The Inherent Risk of Going Green

Whether the pursuit of green homebuilding is market or regulatory-driven, changes need to be made to building processes and practices. However, with these changes comes a heightened and unknown amount of risk for builders. The risk can be present in many different forms and at different phases of the building process. Common concerns builders have included: Do green buildings come with a greater potential for building failures related to moisture and mold? Do “green” homeowners have higher expectations? Can our trade base rise to the challenge of advanced, integrated technologies? Will our trades require additional training? What is “green,” and what is “green washing”? How much energy efficient is sufficient? These are valid questions that present significant challenges to builders pursuing green building. The days of fast and easy homebuilding are drawing to a close. A new level of QA/QC, documentation, testing, and commissioning will be required to build tomorrow’s homes. The entire industry must come to terms with this necessary transition.