Special to The Sun
EDMOND —
Building higher performance homes with lower operating and maintenance costs, increased comfort, improved indoor environmental quality and enhanced durability will be the focus of the second annual Green Building Summit.
Residential and commercial contractors, Realtors, engineers, architects and consumers can learn about the environmental and economic benefits of green building at the summit. The two-day summit is scheduled 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 29 and 8:30 a.m. to noon Sept. 30.
The summit will be at the Metro Technology Center Auditorium, 1900 Springlake Drive, Oklahoma City. Lunch is provided.
The second day of the summit will cover commercial buildings. The summit meets continuing education units for engineers and builders, among other professions.
Building-science expert Joseph Lstiburek will be the featured speaker. Lstiburek is a principal of Boston-based Building Science Corp. and a Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Lstiburek has 25 years experience in design, construction, investigation and building science research.
Through the Department of Energy's Building America program, Lstiburek has forged partnerships with designers, builders, developers, materials suppliers and equipment manufacturers to build higher performance homes across the United States.
The summit is presented by the Oklahoma State Home Builders Association and the Association of Energy Engineers, and is designed to showcase the benefits, strategies and resources available for sustainable building in Oklahoma.
“This is a great opportunity for those in the industry to hear what is to be a building code requirement in the next few years,” said Todd Booze, chairman, OSHBA Green Building Council.
Other speakers include Oklahoma Secretary of Energy Robert A. “Bobby” Wegener, whose office just completed the Oklahoma Energy Summary, which is an overview of energy consumption, energy efficiency goals and a summary of the status of renewal and energy efficiency policies in the state. Also speaking will be Kelly Parker, Guaranteed Watt Saver president.
Early bird registration is $35 for each day or $50 for both days. Lunch is included the first day. On-site registration each day is $50, beginning at 7:30 a.m. the first day and 8 a.m. the second. Speakers will begin at 8:30 a.m. each day.
For more information, to register online or to access a listing of Oklahoma’s Certified Green Professionals, visit www.okgreenbuildingsummit.com. The listing also is available from the Oklahoma State Home Builders Association at www.oshba.org or by calling 843-5579.
Title sponsors are Climate Master, Dow Building Solutions, Guaranteed Watt Saver, Morrison Supply Co., OG&E, ONG and ProBuild.
Achieving the Certified Green Professional designation requires 24 hours of NAHB-approved training, combined with additional continuing education every two years. Training for the certification covers several subjects including how green homes require lower energy and strategies for incorporating green-building principles into homes with minimal increase in the cost of construction.
