Green Building Certification: More Builders Than ever are seeking it

Leighann Morris | Headline News

Home builders seeking green building certifications have also increased due to fuel prices. Then if not droughts and climate change, reports Builder magazine. Out of the top 100 builders in the US, 149 reported meeting green building certifications and standards such as LEED. Now that is up from 100 last year.

Other results include:
Topping the list of top 10 green builders was Fulton Homes, which built all of its 376 homes to LEED, Energy Star, and a regional green building program.

Savvy Homes built 100 percent of its homes to a regional certification program, 100 percent to LEED, and 50 percent to Energy Star.

The Warmington Group built 100 percent to regional, 100 percent to Energy Star, and 50 percent to LEED.

LEED Recognizes Living Building Challenge Energy and Water Requirements

The U.S. Green Building Council announced that now recognizes energy and water requirements from the Living Building Challenge (the Challenge). It’s a green building system within the LEED green building program.

First off, let’s be specific

The Living Building Challenge is a green building certification program and sustainable design framework that visualizes the ideal for the built environment. It uses the metaphor of a flower because the ideal built environment should function as cleanly and efficiently

AS A FLOWER.

THIS IS DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE

So with the Living Building Challenge, you can create buildings that are the following:

1. Regenerative spaces that connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community.

2. Self-sufficient and remain within the resource limits of their site. Living buildings produce more energy than they use and collect and treat all water on site.

3. Healthy and beautiful.

Living buildings give more than they take, creating a positive impact on the human and natural systems that interact with them.

CATALYZING CHANGE

USGBC doesn’t provide a checklist of best practices.

Because the Living Building Challenge encourages teams to think holistically. Thereby finding solutions that tackle multiple issues at once.

For example:

1. A water system’s power needs must factor into the energy budget.

2. Materials must be non-toxic and low impact to satisfy the demands of the Materials Petal.

3. Projects must integrate local culture, biophilic elements, and beauty in order to foster community and natural connections.

In addition, the program outlines a design framework that promotes the highest standard of sustainability for the built environment.

Conclusion

Rather than a checklist of current best practices, the LBC includes a series of performance goals empowering project teams to find creative design solutions.

Click here for some fast facts about green buildings.