The Local • thesteamboatlocal.com • Volume 8 • Issue 24V
November 20 - December 3 , 2008
green acres
Local Green Building! AngelaAshby EcoBroker With the daily news constantly barraging us with information about green building, green jobs, green living, green EVERYTHING, what does that mean to us on a local level? Who should you believe? What should you be doing to save the planet from imploding on itself? What is being done locally? What are you going to do about the rise in energy costs? How are you going to ensure that you can sustain yourself in the Yampa Valley so you can be pressing glass on powder days? If all of this makes you want to run down the core trail and drown yourself in the sulfer pool… hold off, take solace and take a breather. This column is dedicated to bringing you tangible nuggets on how you can make your home, condo or earthship a little more energy efficient. I’ll even bring in some technical advice from experts, educate you on healthy interiors and update you on the world of green as we know it here in the Yampa Valley. For some, green is so yesterday, green is the new black. For others, it doesn’t seem likely that we can do anything to change the course of nature. Whatever your stance, you will probably learn something new in this column. Don’t hesitate; you can save some money on your energy bills and live healthier in the place you live or work. You’ve probably been hearing the buzz about the newly drafted Green Building Program for Routt County and Steamboat Springs. (There’s that green word again!) If you’re sick of the word green, think about sustainability, maintaining, ecological balance or, my favorite, eco-friendly! If you are a builder or an agent, be a capitalist and think about marketability: 80% of buyers are looking for energy efficient design to reduce energy costs. Consider the fact that the green housing market is the only segment really growing right Einstein, stop telling God what to do! - Neils Bohr
now in the building industry. A study in January 2008 by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) reports that renewable energy and energy efficiency industries have generated approximately 8.5 million green collar jobs in the United States. That number could grow to as many as 40 million green collar jobs by 2030. Steamboat could have a piece of that and it would mean a more diverse economy for us. Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to depend so much on tourism? So, here’s the skinny on the new Green Building Program. It goes up for adoption hearings before City Council and Routt County Commissioners before the end of the year. The recommendation is that it will be voluntary for the first year for new construction, in order to have proper education and outreach and so any kinks can be worked out in the plan. One of the primary components to this plan includes the ENERGY STAR performance pathway. In new construction, if a home gains this status it is like receiving a miles-per-gallon sticker for the home. These homes will be at least 20% more energy efficient than homes built to the standard codes. Another bonus to this certification is that the third party home energy rating (another topic for another day) can potentially increase its market value. The benefits of going through this type of certification far outweigh the upfront cost of having it done. The builder benefits, the suppliers benefit, the subcontractors benefit and homeowner because the home is simply better built for our climate. Stay tuned, watch for the joint meeting for the adoption hearings and check out the plan on www.steamboatsprings.net (under Department of Planning and Community Development) and link to the Green Building Program. Educate yourself! Many other communities across Colorado have already adopted similar programs.