For builders just getting involved in green home building, the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has developed a “Guide to Green Building,” outlining five essential principles of green building practices and presenting them in an easy-to-follow plan. It is accessible online at www.pathnet.org.
Organized around several of PATH’s Tech Sets—resources that help builders understand and implement innovative building technologies, systems, and practices—the “Guide to Green Building” targets resource and waste management, energy-efficient system integration, resource-efficient plumbing, healthy indoor air quality, and low-impact development. New Tech Sets are released each quarter of the year; a Low-Impact Development Tech Set is scheduled to launch soon.
Builders can use the guide to understand and meet the requirements of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes rating system and the NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines, according to the organization. The “Guide to Green Building” provides direct links to these two green building programs.
In addition to green building guidance, PATH recently added residential green roofs to its Technology Inventory, available through the ToolBase Web site (www.toolbase.org). The guide to green roofs, also called vegetated or living roofs, explains how the different types of green roof systems work and their benefits, and outlines the materials used and types of plants recommended. An estimation of a green roof’s ease of installation and costs also are provided. The residential green roof systems resource is listed under the Technology Inventory’s roofs section.
This article originally appeared on Custom Home Online.