Demystifying the Green Building Certification Process
Where do I start?
Step 1: Understanding the LEED Homes process
The U.S. Green Building Council developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes Rating System to assess and validate residential green building practices. Every LEED home must work with an official LEED for Homes Green Rater and meet the requirements in the rating system. Everyday Green has three LEED Homes Green Raters on staff located in the Washington, DC metro area and south-central Pennsylvania.
You need a Green Rater who can meet you face-to-face and understands all the details that make your home unique. Everyday Green is your in person expert and rater through the entire LEED Homes process. You can be confident in our expertise and experience working with over 800 homes and multi-family units throughout the Washington, DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia Mid-Atlantic. When you work with us, you’ll have access to our exclusive LEED Homes resources, calculators and submittal templates designed to help make the process more efficient, understandable and rewarding.
Step 2: Project review with Everyday Green
We’ll work with your goals and your budget to identify cost effective solutions that also maximize LEED points. From energy efficiency to landscaping, Everyday Green provides complete consulting, training and recommendations on green products and installers who get the job done. We’re local to DC and will provide region specific recommendations and support for MD, VA, PA and DC projects. Contact us today for a flat rate contract specific to your project that includes:
- Point-by-point review of your home against the LEED Homes checklist and detailed explanation of how to achieve each LEED point
- Energy efficiency modeling and design review complete with estimated monthly utility bills
- Green building best practices and training including recommendations on insulation levels, green products, renewable energy systems and overcoming common installation errors
- All on-site testing and verification that ensures your installed equipment is working as designed
- ENERGY STAR verification (meeting ENERGY STAR v2 is a LEED prerequisite)
- LEED documentation support including how to perform calculations and what to gather from manufacturers
- Process management and project team meetings to keep everything running smoothly
Step 3: Inspections and Documentation
All LEED Homes have two on-site inspections to verify ENERGY STAR and LEED Homes requirements. The first is before the drywall is installed, and the second is upon completion of construction. Some LEED measures require additional documentation to show your home meets the requirements laid out in the rating system. Everyday Green will walk you through what you need to collect throughout the process and submit everything for final certification by USGBC.
» Contact us today to get started on your LEED Home
» Learn more about the benefits of a green certified home
