By: Deborah Johnson Wood
A new conference developed through a partnership between the Michigan Association of Homebuilders and Green Built Michigan plans to showcase innovative ideas and products, and present solid know-how on green building and energy efficiency to West Michigan homebuilders and homeowners in August.
The Great Lakes Green Residential Green Building Conference, slated for August 21-23 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, hopes to generate awareness centered on green building for homes; educating builders on sustainable practices and techniques, or helping homeowners decide what green products or processes to use in construction of a new home or renovation of an existing home.
“There’s a lot of confusion out there about building green,” says Bob Filka, CEO of Michigan Association of Homebuilders. “This is an opportunity to educate the public about what’s out there for them to build a new green home or remodel their existing home using green products and techniques.”
Highlights include:
- Over 30 classes and seminars (price included with admission) include sessions on energy efficient appliances, indoor air quality and geothermal heating and cooling systems.
- Appearance by Ed Begley, Jr. of TV’s Living With Ed.
- Keynote by Ron Jones, founder/editor of Green Builder Magazine
“About 85 percent of Michigan homes are over 20 years old, so we’ll talk about improvements people can make on existing homes that will have the greatest impact on reducing our demand for energy,” Filka says.
“They’ll learn about what products are out there that will save them money and reduce the impact on the environment. With energy prices soaring, virtually everyone will have an opportunity to learn about something that will save on their energy consumption.”
Source: Bob Filka, Michigan Association of Homebuilders
Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.