 10th, 2012 by philcrone No comments »
Learn the basics of what makes a home ENERGY STAR qualified under the Version 3 specifications, how to tell your energy efficiency story to potential customers, and how to implement tried-and-true sales strategies employed by successful ENERGY STAR homebuilders. » Read more: EPA to host webinar on how to sell Energy Star v3 – Jan. 17.
Clock Running Out on Extending Energy Tax Credits Expiring at Year’s End
December 20th, 2011 by philcrone No comments »Congress is unlikely to extend by the end of this year several tax incentives used by developers and remodelers that expire on Jan. 1.
The clock is running down on the New Energy Efficient Home Tax Credit (45L), the only federal incentive available for efficiency in new home construction. It provides a $2,000 tax credit to builders and developers for the construction and sale of homes that achieve a 50% improvement in energy efficiency over the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code. » Read more: Clock Running Out on Extending Energy Tax Credits Expiring at Year’s End
Are you eligible to work with Energy Star in 2012?
December 12th, 2011 by philcrone No comments »Builders, home energy raters and HVAC contractors who are working with the Energy Star program need to make sure they are in compliance with the requirements listed below by the end of the month or else they risk being ineligible to participate in the EPA program. » Read more: Are you eligible to work with Energy Star in 2012?
Making Up is Hard to Do
December 5th, 2011 by philcrone No comments »
Hey y’all, watch this: I can flush all the toilets in my house by turning on my range hood! I don’t think any of you have built a house that tight yet. If I can accomplish that feat, then consider this my claim for the exclusive YouTube rights.
Most houses have all sorts of exhaust appliances (bathroom fans, clothes dryers, wood stove, power vented water heater, etc.), but kitchen range hoods are typically the most powerful, pulling between 100 to 1200 cfm of air out of the house. As Isaac Newton told us in elementary school, for every action there must be an equal and opposite reaction. As such, every time air is removed from the house, an equal amount of air must enter. » Read more: Making Up is Hard to Do
