Oct 31 - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News - Tavia Evans St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Eco-friendly houses aren't just a fad anymore -- they've become a specialized niche.

New building standards are now providing house buyers with more ways to go "green," without spending too many greenbacks.

And it's more than just installing skylights and watering your grass less.

"It's building a home that is, perhaps more than ever before, sensitive to environmental considerations and land use," said Patrick Sullivan , executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis.

Sullivan and architects with green projects around the country presented the new standards last week at the Gateway Builders Show and Conference in St. Charles.

The program, the Green Building Initiative, provides a rating system, with bronze, silver and gold levels, for house builders to rack up "green" certified points by using energy-saving and sustainable techniques.

So, if you build a house on an in-fill site, that's nine points. Install roof overhangs for more shading and protection from the climate -- that's seven more.

Builders get between three and five points for using energy-efficient appliances.

But there is no standard on how much going "green" can save in energy costs. Builders estimate the savings can vary from 10 percent to 15 percent through increased efficiency.

"It's more than just being a tree-hugger, it's building a higher efficiency and healthier home that recognizes that our resources are limited and trying to protect them," said Matt Belcher , president of Belcher Homes, which offers "green" houses.

Niche house builders around the country have been using eco-friendly strategies for decades. Austin, Texas, developed the first official "green" house building program in 1991, though Denver's program is one of the largest, with more than 100 builders.

Other sectors of the building industry have taken notice as well. Fannie Mae offers an Energy Efficient Mortgage for "green" design and construction that includes financing for redeveloping in urban neighborhoods.

In commercial construction, Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design, or LEED, offers a similar rating system. Developers can get points toward an official LEED "green" certification by redeveloping an old building, constructing in urban areas, using recyclable materials or parts made within the region.

But even LEED needs some tweaking, said Auden Schendler , director of environmental affairs for Aspen Skiing Co. and a LEED-certified developer in Aspen, Colo.

"Not all credits are equal but they're all worth a point, so you can get one point for a bicycle rack and for revamping your heating and ventilation system," he said.

Other critics say the program can discourage going "green" because of its bureaucratic hoops and the cost of certification. It can cost between $1,500 and $7,500 to become certified and from $750 to $3,750 to become registered.

"Green" houses are barely a blip on the market here, though. Sullivan said he hopes with the new guidelines, more builders may be willing to go green.

Chicago transplants Maren and John Engelmohr hadn't thought much about going "green" -- until they had children. "We want energy savings in our home and to raise children in a healthy environment," said Maren, an architect and mother of two children.

The couple is planning to move out of their Dogtown home next year and build a new house in Kirkwood. So, they're on the hunt for eco-friendly building products like Hardie board siding, which is made out of recycled products and never needs to be painted. Bamboo and cork flooring and ceramic tile with recycled content are also on their "green" list.

"Just choosing a light-colored roof can save you in summer cooling costs," said Peter Pfeiffer , president of Barley and Pfeiffer Architects, based in Austin, Texas.

Green house techniques can also include using low-flow toilets and showerheads or front-loading washing machines, a big source of humidity in houses.

Keeping a garage detached from the house helps protect air quality inside.

Pfeiffer also recommends choosing houses with more south-facing windows -- they minimize unshaded windows that face into the afternoon sun and make the house warmer. "I tell people it's a better thought-out and higher-performing home," he said. "You don't have to go weird to go green."