ENERGY STAR for Homes

The basis for several energy efficient guidelines, the ENERGY STAR for Homes program ensures that a home is substantially more energy efficient than a typical home. Verified by a third party Home Energy Rater, these buildings achieve higher performance through tight construction and ducts, effective insulation, efficient heating and cooling equipment, high performance windows, and efficient products and appliances.

For more information, please call us or visit  www.energystar.gov

GREEN & SUSTAINABLE BUILDING

Green building means different things to different people. The desire for a well-built, environmentally friendly home has brought enormous change to the construction market. Third-party verification is an approach that ensures the homeowner is getting the most credible, sustainable and efficient attributes in their project. We can collaborate with you to achieve any of your green building goals, and are most familiar with three national programs – ENERGY STAR for Homes, National Association of Home Builders(NAHB) Green Building Certification, and LEED for Homes(through the U.S. Green Building Council). LEED is short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. While the LEED for Homes program is considered the preeminent green building program, excellent results can still be achieved through less complicated and costly schemes.

LEED for Homes

(reprinted from LEED for Homes Rating System, Jan. 2008)

LEED for Homes is an initiative designed to promote the transformation of the mainstream building industry toward more sustainable practices. LEED for Homes is targeting the top 25% of new homes with best practice environmental features. LEED for Homes is a collaborative initiative that actively works with all sectors of the homebuilding industry.

By recognizing sustainable design and the construction in homes nationwide, LEED for Homes helps home builders differentiate their homes as some of the best homes in their markets, using a recognized national brand. Furthermore, homebuyers can more readily identify third-party verified green homes.

While there are already a number of local or regional green homebuilding programs, LEED for Homes is attempting to provide national consistency in defining the features of a green home and to enable builders anywhere in the country to obtain a green rating on their homes. LEED for Homes represents a consensus standard for green homebuilding developed and refined by a diverse cadre of national experts and experienced green builders. The LEED for Homes Rating System is part of the comprehensive suite of LEED assessment tools offered by the USGBC to promote sustainable design, construction and operations practices in buildings nationwide.

NAHB Green Building Certification

Based on the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines and the ICC National Green Building Standard, this program is a multi-level, verified system that awards points based on lot and site development, resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and homeowner education.

For more information, please call us or visit www.nahbgreen.org/Certification

The LEED for Homes rating system measures the overall performance of a home in eight catagories:

1. 1.Innovation & Design Process(ID). Special design methods, unique regional credits, measures not currently addressed in the Rating System, and exemplary performance levels.
   

2. 2.Location & Linkages(LL). The placement of homes in socially and environmentally responsible ways in relation to the larger community.
   

3. 3.Sustainable Sites(SS). The use of the entire property so as to minimize the project’s impact on the site.
   

4. 4.Water Efficiency(WE). Water-efficient practices, both indoor and outdoor.
   

5. 5.Energy & Atmosphere(EA). Energy efficiency, particularly in the building envelope and heating and cooling design.
   

6. 6.Materials and Resources(MR). Efficient utilization of materials, selection of environmentally preferable materials, and minimization of waste during construction.
   

7. 7.Indoor Environmental Quality(EQ). Improvement of indoor air quality by reducing the creation of and exposure to pollutants.
   

8. 8.Awareness and Education(AE). The education of homeowner, tenant, and/or building manager about the operation and maintenance of the green features of a LEED home.

The LEED for Homes Rating System works by requiring a minimum level of performance through prerequisites, and rewarding improved performance in each of the above categories. The level of performance is indicated by four performance tiers - Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum - according to the number of points earned.

The number of points for each certification level is adjusted for smaller-than-average and larger-than-average homes using a mechanism called the Home Size Adjustment.

The Rating System guarantees minimum levels of sustainable practice through 18 prerequisites in the eight credit categories. At the same time, projects enjoy flexibility with the wide variety of credits available to achieve certification. Credit Interpretation Requests(CIRs) are also available to projects that seek clarification or special consideration on specific credits.

For more information, please call us or visit

www.usgbc.org/LEED for Homes