White House Introduces
"Better Buildings Initiative" |
 On February 3, President Obama announced the "Better Buildings Initiative" aimed at improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 20 percent over the next 10 years. Since commercial buildings account for about 20% of total US energy consumption, the White House estimates the plan could save businesses nearly $40 billion PER YEAR in energy costs. The initiative is a package of proposals including new tax credits and a grant competition among states and cities dubbed "Race to Green."
Read the White House Statement or Engineering News-Record article.
Green Building Provides a Competitive Edge in Recovering Housing Market |
 According to a recent National Building News article, "builders who are including green features in their homes and are able to provide their customers with energy savings are in a prime competitive position in the housing marketplace that is emerging from the sharp downturn of recent years, according to participants in the upcoming 2011 National Green Building Conference & Expo, which will take place on May 1-3 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
The green building market is expected to double in the next two years and the tide has turned for energy-efficient, sustainable construction, according to financial analysts specializing in the home building industry.
Green will also be an increasingly significant factor in the valuations of new homes, as the appraisal and banking industries begin to realize its market advantage, they say."
Read the National Building News article.
Training Helps to Build Your Business Stream |
Sold-out sessions for early 2011 Advanced Installer trainings confirm the positive trends in the industry for the ICF market. Two sessions in April were so popular that overflow sessions have been scheduled. Builders from around the world are stepping up at an increasing pace to position themselves to capture ICF-constructed projects. Why?
ICF construction is making more sense to buyers than ever before. Building codes in the USA, Canada, and Europe have increased their requirements for structural and thermal performance with mandated insulation and air infiltration levels. While ICF buildings have easily exceeded these requirements for many decades, they are now also seen as the most economical way to achieve code-mandated performance levels. More and more cities, states, and provinces are now requiring the building's "appetite for energy" to be disclosed upon sale in a third-party energy analysis, making inefficient buildings less valuable in the marketplace. The recent news images of disasters in many parts of the world also drive customer concerns for safety and demand for high-performance buildings. Attendees at Quad-Lock trainings cite these and other reasons for dedicating their time to acquisition of hard-core ICF knowledge.
 As the value of ICF construction becomes more obvious to buyers, builders want to set themselves apart from competitors by gaining technical knowledge and hands-on ICF experience. With enhanced knowledge about how ICF buildings work as a thermal and structural shell, they can build a value proposition for customers demanding better building performance for their money. With hands-on exposure to building Quad-Lock products, the learning curve in the field is shortened dramatically.
Another advantage cited by attendees was progress toward "Quad-Lock Preferred Installer" status, which opens the opportunity for direct referrals of customers who have contacted Quad-Lock via phone and our ever-popular website. With factory accreditation in their portfolios, Preferred Installers find it easier to convert prospects into contracts and build that important stream of business.
More training events (Basic and Advanced Installer) are scheduled for 2011!
Douglas Bennion
Sr. Trainer
Manager, Training and Technical Services Dept.
Register today for an event in your area!
See Quad-Lock's complete Training Schedule.
Learn More about Quad-Lock's Training Programs. |
