Today, more people than ever are environmentally conscious and adhere to at least one green practice in their daily life. Recycling is, perhaps, the most widely practiced, but so much more than recycling goes into building, operating, and maintaining a green home. Energy efficiency, water usage, the materials used in the building process, indoor environmental quality, a home’s emissions, and more all contribute (or not) to how green a home really is.
Homeowners and businesses alike are happy to apply procedures and standards with attributes that contribute to the ongoing safety and protection of our environment. Codes and rating systems have been developed by numerous organizations that can be used in the development of green communities and building programs. Builders and contractors can then apply these standards to their own work and promote green building practices with qualified certifications.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)* provides information on the largest and most well-known green building standards and the building type(s) to which they apply: residential (including multi-family), commercial, industrial, or mixed use. Here we provide an overview of three of these standards and the organizations that develop and promote them.
Residential Green Building Standard Organizations and Certifications
- National Green Building Standard (NGBS) – Developed by the National Association of Home Builders, the objective of this rating and certification system is to promote increased environmental health performance in the design and construction of homes. NGBS rates areas such as energy and water efficiency, the building materials used, environmental quality of the building interior, building maintenance and operations requirements, and knowledge level of the owner of the residence.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) – Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED comprises a series of rating systems that target increased environmental and health performance in homes and other residential-type structures, and the building sites on which they sit. LEED standards cover the same areas as NGBS standards: water and energy efficiency, materials and resources used in the building process, environmental quality of indoor spaces, and emissions. LEED standards apply in all phases of the building process: design, construction, operations, and maintenance of buildings.
- Living Building Challenge – From the International Living Future Institute™, this certification promotes transformation in how buildings are designed, built, and operated. While improved environmental and health performance are critical factors, so is the building of structures that restore and regenerate as well as integrate into ambient ecology. In addition to promoting standards for water, energy, materials, etc., Living Building Challenge also includes the aesthetics of a building and its fit within local culture.
If you are interested in learning more about green building practices or making your home or business more green, contact Steve Rush of Sovereign Construction Services. Steve brings years of expertise in design and renovation to his full-service building and remodeling company. He collaborates with homeowners to develop solutions that meet all their requirements. Steve is available to discuss your green building and renovating needs and can be reached at 610-639-2986.
* Find more details on green building standards and the organizations that develop them on the EPA website.