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Gearing Up to Go Green? Here are Resources to Get You Going
Some national programs are applying for standardization; is one right for you?
By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor
February 13, 2007
HousingZone
In October, 2006, the American National Standards Institute accredited the U.S. Green Building Council as an official Standards Developing Organization. The USGBC joins 200 plus organizations that can submit voluntary certifications, such as its LEED program, for approval as an American National Standard.
LEED, known for its national green building rating systems for commercial buildings, is in the pilot stage of testing a national green building ratings program for homes. The testing period is expecting to conclude in the spring and LEED for Homes will publicly launch in June 2007.
The Green Building Initiative became a standards developing organization in late 2005 and submitted Green Globes, a green management tool that includes an assessment protocol, rating system and guide for integrating environmentally friendly design into commercial buildings, for approval as a national standard.
And the NAHB Research Center, also an ANSI standards developer, submitted NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines, introduced in January 2005, for national standard certification.
In a couple of years, there could be three ANSI-approved national green building standards, along with the numerous local, regional and organizational requirements and certifications in existence today. With so many choices, it’s hard to know what to do or where to start on the journey toward more environmentally sound, energy efficient, sustainable building. There’s no silver bullet, but there are many resources.
- LEED for Homes
LEED for Homes is a voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high performance "green" homes. - NAHB's Model Green Home Building Guidelines
NAHB's voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are designed to be a tool kit for the individual builder looking to engage in green building practices and home builder associations (HBAs) looking to launch their own local green building programs. - Green Globes
The Green Globes system is a green management tool that includes an assessment protocol, rating system and guide for integrating environmentally friendly design into commercial buildings. - Building Green
Building Green’s mission is to provide objective and timely information to help building professionals and policy makers improve the environmental performance and reduce the adverse impacts of buildings. - Building America
Building America is a private/public partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy that conducts research to find energy-efficient solutions for new and existing housing that can be implemented on a production basis. - The Energy Star Program
Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that promotes and rewards the use of energy efficient products and practices. - American Lung Association Health House Builder Guidelines
The American Lung Association of Minnesota introduced the Health House program in 1993. It has since expanded into a national indoor air program for the American Lung Association, with active programs in many local Lung Associations.
© 2008, Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.