National green standards hit home

While environmentally friendly techniques are making inroads in the local home building market, Brett Godfrey of Built by Brett Homes is the first southwest Missouri builder to use the National Association of Home Builders' green standards, according to officials with the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield.

In June, he plans to showcase the home, located in the Woodfield Park subdivision, during the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield's 2009 Parade of Homes.

Godfrey, who has earned his Green Professional certification from NAHB, said the process focuses largely on the building structure, as well as insulation, sustainability and site selection.

"(Green building) is all a system, because one thing affects another and they all have to work together to be cost effective, maximize indoor comfort, reduce monthly home operating costs and reduce carbon footprints," Godfrey said.

He said it's uncertain whether the home, now under construction, will actually receive NAHB green home certification, because there aren't enough NAHB-qualified home certifiers, but he said the home will meet the standards needed for certification.

For NAHB, these include proper site selection, efficient use of materials, use of recycled products, energy and water conservation, and minimal environmental impact.

The home, at 5318 S. Parklane Ave., will be listed for $549,900 and features blown-in fiberglass insulation, ultra-low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures and engineered lumber from sustainable forests.

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