Attend the 2008 Built Green Universities:

Durango – April 17th - 18th
Denver – April 23rd - 24th

Sign up now for this day and half seminar on the Built Green® approach to energy- and resource-efficient home building.  You'll receive essential information on cost-effective methods to improve home performance, reduce callbacks, and hold your market edge. Learn:

• How (and why) to comply with the 2008 Built Green® Checklist.
• How building science and the systems approach results in better performing homes
• How and why to go beyond the minimum in energy efficiency
• How all of this will reduce common problems and expensive callbacks
• Field demonstration, location to be determined

Speakers/Demonstrations:
Justin Wilson, Building Performance Solutions
Traci D'Alessio, Built Green Colorado

To register for the Durango BGU, click here: https://www.energymeetings.com/calendar/register.asp?CalendarID=10610

To register for the Denver BGU, click here: https://www.energymeetings.com/calendar/register.asp?CalendarID=10611

Your attendance is requested at a very critical meeting which may have significant impact to the Built Green energy requirements. Built Green is considering requiring ENERGY STAR for New Homes standards as the Built Green minimum energy efficiency requirement beginning with homes registered on or after September 1, 2008. Built Green will be holding a meeting with Sam Rashkin, national director of ENERGY STAR for New Homes so he may answer any questions that our members may have regarding this decision.

Friday March 28, 2008 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the HBA of Metro Denver, Board Room

Please email Traci D’Alessio at: tdalessio@earthlink.net, with any questions regarding this event.

Built Green BUILDER wins highest honor in national energy efficiency award program

Congratulations to Aspen Homes of Colorado,
Named Energy Value Housing Award Builder of the Year!

February 13, 2008, Orlando, Fla. - Built Green member, Aspen Homes of  Colorado, Inc. of Loveland has been recognized by the NAHB Research Center as the 2008 Energy Value Housing Award (EVHA) Builder of the Year.  To read the article about three-time EVHA winner in the cold climate category for custom, production, and affordable homes click here.

The Home Builders Association of Metro Denver is excited to announce that the 2008 Builder Product Night will be hosted at the Colorado Convention Center in Downtown Denver. Associate Members display what’s new for 2008 in “National Show” style with the benefit of a local venue and audience.

At this show, Associate Members have an exclusive target audience of HBA builder members in attendance to see the newest and best, latest and greatest of products available to Colorado’s builders.

A Builder Forum comprised of industry experts will give opinions and lead discussions on the market in addition to all the great food, drink, and networking opportunities.  This is the only yearly event of its kind offered by the HBA. Don’t miss this opportunity.

Builder Member Registration Form - Click Here

Associate Member  Registration Form - Click Here

Despite the free fall in housing prices nationwide, green homes are still red hot.
Click here to read the entire article, http://www.newsweek.com/id/120128

May 11-13, 2008 Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
To register: www.nahb.org/greenbuildingconference

As acceptance and demand for green building grows, its methods, techniques and products are becoming smarter and more sophisticated. The NAHB National Green Building Conference takes the mystery out of green building and provides education, speakers and exhibits to give you a leading edge.

In a bid to stand out in a sagging housing market, an increasing number of real-estate agents are marketing themselves as eco-friendly -- connecting environmentally conscious buyers to green homes and helping sellers make their homes more eco-sensitive. To read the full article featuring Built Green Sponsor Eco-Broker, click here: http://realestate.msn.com/Buying/Green/Article_wsj.aspx?cp-documentid=6351813&GT1=45002

For more information about Eco-Broker, contact them at (303) 674-7770

I once listened to an interview with an astronomer who was asked how he could devote so much time to questions that won’t be answered in his lifetime.  He replied, “I’m just part of the process.”  That response rings true, particularly in the evolution of the building process.

Imagine for a moment that the green building movement began in the mid-1950s instead of the ‘90s.  Where do you suppose we would be?  It seems unlikely we would still be debating the value of high-performance homes, but it is impossible to speculate what our buildings and transportation system would look like, or what they might look like as we gaze into the future with green-colored glasses.  All we know is that our current decisions will have consequences, and that engaging in the process of improving home performance and reducing the impact of buildings on global resources is movement in a positive direction.

To read the entire article by Doug Seiter, click here, or see the February 2008 issue of Home Builder Magazine.

To subscribe to Home Builder Magazine, please click here

Sponsors:
Henkel Corporation – Avon, OH
Home Run Internet Service – Las Colinas, TX
Water Legacy, LLC – Boulder, CO

The total number of home registrations so far for 2008  is 90.

Remember: Built Green home registration submittals are no longer accepted on a quarterly basis.  Builders must submit and pay for home registrations at the time they pull each permit or on a monthly basis.  The fee per home is $40.

Click here to download the Built Green home registration template.

This month’s sales tip features item #32 from the 2007 Built Green Checklist

32. Advanced Sealing package in addition to basic sealing practices, must complete ALL of the following:

• Seal at top and bottom plates and at all exterior wall corners.
• Seal all attic penetrations and install weather stripped attic hatch, insulated to equivalent attic R-value, with secure closure mechanism.
• Seal at all mechanical penetrations with foam or caulk (both interior and exterior walls).
• Seal around all windows and doors with caulk, foam or other insulating materials (i.e. chinking).

Sales Tip: When a builder takes extra steps to build a house with a tight envelope, it means less air is exchanged between the outdoor and indoor environment through uncontrolled leaks in the envelope, minimizing drafts and uncomfortable spots in the home. This better building practice greatly increases your comfort in the home and ensures you won’t be wasting money on energy bills every month.

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© 2007 Home Builders Association of Metro Denver