As the green movement evolves, more organizations are offering programs for remodelers. These range from education and certification of individuals and companies to rating systems for houses.
“There are two advantages to being certified,” says Dennis Allen, president of green remodeling company Allen Associates, in Santa Barbara, Calif. “First, it pushes you to learn about green. Second, it will help you talk to clients [about sustainable building practices] and market yourself.”
Remodelers should review the programs to find the best fit. “There are many options out there,” says green consultant and educator Carl Seville, president of Seville Consulting, in Atlanta. “Take advantage of them to learn about green building and remodeling.”
National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Green Certified Professional (GCP)
PROCEDURE
- Complete the current Green Certified Professional application for the GCP program.
- All experience and coursework must be completed at the time that the application is submitted.
- Once the application is accepted, you will receive an acknowledgement.
- Successful applicants are qualified to take the exam once during the next 24 months. If unsuccessful on the first attempt, subsequent examinations taken within this two-year window are subject to a retest fee of $50 per test.
REQUIREMENTS
- You must be employed by or own a company engaged in commercial or residential green remodeling.
- You are required to have a minimum of five years continuous full-time experience in the remodeling industry.
- You must have completed 16 hours of education addressing green or sustainable building and/or remodeling principles within the last five years.
EXAM
The GCP exam is typically conducted annually at participating NARI chapters.
Depending on demand and availability, tests may be given in conjunction with regional trade shows such as the Remodeling Show and the JLC Live trade show — both produced by Hanley Wood, which publishes Remodeling. The exam is offered in a single four-hour session.
COST
A fee ($550 for NARI members, $750 for nonmembers) must accompany the application.
The GCP application documents your qualifying experience, technical competence, professional development activities, and attestation to uphold NARI’s Code of Ethics.
A nonrefundable processing fee is part of the application fee. If you fail to meet the application requirements, your application fee will be returned to you, less the $200 nonrefundable portion.
MARKETING/ADDED BENEFIT
Consumers will be able to find local NARI GCPs at www.greenremodeling.org or on the NARI Web site.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Annual renewal ($75) requires 10 hours of continuing education per year in the green or sustainable building area.
INDIVIDUALS CERTIFIED
65
National Association of Home Builders Certified Green Professional (CGP)
PROCEDURE
- The CGP designation is not specific to remodeling. It is open to anyone in the building profession, including builders, architects, and sales and marketing professionals.
- The courses are the same, regardless of someone’s area of expertise.
- Students take the two-day “Green Building for Building Professionals” course with a 20-question test at the end of day two.
- Next, they take the one-day “Business Management for Building Professionals” course with a 20-question test at the end.
- Graduation applications should be submitted after the student receives his or her course certificates.
REQUIREMENTS
- A minimum of two years building industry experience.
- Adherence to the CGP Code of Ethics — you must sign the code with your application.
- Completion of the Green Building for Building Professionals two-day course.
- Completion of the Business Management for Building Professionals course, or you must hold another NAHB University of Housing designation.
EXAM
Exams are part of the two courses. Applicants cannot take the tests without having taken the courses.
COST
CGP graduation fee: $145 for members, $245 for nonmembers.
Green Building for Building Professionals course: $395 for members, $445 for nonmembers.
Business Management for Building Professionals course: $195 for members, $245 for nonmembers.
MARKETING/ADDED BENEFIT
Consumers are able to search by designation, state, or ZIP code at www.nahb.org/designationsdirectory.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Annual renewal fees: $50 for members, $75 for nonmembers.
To maintain your CGP designation, you are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education every three years. A minimum of six hours is required to come from The NAHB University of Housing educational activities. A minimum of eight hours is required to come from green-building industry-related educational activities.
INDIVIDUALS CERTIFIED
1,500 (There is no data on how many of these CGPs are remodelers.)
Green Advantage
PROCEDURE
Green Advantage is an environmental certification for building-related practitioners — primarily contractors, subcontractors, and tradespeople. There are three types of certification: commercial, residential, and commercial/residential.
Most people sitting for the exam prepare by participating in training that is authorized by Green Advantage. An exam is scheduled after most training sessions.
REQUIREMENTS
None
EXAM
Applicants participating in authorized training can take the exam open-book and can retake the exam as many times as necessary to achieve a grade of 75% or greater, but they must pay the fee each time.
Those who feel that they have sufficient knowledge can sit for the exam without authorized training, but they must take it closed-book.
COST
The training course fee varies based on the authorized training facility, ranging from $325 to $800. The exam fee is $125 if taking the exam at a scheduled session as part of authorized Green Advantage training.
Students unable to attend the scheduled testing session following the training can arrange to take the test at a participating community college or testing site for an additional $25.
Exams must be taken within 90 days of completing training. The fee for taking the exam without authorized training is $175.
MARKETING/ADDED BENEFIT
The Green Advantage Web site has a searchable database of certified individuals.
It is possible for your project to attain a LEED Innovation Credit if a significant percentage of the project’s building crew is Green Advantage–certified.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Because the green-building field is rapidly developing and changing, candidates must pass a re-certification exam every three years to remain Green Advantage–certified. The cost is $125.
INDIVIDUALS CERTIFIED
Several thousand
Building Performance Institute: BPI Certified Professional
PROCEDURE
BPI’s certifications and accreditation focus on building performance, not general green practices. The institute offers several certifications for individuals within the two broad categories of small homes and multifamily dwellings including Building Analyst — a good fit for remodelers.
BPI also offers accreditation for companies that agree to perform work according to its standards. Mathew Anderson, director of certification and accreditation, suggests starting with individual certification and offering the services to homeowners to gauge their reaction before applying for company accreditation.
The BPI-Certified Professional is the individual certification. It requires that you:
- Submit a candidate application form. BPI or an affiliate will then contact you to evaluate your background and recommend training.
- Schedule your exam. Most affiliates offer the written exam at the end of the training.
- Pass your exam with 70% or higher.
The BPI-Accredited Contractor is the company certification. It requires that your firm:
- Submit an application and provide supporting documentation.
- Enter into an agreement with BPI that defines duties and responsibilities.
REQUIREMENTS
Though formal experience and training are not prerequisites for taking the exams, BPI recommends candidates seek training and have experience in the building performance industry.
If you are a RESNET/HERS–certified rater, you can bypass 50 of the 100 written questions, but still must take the field exam.
EXAM
The written exam is usually taken on the last day of training; field tests take place in a structure/house selected by the student or instructor.
COST
If taken through BPI, the written test costs $200; the field test costs $350. Costs for exams taken through affiliates vary. They might charge $1,000 to $2,000 for one-week training, which includes the cost of both tests.
MARKETING/ADDED BENEFIT
BPI-certified Professionals receive a photo ID badge with candidate ID number, a certificate, and uniform patches. BPI also offers supporting materials to accredited contractors including sell sheets, cooperative advertising, and online sales and marketing videos.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Required every three years. If you meet the continuing education requirement with courses through a BPI affiliate, then you need only take the $350 field test. BPI’s Web site has a list of acceptable continuing ed, but BPI will also review other classes with proof of attendance.
INDIVIDUALS CERTIFIED
2,000 Building Analysts
National Green Certifications and Programs
NAHB National Green Building Program
www.nahbgreen.org
This program will provide guidelines and certification for new construction, as well as multifamily and remodeling projects.
“The NAHB and ICC [International Code Council] took on the challenge of creating a residential green-building standard with the requirements of the American National Standards Institute [ANSI] in mind, with hopes to create a standard not just in name, but an official standard that will be the de facto definition of green buildings,” says Kevin Morrow, NAHB’s program manager for green building standards.
The NAHB/ICC standard is awaiting approval from ANSI. It includes energy, water, and resource efficiency, and environmentally sensitive lot development.
The standard contains a list of mandatory as well as optional items from which contractors and remodelers can choose in order to reach a certain number of points. They can then use an online scoring tool to add up the green features in a total of seven categories. If the contractor decides to certify the house, he can arrange for inspection by someone from an approved list of green verifiers, who will then send the information to the NAHB.
The remodeling requirements of the certification will be based on when the home was constructed and what type of work is being done. There will be a series of steps for remodelers to follow for these projects. Certification cost for a single-family home is $200 for NAHB members, and $500 for nonmembers.
The U.S. Green Building Council’s well-known LEED program — favored by architects for commercial buildings — also has a residential component.
LEED for Homes uses one standard for both new houses and remodels, so remodeling projects must be significant gut renovations to meet its standards. “You need to go down to studs,” says Nate Kredich, vice president, residential market development, USGBC. “If you don’t, we don’t have a picture of how the whole home works.”
Kredich says that it might be difficult for remodelers to earn points in some of the credit categories, such as credit for building in a high-density area or near mass transit because “with a remodeling project, you are resigned to the location.”
Remodelers should review the information on the USGBC Web site, and if they decide they have a project that would qualify, locate a LEED for Homes provider to get started.
Kredich encourages remodelers to start with green practices rather than being concerned about earning a certification. “Ultimately, the things that should be measurable are utility bills. It used to be $400 and now it is $100 — you do not need certification behind it to demonstrate this benefit.”
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Foundation and the USGBC have partnered to create nationwide green residential remodeling guidelines for existing homes. Kredich says that this program follows the same fundamentals as the LEED for Homes program, including energy ratings, water efficiency, and materials selection.
The program offers guidelines for 10 project types: kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, bedroom, living and working area, finished basement, home performance, major addition, gut renovation, deep energy retrofit, and outdoor living.
The program does not rate or certify houses, Kredich notes, but it includes robust educational programming in person and online. Regreen is working on a program to be released later in 2009 that recognizes individuals who have gone through the program’s education process.
Home Performance with Energy Star (HPWES)
www.energystar.gov
With HPWES, a regional or local sponsor (a state energy office, utility, or nonprofit energy-efficiency organization) is responsible for ensuring that participating contractors maintain high standards for quality. This typically includes providing specialized training for contractors and conducting quality-assurance inspections. The program focuses on comprehensive home energy improvements for existing homes and encourages before and after diagnostic testing. The goal of the program is to cost-effectively improve an existing home's energy efficiency by sealing air leaks, adding insulation, sealing ductwork, improving HVAC systems and upgrading lighting and appliances. “Instead of pursuing a score, we want contractors to use our tools and resources to help them analyze houses and deliver on improving homes,” says Chandler von Schrader, program manager for HPWES. Currently, there are about 20 regional sponsors.
There is also a program from Energy Star called Qualified New Home Program. This program is designed for and mostly used by new-home builders, but could apply to a significant whole-house remodeling project where all the interior finishing would be removed, as it requires a pre-drywall inspection.
Local Green Programs
Austin Energy Green Building Program
This local utility’s program rates new and remodeled homes using sustainable guidelines on a scale of 1 to 5. Homes are rated in six areas including energy, water, and materials efficiency; health and safety; testing; and community.
Boulder City Green Points
This program has been mandatory since 1996 and was recently revised to ensure that it is serving its purpose: to create more sustainably designed and built houses. Green Points is required for all new dwelling units, remodels, and additions. Each type of project must obtain the minimum number of points in the program and demonstrate compliance with the minimum green-building requirements.
Green Built Home (Wisconsin)
Green Built Home reviews and certifies new homes and remodeling projects that meet sustainable building and energy standards. The program was named the 2006 Green Building Program of the Year by the NAHB.
EarthCraft House (Southeastern States)
EarthCraft began in Atlanta in 1999, but has expanded to other cities in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Virginia. Links to those programs are available at the EarthCraft House site. In Atlanta, the renovation contractor must be a member of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association and join the EarthCraft program to participate. An inspector conducts an assessment of the existing house, including diagnostic tests, then recommends specific features, and certifies the project.
Build It Green (California)
Build It Green, a nonprofit membership organization, launched GreenPoint Rated Existing Home in July 2008. It is modeled after the residential new-construction rating system that has been in place since 2006. The rating system has two options, Elements and Whole House. The Elements label is granted to homes that meet five basic requirements in four environmental categories and are on track to make additional improvements over time. A Whole House label is awarded to homes that meet more extensive requirements and have made comprehensive green improvements.
Built Green
This program is hosted by several builders groups across the country, including Denver, Atlanta, Portland, Ore., Scottsdale, Ariz., Austin, Texas, and in several cities in Washington state.
Built Green(King and Snohomish Counties, Washington)
This nonprofit program has residential new construction and remodeling certification. The program has been certifying remodels since 2002 with more interest in the last four years, says program manager Koben Calhoun, and has certified 60 remodeling projects. The group is in the process of updating the remodeling program and will launch new guidelines in March.
Built Green Santa Barbara
This is a voluntary, self-certifying program that offers three levels of sustainable building for new and remodeled houses.
Minnesota GreenStar
This program requires collecting points in each of the five categories to meet minimum requirements for that certification level. The point minimum and totals vary depending on the type and size of each project. The four types include renovations that do not add conditioned space; renovations that add conditioned space without changing the exterior shell; renovations that change the exterior shell but use only the existing foundation; renovations that add a foundation.