Green Buildings

The exploding market for sustainable, environmentally friendly and recycled building products, along with the greater availability of educational opportunities for builders, has accelerated green building’s acceptance rate. Currently, there are approximately 50 locally grown green building programs across the country, many of which are run by the local home builders' association.

The LEED® Rating System

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED® certification is based on a point system. The amount of points achieved will determine which level of LEED® certification the project is awarded. USGBC organizes the available points for LEED® certification into five broad categories.

Below is a list of the categories and examples of required and possible points for each of the categories. USGBC also provides an optional sixth category for innovation and design process.

• Energy and Atmosphere
• Water Efficiency
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation and Design Process
• Sustainable Sites
• Materials and Resources 

After meeting certain prerequisites, projects can earn points toward LEED certification by meeting or exceeding requirements outlines for each of the intentions. There are four levels of LEED certification: certified, silver, gold, and platinum. 

 GreenPoint Rating System

While LEED focuses on new construction, the GreenPoint rating system also provides for existing homes or home remodel. GreenPoint Rated is a program of Build It Green , a professional non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient buildings in California.

Think of GreenPoint Rated as a report card for new home construction. A GreenPoint Rated home is graded on five categories:

• Energy Efficiency
• Resource Conservation
• Indoor Air Quality
• Water Conservation
• Community

If the home meets minimum point requirements in each category and scores more than 50 total points, then it earns the right to bear the GreenPoint Rated label. Because GreenPoint Rated homes are evaluated by independent, certified raters, building professionals and homeowners can feel confident that the rating has integrity and value.

The GreenPoint Rated label gives you assurance that you're getting a healthier, more environmentally responsible home. GreenPoint Rated homes are verified to exceed state building and energy code requirements for health and environmental performance.