National Green Certifications and Programs
NAHB National Green Building Program
www.nahbgreen.org
This program will provide guidelines and certification for new construction, as well as multiÂfamily and remodeling projects.
“The NAHB and ICC [International Code Council] took on the challenge of creating a residential green-building standard with the requirements of the American National Standards Institute [ANSI] in mind, with hopes to create a standard not just in name, but an official standard that will be the de facto definition of green buildings,” says Kevin Morrow, NAHB’s program manager for green building standards.
The NAHB/ICC standard is awaiting approval from ANSI. It includes energy, water, and resource efficiency, and environmentally sensitive lot development.
The standard contains a list of mandatory as well as optional items from which contractors and remodelers can choose in order to reach a certain number of points. They can then use an online scoring tool to add up the green features in a total of seven categories. If the contractor decides to certify the house, he can arrange for inspection by someone from an approved list of green verifiers, who will then send the information to the NAHB.
The remodeling requirements of the certification will be based on when the home was constructed and what type of work is being done. There will be a series of steps for remodelers to follow for these projects. Certification cost for a single-family home is $200 for NAHB members, and $500 for nonmembers.
LEED for Homes
www.usgbc.org/LEED/homes
The U.S. Green Building Council’s well-known LEED program — favored by architects for commercial buildings — also has a residential component.
LEED for Homes uses one standard for both new houses and remodels, so remodeling projects must be significant gut renovations to meet its standards. “You need to go down to studs,” says Nate Kredich, vice president, residential market development, USGBC. “If you don’t, we don’t have a picture of how the whole home works.”
Kredich says that it might be difficult for remodelers to earn points in some of the credit categories, such as credit for building in a high-density area or near mass transit because “with a remodeling project, you are resigned to the location.”
Remodelers should review the information on the USGBC Web site, and if they decide they have a project that would qualify, locate a LEED for Homes provider to get started.
Kredich encourages remodelers to start with green practices rather than being concerned about earning a certification. “Ultimately, the things that should be measurable are utility bills. It used to be $400 and now it is $100 — you do not need certification behind it to demonstrate this benefit.”
REGREEN
www.regreenprogram.org
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Foundation and the USGBC have partnered to create nationwide green residential remodeling guidelines for existing homes. Kredich says that this program follows the same fundamentals as the LEED for Homes program, including energy ratings, water efficiency, and materials selection.
The program offers guidelines for 10 project types: kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, bedroom, living and working area, finished basement, home performance, major addition, gut renovation, deep energy retrofit, and outdoor living.
The program does not rate or certify houses, Kredich notes, but it includes robust educational programming in person and online. Regreen is working on a program to be released later in 2009 that recognizes individuals who have gone through the program’s education process.
Home Performance with Energy Star (HPWES)
www.energystar.gov
With HPWES, a regional or local sponsor (a state energy office, utility, or nonprofit energy-efficiency organization) is responsible for ensuring that participating contractors maintain high standards for quality. This typically includes providing specialized training for contractors and conducting quality-assurance inspections. The program focuses on comprehensive home energy improvements for existing homes and encourages before and after diagnostic testing. The goal of the program is to cost-effectively improve an existing home’s energy efficiency by sealing air leaks, adding insulation, sealing ductwork, improving HVAC systems and upgrading lighting and appliances. “Instead of pursuing a score, we want contractors to use our tools and resources to help them analyze houses and deliver on improving homes,” says Chandler von Schrader, program manager for HPWES. Currently, there are about 20 regional sponsors.
There is also a program from Energy Star called Qualified New Home Program. This program is designed for and mostly used by new-home builders, but could apply to a significant whole-house remodeling project where all the interior finishing would be removed, as it requires a pre-drywall inspection.
Local Green Programs
Austin Energy Green Building Program
This local utility’s program rates new and remodeled homes using sustainable guidelines on a scale of 1 to 5. Homes are rated in six areas including energy, water, and materials efficiency; health and safety; testing; and community.
This program has been mandatory since 1996 and was recently revised to ensure that it is serving its purpose: to create more sustainably designed and built houses. Green Points is required for all new dwelling units, remodels, and additions. Each type of project must obtain the minimum number of points in the program and demonstrate compliance with the minimum green-building requirements.
Green Built Home (Wisconsin)
Green Built Home reviews and certifies new homes and remodeling projects that meet sustainable building and energy standards. The program was named the 2006 Green Building Program of the Year by the NAHB.
EarthCraft House (Southeastern States)
EarthCraft began in Atlanta in 1999, but has expanded to other cities in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Virginia. Links to those programs are available at the EarthCraft House site. In Atlanta, the renovation contractor must be a member of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association and join the EarthCraft program to participate. An inspector conducts an assessment of the existing house, including diagnostic tests, then recommends specific features, and certifies the project.
Build It Green (California)
Build It Green, a nonprofit membership organization, launched GreenPoint Rated Existing Home in July 2008. It is modeled after the residential new-construction rating system that has been in place since 2006. The rating system has two options, Elements and Whole House. The Elements label is granted to homes that meet five basic requirements in four environmental categories and are on track to make additional improvements over time. A Whole House label is awarded to homes that meet more extensive requirements and have made comprehensive green improvements.
Built Green
This program is hosted by several builders groups across the country, including Denver, Atlanta, Portland, Ore., Scottsdale, Ariz., Austin, Texas, and in several cities in Washington state.
Built Green(King and Snohomish Counties, Washington)
This nonprofit program has residential new construction and remodeling certification. The program has been certifying remodels since 2002 with more interest in the last four years, says program manager Koben Calhoun, and has certified 60 remodeling projects. The group is in the process of updating the remodeling program and will launch new guidelines in March.
This is a voluntary, self-certifying program that offers three levels of sustainable building for new and remodeled houses.
This program requires collecting points in each of the five categories to meet minimum requirements for that certification level. The point minimum and totals vary depending on the type and size of each project. The four types include renovations that do not add conditioned space; renovations that add conditioned space without changing the exterior shell; renovations that change the exterior shell but use only the existing foundation; renovations that add a foundation.