In the past several years, "green construction" has become a major focus of the entire building
community. In the government's effort to encourage green building several federal and state programs
have been created to ensure that builders and consumers have an incentive to invest in green building.
There are certification programs for the builders to ensure that they have met certain standards to be
considered green builders. There are also incentives for consumers to invest in eco friendly and energy
saving solutions. Below are some of the federal programs that are now in place to encourage green
construction. We will be continually updating this section as more programs are enacted.
Federal Programs
LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED For Homes is a rating system to ensure
that homes said to be Green are indeed energy efficient and built to conserve resources. Check out the
official us government site
Energy Star - ENERGY STAR qualified homes offer homebuyers all the features they want in a new
home, plus energy-efficient improvements that deliver better performance, greater comfort, and lower
utility bills.
NAHB Green Home Building Guidelines
Checklist, explanation of the Point system
The Green Building Initiative
Not a government program, but a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of
building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by
promoting credible and practical green building approaches for residential and commercial construction.
Federal Green Building Programs