LEED Green Building Certification for Homes

LEED, the U.S. Green Building Council’s能源与环境设计领导certification program, has long been the only standard for environmentally designed commercial buildings. Until recently, residential customers who wanted a greener home worked without a certification, researching and specifying building materials for their new homes and remodels. The challenge for many has been finding builders or contractors who can understand and build to a green model.

NowLEED为家园（LEED-H）可以保证在施工过程中使用绿色建筑材料，维护能效标准，并且室内空气质量保证为房主。

它是绿色意味着什么
Much like LEED certification for commercial buildings, schools, and retail stores, LEED-H certification requires that the home meet prerequisites and earn points in different categories. The total number of points determines if a certificate will be awarded and at what level. Qualified homes can be Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum, with Platinum requiring a home to earn 90-128 points of a possible 129.

Homes are graded and awarded points for Innovation and Design Process, Location and Linkages, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environment Quality, and Awareness and Education. Builders who apply to receive LEED-H certification strive to achieve the maximum number of points per category.

“某些类别很难获得积分，仅仅因为我们的生活在哪里，”普雷斯特波特的Taggart建筑彼得·塔加特说。Taggart已经参与了LEED-H计划的两个试点房屋项目，其中一个人获得了银度，另一个金。

The requirements for LEED-H certification are demanding, and grading is done on every aspect of homebuilding, from design, and site management during construction to educating the homeowner on living in a green home. “The program requires a team effort by all the parties involved in the homebuilding process,” Taggart says. “There’s no cutting corners.” The evaluation process takes place over the course of construction by contracted service providers on state and regional levels.

If the LEED for Homes certification program sounds familiar, it should.Energy Star, the Environmental Protection Agency’s energy-efficiency program, has its own certification for new homes. An “Energy Star qualified” new home must meet standards, much like an LEED-H-rated home. Criteria include insulation, window performance, tight construction, and, of course, efficient products. The Energy Star Home Program limits its qualification criteria to energy-related improvements in the building model, however. To be truly “green,” one has to account for more than simply saving money on utilities.

Why Build LEED Certified?
The benefits of living in a LEED-certified home are numerous. According to Taggart, “homeowner pride” is the primary reason for deciding on a LEED-certified home. “The home speaks to the values of the homeowner,” he says.

LEED住宅energy-effi代表了一种承诺cient living by virtue of added insulation, low-e windows, and Energy Star-rated appliances. The Indoor Environment Quality standard ensures that a family living in a LEED-certified house will breathe much cleaner indoor air through the use of low- or non-VOC paints and adhesives, in addition to the integration of an effective air exchange or ventilation system. These practices have been employed in commercial LEED buildings for years, and findings suggest that improved indoorair qualityhas led to increased worker productivity, higher attendance, and better morale.

建立一个LEED认证的家庭可能听起来像是一个昂贵的事业，但市场对节能产品的需求已经增加了可用性，同时保持价格合理。绿色建筑实践的增加将推动市场以竞争力的价格提供更节能和环保的产品。

Building a LEED home actually lowers building costs to consumers by encouraging builders to use less material and produce less waste. Living in an energy-efficient home also saves on utility costs, while incorporating renewable energy technologies likesolar heating和thermal storagethat help homeowners produce their own energy as they reduce their dependency on carbon-producing technology. “The energy aspect has become the most compelling for homeowners,” Taggart says.

Finding a LEED-H Builder
The LEED-H program encourages homebuilders nationwide to apply for certification of the homes they build. Potential homeowners who are looking to build a LEED-H certified home can search for experienced builders through local and regional directories. Currently, the USGBC web site lists contacts for the local chapters of LEED and recognizes builders who practice sustainable building and have successfully constructed LEED-H homes. The goal of the program is to produce a registry that home buyers can access when looking for regional and local LEED-H certified homes and builders.