FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Feb. 1, 2008

Contact: Brad Wurfel, 503-603-4508

HBA and Energy Trust host green building programs

Nearly 500 home building professionals turned out this week for a series of seminars on green building topics offered by the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland.

The program was sponsored by Energy Trust of Oregon’s ENERGY STAR New Homes program, with support from Earth Advantage and Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods program, and included local officials and industry leaders.

Topics included construction techniques to help builders create energy efficient homes and properly recycle material during remodeling, as well as landscaping methods that use natural materials and native plants. Highlights included:

• Duane Woik of Earth Advantage, Karl Lange of Renaissance Homes and Scott Thayer of Ankrom Moisan hosted a panel that discussed the issues and topics most pertinent to today’s green building market, including durability, sustainable materials, and design considerations for green buildings. 

• Kathy Shearin of East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District discussed the Naturescapes program, which encourages natural landscaping using native vegetation.

• Candace Stoughton, of East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, offered a detailed presentation on rain gardens and their use in naturally managing storm water.

• David Elkin, Bureau of Environmental Services, discussed the Greenstreets program, which uses swales and other natural means to manage stormwater and add green spaces to streets.

• Dan Cote of Energy Star, Toby White of Forensics Building Consultants led a seminar on building envelope issues important to the durability and sustainability of a home, including moisture intrusion, rain screens and ventilation management. It included an in-depth analysis of various building envelope options and their effectiveness.

• Lizzie Giles of Energy Trust and Brady Peeks from the Oregon Department of Energy detailed various tax credits and other incentives available for green building practices. Areas covered included energy efficient appliances, use of solar energy, and information about the builder tax credits for high performance homes and renewable energy use.

• A team of area professionals addressed deconstruction and site recycling from a green point of view.

Gary Fox, president of Fox Construction and chair of the HBA’s Green Building Council, noted that sustainability in the home building industry touches the way entire neighborhoods are developed – from the way storm water is managed on neighborhood streets to the way windows, doors and attics are insulated to provide maximal energy efficiency.

Portland is regarded as a national leader in most facets of sustainability. Program hosts said the local market, one of the three healthiest in the nation, is particularly receptive to green building practices because city residents have embraced the broader green movement in other facets of their lives.

“Homes built to green standards are among the most energy efficient, from lights and appliances to the way they help control a homeowner’s heating and cooling bills,” Fox said. “As more and more people realize the value of green construction, the demand in the housing market will continue to grow. The HBA is working to help its membership prepare for tomorrow’s market.”

David Nielsen, HBA CEO, said the association recently formalized its Green Building Council as a way to promote sustainable building issues to its membership and create a strong dialogue with government officials about how to work with the industry in promoting green building.

“Buyers with good credit are now finding some great values in the market right now,” Nielsen said. “One of those values is the energy efficiency found in more and more new homes. We anticipate this will be a huge selling point in 2008 and beyond.”  

For more information about the HBA’s Green Building Week and other programs, go to www.homebuildersportland.org

The Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland is the leading voice for the residential building industry, representing more than 1,450 builders, remodelers and industry professionals. Since 1942, HBA has worked on behalf of our industry to promote diverse, affordable housing options to area residents.

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