Standards and Benchmarks for Measuring Results
Several rating systems have been developed over the past years. In addition to professional certifications, some municipalities or independent finance sources have established their own benchmarks and checklist requirements. Each of these systems has been developed from slightly different industry perspectives and sometimes with slightly different motivations. The most well-recognized in the United States is the LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) system.
In most cases these certification systems are concerned with the design and building process and the materials used in construction. This is typically confirmed using a commissioning process to test the quality of construction and the completed building systems. To truly realize the benefits of sustainable design, measurable improvements must be found in the building’s economics and operations and in the lives of the building’s residents. Some developers have incorporated extensive monitoring systems into their buildings to track utility use and other indicators. As the table above illustrates, many of these rating systems have more similarities than they do differences. However, levels of costs and projects types are unique; therefore, choosing a rating system that best fits the needs of your project is crucial.
| Rating System | Coverage Area | Project Type | Certification Process | Levels of Certfication | Managed Under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEED for Homes | Nationwide |
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US Green Building Council (USGBC) |
| City of Chicago – Green Homes | City of Chicago |
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|
|
City of Chicago-Department of Environment |
| Enterprise – Green Communities | Nationwide |
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Enterprise Foundation – Green Communities |
| Model Green Home Building | Nationwide |
|
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National Association of Home Builders |
| U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE – ENERGY STAR & HERS Ratings | Nationwide |
Any home three stories or less can earn the ENERGY STAR |
|
Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index (0-100) |
U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE |
| Green Globes | Nationwide |
|
|
|
Green Building Initiative |
LEED for Homes
The U.S. Green Building Council is a national nonprofit organization whose mission it is to make the built environment more environmentally sustainable, healthy, and energy efficient. The council developed the LEED Green Building Rating System as a tool for designing and building sustainable green buildings and communities.
LEED is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.
LEED points are awarded on a 100-point scale, and credits are weighted to reflect their potential environmental impacts. Additionally, 10 bonus credits are available, four of which address regionally specific environmental issues. A project must satisfy all prerequisites and earn a minimum number of points to be certified.
The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) administrates LEED certification for all commercial and institutional projects registered under any LEED Rating System.
In 2009 LEED underwent a reorganization of its measurement systems, as well as make several key improvements to its system of measurement. LEED v3 includes major enhancements in the areas of harmonization, credit weightings, and regionalization in an effort to rectify criticisms of earlier versions. Besides that, the USGBC has attempted to streamline the application process for new construction certification by allowing documentation to be filed online through PDF.
City of Chicago – Green Homes
The Chicago Green Homes Program provides the tools and strategies for building homes and multifamily buildings that are energy efficient and environmentally responsible. By encouraging the use of new technologies, products, and practices and certifying those efforts, the program also creates choice in the marketplace for buyers and renters and gives builders and developers a way to distinguish their products in the Chicagoland area.
Most residential projects are eligible, including new construction and renovations of single-family homes (including town homes) and multifamily buildings (less than 80 feet in height). The program is voluntary; however, if you are seeking financial assistance from the City, your participation may be required as part of the city’s efforts to create a more sustainable urban environment.
To use the Chicago Green Homes Program, you can refer to the program checklist and choose from a range of building options and strategies, each with an associated point value. The Chicago Green Homes Program Guide provides detailed explanations and technical information for these point values. Points are garnered in the following categories; sustainable sites, energy efficiency, materials, health and safety, resource conservation, homeowner education, and innovation.
To participate in Chicago Green Homes, applicants must complete an applicant agreement, enrollment form, and checklist and submit all necessary drawings and documentation.
More information can be found at City of Chicago-Green Homes
Enterprise – Green Communities
Green Communities is a national green building program developed by the Enterprise Foundation strictly for affordable housing. By the end of 2009, Green Communities will have provided $550 million in Green Grants, financing, and equity investment to create 8,500 affordable rental and for-sale homes nationwide.
The initiative is designed to help developers, investors, builders, and residents make informed sustainable building decisions for affordable housing and to provide a number of tools that help developers and builders implement sustainable building strategies. These tools include grants, loans, tax-credit equity, training and technical assistance, and the Green Communities Criteria developed in partnership with a number of national industry experts including the American Institute of Architects, Natural Resources Defense Council, American Planning Association, U.S. Green Building Council, and Southface Energy Institute. The Green Communities 2008 Criteria are aligned with the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System®.
More information can be found at www.greencommunitiesonline.org
.
Model Green Home Building
The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB's) voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are designed to be a tool kit for the builder to engage in green building practices and home builder associations (HBAs) to launch their own local green building programs.
The guidelines contain six primary sections: lot preparation and design (including a site planning appendix); resource efficiency; energy efficiency; water efficiency and conservation; occupancy comfort and indoor environmental quality; and operation, maintenance, and education. They provide prescriptive strategies for implementing green home and sustainable building practices and use a point system for benchmarking. HBAs around the country are using the guidelines to build local, voluntary green home-building programs.
For more information, please visit www.nahb.org/gbg.
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U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE – ENERGY STAR & HERS Ratings
ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The program promotes energy-efficient products and practices to result in reduced costs and environmental protection.
ENERGY STAR ratings can be applied to household products, such as appliances, as well as to residential and commercial buildings. The program also offers online tools for evaluating the energy efficiency of your building, through the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for commercial buildings, and provides support for the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) which is the basis for a residential ENERGY STAR rating.
A home energy rating involves an analysis of a home’s construction plans and onsite inspections. Based on this information, a certified Home Energy Rater performs an energy analysis of the home’s design. This analysis yields a projected HERS Index. Upon completion of the plan review, the rater will work with the builder to identify the energy efficiency improvements needed to ensure that the house will meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines. The rater then conducts onsite inspections, typically including a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts). Results of these tests, along with inputs derived from the plan review, are used to generate the HERS Index score for the home.
Within the HERS Index scoring system, a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home. In the Chicago region, a HERS index of 85 will ensure that a home receives ENERGY STAR certification.
The third‐generation guidelines for ENERGY STAR qualified homes, entitled ENERGY STAR 2011, is currently being developed. A revamp was deemed necessary in order to better communicate ENERGY STAR performance ratings, accommodate the rigorous energy codes of states like California, Oregon, and Washington, and to promote more advanced building practices. The project has been very transparent and has incorporated input from a variety of stakeholders. The program will become effective nationwide January 1, 2011.
For more information, go to www.energystar.gov.
For more information on Energy Star 2011 download the Energy Star 2011 Factsheet
Green Globes
The Green Globes system uses an online questionnaire to evaluate green building and sustainable design performance. Once the questionnaire has been completed, an automatically generated report provides ratings, a list of achievements, and recommendations for sustainable building strategies. The Green Globes system is suitable for large and small buildings including offices, multifamily structures, and institutional buildings such as schools, universities, and libraries. Its low cost makes it especially attractive to smaller, lower-budget buildings. The system applies to new and existing buildings and can be used for portfolio management to assess and compare a variety of properties. Certification is achieved by undergoing third-party verification by trained regional verifiers.
For more information, go to www.greenglobes.com.
