by Beth D'Addono/For the Star-Ledger
Wednesday November 19, 2008, 3:20 PM
Although he always considered himself a "tree hugger," Steve Needle's commitment to the environment took solid shape on Sept. 11, 2001, the day before his 40th birthday.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the Scotch Plains builder remembers thinking, "We have to do anything possible to reduce our dependence on foreign oil."
He started by ordering a hybrid car online, the only way he could source one at the time. "It just hit me, that our whole economy is based on cheap energy," Needle says. "And we need to rethink the way we're all doing business. It's an obligation, a responsibility."
Needle, who started building homes when he got out of college, took a hard look at his business practices and decided it was time to build green. It's a commitment that recently earned him the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Program's first New Jersey certification for a home he built on Overhill Street in Westfield.
Needle, whose new homes start around $949,000 and go up to $4.5 million, incorporated the NAHB's green guidelines into everything -- from the type of paint he used to the installation of water-efficient plumbing fixtures, as well as energy-efficient windows. "The first step is making the commitment, then it's a matter of making choices to back that up," he says.
While green mega-mansions are beyond the range of most mortals, the principles that Needle follows to build his homes can be applied on a smaller scale -- to home remodeling and renovation projects. Determining the exact shade of green you're going for is the place to start.
To read more, visit http://www.nj.com/homegarden/homeimprovement/index.ssf/2008/11/builders_go_green_from_the_fou.html
