|
There are three active residential green building programs in Minnesota. All three- LEED® for Homes, Minnesota GreenStar, and Minnesota Green Communities do the following:
- Ensure a credible, objective green standard is met
- Prioritize the most important aspects of green building
- Create healthier and safer homes by encouraging best construction practices
 LEED® for Homes was created and is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for building high-performance, sustainable homes. LEED-certified homes are energy efficient, use non-toxic building materials, are water-smart, and respect the environment in which they are constructed.
 Minnesota GreenStar is a residential building and remodeling standards and certification program created by Minnesotans for Minnesotans. The program promotes healthy, durable, high-performance design and construction for both new and existing homes. Flexible and adaptable to any type of residential remodeling or building project, MN GreenStar provides green strategies and best practices.
 Minnesota Green Communities is a collaboration created to ensure affordable, healthier, and more energy-efficient housing throughout Minnesota. The Green Communities criteria were designed with affordable housing budgets in mind, and can be used on any type o f project, new construction or rehab, single family or multifamily. The criteria set minimum standards across all aspects of sustainable housing, and encourage thoughtful design and innovations rather than expensive technological approaches.
Each of these programs embraces the same basic concept of energy and water efficiency, a healthy home, protecting natural resources and respecting the community. While the content is similar, the process differs.
|
