USGBC Looks to the Builders Association Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend Green Built
Program to Advance Green Residential Housing Market and Third-Party Certification

May XX, 2010 – (Washington, D.C.) –The Builders Association Corpus Christi is the most recent regional home builders associations (HBA) in the country to be selected as a LEED for Homes Affiliate, according to the U.S. Green Building Council in its introduction of the new LEED for Homes green homebuilding Affiliate Program.

Developed solely to work with successful, regional HBAs, USGBC has launched the new program to encourage continued growth and increase the availability of the green homes stock. Local collaboration with HBAs across the country will further sustainable design, energy and resource efficiency in all dwellings.

The Builders Association of Corpus Christi utilizes its own third party green homebuilding certification system, which is specifically designed to address residential energy efficiency in extreme climates.

“The Coastal Bend Green Built program has a regionally-specific green building construction protocol that conforms to higher standards of site management, water efficiency, indoor air quality, energy efficiency and homeowner education,” says Garrett Dorsey III, Chair of CBGB. “To date, we have certified 111 homes through the Coastal Bend Green Built program. Now, as a LEED for Homes affiliate we offer even more options to the community of builders we serve, and greater educational opportunities for their customers who want green homes.”

“This is an important step forward as we advocate for full marketplace adoption of green homebuilding. One of the greatest benefits of the LEED green home certification program is its continual progress and flexibility,” said Nate Kredich, Vice President, Residential Market Development, U.S. Green Building Council. “Nowhere is that flexibility more evident than in our ability to work through local and regional HBAs to promote green homes in their areas.”

The collaborations illustrate how smoothly LEED works with other third-party green homebuilding programs. USGBC will further support its LEED for Homes Affiliates by helping HBAs educate and advocate on behalf of their members. To address the need for knowledgeable green homebuilding professionals, the Green Building Certification Institute implemented specializations for its LEED professional credentialing. The LEED Accredited Professional + Homes specialty allows LEED AP candidates to specialize as a green homebuilding expert in the residential field, advancing the construction of green homes by employing green building professionals.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, households account for 20 percent of energy consumed in the U.S. and 21 percent of carbon emissions. Furthermore, the DOE reports U.S. residential energy use has grown by 34 percent since 1985. Though green homebuilding programs are growing in popularity, the task of market transformation is an ongoing process, as some 120 million homes need energy efficiency improvements and retrofits.

For more information on how to become a LEED for Homes Affiliate or on the LEED for Homes Affiliate Program, please visit www.usgbc.org/homes.

LEED® for Homes

LEED® for Homes is a certification system that promotes the design and construction of high performance green homes. A green home uses less energy and water and fewer natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. To date more than 2,500 homes have been certified and more than 17,000 that are in the certification process. USGBC is working with more than 700 local builders and LEED for Homes Providers who are administering LEED residential certification on USGBC’s behalf at the local level. For more information, visit www.greenhomeguide.org.

U.S. Green Building Council

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 20,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 132,000 LEED credentialed professionals, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to soar to $60 billion by 2010. The USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39 percent of CO2 emissions, 40 percent of energy consumption, 13 percent water consumption and 15 percent of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85 percent of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org