Get With The Program
Three initiatives encourage green building.
- Program: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
- Sponsor: U.S. Green Building Council Launched: 1999
- Facts: A voluntary national standard for rating the sustainability of com- mercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings. Currently test- ing a new program designed for garden-style apartments/condos and single-family homes. For more info: www.usgbc.org
- Program: EarthCraft House
- Sponsor: Southface Energy Institute and the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association Launched: 2000
- Facts: Provides a framework for builders in the Atlantic market to build healthy homes (single-family and multifamily) that reduce utility bills and protect the environment. The program, now being tested in other Southern markets, offers builders the option of also seeking LEED certification. For more info: www.southface.org
- Program: Green Communities
- Sponsor: Enterprise and the National Resources Defense Council Launched: 2004
- Facts: A $555 million investment to build 8,500 affordable green homes over five years. More than 70 devel- opments are underway in 21 states. For more info: www.greencommunitiesonline.org