- 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.
-----
Read more about the basics of energy-efficiency certification
Curious to learn more about energy-efficiency certification programs and related resources? Here's a sampling
Add new comment
Related Stories
Working Toward Affordable, Resilient Homes
A new natural disaster protection act from NAHB aims to support hazard mitigation projects
Client Design Choices in the Time of Social Media and AI
Social media speeds up the trend cycles, and now artificially created images are falling into homeowners' hands
Indoor Air Quality Gets Smart
A home's air quality can now be cloud connected and fully automated with this innovative product
Webinar: From Disjointed Design to Cohesive and Efficient—The New American Remodel 2023
Access the recording for the first The New American Remodel webinar held on March 8 at 2 pm CT
5 Standout Energy-Efficient Products Spotted at IBS 2023
See what this green remodeler recommends from the show floor
Innovative Products: GAF Energy Timberline Solar Shingles
GAF Energy’s latest innovation has taken the solar world by storm
Detailed Design: Benefits of Biophilism
See the details our Model ReModel contractors chose to infuse nature into their ADU
Heat Pumps Now Required in Washington New Construction
Washington is the second state to require heat pumps in an effort to electrify homes