What is the name of the organization responsible for standardizing green building and house floor plans? The LEED® Green Building Rating System (TM) implements the national standard for building commercial and residential green house floor plans. THE LEED® rating system also certifies house plans according to the following criterion:

• Sustainable site
• Innovation & Design
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Water Efficiency
• Material and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality

What are examples of the types of components building a green house floor plan? Around the home, a myriad of appliances and utilities exemplify energy savings and efficiency, ultimately reducing the carbon footprint. For instance, light-hued siding designed to diminish heat retention would have to meet LEED certification.

Aside from LEED certification, are there any other methods for architecting a green home? The REAL model home is also an ENERGY STAR®-rated home. The house floor plan consists of a precisely appointed selection of appliances, fixtures, and products aimed at maximizing the home’s natural resources (energy, water).

In the bathroom, dual-flush toilets conserve on water. A gray water system recycles bath and laundry water to flush toilets. A geothermal heating and cooling system is another example of efficiency. Additionally, ENERGY STAR®-rated appliances such as a dishwasher, ceiling fans and even compact fluorescent bulbs are other household products available in the REAL model home. 

If a homebuilder, who is already certified with LEED, designs my home– how can I be sure that my home is being developed accordingly? Throughout the development process of your green house floor plan, LEED built homes have to pass inspections to ensure that your home is being built according to the standards established

 Please click on “Building Green” house floors plan” to learn more about LEED certification.

Although it’s true that new home floor plans have a way of breathing new life into a home’s architecture, many heating and cooling contractors advise that homeowners start with an energy efficiency update, as in the whole-house system’s approach.

The whole-house systems approach affords a bevy of advantages. Primarily, these energy efficiency components are devised precisely to curtail both maintenance and utility costs. Even more appealing are the health, safety, home floor plan durability and comfortable living characteristics that the whole-house systems approach affords. In other words, these element play an critical role in building green.

Green building evaluates everything from how the occupants interact in the space, the climate to other  other home floor plan components, including:

• Insulation and air sealing
• Entrances, Doors, skylights, and windows, doors
• Water heating
• Natural light and lighting
• Space heating and cooling
• Energy efficient appliances and home electronics

As a result, the efficacy of using the whole house system’s approach to determine the design strategy for the new house floor plan is vital.  Consider the following green building elements to help select the right home floor plan:

• Earth-sheltered
• Energy Homes
• Log Homes
• Manufactured Homes
• Solar House Plans
• Straw Bale Homes

Be sure to bookmark Best House Floor Plans and More as we will be reviewing the aforementioned floor plans upcoming weeks.

“On December 1st 2009 The Environmental Protection Agency announced revised regulations for residential geothermal heat pumps (GHPs). The new requirements approve water-to-water geothermal pumps to qualify for the Energy Star label. In the past, the geothermal standards were conventional pumps, only. This means that homeowners are entitled to a 30 percent tax credit with the installation of any geothermal heating pump.”

For a more efficient form of heating this winter consider geothermal heating and its value to your home and the environment.

Related Articles:

10-Things to Know About Geothermal Heating and the Energy Tax Credit

 Simple Green Home Energy Tips

The Rundown

Newsday discusses eco-friendly homes as a lifestyle.

WebWire featured an article on how Greenthislife.com offers a one-stop destination for environmentally conscious consumers to find home decor, gardening, and other resources.

OpEdNews.com discusses an “Extreme Makeover, Home Edition” issue featured information about building eco-friendly homes and energy_saving.