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On
November 7, 2007, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
will launch a nationwide, voluntary, green rating system for
houses, called "LEED for Homes." LEED stands for
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The system
is a national benchmark for design construction, and operation
of high performance green buildings. Projects include commercial,
community, and educational buildings.
The
new rating system was developed by the USGBC, a nonprofit
coalition that includes corporations, builders, and government
agencies. It will incorporate results from the LEED for Homes
pilot program that began in 2005, and will be expanding into
more areas of the country.
WHY
BUILD A LEED-CERTIFIED HOME?
LEED
for Homes certification is a way to show that a new home meets
verifiable green building standards. Having a home certified
may also allow consumers to take advantage of a growing number
of credits and rebates. To find out what's available, check
our report on Building a new green home (see the "Costs
and incentives" section).
The
LEED rating system offers four certification levels for new
construction: Certified, Silver, Gold, and the highest level,
Platinum. These levels correspond to the number of points
earned in eight categories: Innovation and design, location
and linkages to the larger community, sustainable sites, water
conservation, energy efficiency, materials and resources,
indoor air quality, and consumer education.
According
to the USGBC, a green home uses less energy, water, and natural
resources, reduces waste, and is healthier and more comfortable
for the occupants. Financially, the group says that a LEED-certified
home can cost less to operate with lower energy and water
bills. They also claim that the net cost of owning a certified
home is expected to be comparable to that of owning a conventional
one.
If
energy-savings pan out, the system also has the potential
to fight air pollution and global warming if it is adopted
on a large scale. Currently, home energy use accounts for
about 21 percent of nationwide energy consumption and greenhouse
gas emissions, according to the Department of Energy. So far,
during the pilot phase alone, more than 8,000 homes across
the U.S. have been part of the program, with over 300 gaining
certification.
THE
FIRST LEED-CERTIFIED HOME IN CONNECTICUT
Homeowners
Karen and John Dugan recently built their green home in Connecticut
for their retirement years. "At first when we were planning
the house, LEED standards were not on our mind," explained
John. "But as issues came up with our architect, we felt
sustainability in design was important and the right thing
to do both for the environment and for future cost-savings."
The
architects for the Dugan's green home-Campaigne Kestner Architects,
based in Guilford, Connecticut-first applied for LEED-certification
under the pilot program. A key feature of the certification
process is inspection, testing and verification of the design
by an approved LEED for Homes Provider.
For
the Dugan home, a building systems consulting firm and LEED
for Homes provider, Steven Winter Associates, Inc. of Norwalk,
Connecticut, conducted the inspection and testing. After Winter
Associates verified that the house met the LEED requirements
for a "Gold" rating, the USGBC audited and approved
the certification.
The
house is the first certified project in Connecticut, and one
of just 12 gold-rated homes nationally-very appropriate for
the Dugan's golden years. |
