U.S. Green Building Standards

Informal Notes and related links about U.S. Green Building Standards...

‘Active House’ Makes U.S. Debut
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/green-building-news/active-house-makes-us-debut
Does the U.S. need another green-building standard?
Active House
one difference = There also are goals for the amount of daylight the buildings take advantage of, maximum and minimum indoor temperatures, and maximum permissible carbon dioxide levels.


National Green Building Standard (Previously: ASNI-ICC 700)


LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.) for Homes is the residential green building program from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). While this program is primarily designed for and applicable to new home projects, major gut rehabs can qualify.


Passivhaus Institute or Passive House (Wikipedia)
A residential building construction standard requiring very low levels of air leakage, very high levels of insulation, and windows with a very low U-factor. Developed in the early 1990s by Bo Adamson and Wolfgang Feist, the standard is now promoted by the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt, Germany. To meet the standard, a home must have an infiltration rate no greater than 0.60 AC/H @ 50 pascals, a maximum annual heating energy use of 15 kWh per square meter (4,755 Btu per square foot), a maximum annual cooling energy use of 15 kWh per square meter (1.39 kWh per square foot), and maximum source energy use for all purposes of 120 kWh per square meter (11.1 kWh per square foot). The standard recommends, but does not require, a maximum design heating load of 10 W per square meter and windows with a maximum U-factor of 0.14. The Passivhaus standard was developed for buildings in central and northern Europe; efforts are underway to clarify the best techniques to achieve the standard for buildings in hot climates.

Energy Star


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Building America Builders Challenge
A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program to promote the construction of “better than Energy Star” homes. A home must have a maximum HERS rating of 70 to meet Builders Challenge requirements.

The Green Building Advisor Glossary
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/glossary

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Michael Rybin~۩~
Architecture is a wonderful life ™
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