As a green home builder in North Carolina, we take into account many green initiatives when designing a sustainable, energy efficient green home. The concept of green home building extends beyond the structure. We consider environmentally friendly building sites and the use of renewable resources. As a green home builder, using green construction techniques, we can help enhance the quality of life in your new home.
If it’s a Green Certified home that you are interested in building, we can build your green home to spec following the guidelines established by the Green Home Certification programs within the state and nationally. We can assist and guide you with making the decisions that will be right for you and your green home building project.
There are three main green building certification programs in North Carolina that can qualify your custom built home as a “Green Certified Home”:
*Energy Star Qualified New Home Construction…To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.
*NC Healthy Built Homes…a voluntary, statewide green building certification program in North Carolina…The NC HealthyBuilt Homes (HBH) Program encompass all aspects of environmental design and green construction initiatives.
*LEED Certified…an internationally recognized green building certification system used in North Carolina…LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally-recognized green building certification system. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
These “Green Building” certification programs share a basic common goal of energy efficiency, healthy air quality and sustainable construction practices.
Some of the features of an Energy Star built green home may include:
Efficient Walls and Windows for Your North Carolina Home – Having the correct insulation R-Value is critical to your home’s comfort and efficiency. R-Value is the measurement of insulations ability to resist heat traveling through it. Using advanced technologies, efficient high-performance windows help maintain your indoor temperature. These windows may contain vacuum sealed spaces filled with inert gas and have protective coatings which reduce undesirable heat gain and loss. In addition some may feature UV protection. High Efficiency windows can block as much as 70% heat gain in the summer and reflect radiant heat inside during the winter.
Efficient Lighting and Appliances – Energy Star certified home appliances are chosen to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants caused by the inefficient use of energy, and they offer savings on energy bills without sacrificing performance, features, and comfort in your home.