BISBEE — If all goes as expected, Cochise County may have a green building plan for developers and homeowners that provides a conservation rating at no charge.
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Susan Buchan, director of the Cochise County Planning Department, talks about green construction Tuesday during a presentation to the county Board of Supervisors. (Ed Honda-Herald/Review)
The Cochise County Residential Green Building Program offers builders, developers and home buyers the opportunity to rate homes according to a point system.
“It creates voluntary standards so that sellers and buyers may measure the validity of green building assertions as they apply in the county,” Buchan said.
The certification of a home’s “greenness” can be told by the point system that determines a rating of efforts to conserve water, energy and building materials and reduction of a home’s environmental envelope, Buchan said. The idea is to reduce the size of homes, use eco-friendly materials to conserve resources, and prevent pollution and reduce energy consumption with heating and cooling systems, lighting and appliances that are efficient.
“Outdoor water use for landscaping in our region is estimated to account for 60 to 70 percent of overall water use in homes,” Buchan added.
So a component for rating irrigation systems is included, as well as rainwater harvesting and graywater plumbing.
Swamp coolers that are the latest models employing water-saving technology and air conditioners that contain non-polluting chemicals can be rated. Buchan noted that efficient swamp coolers and efficient air conditioning systems use the same amount of electricity to operate.
“It takes three-quarters of a gallon of water for every kilowatt-hour produced,” she said.
Passive solar energy also contributes to the rating system.
The type of building materials and the way a home is constructed can also boost a green rating. Buchan told the supervisors that by changing 16-inch centers on wall framing to 2-foot centers saves wood and nails. Rafters, too, can be installed on 2-foot centers and rest on the supports of the walls. Floor joists are found to be just as supportive on 19.2-inch centers as they are at 16 inches.
The draft program document states, “Advanced framing techniques can save up to 20 percent of the lumber used in a residential project with no reduction in structural integrity.”
Lee Basnar, the only planning and zoning commission member who attended the joint work session, questioned the unusual measurement of 19.2 inches. Most building materials, like 4-foot-by-8-foot sheets of plywood, would require an additional stud at the joints using that formula. He asked if building materials would be produced based on 19.2-inch centers.
Luis Garcia, who is with the county planning and zoning department, said different sized materials would probably come out in the future as the market demanded.
There are even innovation credits that can be awarded when measures are taken to provide exemplary protection of the natural features and resources found on a building site.
Buchan said green building is the fastest growing segment of the residential market, and as utility costs rise, so will the demand for green homes.
One of the important aspects of the proposed rating system is that it gives credit for providing green home buyers with educational material they need to keep the conservation systems running smoothly. Buchan is suggesting that builders provide this material in a manual that can be kept with the home.
The program would include owner-builders, too. In such circumstances, the owner would submit plans of the home and note all the conservation measures used. The county planning and zoning staff would review the plans and recommend a rating.
“A regional version has value in that these criteria meet our needs here in the county,” Buchan said. “We’re creating our own standards …”
The next steps will be to present it to the Planning and Zoning Commission for approval, and then on to the supervisors for final action.
Residential Green Building Program
The rating system elements of Cochise County’s voluntary plan are as follows:
• Location, lot design, preparation and development
• Resource efficiency
• Energy efficiency
• Water efficiency
• Indoor environmental air quality
• Operation, maintenance and owner education.
The Green Building Program is a voluntary system provided to guide builders, developers and owners in the design and construction of energy efficient, water conserving, healthful homes.
There are four levels to the rating guide: Bronze — 100 points; Silver — 101-103; Gold, 131-160; and platinum— over 160 points. The higher the level the more efficient the home.
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