Many options exist to build green and make your home or community more sustainable. We recommend first investing in strengthening any property to ensure it is resilient and can withstand damage from natural disasters. Building stronger avoids building it twice and using more natural resources. Use a proven resilient construction method like FORTIFIED Home™ or FORTIFIED Commerical™.
Once the property is resilient, use one of these green and energy-efficient construction programs to reduce energy costs and resource use. Compare programs using The Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG). Some green or sustainable construction programs may give credits or points for building to FORTIFIED standards.
The EarthCraft program, a green building certification facilitated by Southface, provides a blueprint for healthy, comfortable homes that reduce utility bills. Comprehensive, third-party verification and diagnostic testing ensure that all EarthCraft homes, on average, use 30 percent less energy than a typical new home.
Energy Star: Since 1992, ENERGY STAR has helped identify and promote energy-efficient products, items to use at home, how to save energy when building a new home, and now when constructing buildings and plants.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings are resource-efficient. They use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a bonus, they save money.
