June 2, 2008 (Johnson City, TN) – With the price of fuel going up a number of times over the last two years and the price of food and other perishables on a steady increase, the Johnson City Area Home Builders Association has introduced a Green Building Council with a program designed to help teach builders and the public the benefits of “green homes”.  Building green is not so big a leap that it is cost prohibitive.  In fact, the difference in building green is usually recovered in energy cost savings in just a few years.

The National Association of Home Builders introduced the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines in 2005 as the pioneer rating system for American home construction.  Then, in partnership with the International Code Council, NAHB supported the first-ever ANSI-approved Green Building Standard™.  The NAHB National Green Building Program is now online and accessible to any HBA member at www.nahbgreen.org.  

JCAHBA’s Green Building Council has adopted the guidelines as its’ model and will work toward providing builders who wish to become certified with scholarship dollars for the required classes.  Educational forums will also be held to educate the public on the various components of green building.   

“Builders can now be certified as NAHB Certified Green Builders”, Cory Lewis, JCAHBA’s Green Building Council Chair stated, “and only homes built by certified builders can be submitted to qualify as a Certified Green Home”.  Lewis went on to say “There are many advantages to those builders and associates who do become (green) certified as we approach this new age of building and developing, where responsibility and innovation come together to create eco-friendly homes and communities that are in high demand.”

For those consumers and builders interested in going green, assistance is available through the Johnson City Area HBA office.  For more information, contact Jan Shrewsbury or Lisa Luster at 423-282-2561.