LEED for Homes Illinois

LEED for Homes has always required ENERGY STAR (a HERS rating of 85) as a prerequisite, and rewarded increasingly low HERS ratings with more points in the rating system. However, significant changes in the next iteration of the rating system (LEED 2012) will be even more performance-oriented, which should play well to Passive House customers. Especially those customers who want not only energy-efficient performance and good IAQ, but also those that want to go beyond and incorporate broader aspects of sustainability into their homes. This is where Passive House and LEED become intertwined. Read more » »

Builders of ENERGY STAR for Homes will need to learn more about Energy Star v2.5 going into effect January 1, 2011, as it leads us to v3.0 as well as Energy Star Indoor Air Quality options. Changes are coming – now is the time to learn how those changes impact your building model for 2011. Especially with the integration of ESv3 into the new LEED for Homes 2012 requirements. Read more » »

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 » »

On January 29th 2010, the Energy Efficient Building Act became effective in Illinois for most new residential construction and remodeling in Illinois.  What does this mean for builders and project teams in Illinois? If you’re going to be constructing to the new building code, you are implementing many strategies that can earn credit in LEED for Homes. Read more » »