New forum

[Rich]

Just a quick note about the new forum. I really see that alt. energy and the green movement is going to be where everything ends up going in the future.
I was approved last year as an Energy Star builder and have 2 homes that will be certified this year. So far I haven't had too many people coming to me to build an Energy Star home - but once I start talking about it and they can see actual savings from month to month they decide it would be a good idea.
For the DIY side of this site I figured I would add this forum..very interested to see what kind of questions we see.

[Michael Olding]

Great idea Rich... look forward to what might pop up on this forum. Good luck with it!

[thoughtforward]

Rich,
So that the discusion of each topic stays focused, I have some questons for you that I'll post here. What was the process like to get the Energy Star certification. What I am building fits all the criteria but I am just too busy to spend a bunch of time jumping through hoops. My experience so far is that know one want to give me the time of day before I give them a check. What bugs me is that I can not quantify what they want me to pay them for. When I look at it LEED, to me, looks like a for profit buisness. Other than being able to say "LEED Certified" on my buildings, what do my fees get me?
I see Green building as a long term cost saver. It should not cost more to build a responsible house than it dose to build a "regular" house. I think I feel another rant coming on so I'll go find somthing else to do for a few.

[Rich]

The energy star certification only requires you to build one energy star home per year. Of course, they have to be certified by an independent rater. Really it only takes a few minutes to get put on their list.
There are some tax incentives not only for your clients but also for you as the builder. You can read more here
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits#s6