Tag Archive for: leed for homes

Become LEED for Homes Green Rater

Chicago Green Rater Training – AIA/GBCI/Resnet CEUs

USGBC LEED® for Homes™ Green Rater Training

Co-sponsored with Energy Finance Analytics

There are currently over 75,000 registered LEED® for Homes™ projects nationwide, and each project requires third-party on-siteverification and performance testing. If you’re interested in filling this need as part of USGBC’s new LEED for Homes Green Rater program, this training is for you! The two-part LEED for Homes Green Rater Training is designed to prepare qualified participants to provide verification services on LEED for Homes projects. Applicants must meet initial qualifications and complete a two-part training (this two-day workshop and an online course component). Following the training, participants will take a computer-based exam provided by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) and complete a mentorship on real projects before earning the LEED for Homes Green Rater Certificate.

Learning Objectives

Identify responsibilities of a LEED for Homes Green Rater in each phase of a project
Manage and conduct verification activities
Effectively use the project checklist file
Communicate effectively with project teams and LEED for Homes Providers
Apply the sampling protocol on applicable projects
Prepare accurate and complete certification submittal packages
Audience
This training is intended for professionals with a minimum of three years’ experience in the residential construction industry and basic residential green building knowledge who are interested in providing verification services on LEED for Homes projects. Those with a background in on-site verification and/or energy rating are particularly qualified. This program is being co-sponsored with Energy Finance Analytics LLC, a RESNET training provider.

Prerequisites
Meet LEED for Homes Green Rater Eligibility Qualifications.

Continuing Education
This course, like all USGBC LEED education programs, meets GBCI eligibility requirements for the LEED Green Associate.

RESNET: 14 professional development credits
GBCI CE: 14 hours (LEED Homes Specific)
AIA/CES: 14 HSW/SD Learning Units
BOMI: 14 (CPD)
CoreNet: 14 (CPD)
CSI: 1.6 (CEU)

Tuition:
Regular: $650
Early Bird: $595 (register before 6/8/2012)

Steps to Become a Green Rater

Step 1: Meet LEED for Homes Green Rater Eligibility Qualifications and submit application form to USGBC.
Step 2: Once accepted, complete five self-guided online learning modules prior to participating in the two-day LEED for Homes Green Rater Training.
Step 3: Take and pass LEED for Homes Green Rater exam through GBCI.
Step 4: Complete Green Rater Mentorship with a LEED for Homes provider within 24 months.
Step 5: Receive LEED for Homes Green Rater Certificate.
If you have any questions about Green Rater eligibility or working with a LEED for Homes provider, please contact Brett Little, Administrative Director.

Instructors
Jason La Fleur, LEED AP+Homes and LEED for Homes Green Rater
Frank Pipal, Certified RESNET Trainer

Lodging
Discounted lodging is available at a nearby Extended Stay America for $69.00 a night. When calling (630) 226-8966, mention the reservation name “LEED Homes” to receive the discount rate. Hotel Details.

Optional Mentorship Visit
Out of town class participants can sign up for an optional mentorship site visit to occur Thursday evening after class. Contact us for details.

Register here https://greenhomeinstitute.org/education-and-events/green-rater-training-1/

Registration problems? Contact info@alliancees.org or (616) 458-6733

Michigan LEED Gold Home for Sale featuring $87.38/month utility bills.

This home designed by the architect Eric Hughes, Image Design is located east of Kingsley Michigan approximately 20 minutes from central Traverse City. Built in 2009 this home was the Renewable Energy Tour Home for the 2009 Michigan Energy Fair and was awarded the 2009/10 Insulating Concrete Form Association National Gold Award for Small Residential Construction. This home is located on a quiet dirt road with easy access to M113, Traverse City, and Cadillac. State forest and public lands are within easy walking distance. Countryside views abound and it doesn’t get much quieter. In addition to a LEED Gold rating the home received a 5+ Energy Star certification and a HERS score of 48. The links below provide detailed information on the energy saving features of the home. This is not a short sale.

Primary Features:

* 3 bedrooms including master suite on main floor.

* 2.5 baths * Main floor laundry (washer and dryer included).

* 2010 and 2011 total utility bills averaged $1048 annually or $87.38/month.

* Buildblock insulated concrete form walls.

* Anderson 400 windows.

* Soytherm spray foam insulation.

* Toto dual flush ADA compliant toilets.

* Cement fiberboard siding.

* Premium Kasselwood metal roof shingles.

* No mechanical HVAC, a Tulikivi masonry stove provides soothing radiant heat with backup electric baseboards. (www.tulikivi.com, model TTU2700 with bake oven)

* The entire house has been heated by roughly 7-10 face cords of hardwood firewood per winter. Wood was cut from the property (ash and sugar maple), purchased commercially this would be roughly $425.

* One fire a day is sufficient for 95% of the heating season. No constant stoking required.

* Energy star ceiling fans provide all the “AC” you ever need.

* Window overhangs allow in winter sun but block summer sun.

* Maple, tile, and polished concrete flooring throughout.

* Solar hot water system with 85 gallon insulated Marathon electric water heater.

* No-VOC paints, floor treatments, and caulks.

* Energy Star refrigerator (included) and washer.

* Soapstone countertops.

* 80% efficiency whole house Heat Recovery Ventilator (filters included).

* Pre-wired for future wind turbine installation. Fantastic wind generator site with no obstructions.

* External plug and wiring ready for a full size home generator.

* Home architectural plans available upon request.

Garage:

* Built summer 2011.

* Detached 3 stall garage with a 12′ x 12′ basement and adjacent 12′ x 12′ stone floored ventilated root cellar.

* 24′ x 24′ loft over the middle two stalls designed to be finished for guest quarters or home office.

* North stall could be used for storage, tractor, or third vehicle. South stall could easily be finished as a workshop.

* Cement fiberboard siding and standing seam metal roof.

* Large double doors facing the garden for easy entry/exit with garden equipment.

* Plans available for enclosed walkway between garage and house mudroom.

Additional Features:

* Organic garden, fruit trees, nut trees, raspberries, and asparagus planted

* Built in entertainment center and kitchen seating/storage

* Programmable in floor radiant electric heat in all bathrooms

* Automatic dog door

* Fantastic birding site with nesting eastern meadowlarks, bobolinks, upland sandpipers, northern harriers, American woodcock, and others commonly seen from the back windows.

* Additional acreage available includes 25 acres of northern hardwoods managed for sustainable timber production and wildlife habitat. 7 acres of native warm season grasses were planted in 2011. Deer and turkeys are harvested every year from this property. Owner is a wildlife habitat biologist.

* Great neighbors and countryside views.

More information and pictures of the home can be found at the following links. All pictures were taken prior to additional improvements and construction of the detached garage and root cellar. Cut and paste links into your browser.

LEED Certification score sheet and description

https://greenhomeinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/first-LEED-certified-home-in-Grand-Traverse-County.pdf

Northern Express article on the home.

http://www.northernexpress.com/michigan/article-4582-leeding-the-way_green-homes.html

2009 Michigan Energy Fair Renewable Energy Home Tour:

http://www.glrea.org/events/MichiganEnergyFair2009/RE.html

See Listing http://www.forsalebyowner.com/listing/PER61

Ravenswood Chicago LEED Gold Home

See project profile:

More project Details & Design Firm: http://www.bbaworld.com/pages/Press/Press-Releases/LEED.html

Top 10 Neighborhood in Nation just got greener with new LEED Home

The home at 1135 North Grove has earned LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for achievement in green homebuilding and design. It will be the first residence in Oak Park to receive LEED certification, and this new custom home was built for less than $150 per square foot.

1135 North Grove is one of 40 homes in Chicagoland that have been certified using LEED (view the LEED Project Profile).  The single-family home was built by Wicklow Development Group, renowned for their expertise in green building and historic preservation. Through their commitment to green homebuilding, Wicklow Development Group is helping to keep homeownership affordable. Green homes have substantially lower utility bills[1] and may qualify for advantageous financing, lower insurance rates and government incentives.

“As a LEED Platinum home, 1135 North Grove is at the national forefront of green homes, and serves as a model of healthy and efficient living for the entire community,” said Jason La Fleur, Regional Director for the Green Home Institute, who also served as the third-party verifier for the project. “Their example can help us all to live better by reducing our environmental footprint, cutting the costs of our utility bills, and coming home to a healthier place to live.” La Fleur is hosting a free webinar on May 9 for real estate professionals interested in learning more about LEED homes.

Oak Park Solar PV panels
Solar panels on the roof of 1135 Grove

1135 North Grove reduces energy use 66% below the typical new home built to code.  The four bedroom project features low-e argon windows, high efficiency lighting fixtures, detailed attention to preventing air leakage, and blown-in fiberglass insulation.  Other energy efficiency upgrades include a geothermal heating system which also provides most hot water heat, and a rarely-used backup electric water heater. An ultra-efficient electric induction cooktop is used in the kitchen. The roof angle was optimized for solar panels which produce electricity to power the home, without visually disturbing the home’s facade.

Located in one of the “Top 10 Neighborhoods in the Nation” according to the American Planning Association, the home features a very walk-friendly location in the heart of a neighborhood with many historic homes designed by notable architects.

Homeowner Tim Carey says, “Fitting a new construction home into a historic neighborhood creates a challenge for designers and builders. This project demonstrates that you can build a beautiful, traditional looking home, with a green design and features, yet keep with the character of an established community such as Oak Park.”

Electric induction cooktop and high end kitchen finishes


Induction cooktop and high-end kitchen finishes

As a result of incorporating energy saving products and technologies, 1135 North Grove has achieved an impressively low 34 Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score. Additionally, the combination of electric using-and-producing systems at 1135 North Grove has resulted in affordable energy bills for the homeowners who have been living in the home for a full year. The house has had modestly low electricity bills, and as an all-electric home no natural gas is used, so there are no natural gas bills.

A heat recovery ventilator provides fresh air distributed throughout the home to keep it healthy for the homeowners and recovering some of the energy used to condition the air. Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint and locally sourced materials have been used throughout the house.  Proving building green can be done affordably, 1135 North Grove was built with a total construction cost of $145 per square foot after renewable energy incentives, below the Chicagoland average construction cost for custom new homes.

 

Learn more and see construction photos at the project web site for 1135 North Grove, or view theLEED Project Profile for the home.

About Wicklow Development Group

The Wicklow Development Group LLC are landmark building and restoration professionals, and have been a Chicagoland builder for over 25 years with a passion for historic preservation and green building expertise.   For more information, contact Paul Wicklow 708-351-9683, or visitwww.wicklowdevelopmentgroup.com/greenhome.

Homeowner of 1st LEED certified home in Ann Arbor tells his success story

** Update 9/15/2013 – This home is about to go back on the market – If you are interested is learning more now please contact the homeowner below.

Scott Phillips, Associate at The Inovo Group and homeowner of Ann Arbor’s 1st LEED Certified Platinum Home is a passionate blogger about the success of green his certified home. Scott gives us a unique perspective of his home that was certified back in 2008.  Beyond the requirements of LEED, Scott has installed 15kWs of Sunpower PV panels on his house and they have  been near net-zero energy over the five month period since the install.

This video is a description of the benefits of living in a green home by the homeowners of 723 Spring Street, Scott & Linda Phillips.  They discuss the positive life-style changes as well as the advantages of “living local” near down-town Ann Arbor.  Scott and Linda talk about needing fewer cars, water conservation, indoor air quality and their aspiration to be a net-zero energy home soon. 

“The project team started with a broad set of goals. Since these were spec homes, they needed to have market appeal – more square footage than the smaller homes in walking distance to downtown. At the same time, they needed to minimize footprint so that the lot would have lots of green space and areas for water infiltration. By building up and taking advantage of the long East/West axis of the lot, each home would have roof space to hold enough

solar panels to go net-zero. By creating open floor plans, the small footprints of the homes would be spacious and feel larger. Durability and excellent thermal performance would be addressed through a combination of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). The HVAC systems in the house would augment that performance and use the least amount of energy for the structure. To the extent possible, the significant non- invasive trees on the lot would be preserved. One last goal was to have the home fit in the neighborhood of older homes. By staggering the homes, we created more solar-gathering opportunities, and decreased the mass of the homes at the street. This helped the homes appear to be in scale, and by designing for the Victorian era, we were able to build in details that were similar to surrounding homes.”

“The location of our homes, downtown Ann Arbor, contributes significantly to the owners being able to live a low-carbon and healthy lifestyle. The homes are also very tight, and our duct leakage was virtually zero when tested before drywall. Good low-flow water fixtures and recirculating hot water save operational costs, as does the geothermal system. South side windows are 3 times the area of north-facing windows, and an ERV keeps the air fresh when the windows are closed.”

Builders: Meadowlark 

You can follow along the journey and continued green success of the home at the follow websites…

The web-enabled Enphase Enlighten Monitoring constantly collects real-time PV system data transmitted from the PV system.

723 Spring St Ann Arbor Solar Panelshttp://723springstreet.com/enphase-enlighten-monitoring-system-provides-real-time-pv-information/

LEED for Homes Public 3rd Comment Period Extended

The LEED 2012 third public comment period will remain open until Tuesday, March 27 at 9am ET. Stakeholders interested in submitting comments may continue to do so through the online public comment tool available at www.usgbc.org/leed2012.  

All comments will be reviewed and provided a response from USGBC.  Per the LEED Foundations Documents, any subsequent substantive technical changes will be open for comment by USGBC stakeholders prior to the opening of the ballot period from June 1 – 30, 2012.  Please note that feedback received after March 27, 2012 at 9:00am ET will not be provided a formal response from USGBC and may not be considered prior to the next phase of the rating system development process.

We thank you for your commitment to high performance green building standards and encourage you to continue to participate in LEED rating system development.

The Home Depot and USGBC Launch New Database of Green Building Products

The Home Depot and U.S. Green Building Council Launch New Database of Green Building Products
leedhomedepot.com offers information on products that may contribute to the requirements of the LEED® for Homes program

(Washington, D.C.) Mar. 7, 2012 – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), in conjunction with The Home Depot®, has launched an online green home products database. The database: leed.homedepot.com is a special microsite withinhomedepot.com that features products geared toward green home building, many of which may contribute towards earning LEED® points and prerequisites for the LEED for Homes program, making it easier for homeowners and builders to find the products they need.

Currently, more than 2,500 products sold at The Home Depot are listed on the website.

“The LEED green building program helps homeowners measure green home performance across a range of categories, and products play an important role in achieving certification,” said Nate Kredich, vice president of Residential Development at USGBC. “This database represents just one of the many ways in which The Home Depot is advancing sustainable, efficient and healthyhomes by supporting green building and green products.”
“As the world’s largest home improvement retailer, we want to show our customers that building green can be easy and affordable,” said Lindsay Chason, senior manager of Environmental Innovation at The Home Depot.  “We have innovative, environmentally-friendly products that make LEED certification simpler.  Now through our partnership with U.S. Green Building Council and their LEED for Homes program, we are simplifying the process of bringing healthier, greener homes to reality.”

The green housing market is growing rapidly, having tripled since 2008.

LEED-certified homes are energy efficient, conserve water and vital resources, and integrate environmentally preferred products into the design and construction of a home. Nearly 18,000 housing units have received LEED for Homes certification, a number that has seen significant growth in recent years. Fifty percent of LEED for Homes projects are classified in the affordable housing sector, echoing a trend found in last week’s report from The National Association of Home Builders and the Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI). The data shows that nationwide housing affordability rose to a record level during the fourth quarter of 2011.

The USGBC and The Home Depot product database was a subject of intense interest during Modernism Week in California last month and debuted as part of the TED Conference during which Steve Glenn, CEO of LivingHomes, a LEED home builder since 2006 and the builder of the first LEED Platinum home in the nation, showcased LivingHome C6. C6 is the first affordable housing line from the pre-fabricated builder. Once sited in their final locations, C6 homes are designed to meet the requirements of the LEED for Homes rating system. The home was designed as part of a new partnership with Make It Right, a nonprofit founded by Brad Pitt and renowned architect William McDonough to build 150, Cradle to Cradle® inspired LEED Platinum homes in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each C6 will help support the efforts of Make It Right.

USGBC strives to integrate the principles and practices of social and economic justice within those of sustainable building – ensuring that low-income families will maintain access to decent, safe, and affordable housing, even as society’s standards for what is decent and safe continue to rise.

Green building offers opportunities to reduce energy and resource consumption, enabling lower utility costs and critical savings for owners, funding agencies and residents alike. Green developments are also designed to offer superior indoor air quality to protect residents’ health and reduce health-care costs, and often provide better access to public transit and local amenities, decreasing the financial burden of transportation. The green home product database released with Home Depot will assist homeowners and green building professional to achieve these tenants of sustainability, health and affordability in their housing projects.

About the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 79 local affiliates, nearly 16,000 member organizations, and more than 167,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. GDP from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org, on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 44,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising more than 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries. In addition, nearly 16,000 homes have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, with more than 67,000 more homes registered.

By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. Learn more at usgbc.org

About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,253 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and China. In fiscal 2011, The Home Depot had sales of $70.4 billion and earnings of $3.9 billion. The Company employs more than 300,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Worlds 1st LEED Platinum & NAHB Emerald Certified Gut Rehab

 


The goal of this home was to take a foreclosed home in disrepair and turn it into a high performance, healthy, utility efficient, environmentally responsible, and very durable home. Durability planning was used in conjunction with building science flashings and maintenance free exterior materials with lifetime warranties. The energy efficiency was improved by almost 300% on this home with air sealing, wall cavity insulation, exterior insulation, and windows with a .20 u factor. All materials used were non- toxic, low VOC, and had no added urea formaldehyde.

This home received two exemplary performance credits for MR 2.2. This was due to many extra points in that category for a high level of reclaimed materials usage, the use of locally produced products, and the use of low emitting products. All lumber used for framing in this house was reclaimed lumber. This remodel was done as an investment property, rehabbed and turned over and placed on the market for sale. The sales prices was comparable to other rehabbed homes in the local market. Construction costs on this project were impressively low at $55.00 per square foot.

This project was featured in the Chicago Tribune, Exerpt below.

Few homebuilding materials can’t be reused or recycled, said Brandon Weiss, president and owner of Elgin-based Weiss Building, who recently salvaged 99 percent of the material from a four-bedroom, two-bath home he rehabbed in Elgin.

“Everything that could get a second life, I donated,” said Weiss, who has become somewhat of an expert at reusing construction leftovers, filling in old crawl spaces with leftover bricks and using stones as landscaping accents.

While the tax benefits from donating construction materials are nice, it’s “our children’s future” that clinched the case for him, he said: “Our landfills are full. You can try to close that loop and reuse things.”

Homeowners who are planning a construction project should know that many waste companies can recycle discarded materials from trash containers and will prepare a report on the percentage of materials they are able to divert from landfills, said Jason LaFleur, regional director of the nonprofit Green Home Institute.

“If they can’t provide the service, you might want to think about going with someone else,” he said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/home/ct-mre-0304-home-recycle-20120302,0,2153317.story

High Performance Cottage Home builder, builds his own home LEED

Being a LEED AP Homes and having completed almost a dozen LEED certified homes Jeremy vanEyk, Construction Manager & Vice President of Cottage 

Home, has seen the benefits of what goes into a LEED home, and wanted to experience it first hand. For his family it was important to be close to the places they go the most. With the kids’ school only two blocks up the road and downtown being so close to this location, it just made sense. Working in the lakeshore environment and observing how homes react in some of the most drastic weather conditions also influenced how Jeremy chose to put the house together; choosing to go beyond building code and accepted building practices and striving to reach some of the highest standards in energy efficiency and sustainability. As it was built amongst some of the oldest homes in  the city, the house needed to blend in and age as gracefully as those around it.


Illinois Net-Zero-Energy masterpiece producing 40 percent more energy than it consumes

Starting with an eco-conscious dream for a truly green home transformed owner Michael Yannell’s Chicago residence into a $1.6 million, two-story 2,675-square-foot, four bedroom and two-bath Net-Zero-Energy masterpiece, producing 40 percent more energy than it consumes.

Completed in 2009, it is not only Chicago’s first LEED Platinum-certified home, but it has scored higher than any other LEED-certified project in history. Architect Farr Associates, builder Goldberg General Contracting Inc. and engineering MEP firm dbHMS created this urban infill project to utilize aspects of alternative energies through passive solar, solar grid technology, a greywater system and closed looped geothermal heating and cooling components. According to owner Michael Yannell, the main goal of this project was to create a more energy- and water-efficient, environmentally conscious place to live and to set an example by building a home as sustainable as possible. Incidentally, the green materials generally were no more expensive than conventional alternatives.

This Net-Zero-Energy residence was built using the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED for Homes Pilot Program regulations. In order to earn the coveted LEED Platinum-certification, a project must meet the 100-point requirement, in which the Yannell residence scored 115.5. According to Net-Zero statistics, the Yannell residence generates 18,000 kWh/yr and uses only 12, 689 kWh/yr, earning the Yannell property an approximate $52,000 in tax credits in 2008-2009.

According to Jonathon Boyer, principal and director of architecture for Farr Associates, the permit and design processes were a challenge from the beginning, but thanks to help from a hand-picked team, deadlines were met and the project was a success.

“We put together a team of engineers, contractors, and a landscape architect, and the entire project was a team effort,” Boyer said. “Building Net-Zero-Energy is very difficult, and it requires cooperation between all components and consultants. We believe we’ve broken the sound barrier with this house, especially in the Chicago area.”

This being the first LEED-certified home came with obstacles along the way. According to Boyer, by creating new systems such as the greywater system, which recycles water used from the washing machine for the toilets, it was tricky trying to solidify the permit process. It has opened up new options for Chicago to consider when building more sustainable homes.

“It was a learning process, the city of Chicago was open to it. We didn’t have any hard and clear standards in the city for permitting this kind of system,” Boyer explained. “As a result of this house, the city of Chicago Committee of Standards and Tests is adopting a new state / city code for rainwater / greywater reuse. “We were pioneers and induced the city to think about changing permits to use more sustainable elements into the residential market,” Boyer said.

Other than utilizing alternative energies, the Yannell residence’s modern design integrated into the traditional neighborhood fuses form with function in a dense infill space. The home was built on a recycled lot where the previous building could not be salvaged. Boyer explained that typically energy-efficient homes are bland and lack style, but in this case, the owner and the building team wanted something well-designed and unique.”He [owner, Michael Yannell] wanted

something aesthetically compelling and functional,” Boyer said.

The floor plan is designed as a dual-wing connected by a foyer, which acts as an entry and passageway, both equipped with south-facing windows to utilize natural light and garden views. The positioning of the wings help compete with the Midwestern climate year-round. With temperatures ranging from the high 90s in the summer to blistering zero-below winters, it was crucial to find the most sustainable design possible. Each wing has a uniquely shaped multi-functional V-shaped green-roof designed for stormwater management and for concealing the 48 photovoltaic grids on the home. “The

butterfly pattern roofs are designed to screen the solar panels from view, while providing an ideal angle for the panels to harness the sun’s energy,” Boyer said. Although the Yannell residence has received the highest LEED score, the materials it took to achieve the title are not unattainable for other eco-conscience projects. According to Boyer, “LEED for Homes is less than $3,000 for certification.” In this case, it assisted in the construction process by acting as a detailed guide when installing aspects such as air quality, water systems and when planning the positioning.

Although there is no set specific standard definition for a Net-Zero- Energy home, Boyer said that there are other homes out there that claims to be Net-Zer-Energy, but many have only lowered their energy consumption. Only the Yannell property has the data to back it up. According to Principal of MEP firm dbHMS, Sachin Anand, “It’s [the Yannell residence] the future of housing and power generation where each home is a greenhouse emission-free power plant.”

View LEED for Homes Project Profile 

http://www.elledecor.com/image/tid/5950

Photography By Christopher Barrett. Evan Lancaster is an editorial assistant at Green Homebuilder magazine. He may be contacted at elancaster@penpubinc.com.

Built for the Future. The Yannell residence in Ravenswood, Ill., a traditional neighborhood outside of Chicago, breaks barriers of traditional homebuilding by perfecting green practices. From http://www.greenhomebuildermag.com/fall42.php