Sustainability Certification Programs
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design):
LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Passive House:
A building "performance based" standard developed in Germany, the Passive House concept is a whole house approach to lowering energy loss and maximizing energy gains using a high performance building enveloped. The Passive House standard is currently most rigorous standard for energy-efficient construction.
Evergreen Sustainability Development Standard (ESDS):
This green building performance standard is required of all affordable housing projects receiving capital funds from the Washing State Housing Trust Fund. This program is specific to the state of Washington. The ESDS criteria safeguards health and safety, increases energy and water efficiency, promotes sustainable living, and preserves the environment.
Washington Built Green:
Built Green® Washington is a nonprofit cooperative representing local Built Green programs throughout the state of Washington. Built Green programs have been serving as a resource for Washington homebuilders and homeowners since 1996 and are among the most respected local green building programs in the nation.
Living Building Challenge:
The Living Building Challenge™ is a building certification program, advocacy tool and philosophy that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today and acts to rapidly diminish the gap between current limits and the end-game positive solutions we seek.
Net-Zero Energy Building:
Net Zero Energy is quickly becoming a sought after goal for many buildings around the world – each relies on exceptional energy conservation and on-site renewable generation to meet all of its heating, cooling and electricity needs.