You asked if there are “green” building standards for single-family homes in the U. S. and what they are.

SUMMARY

Green building refers to the construction of homes and offices to significantly reduce or eliminate their impact on the environment and their occupants through site planning, efficient use of water and energy, conserving materials and resources, and protecting indoor environmental quality.

There are several nationally-recognized systems that rate and certify green buildings, including single-family homes. These include the U. S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes rating system and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star program. In addition, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is working with the International Code Council (ICC) on a uniform residential green building standard, which should be completed in 2008. There also are a number of regional systems. (Green Globes USA, an Internet-based green building assessment program, is intended only for commercial buildings. )

LEED STANDARDS

LEED for Homes began as a pilot program in 2005 and is meant for new single- and low rise multi-family homes of three stories or less. USGBC says it will launch the LEED for Homes rating system when the pilot program concludes this fall.  As with NAHB (see below) USGBC states that it is attempting to provide national consistency in defining the features of green home. LEED for Homes, unlike Energy Star, is intended only for new home construction. However, USGBC is working with the American Society of Interior Designers to develop residential green renovation guidelines to be released in November 2007.

The LEED for Homes rating system uses eight different resource categories to measure a home's overall performance. These are:

1. the placement of homes in socially and environmentally responsible ways,

2. the use of the entire property to minimize the project's impact on the site,

3. indoor and outdoor water conservation practices,

4. energy efficiency in the building envelope and heating and cooling design,

5. efficient use of environmentally preferable materials and minimization of waste during construction,

6. reducing possible indoor air pollution,

7. educating the homeowner about operating and maintaining his home's green features, and

8. innovative measures not addressed in the rating system.

Buildings in the LEED rating system earn points toward levels of certification depending on how many green features are included. The basic level is called certification. Buildings with additional green features can earn ratings of silver, gold, or platinum. For example, base level certification requires landscapers to refrain from planting invasive plants. Landscapers may earn additional points towards higher level certification by planting drought-tolerant plants, or limiting the use of turf. Builders can earn extra points by reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills, using non-toxic pest control, building detached garages (or no garage at all), and many other options. We have attached a LEED for Homes checklist.

According to the USGBC, as of May 2007, about 375 builders were participating in the pilot program, and over 200 homes had been LEED certified.   More information on LEED for Homes can be found at USGBC: LEED for Homes (http: //www. usgbc. org/DisplayPage. aspx?CMSPageID=147).

ENERGY STAR STANDARDS

EPA established the Energy Star voluntary labeling program in 1992. The program is designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Computers and monitors were the first labeled products. The Energy Star label is now on major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics, and more. Among the products covered by the program are televisions, clothes washers, and compact fluorescent lights. EPA has also extended the label to cover new homes and commercial and industrial buildings.

To earn the Energy Star rating, new homes must meet energy efficiency guidelines that are at least 15% more efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code. Homes three stories or less can earn the Energy Star label, including single-family, attached and low-rise multi-family homes, manufactured homes, modular construction, log homes, and existing, retrofitted homes.

These homes may include a variety of energy-efficient features, such as effective insulation, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and Energy Star qualified lighting and appliances.

According to the National Association of Counties (NACo), as of July 2007, more than 3,500 home builders had built more than 750,000 Energy Star qualified homes. We have attached NACo's Green Building Standards fact sheet (http: //www. naco. org/GreenTemplate. cfm ?Section=Energy_and_Green_Buildings&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay. cfm&ContentID=24818). Additional information on the Energy Star program for new homes is available on its website, Features of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes: ENERGY STAR (http: //www. energystar. gov/index. cfm?c=new_homes. nh_features). Information on Energy Star program for existing homes can be found at Improve Your Home's Energy Efficiency with ENERGY STAR: ENERGY STAR (http: //www. energystar. gov/index. cfm?c=home_ improvement. hm_improvement_index).

NAHB-ICC STANDARDS

NAHB is working with ICC, an association that develops building, fire and safety codes, to develop a consensus-based standard for residential construction, including single- and multi-family homes, remodeling, renovation, and lot and site development. The standards, to be completed in early 2008, will be based on NAHB model home building guidelines. According to NAHB, a number of local state green building programs have used these model guidelines, adapted to local conditions.

NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines

The NAHB guidelines feature the following guiding principles:

1. Resource efficient site design and development;

2. resource efficient design and materials;

3. energy efficiency;

4. water efficiency;

5. indoor environmental quality;

6. homeowner education;

7. proper operation and maintenance;

8. site planning and land development, and

9. global impact.

Each of these guiding principles incorporates a number of specific measures. For example, lot design, preparation and development includes avoiding environmentally sensitive areas; minimizing slope disturbance and soil erosion; and managing storm water using low impact development. Energy efficiency includes installing Energy Star ceiling fans, hot water lines with at least one-inch insulation and using renewable energy sources, such as solar heating and cooling.

According to the National Association of Counties, NAHB's model home building guidelines are being used by more than two dozen state and local home building associations, and NAHB members have built about 100,000 homes under the guidelines and similar voluntary certification programs.

We have attached a copy of the NAHB model guidelines. They also are available on-line at http: //www. nahb. org/fileUpload_details. aspx ?contentTypeID=7&contentID=1994