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Confused by all the
'certifications' and descriptions of a green built home? What is the
difference, if any, between a LEED home, Energy Star home, GBC certification
or Healthy Home?
GBC - Green Building Council -is a
program based on the Green Building
Guidelines developed by the National Association of Homebuilders that
provides third party certification of homes.
Download the guidelines
Healthy Built
Homes - is a NC program that provides visibility and third
party certification of homes for residential builders who build sustainable,
high performance homes.
Energy
Star Home - is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy designed to save the homeowner
money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and
practices. The government calculates an Energy Star home can save a
homeowner up 20% or more in energy costs. Please Note: An Energy
Star home exceeds standard building codes (the minimum) by only 15%.
All other certifications are Energy Star homes and much, much more.
LEED - The LEED Green Building Rating System is the national
benchmark for high performance green buildings. LEED has been used
primarily by architects and builders of commercial buildings.
LEED for Homes
The U.S. Green Building Council offers a checklist for residential
structures less than four stories tall (LEED-H). A certification program is
in the pilot stage.
Download the guidelines
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