GREEN HOME BUILDING CERTIFICATION
PROGRAMS
LEED is an internationally recognized green building
certification system, providing third-party
verification that a building or community was designed and built using
strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter
most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction,
improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and
sensitivity to their impacts.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED
provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and
implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction,
operations and maintenance solutions.
The Green Building Program encourages a
whole-systems approach through design and building techniques to minimize environmental
impact and reduce the energy consumption of buildings while contributing
to the health of its occupants.
To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines
for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These
homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004
International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving
features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard
homes.
SRP PowerWise is an energy-information program
that helps consumers make power-wise decisions to ensure that they get top
value for the money spent on utility bills. This program offers product
purchasing guidance and energy savings advice to help consumers use electricity
more wisely, as well as special offers like discount coupons and mail-in
rebates. SRP's PowerWise Homes program also helps
educate builders and consumers about the benefits of an energy-efficient home.
The
home building industry coined the phrase green building in the late 1980s,
turning a niche movement of resource-efficient homes into a quiet revolution
– one that is increasingly becoming a preferred way to build and remodel.
Whether you're a home building professional looking to go green
or a prospective green homebuyer, the reasons for
going green are numerous.