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InSync – With Green Building
Standards Plan
Have you noticed? A lot of buildings are going “green,”
and contractors want to present a “green”
image when they bid on such projects. Should you market
yourself as a “green” contracting firm? You
better hold off.
“Talk to your attorneys before you make some
marketing claims,” said Maribeth S. Rizzuto, a
LEED Accredited Professional and director of training
and education for the Steel Framing Alliance, Washington,
D.C. Rizzuto made those comments in March at AWCI’s
Annual Convention & Intex Expo 08. Her 7:45-a.m.,
hour-and-a-half-long seminar in Las Vegas was packed
nearly to capacity with contractors, labor union officials
and other interested parties.
Rizzuto explained that the construction world is moving
beyond rating systems, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) and Green Globes, and toward
the adoption of green construction standards.
Enforceable Standards
Yes, green building standards—not just rating
systems—are currently being finalized. According
to Rizzuto, the very first American National Standards
Institute accredited standard in the United States,
will most likely be the National Green Building ICC/NAHB
700-2008, developed by the International Code Council
and the National Association of Home Builders. Other
standards taking shape include California’s green
building standard, the ASHRAE 189.1, and Green Globes
Design v.1.
What does this mean for contractors? First, be careful
about what “green” building claims you make.
Terms such as reused and recycled, for example, mean
different things. All steel is made from recycled material,
such as scrap cars, old soup cans and refrigerators
that have been returned to the steel mills and recharged
into the furnaces to make new steel sheet. Reuse would
be a practice where you would simply recover and reuse
steel right on the construction site without it being
returned to the mill. Anyway, just because you use recycled
or reused materials, it doesn’t mean that your
operation is “green.” You have to be saving
water, energy, emissions, waste and so forth.
Second, many of the standards and rating systems require
third-party verification. In some locations the building
code jurisdictions will conduct this task. The cost
for the verification is assumed by the building developer
who is trying to get the project rated.
Third, don’t substitute products on green building
projects. Rizzuto told Las Vegas conventioneers about
a contractor who switched out a low-toxicity paint.
The finish was the same, but the application missed
the performance benchmarks. As a result, the building
owner did not achieve the green building rating they
were seeking.
Green Sheening
Changes are taking place quickly. Federal government
agencies like the Department of Agriculture, Department
of Defense, Department of Energy and Department of State
have adopted LEED “Silver” as the baseline
for all building projects. Some states now mandate that
municipalities use the LEED rating system.
Given all of this, it’s temping for a contractor
to say, “We’re green, too.” But, be
careful if you have not launched true, environmentally
responsible programs. Attempting to mislead others regarding
one’s environmental practices is called greenwashing.
Giving the appearance of being green is green sheening.
Either way, advertising green claims without substantiating
such claims is bad for business. The public watches
what companies do. Third-party verifiers soon will be
watching, too. It’s time to listen and learn—so,
assign someone to do just that. “I am imploring
all of you to find someone on your staff to do nothing
but green building,” Rizzuto said. “If you
do not start now, you will not stay competitive.”
Mark L. Johnson is an industry writer and marketing
communications consultant.
Source: Construction Dimensions,
May 2008
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