- National Green Building Standard Green Home Remodeling Project Certification provides practices for residential remodeling. A building can be awarded an Emerald, Gold, Silver, or Bronze certification depending on the extent of the green practices used.
- LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a certification program that covers new construction and major renovations. A point system leads to four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
- Energy Star is an Environmental Protection Agency program that certifies a variety of products as well as residential and commercial structures.
- The HERS rating is a numeric system for evaluating a home’s efficiency. HERS is overseen by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), an organization that works to help homeowners reduce energy consumption.
- The Building Performance Institute (BPI) develops standards for energy-efficiency retrofit work. The organization provides certifications for individuals, contractors, and home energy rating systems.
- Established by the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and Southface, an advocacy organization, EarthCraft is a green building certification program that serves the Southeastern U.S.
- GreenStar, run by the GreenHome Institute, primarily serves the Midwest.
- Build It Green is a California-based nonprofit with a mission to increase awareness and adoption of green building practices. The organization’s Green Point rating program is divided into new and existing homes.
- Green Home Guide: An easy-to-use database of national and local green certification programs.
- The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency is a searchable database of all programs offering rebates and tax incentives.
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Read more about the basics of energy-efficiency certification
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