Ask For a Built Green™ ENERGY STAR®
Certified Home

More and more people have become aware of how their choices affect not only their own health but, also, the environment around them. To assist individuals in making the right choice in where and how they live, a growing number of home builders in the Puget Sound region are now building homes certified as both ENERGY STAR and Built Green.

ENERGY STAR® was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy efficient products. Locally, the ENERGY STAR Homes Northwest program is administered by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, and promotes the construction of ENERGY STAR qualified homes in our region.

ENERGY STAR qualified homes in Washington are at least 15 percent more efficient than typical new homes and are among the most energy efficient homes in the country.

It costs less to own and live in an ENERGY STAR qualified home than it does a typical code-built home. And monthly energy bill savings usually more than offset incremental mortgage costs, making the investment in an ENERGY STAR qualified home a smart choice.

Independently, third-party certified, an ENERGY STAR qualified home uses less energy through a combination of proven energy efficient equipment and building practices, including:

• ¤ High efficiency equipment, such as furnace, heat pump or hydronic system, air conditioner and water heater
• ¤ Tightly-sealed and performance-tested duct systems
• ¤ ENERGY STAR qualified windows, lighting and appliances
• ¤ Properly installed, advanced insulation

Built Green™ is an environmentally-friendly, non-profit, residential building program of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, developed in partnership with King County, Snohomish County, and environmental advocacy groups. Its four, easy-to-understand rating systems look not only at the home itself but also at how the land was developed.

Built Green homes are designed to provide homeowners with comfortable, durable, environmentally friendly homes that are cost-effective to own and operate. These resource-efficient homes are crafted to exceed building codes and provide homeowners with years of healthy, quality living, while protecting our precious Northwest environs.

Some of the elements the program
evaluates include:

Site and Water – environmentally-friendly land development techniques will have a lower impact on the environment.

Energy Efficiency – construction methods and systems create a home that will reduce energy consumption.

Indoor Air Quality – less toxic materials are used to promote cleaner indoor air and family health.

Material Efficiency – jobsite waste recycling and the use of alternative building products minimize the environmental impact of extracting the materials used to build a home.

Built Green and ENERGY STAR – it’s not an either/or proposition. Together, the two programs offer a full complement of green features and practices, including energy efficiency, water conservation and protection, healthier indoor air, natural resource conservation, waste reduction and other environmental benefits. Together, they’re the smart choice.

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