Dallas Home Builders are Going Green Dallas is in the lead - once again - when it comes to environmental responsibility. Home builders would soon relocate to Dallas for greener building standards and will become one of the first cities in the U.S. major to pass comprehensive building standards for residential and commercial construction.
council of the city of Dallas adopted an ordinance on April 9, which is designed to reduce energy consumption and water in every house in Dallas and commercial buildings, thus reducing the overall environmental impact.
Dallas Lead
It is not surprising that Dallas has chosen to remain committed to environmental responsibility, as is currently the number one municipal purchaser of green renewable energy in the United States. Dallas has also the largest, the fleet of clean vehicles of any city in Texas and one of the largest in the U.S., and was also the only city chosen for the EPA Sustainable Skylines initiative to improve air quality.
A Green Building Task Force, composed of members of the sectors of residential and commercial development, was created to establish new standards for private development in Dallas. That the recommendations of the Working Group that the City Council adopted an ordinance that will change the way the houses in Dallas and commercial buildings are built in Dallas in the future.
An execution in two phases
The ordinance will be implemented in two stages. Beginning in 2009, Dallas home builders build houses to 15% more efficient than energy code base, and must meet four of the six-efficient technologies of water conservation, such as the installation of faucets and shower heads with one to two gallons per minute The flow of water or less.
These regulations apply to all new homes Dallas and commercial buildings, which are smaller than 50,000 square feet.
The second phase, from 2011, will require all new construction meets the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Basic Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) green building standard in North Texas (GBNT) standard. Home builders should seek a reduction of 20% water and the efficiency at least 17.5% more than the energy code base.
LEED certification offers third party validation regarding the environmental aspects of a project and verify that the building is effective in operation. City-owned buildings of 10,000 square feet or more in Dallas have been built to LEED standards for the past five years.
Develop construction practices that respect the environment, and encourage both the public and private sector, will further showcase the commitment of Dallas to a better environment.
Why focus on the new construction?
Construction and operation requires a large amount of resources. In fact, building design, construction, materials and operation consume more energy than any other part of the economy. Therefore, the implementation of green building techniques will better use these resources while reducing the environmental impact of new construction.
green building techniques can be implemented by the site design, water efficiency, energy efficiency, conservation of materials and indoor environmental quality.
energy-efficient strategies used in green building practices may include effective insulation, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment and energy-efficient lighting and appliances.
Green buildings reduce the impact of a structure on the environment and improve the quality of life of its occupants.
Posted on August 11, 2010.
