LEED for Homes Illinois

The Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (AES) announces an exciting new addition to its LEED Homes roster in Illinois: the first prefabricated “green” home to be built in Chicago, which will earn the prestigious LEED Platinum certification upon completion. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes certification provides third-party assurance that a home complies with rigorous technical requirements for energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality, non-toxic materials, and environmental performance. Square Root Architecture, along with Helios Design/Build and Indiana Building Systems, will be installing the prefabricated green home, a single-family residence in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood.

C3 Prefab in Chicago

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Solar panels and wind turbines sold Meg Barrett and Doug Smit on the Prairie Ridge Estates development in New Lenox. “I would be an ambassador for this type of technology,” Barrett said. (David Pierini, Chicago Tribune / July 28, 2010)

A newly formed company thinks the beacon that will attract homebuyers to its patch of dirt in New Lenox isn’t a clubhouse or walking paths, the extras that once drew attention to new subdivisions, but 30-foot-tall vertical-axis wind turbines.

Prairie Ridge Estates, as envisioned by local developers Jim and Phil Regan, could just possibly become the nation’s largest net-zero energy subdivision, filled with homes that produce as much energy as they use during a year.

But selling 132 lots of really green housing also could prove a formidable task for Energy Smart Home Builders, and not just because homebuilding has screeched to a halt.

View full Chicago Tribune article

Reproduced from Chicago Tribune, Aug 3, 2010.

New Energy Star for Homes Guidelines

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the Version 3 Guidelines for ENERGY STAR® Qualified New Homes.

The new guidelines are quite a step up from the existing Energy Star guidelines, and specify Read more » »

The Gworek Residence is a new home constructed in the historic neighborhood of
Wilmette, IL, planning for LEED Platinum certification. The home was designed for a family of four and is meant to optimize energy efficiency, while respecting the scale and character of the neighborhood.

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Want to see the first single-family home in Illinois to achieve LEED certification? A special tour has been arranged for this LEED Silver home on Saturday, June 26, and spaces are limited.

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The first residential LEED project within the City of Rockford, Illinois is now underway and being constructed by Comprehensive Community Solutions, Inc. (CCS).

Rockford's Affordable LEED Home

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Energy Smart Home Builders Joins the LEED for Homes
Green Certification Program

NEW LENOX, Ill. (April 22, 2010) – The Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (AES) is proud to welcome Energy Smart Home Builders of New Lenox, IL as a participant in LEED for Homes. LEED for Homes is a national third-party certification system for energy efficient, healthy, green homes. Energy Smart Home Builders, founded by Phil and Jim Regan, are planning to develop Prairie Ridge Estates, a community of 132 net zero energy homes using solar panels, geothermal power, wind turbines and other technologies. AES will be providing support and the third-party testing and verification for the green homes, which are planned to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Read more » »

On a cold February day, Alphonso Peluso from Vertex Architects LLC, laughed when asked about his motivations for pursuing LEED certification. “We were doing all of the right things anyway, so we figured why not get LEED-certified as well?” Read more » »

Tour a home going through a green gut-rehab on January 22. Located in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, this LEED for Homes Registered project is resusing as much of the original 1890s structure as possible. The gut-rehab project is targetting LEED Platinum, and includes a Green Garage with a solar-powered awning providing power to the construction team. Learn more about this building at the project web site.

Chicago LEED for Homes Gut Rehab and Green Garage

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