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DRAFT 11-5-07
BUILDING GREEN
A Truckee Guide to Leading Green
Building Programs
(DRAFT)
November 5, 2007
Truckee Green Building Committee
DRAFT 11-5-07
Introduction
If you picked-up this informational handout, you are probably interested in green building. Great!
The Green Building Committee would like to thank you for thinking green and taking steps
towards sustainable living. We would also like to welcome you to Truckee and we hope you find
this collection of green building programs useful as you pursue your building endeavors in our
unique mountain town.
Background
The Truckee Green Building Committee was created by the Truckee Town Council in 2004 to
encourage and expand public communications on green building issues and policies. The
Committee consists of a diverse group of volunteers including representatives from
environmental/social backgrounds and interests (Mountain Area Preservation Foundation, Sierra
Green Building Association) and professional backgrounds and interests (contractors, engineers,
architects, real estate professionals). Our mission is to provide green building support and
direction to the Town of Truckee and the Truckee community through:
Education/promotion of sustainable and green practices.
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Collaboration with other local, regional and State jurisdictions.
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Promotion of innovative green technologies.
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While researching green building programs, we found that there are as many programs as there
are jurisdictions to implement them. In addition, what may work in one community may not work
in another due to climate, topography, community interest, and political will. Although Truckee is
working towards creating guidelines and a green building strategy, we are not there yet.
Additional work will need to be done to create the best strategy for our unique mountain
environment. This strategy is anticipated to be developed in the near future as a communicative
process with substantial public interest and input.
In the absence of adopted green building strategy, the Committee would like to encourage the use
of any and all green building practices for new construction and remodels. The following
summary of leading programs was developed in order to aid developers, homeowners, and
building professionals in creating green homes and commercial developments. This handout is
strictly for informational and educational purposes. We would encourage anyone interested in
creating a sustainable project to integrate all or some of the best practices from these programs
early in the process for the best possible outcome.
What is Green Building?
The Green Building Committee defines “Green Building” as:
Green Building is a whole systems approach to the design and construction of buildings
and communities with the ultimate goal of meeting current needs while minimizing
impacts to natural resources, other species and future generations. Effective
environmental design and sustainable development are reflected in site planning, project
design, choice of materials, construction techniques, energy efficiency, and water
conservation, among other aspects. (Truckee Green Building Committee, 2004)
This definition, which is based on sustainability, or the balance between social, economic, and
environmental impacts, encourages the community to consider not only development and the
impacts of construction, but lifestyle choices and full circle impacts of all of life’s activity. Green
building is important to our community and promotes the Truckee’s General Plan’s vision of
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meeting the challenge of accommodating growth while enhancing the beauty, history and small
town flavor of Truckee.
Does the Town of Truckee have a green building program?
The Town of Truckee does not currently have a green building program in effect. However, green
building practices have been integrated into the General Plan, the Zoning Ordinance (commonly
referred to as “The Town Development Code”), and the Public Improvement and Engineering
Standards (PIES). In addition, the Town is looking for ways to implement a green building
strategy in the near future.
What should I consider when choosing a green building program?
When considering a green building program it is important to look at several factors including
ease of use, implementation, flexibility, and compatibility with your project. Some programs are
geared towards commercial projects while others are geared towards residential projects. Some
require technical assistance and payment for third-party verification while others follow a self-
check method. Regardless of which program you choose, look for ways to integrate green
building into your design and integrate them early. Much of green building happens before the
land is purchased, before the designer is hired and before money has been spent. Choose a
program that best fits the goals and objectives of your project and the intent of why you are
building green.
Where can I learn more about green building?
Green building is an evolving industry with new products and programs being offered almost
daily. There is a wealth of knowledge nationally and locally. The following provides a list of key
websites to get you started in your green building research. Local designers, architects, engineers,
contractors, and building suppliers specializing in green building are also valuable resources.
Websites http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.as
www.townoftruckee.com p?page=7
www.greenbuilder.com www.tdpud.org
www.usgbc.org http://www.usgbc.org/
www.dcat.net
www.sbicouncil.org Publications
www.oikos.com www.naturalhomemagazine.com
www.sigba.org www.homepower.com
www.lowimpactdevelopment.org www.buildinggreen.com
www.bmpdatabase.org http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx
www.toolbase.org ?CategoryID=19
www.sustainable.doe.gov http://www.nahb.org/publication_details.
http://www.ca-tt.com/ aspx?publicationID=1994
http://www.westcoastgreen.com/
For information on green building within the Town of Truckee please contract:
Denyelle Nishimori, AICP
Associate Planner, Town of Truckee
10183 Truckee Airport Road. Truckee, CA 96162
Ph: 530-582-2934 (direct)/ Fx: 530-582-7710
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LEADING GREEN BUILDING
PROGRAMS
PROGRAM #1
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED)
®
What is LEED?
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Green Building Rating System™ is a nationally recognized
green building program for the design, construction, and
operation of high performance green buildings. LEED was
created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is
a membership-based organization that operates on
consensus-based decision making among its members. LEED
gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable
impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to
sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:
sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor
environmental quality.
LEED provides a roadmap for measuring and documenting success for every building type and
phase of a building lifecycle. Specific LEED programs include:
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New Commercial Construction and Major Renovation projects
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Existing Building Operations and Maintenance
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Commercial Interiors projects
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Core and Shell Development projects
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Homes (Pilot Program)
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Neighborhood Development (Pilot Program)
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Guidelines for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects
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LEED for Schools
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LEED for Retail
USGBC is also developing LEED for Healthcare, and LEED for Labs.
The USGBC website also has the LEED Resources page which has informative PowerPoint
presentations, brochures, and case studies, as well as LEED News and LEED-Online sample
credit templates.
How is LEED Developed?
The LEED Rating System was created to transform the built environment to sustainability by
providing the building industry with consistent, credible standards for what constitutes a green
building. The rating system is developed and continuously refined via an open, consensus-based
process that has made LEED the green building standard of choice for Federal agencies and
state and local governments nationwide. Click here for more information on the LEED
Development Process.
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What is LEED Certification?
The first step to LEED certification is to Register your project. A project is a viable candidate
for LEED certification if it can meet all prerequisites and achieve the minimum number of
points to earn the Certified level of LEED project certification. To earn certification, a building
project must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks ("credits") within each
category. Projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification depending on
the number of credits they achieve. This comprehensive approach is the reason LEED-certified
buildings have reduced operating costs, healthier and more productive occupants, and conserve
our natural resources.
Note for Product Manufacturers and Service Providers:
Although USGBC does not certify, promote, or endorse products and services of individual
companies, products and services do play a role and can help projects with credit
achievement. (Note that products and services do not earn projects points.) Learn more here
about how you and your company can help advance green building, while also achieving your
own environmental and economic goals.
Who Can Use LEED?
Everyone: Architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers,
landscape architects, construction managers, lenders, government officials...The LEED program
also includes a full suite of training workshops and a Professional Accreditation program to
develop and encourage green building expertise across the entire building industry.
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PROGRAM #2
GreenPoint Rated - The
Program
INTRODUCING GREENPOINT RATED
Your Assurance of a Better Place to Live
These days, it seems like everyone's talking about green homes, and for good reason.
Environmentally friendly homes not only save resources and money, they can last longer and
hold their value better than similarly priced homes. But how can you tell if a home really is
better for the environment and healthier to live in?
Enter GreenPoint Rated. GreenPoint Rated removes the guesswork from evaluating a home's
green features, allowing home buyers to compare newly built homes on a level playing field.
And GreenPoint Rated rewards building professionals who create green homes by allowing
them to brand their products with a recognizable, trustworthy seal of approval.
Think of GreenPoint Rated as a report card for new home construction. A GreenPoint Rated
home is graded on five categories-Energy Efficiency, Resource Conservation, Indoor Air
Quality, Water Conservation and Community. If the home meets minimum point requirements
in each category and scores more than 50 total points, then it earns the right to bear the
GreenPoint Rated label. Because GreenPoint Rated homes are evaluated by independent,
certified raters, building professionals and homeowners can feel confident that the rating has
integrity and value.
Build It Green
GreenPoint Rated is a program of -a professional non-profit membership
organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient buildings in
California.
Benefits of GreenPoint Rated
Buying or building a new home in California is complicated enough. So why bother with
GreenPoint Rated? Here are just a few of the program's many advantages:
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Home buyers: The GreenPoint Rated label gives you assurance that you're getting a
healthier, more environmentally responsible home. GreenPoint Rated homes are
verified to exceed state building and energy code requirements for health and
environmental performance.
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Builders, contractors and architects/designers: GreenPoint Rated provides
validation from a trusted, independent source to support your marketing efforts as a
green builder. Participating in GreenPoint Rated will help you meet growing consumer
demand for green homes and outpace your competition.
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Other building professionals: Real estate agents, financing specialists, appraisers
and others who work in fields related to new home construction and sales can rely on
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GreenPoint Rated to help their clients identify homes that are healthier, more
environmentally friendly and exceed California's building and energy codes.
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Local governments: GreenPoint Rated fosters sustainability in your community by
spurring the development of healthier, more environmentally responsible homes.
GreenPoint Rated also provides a means of tracking the number of green homes built
in your community and better understanding the resource and health benefits those
homes deliver.
Download Green Building Guidelines and GreenPoints Calculators:
2007 New Home Construction Green Building Guidelines
2007 New Home GreenPoints Calculator
(Excel)
2007 New Home Community & Innovations Checklist
(Excel)
2005 New Home Construction Green Building Guidelines
2005 New Home GreenPoints Calculator
(Excel)
2005 New Home Guidelines References
2007 Home Remodeling Green Building Guidelines
2003 Home Remodeling Green Building Guidelines
2003 Home Remodeling GreenPoints Checklist
(Excel)
Multifamily Green Building Guidelines
Multifamily GreenPoints Calculator
(Excel)
Look for the GreenPoint Rated Label
Every step toward a healthier, more environmentally friendly home is a step in the right
direction-whether it's an easy step such as choosing ENERGY STAR appliances or a bigger
challenge such as including renewable energy systems.
To help home buyers and builders make progress on the path toward greener homes,
GreenPoint Rated has been designed a bit like a report card. All homes independently verified
by certified raters to meet GreenPoint Rated standards earn the right to bear the program's
label.
But GreenPoint Rated goes beyond merely offering a seal of approval that the home exceeds
California's minimum building and energy code requirements. It also provides a numerical
score, which allows buyers to evaluate and compare the environmental performance of
individual homes.
What's more, this scoring system gives builders an incentive for continuing to build greener as
they gain experience with environmentally friendly products and construction practices. And it
rewards builders whose homes have achieved higher levels of performance than their
competitors' homes.
Newly constructed single-family homes (custom and production) and multifamily homes in
California are currently eligible for participation. GreenPoint Rated for remodeling and existing
homes is under development.
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GreenPoint Rated is in Good Company-and So Are You
Although GreenPoint Rated has high visibility within California's residential construction
market, it is actually just one member of Build It Green's family of ready-to-use tools and
Ask an Expert HotlineAccessGreen
resources. These include , online directory of green
home tourstraining
building products and services, , ongoing educational workshops and
opportunitiescouncil structure
, and a that supports professional development and
networking.
Keep in mind that creating greener homes is a process in which everyone has a role. Wherever
you are in that process-whether you're a home buyer wanting to learn the basics or a builder
who has been building green for years-Build It Green offers tools and resources to support
you.
Compatibility with Other Rating Programs
GreenPoint Rated is a comprehensive program specifically addressing the needs of California's
residential building industry, but using it does not preclude participating in other green home
rating systems. In fact, GreenPoint Rated was designed not to compete but to be compatible
with programs such as ENERGY STAR for Homes (which focuses on the energy efficiency of
new homes), the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Homes Program, the National
Association of Home Builders' guidelines (both national programs that are not tailored to
specific regional conditions), and California Green Builder (a program developed by the
building industry for production builders).
Depending on the builder's marketing needs, GreenPoint Rated can be used either
independently or in conjunction with these other home rating systems.
GreenPoint Rated: Made in-and for-California
Although GreenPoint Rated has only recently made its public debut, it's hardly a new kid on
the block. In fact, GreenPoint Rated is an outgrowth of successful green building programs and
Green Building
resources that have been serving Californians since 2000. Its origins lie in the
GuidelinesGreen Building in Alameda County
first developed by and now managed by
Build It Green to serve the entire state.
The Guidelines, and the rating and third-party verification system that grew out of them, were
developed and repeatedly refined by a diverse set of residential building stakeholders,
including production builders, contractors, architects and designers, multifamily home
developers, state and local government leaders, regional and national building-science
experts, product manufacturers and suppliers, and green building advocates. In the past six
years, numerous local governments have adopted and use the Guidelines, and many
encourage or require third-party rating.
The Guidelines' recommended measures and the performance benchmarks in GreenPoint
Rated were specifically developed to address climate and market conditions in California, are
endorsed by credible third-party sources, and are backed by sound building science. Builders
and home buyers can feel confident that the measures underlying GreenPoint Rated have been
tried and tested in the field, and proven to be effective. And the process for updating the
program over time is controlled by California decision makers and stakeholders, not by
interests outside of the state.
GreenPoint Rated is truly a community-based program, made in-and for-California.
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PROGRAM #3
Green Globes: Why You Will Love It!
The Green Globes system is a revolutionary green management tool that includes an assessment protocol,
rating system and guide for integrating environmentally friendly design into commercial buildings. Once
complete, it also facilitates recognition of the project through third-party verification.
Flexible
Designed for use on building projects of any size, the Green Globes system is suitable for everything from
large and small offices and multi-family structures, to institutional buildings such as schools, universities and
libraries. The Green Globes suite of tools is used to integrate sustainability goals into new construction,
renovations, and entire building portfolios.
Comparable
Owners and developers with multiple properties can use Green Globes to assess and compare the buildings
in their portfolio. As more and more buildings are Green Globes verified, point scores will also be
aggregated in an anonymous database, enabling users to analyze how their design performs in relation both
to the median and to buildings that are similar in terms of size, type and region.
Adaptable
Because the assessment is completed online, inputs can be changed for up to a year with an option to
extend. This allows users to keep their assessment up-to-date as the building parameters change through
the project delivery stages.
Secure
With Green Globes self-assessment, project confidentiality and security are assured. Data that you provide
online is confidential. No other users will have access to your energy consumption figures or to your
benchmark results. This information will be accessible to you and you alone. Verified data is collected
anonymously and used for statistical and benchmarking purposes, but no information that could identify your
company or building will be collected or used for this analysis.
Supports Integrated Design
Green Globes facilitates the integrated design process, encouraging multi-disciplinary collaboration from the
earliest stages of a project. The system guides design team members by reminding them of next steps and
introducing the elements of sustainability in a logical sequence.
Facilitates Planning
Self-assessment occurs in two phases: during the schematic design stage (which corresponds with site plan
approval), and during the construction documents stage (which typically corresponds with building permit
approval). This allows design teams, clients and municipal authorities to review a detailed report that
provides the percentage of points likely to be achieved (out of 1000), highlights of the project’s
environmental attributes, and suggestions for improvements.
Third-party Verification
GBI oversees a network of Green Globes-trained regional verifiers comprised primarily of licensed architects
and engineers with significant experience in building sciences and sustainability issues. No building project
can be promoted as having achieved a rating of one, two, three, or four Green Globes until it has passed a
rigorous two-stage, third-party verification process.
Stage I can be initiated by the design team as soon as the Construction Documents questionnaire is
finalized. The completed questionnaire is verified against the documentation generated throughout the
design process. Once complete, the design team will receive a Certificate of Achievement. However, a final
rating cannot be achieved until after a Stage II verification, which occurs post-construction. Stage II includes
a site inspection by the third-party verifier and can be initiated as soon as construction is complete.
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PROGRAM #4
NAHB'S MODEL GREEN HOME BUILDING
GUIDELINES
The exploding market for sustainable, environmentally friendly and recycled building products, along with
the greater availability of educational opportunities for builders, has accelerated green building’s
acceptance rate. By the end of 2007, more than half of NAHB’s members, who build more than 80 percent
of the homes in this country, will be incorporating green practices into the development, design and
construction of new homes.
NAHB's voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are designed to be a tool kit for the individual
builder looking to engage in green building practices and home builder associations (HBAs) looking to
launch their own local green building programs. Since their debut in 2005, the Guidelines have helped
move environmentally friendly home building concepts further into the mainstream marketplace.
Currently, there are approximately 50 locally grown green building programs across the country, many of
which are run by the local home builders' association (HBA). Eleven of these programs are voluntary,
HBA-driven efforts, based on the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidlelines; and approximately ten
additional Guidelines-based programs are under development.
The Guidelines contain six primary sections:
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Lot Preparation and Design - Even before the foundation is poured, careful planning can reduce
the home’s impact on natural features such as vegetation and soil; and enhance the home's long-
term performance. Such preparation can provide significant value to the homeowner, the
environment, and the community. Included for the end user, especially developers, is a Site
Planning Appendix that closely mirrors this section and provides additional guidance.
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Resource Efficiency – Advanced framing techniques and home designs can effectively optimize
the use of building materials. This section also details how careful material selection can reduce
the amount of time and money needed for home maintenance; and demonstrates equally important
construction waste management concepts.
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Energy Efficiency – This is the most quantifiable aspect of green building. The information in this
section will help a builder create a better building envelope and incorporate more energy efficient
mechanical systems, appliances, and lighting into a home, yielding long-term utility bill savings
and increased comfort for the homeowner.
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Water Efficiency/Conservation – Although, the relative importance of water availability and usage
varies from region to region, the concern with adequate supply is becoming more widespread
geographically. Experience also shows that employing the line items from this section of the
Guidelines for indoor and outdoor water use can reduce utility bills, regardless of location.
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Occupancy Comfort and Indoor Environmental Quality – Effective management of moisture,
ventilation, and other issues can create a more comfortable and healthier indoor living
environment.
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Operation, Maintenance and Education - Given the level of effort a home builder goes through to
create a well thought out home system, it would be a shame not to give the home owner guidance
on how to optimally operate and maintain the house. Line items from this section show a builder
how best to educate homeowners on the features of their new green home.
In summary, the voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are for the mainstream home
builder. They will help systematize the green design and construction process and assist the builder toward
incorporating more green building features into homes. As NAHB Research Center data indicates that
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there is a growing number of green homes built annually, it is expected that these voluntary Guidelines will
help builders meet the needs of this growing market.
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TRUCKEE GUIDE TO LEAD GREEN BUILDING PROGRAMS
VERIFICATION
CREATORPROGRAMAPPLICABILITYWEBSITE
OFFERED?
New commercial,
commercial
remodels, multi-
U.S. Green Building http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.a
LEEDfamily; Pilot Yes
Councilspx?CategoryID=19
programs: new
single-family and
neighborhoods
New single-family,
GreenPoint http://www.stopwaste.org/docs/newh
Build-it-GreenYes
new multi-family,
Ratedomes_2005.pdf
single-family
New commercial,
Green Building commercial
Green Globes Yeshttp://www.greenglobes.com/
Initiative remodels, multi-
family
Green Home
National Association http://www.nahb.org/publication_det
Building New single-family No
of Home Buildersails.aspx?publicationID=1994
Guidelines