Preparing for Green

preparing-for-greenLast week two Gable employees attended a two day Certified Green Professional (CGP) seminar in Westborough, MA. It was the first two courses of the series. To earn the designation the requirements entail 3 courses (24 hours total), followed by a test. To maintain the CGP designation you are required to complete twelve (12) hours of continuing education every three years. The Gable employees plan to take the final course at the end of this month.

This program, developed jointly by the National Home Builders Association and the International Code Council, is a relatively new designation formally approved January of this year by the American National Standards Institute.

Similar to the well know USGBC LEEDS certification, this is a new alternative, user-friendly program, with a relatively corresponding point system. CGP approaches the Green Building industry with practicality and cost effective procedures, all the while maintaining the same green building guidelines as LEEDS.

The main areas of focus for this green certification are as follows :

  • Land conservation and environmental mitigation;
  • Site design, remediation, and lot orientation;
  • Resource efficiency (e.g., use of recycled and locally-available materials);
  • Rainwater collection;
  • Construction of smaller homes to conserve resources;
  • Energy performance starting at 15 percent above the baseline requirements of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code;
  • Use of low-VOC materials and detached garages or carports to improve indoor air quality; and
  • Homeowner education on proper maintenance and operation to maintain green benefits throughout the life cycle of a home.

If interested in building a green certified home, please contact Gable Building Corp http://gablebuilding.com/ to find out more information.

To learn more about this exciting program watch the video NAHB\’s Green Building Program VIDEO