What made grandmothers house green was the paint.
Later on she repainted it and now it is yellow.
Who knew it was that simple?

Certification is available in some areas.

I wrote an article which is on my personal website: http://www.niceseattlehomes.com/media/builders%20finally%20g…

Links to further information:
US Green Building Council http://www.usgbc.org
Built Green http://www.builtgreenwashington.org
Energy Star http://energystar.gov

Hi Edward -
You have received many excellent answers. If you would like a close up look of "green' building, EG Stoltzfus, a Lancaster/York area builder has a "green" home model in the their Hempfield Crossing neighborhood, which can be replicated in the EGS communities in York. If you would like to take a look or if you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Following is an article on EGS' green home.

Going for the Gold: EG Stoltzfus Homes, LLC
has built the first Green-Gold certified home in Pennsylvania

Area builder earns environmental building certification from the National Association of Home Builders

EG Stoltzfus Homes, LLC has earned Pennsylvania's first Green-Gold certification by the National Association of Home builders (NAHB). The NAHB National Green Building Program was selected to rate the EG Stoltzfus home in Hempfield Crossing because it includes criteria, verification and a third-party evaluation to back up the builder's green claim. Andy Toms, Director of Production, says they earned the designation because of the Lancaster-based builder's efforts to reduce the homes impact on the environment due to its energy and water efficiencies, indoor air quality and the use of renewable and regionally available resources.

Following the NAHB Green rating system was not to difficult says Toms, because EG Stoltzfus was already using many green elements in its homes. Scoring its standard houses in developments throughout Dauphin, York and Lancaster Counties to see how they rated, Toms found that standard specifications already surpassed NAHB's green program and would earn a Bronze rating, so with Olympic-like fervor, the company decided to go for the Gold. Toms then identified new areas for energy & water efficiency in their popular Glenwood II model in Hempfield Crossing and earned the prestigious Gold label.

"It has been a great learning process for our company to validate our work over the years for the South Central Pennsylvania environment and our customers - it is so much more than saving a tree," explains Toms. "It is how an energy efficient home handles the climate it is built in. Components of a green home in Florida would be different from a green home in our area."

Hempfield Crossing's "Glenwood II" NAHB Green Home scored 397 points to qualify for the prestigious certification at the Gold level. Yet Toms advises most of the criteria are not in the cosmetics that make a home a showplace. Toms says the very features that make the home "Green" are not always readily apparent and need to be explained. With everything "going green" these days- from cars, to companies, to coffee sometimes it can be hard to tell what that really means, especially when it comes to a current or future home.

Toms explains that EG Stoltzfus Homes "Green" means incorporating design and construction techniques, utilizing energy and water efficient products, using building materials from renewable resources, managing indoor environmental quality and providing the customer with a homeowner maintenance manual. Although the builder cannot entirely avoid affecting the environment when a house is built, green building can work towards minimizing the overall environmental impact. And help its homeowner save money through the homes energy efficiency.

The term "Green" means many of things to different people. Generally it can mean:

Energy Efficiency
Renewable and Alternative Energies
Reusing, Renewing, and Recycling
Chemical and Toxin Free Products
Water Conservation
Organic, and Chemical or Steriod Free Food
Non Genetically Modified Foods (GMO's)
Electric and Alternative Fuel Vehicles
Alternative and Complementary Medicines and Therapies

In terms of homes and real estate, the top 5 in the list above are most pertinent. The idea of 'going green' simply means that you as the home or building owner are taking active steps in considering how all of these terms affect that home or building and the surrounding environments. Being Green can sometimes be skewed and some critics get skeptical if someone isn't doing every single thing that is available. However, do to everything is quite implausible. There are specific earned designations that homes and buildings can achieve by passing extremely stringent requirements (such as LEED and Energy Star). Yet being green begins with an awareness of your environmental impact and taking action towards correcting inefficiencies and focusing on become more sustainable, more eco-friendly.

And the first step you can do is get an energy audit done on your home or building!! This in-depth energy inspection will reveal to you exactly what the most important and cost effective improvements to make are.


Common Green Improvements include:

Replacing incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamps(CFL's) or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
Paint with Low or No Volatile Compound (VOC) paints.
Seal windows, doors, light fixtures, electrical outlets with caulking or weather stripping.
Installing a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature efficiently.
Purchase Energy Star appliances such as refrigerator, dishwasher, front loading washer and dryer.
Dry clothes on a clothesline (if permitted).
Clean your HVAC ducts and furnace regularly.
Increase insulation to recommended values for your area.


For those looking to 'up the ante' on the efficiency and sustainability and invest a bit more money:

Install energy efficient (Low-Emittance) windows.
Install Solar Photovoltaics on the roof or ground mount (if your property qualifies - shading is a big issue...)
Install an onsite geothermal ground source heater/cooling system
Install an onsite wind generator (if permitted)

Green refers to a spectrum of building techniques that include site construction,and home design, construction, orientation and material selection....and where a home falls on that spectrum should really be determined by the homeowner (ie: social concern and budget) and that often requires some education. The best advice is to work with an experienced professional such as a home builder or contractor who is well versed in green standards. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has created and adopted a national standard comprised of rankings or tiers based on identifying specific criteria to determine the degree to which a home is green. There is not neccessarily an absolute. There are many ways to strive toward a level of excellence with respect to green homes and construction but this will be dictated by the individual homeowners' priorities and budgets.

What makes a home green.
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Site Management & Waste Reduction

Green Built homes incorporate efficient site management and waste reduction practices on the jobsite in order to help reduce the environmental impact of the home while under construction. These practices and principles include tree preservation and protection, recycling measures and storm water control systems designed for the site.




Water Efficiency

Preserving water resources is important to all , and Green Built homes are designed to conserve water both indoors and out. More efficient water delivery systems indoors combined with drought-tolerant landscaping choices and smart irrigation systems outdoors help extend current water resources. Buyers should discuss other offerings with their builder such as rainwater catchment and additional water saving appliances to maximize water savings.



Indoor Air Quality

Following energy efficiency, consumers often cite the home’s indoor air quality as the most important feature of their home. Sensitivities to chemicals that can be emitted from construction and home furnishing materials are becoming more common and Green Built homes aim to mitigate the effects of potential contaminants. Through proper design, ventilation and filtering the source of contaminates can be controlled, diluted and/or captured. This aspect is particularly important in areas where high levels of allergens and pollen are often reported.




Energy Efficiency

Energy consumption is of paramount concern to today’s homebuyers due to financial and far-reaching environmental impacts. In addition, each home consumes energy year after year, meaning that the environmental impacts associated with that use accrue over time. Therefore, energy conservation is an integral part of all Green Built homes.

Green Built homes are certified to meet the EPA’s ENERGY STAR performance standard. With the help of independent Home Energy Raters, Green builders choose the most appropriate energy-saving features for their homes in order to obtain ENERGY STAR certification. Raters conduct onsite testing and inspections to verify the energy efficiency measures, as well as insulation and air tightness. Upon completion of the verficiation process, the home obtains ENERGY STAR certification and is scored on the HERS (Home Energy Rating Systems) Index.

The HERS Index is a scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) in which a home built to basic code specifications scores a HERS Index of 100. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the Reference Home. Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index roughly corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the Reference Home.




Material Usage

Green Built homes start with the consideration of the environment at the design phase, when material selection occurs. For instance, Green Built homes use environmentally friendly engineered lumber products. These products help optimize lumber resources since 50% or more of the log is converted into structural lumber.

Green Built homes are also built with sustainability in mind. Drainage considerations, weatherization techniques and durable cladding materials help minimize the effects of our harsh climate.



Homeowner Education

A builder can do only so much when it comes to how the home will perform. Homeowners play a big role in their home’s performance and, therefore, should take the utmost care to operate their Green Built home as it was intended. Ongoing and timely preventative maintenance helps ensure a healthy, resource-efficient home for years to come.

Terrance gives a good answer. There is so much that can be called green that it is hard to define a green house.

If you would want to take a look at a "green" home in your area feel free to contact me. We built a home on the Susquehanna just a year ago incorporating these features:

ICF walls (insulating concrete forms)
Hybrid heating system with two zones and high efficiency propane back-up to the heat pumps
drip dispursal septic system
steel roof
Energy Star windows
Energy Star appliances
Energy Star gas water heater
recycled drywall scraps
engineered laminate flooring


Things we would have considered if initial cost had allowed:
geothermal heat
passive and/or active solar systems for hot water and heating
in-floor heat
on demand hot water

We might still add a south facing sunroom.

Good resources include: http://www.ecobroker.com
Energy Star http://www.energystar.gov/ http://www.gbacpa.org/

http://activerain.com/eileenmusser

This all depends on how "green" you are thinking. You can have totally self sufficient homes which were made mostly from recycled items and are off the grid by creating their own energy through solar, geo-thermal, wind, etc.

Or you can have a modern home which, when remodeled, only recycled materials were used to update it. Solar panels for heat and/or electric installed to supplement and ease use of the grid. Use of florescent bulbs (which I personally do not like due to the mercury inside them which would be released if the bulb broke) or LED lighting. The list goes on.

Better research can be done by going to http://www.greenhomeguide.org/ .

Hope that helps.

Terrence Charest, e-Pro