Green Home Building Certifications
There are several ways to help make your home meet guidelines and gain certification for greener standards
. Reasons for doing so may vary, but most people are ready to join the green movement and start living a more sustainable lifestyle. Other reasons might be that a particular certification will allow the home to qualify for special financing or participate in some desirable program. It might also be that the certification will make the home more desirable for resale, increasing it's value and appeal to potential buyers. Or it might simply be that this will prove that the home meets the highest environmental standards of the green building industry. Listed below are the most popular guidelines and certification programs that are available.
The LEED certification program is by far the most publicized and the most expensive certification program for homes. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, and is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. Initially these standards were being applied solely to commercial buildings, but recently have been applied to the residential industry as well. LEED certification is most commonly sought by builders and contractors as a way to attract clients and/or qualify for specific programs. LEED certification requires a fair amount of detailed analysis and an inspection by a trained inspector. The inspection can cost anywhere between $500 and $3000. The location and linkages, sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and homeowner awareness are all evaluated as part of the inspection.
The National Green Building Standard is a collaborative effort between the International Code Council (ICC) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). This book provides the "green" practices that can be incorporated into a variety of areas, from new homes to high-rise multifamily buildings, and from remodels and additions to hotels and motels. The outline provided by the National Green Building Standard includes effective, relevant green practices, including lot design, preparation and development, resource, energy, and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and operation, maintenance, and building owner education. By defining four threshold levels of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald, the standard gives builders the means to achieve their sustainability goals, whether they are designing a basic, entry-level green building or aiming for the highest level sustainable green building with energy savings of 65 percent or higher.
The Energy Star Qualified Homes certification is administered by the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Dept. of Energy. Similar to the Energy Star rating system for home appliances, this certification is often employed by custom builders as well as production builders to enhance the desirability of their homes. The certification process checks for effective insulation, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, as well as lighting and appliances.
The Green Building Guidelines were written by the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council. They deal with community and site planning, renewable energy, the building process, energy efficiency, water use, indoor environmental quality, materials, operation and maintenance. The guidelines provide diagrams, pictures, and other resources, including checklists from some of the other green programs.
Health House guidelines, created by the American Lung Association, is actually a certification program. The objective of this is to assure that new homes do not adversely affect people's health. Specially trained builders pay attention to the site, building enclosure, finishes and furnishings, mechanical equipment, commissioning, construction hygiene, safety and health. The focus is on air quality, but efficiency is also considered.
Homeowners possessing such qualifications create a healthier, more energy-efficient, and durable home. Not to metion the rest of us end up benefiting from a cleaner environment. The future is of home building is green, we're glad that you finally made it.
by: David Sands
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