Inside AGC President's Message

May/June 2008

Build a Green Commitment

Green construction provides added value and resource conservation

By AGC President Douglas Barnhart

Everywhere you turn these days, people are looking for new ways to go green. As contractors, we have the opportunity not only to build America but also to build a healthier, long-lasting environment. I’ve always been proud to be in a profession that allows me to bring people the things they need, and building green is another way to do that.

At AGC’s 89th Annual Convention in Las Vegas, opportunities to learn to build green abounded. There was the debut of the full-day course, Building to LEED-NC: Overview and the Impact on Construction Practices, which explained the contractor’s role in a project intended to achieve certification under LEED-NC. A half-day program also was held, titled LEED Estimating for Green Buildings, which AGC launched last fall in association with our chapters. The course provides a brief overview of LEED requirements and prepares estimators to effectively bid and work on green building projects.

Our commitment and success in educating contractors on environmental issues was all the more evident when representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency attended the convention. They reported to AGC’s Environmental Network Steering Committee on new funding opportunities for diesel retrofit and discussed the construction and demolition debris recycling white paper and tool kit we are jointly developing. AGC is the only construction trade association to partner with EPA through the agency’s Sector Strategies Program, and the agency has expressed its commitment to working collaboratively with our industry.

In addition, AGC has recently joined the U.S. Green Building Council—the developer of LEED—and started the registration process to enroll the course curriculum in the council’s Education Provider Program. USGBC Education Provider courses undergo a thorough review of instructional design and subject matter. According to USGBC, the goal of the program is to facilitate access to high-quality green building professional development opportunities and promote innovative courses that increase knowledge and capacity across the industry.

My own company, Barnhart Inc., joined USGBC in 2006, and we have focused on increasing productivity and helping our clients save on operating costs. It is important to me, and the rest of the individuals here, to complete our work while also conserving the Earth’s resources. For example, the Henderson Community Center in the City of Palm Desert, Calif., is a 5,726-sq-ft building expected to be complete this winter. The building’s thermally insulated concrete walls and energy- and water-conserving appliances and fixtures will protect the environment and save dollars for its new owners—the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce.

AGC members are at the forefront of green building, and it is only through construction that we will see improvements to our built environment. As more and more builders and contractors achieve the LEED accredited professional status, which distinguishes those that have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles, interest is growing quickly among AGC members. In fact, within one month of the debut of the AGC Building to LEED-NC course, more than 20 chapters contacted the national office to arrange for a local delivery of that course in 2008. Approximately 200 members participated in a March 2008 AGC audio conference on green construction basics and hundreds more participated in a May 2008 AGC Webinar sponsored by the Green Building Initiative on lifecycle assessment, an emerging trend in green building. In addition, the popular Aon Build America Awards now includes a category for environmental projects, further recognizing contractors who place an emphasis on building green.

We offer training to our members on the latest trends in green technologies, and we continue to deliver added value to owners through our commitment to build green. I urge you to take advantage of this training and then apply it to your projects. Your clients will thank you, and your work will carry that much more reward.