We are building a 5,000 sq ft ICF home with geothermal, Serious windows, and Demilec insulation in addition to some other green products (solar in the future). This is a house we ARE going to live in forever~!!! My builder is strongly suggesting that we spend $1200.00 to obtain an emerald certification on our home. I see the value for resale, but not when we're going to be there forever....any thoughts???

twin1chrissy
What exactly do you get for that $1200?

Not to be snide.....but.....does your builder want you to spend the $1200 so he can get more than that in accolades for advertising and future sales? Where is the tax credit money going? Is he retaining it?
Rich Melius

some tax credits can only go to the builder

RichM, that's exactly what we are thinking..... I'm assuming we'd get a "pretty" framed certificate.....

Your builder will spend a lot of time on any Green Certificate rating paperwork and inspections, so if that is your only cost it is more than fair. A good part of that is also probably going to the people who are doing the inspections. Whether or not you go for the certificate, you should definitely have him sign up for Energy Star so that the house will be reviewed and blower door tested by a third party. This is typically a free service. Using the right materials is the first step, but if the right detailing is not used they will not perform as they should. It is a good sign that your builder is willing to have his work reviewed by others!

Bob;

it is free for the builder to sign up to be an energystar builder, but it is not typically free to have it tested and certified for energystar. In addition the builder may need to spend additional monies to get the rating good enough to qualify for rebates or tax credits
Our last certification cost $450.00

In NH & I think throughout New England the electric utilities pick up the cost of the Energy Star rater, so there is no charge to someone building.

In any event, I think it is worth the cost to have the house blower door tested and rated. $450 is in the ballpark for what independent auditors charge in this area. Realtors are going to start listing the HERS score (from the ES rating) on the listing report; at some point it will probably be required either legally or by default just as heating costs are now. Radon levels, common in NH, is sought by almost all buyers since they see a value in knowing the levels. HERS scores will be similar - when the public understands that the score directly relates to comfort and heating costs.

Bob;

I am in agreement that it is worth the $450. and in my area Florida Progress Energy used to have their own raters, but they discontinued their help in that area, also at one time the Florida Soalr Energy Center rated about a half dozen of our homes. But as far as I know it must now be paid by the builder in Florida and Louisiana. Progress Energy has rebate programs that helps offset the cost of the rating, but by in large it takes the commitment by the builder to build Energy Star, despite some upfront cost to themselves.
I think the upside to the builder is better marketing in setting themselve apart from "Joe Homebuilder"
We have looked into the LEED program and while our homes would go a long way towards acheiving the certification, we are not inclined to participate because of the cost and ROI
...

Bob and Chjris,
Have either of you looked into the NAHB energy rating program? If so how does it compare in cost? I have read about it but have not gotten an actual cost.
Is it a recognized program in your location? (to real estate professionals and home buyers)
Rich Melius

Rich;

have not heard of the NAHB being involved with rating.

From nahbgreen.org: National Green Building Certification offers certification to the ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard™, an ANSI-approved consensus standard that provides criteria for rating the environmental performance of residential buildings including detached and attached single-family, multi-unit and renovation projects.

The NAHB Research Center, a nationally-accredited third-party certification agency, is the sole certifier for National Green Building Certification and is a Builders Challenge Partner. Based on this existing partnership, new single-family homes that are certified Silver, Gold, or Emerald to the Standard can be concurrently certified to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Builders Challenge."

There is a lot of info on that site.
Rich Melius

Rich;

I am a member of the "Builders Challenge" and one of their original thirty members

NAHB rolled out its NAHBGreen program last year as sort of a "builder friendly" version of the LEEDS certification. The NH affiliate program, BUILD GREEN NH was also started last year. Like LEEDS, energy efficiency is one of several areas rated, and like LEEDS, uses basic Energy Star as a benchmark goal. Builders or energy auditors can obtain certification as "raters" to certify houses. I don't know the cost of the program - last I knew how mcuh to charge for certifying was up to the rater; that may have evened out by now. For my part I think that the "energy" section of these programs is a much more important issue and that basic Energy Star isn't anywhere near where we have to be. That is where Passive House comes in - a proven program for building extremely efficient buildings. We now have to figure out how to build affordable houses to that standard.

There is an article in the current issue of Fine Homebuilding that discusses the merits of some of the different green building programs, including LEED and the National Green Building Standard. You can see the intro here http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/green-building-programs.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp, but you have to sign up for a free trial membership to see the rest. The issue is worth picking up at the newsstand though, as it also has a good article comparing six different types of superinsulating wall construction.

I don't know how to adjust, if anyone konw, please let me know. Also interested in this problem.
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Led T8 fluorescent tube lighting

Thanks to all who replied...after doing a little more research I found that our local electric company offers free services: door blower and duct test. We've decided against spending the money for the rating and have these services done free.

Maybe the ICF guys will have a better idea, but I would think you should be looking for a blower door result below "2.0 at 50 pascals". Find out if they will give you the HERS rating also.

richm;

buiders challenge .......... http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb693283.htm