Certification Programs

 
BuildingGreen

 

Energy Star

 
 

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)



Government Green Building Incentives
Buckeye
Chandler
Pima County
Queen Creek
Scottsdale
Tucson

Green Seal

 

 
Green-e

 

 
GREENGUARD

 


Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green® Building Rating System

 

 

National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)


Southface
BuildingGreen is an independent publishing company that provides accurate, unbiased and timely information about green design and products such as green building case studies and articles and LEED credits.

Energy Star is a government-backed program that promotes energy efficient products and practices.  Energy Star appliances use less energy and save money, the program also promotes a suite of home improvement products and guidelines and even its own home performance rating program.

The FSC is an international non-profit organization whose certification program is devoted to the promotion of environmental and socially responsible forest management.

 Across the valley, green building standards are becoming more commonplace.  These cities have promoted or developed sustainable design and construction standards sensitive to the unique climate of the Sonoran Desert region.  Each program includes incentives to residents and contractors to encourage sustainable building and energy practices.

 


Since 1989 Green Seal has been ecolabeling a variety of green products.  From paints and coatings by Behr to paper towels by SCOTT®, Green Seal products have been shown to have less impact on the environment from the extraction of its raw materials to its recycling or final disposal.

Green-e is an independent consumer protection program promoting the use of renewable energy.  Green-e offers certification and verification of green electricity products such as solar electric, wind, geothermal, biomass and low-impact hydro facilities. 

GREENGUARD is a non-profit agency that promotes programs that improve indoor air quality including their mold risk reduction and indoor air quality programs.  The indoor air quality program certifies low-emitting products such as building materials, furnishings and finishings; all of which are listed on their Online Product Guide.

The US Green Building Council created the LEED rating system as a third party green building rating system to promote a holistic approach to sustainability and has set the bar as far as green building standards.  To achieve LEED certification the building or home must achieve the minimum amount of points set for each class (Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum) in five key categories of human health and environmental stewardship.  The categories are water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, indoor air quality, materials and resources and sustainable sites.

The NFRC is an industry group that tests window performance and has created a performance label to rate heat loss, light transmittance, air leakage and heat gain.

Southface promotes sustainable energy and environmental technologies through research and technical assistance.  They provide a suite of services to homeowners and contractors such as design review, duct design, home assessments and blower door, duct blaster testing and more.
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