First CHiP Certified Home in the Midlands!

PRESS RELEASE
Green Building Council of Greater Columbia

COLUMBIA, SC - April 24, 2012 - The Green Building Council of Greater Columbia announces the first certification of a house in the new Certified High Performance (CHiP) Home program.  The builder is Paradime Construction, Inc., a Home Builders Association (HBA) and Green Building Council member company.  The house, located in Columbia, SC, reached the Bronze Level in the program.

“We are pleased to offer this certification program in Columbia,” said Green Building Council Chairman, Peter D. Williams.  “It is a low-cost solution to build or remodel to a national standard, and assures the buyer that they have invested in a high performance home.”

The CHiP Home program is administered by the Green Building Council of Greater Columbia, which is a council of the HBA of Greater Columbia.  Homes in the program are third-party verified to ensure that they meet the criteria as outlined in the ANSI-approved 2008 National Green Building Standard™ (Icc 700-2008).  The Standard takes many aspects of the structure into account including energy, water and resource efficiency, lot design and preparation, and indoor air quality.  Minimum levels of compliance must be met in each area for a home to be worthy of a certification. 

For more information on the CHiP Home program, please visit the Green Building Council of Greater Columbia’s website at www.columbiagreenbuilders.com or call (803) 256-6238. 
For more information on Paradime Construction, Inc. and this home, visit their website at www.colahome.com or call (803) 600-4237.

Green Products Vs. Green Systems

The green movement has inspired many companies to promote environmentally friendly products. Individually, the majority of these products are superior to their more-traditional alternatives. For just a few dollars more, you can get ‘green’ products that have more benefits than items used in the past. For the most part, installing these green products will make your home more energy efficient and help do your part in improving our environment.

A house is a complex system that has an endless array of parts making up the whole. Today’s house is far more complex than early cabins constructed by the frontiersman solely for protection from the elements. Research in building science has shown the many dangers of improper home construction. The complexity of the current building codes arose from the past litigation for these incorrect construction practices.

Before you decide to purchase any of the new green products out there, understand how your current house is set up and how it might be affected by these new products. There are many dangers out there to installing a product that might upset the balance of your current system.

An energy rater should be the first person consulted. They have the ability to inspect and test your current home, letting you know what modifications will provide the most return on your investment. Their recommendations will include modifications that may need to be done to avoid any dangers and work with your current system.

Many of the new green products available today have the ability to increase the efficiency and comfort of your home. Just make sure you do the proper research to insure that these products will work with your current system and not against it.