What makes a house "green"? 

Lots of things!  Most people will agree that a green home should be energy efficient, probably not excessively large, and should have less of an environmental impact than a typical home.  And most would also value having a third party to verify everything, and not just take the builders' word for it.

In 2009, all of our completed Green Cottage homes were approved for Energy Star and Green certifications.

There are many certifications and standards that seek to define "green" and certify homes and buildings as such.  In 2009 we built all of our Green Cottages in accordance with the Green Home Builders of the Triangle (GHBT) standard.  Recently, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Standard (NGBS) was approved and has been adopted by the GHBT as their certification standard.  We have already begun the transition to the NGBS and will continue to build green using it in 2010.  As an approved verifier, Southern Energy Management has performed all third-party verification for our projects to date. 

In the NGBS, there are several key areas that are examined to determine if a house qualifies as green.  They are:  Site design and development; Lot design, preparation, and development; Resource efficiency; Energy efficiency; Water efficiency; Indoor environmental quality; and Operation, maintenance, and building owner education.  In order to be certified green by the NGBS, the home must meet requirements in each area.  The number of points a project earns in each area determines it's designation as Green Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Emerald.  At this time, a NAHB NGBS green certified home must also be Energy Star certified.  An Energy Star certified home, however, does not necessarily mean it is green.  In 2009, all of our completed Green Cottage homes were approved for Energy Star and Green certifications. 

Here are a handful of things we do to build a quality home that meets Energy Star and Green standards...

-the Green Cottage begins with an efficient floor plan.  Using space well means fewer materials used.  This house is value engineered to reduce waste
-James Hardie ColorPlus siding is a top of the line durable, low maintenance siding that incorporates natural and recycled ingredients that are low in toxicity

-Sealed, conditioned crawl space foundation.  Part of a tight building envelope that reduces air, moisture, and noise infiltration and lowers cost by minimzing conditioned air leakage

-oriented strand board sheathing wrapped with Dupont Tyvek and properly taped
-2" x 6" exterior walls have R-19 insulation (code only requires 2"x4" with R-13)

-high efficiency Energy Star® electric heat pump, upgraded to 15 SEER as standard for 2010!

-sealed duct work, properly installed insulation, advanced framing techniques

-centrally located plumbing design

-carpet and block we use are made of recycled content (they are actually recyclable too!)  

-Sherwin-Williams no-VOC Harmony paint contributes to high air quality in the home

-engineered hardwood living room floors use less raw material than a traditional hardwood and are pre-finished, eliminating the dust, odors, and emissions that can occur when finishing on-site