ABC Green Home Third-Party Certifications
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Wellness Within Your Walls Wellness Within Your Walls (WWYW) is an internationally recognized, award-winning informational resource group created to provide education and certification for health and wellness in living environments. With a goal to empower and guide professionals and consumers toward healthier living spaces, WWYW certifies people, places, products and programs globally through education, partnerships, certification and health and wellness protocols. Founded by Jillian Pritchard Cooke WWYW’s 10-step holistic approach, the Healthy Living System™, results in a legacy of health, harmony and sustainability in living environments. Learn More |
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Phius Phius is the only passive building certification that combines a thorough passive house design verification protocol with a stringent Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program performed onsite by Phius Raters and Verifiers. Learn More |
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RESNET HERS The HERS Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance. HERS® Index relays the home’s energy efficiency, the lower the number, the more energy efficient the home. A typical home built to 2006 energy efficiency standards scores 100 on the HERS® Index. The Index takes into account a home’s exterior walls (both above and below grade), floors over unconditioned spaces, ceilings and roofs, attics, foundations, windows and doors, vents and ductwork, HVAC systems, water heating system and the thermostat. Learn More |
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Indoor AirPlus Indoor AirPlus is a partnership and labeling program that helps new home builders improve the quality of indoor air by outlining construction practices and product specifications that help minimize exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants. Developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Indoor AirPlus certification includes the careful selection and installation of moisture control systems, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems combustion-venting systems, radon resistant construction and low-emitting building materials. Learn More |
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LEED LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally recognized green building standard by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED certification offers a framework for healthy, efficient and cost-effective green buildings, providing environmental and social benefits. It serves as a globally recognized symbol of sustainability leadership, certifications are earned through a series of credit categories tailored for each rating system. Projects are awarded points that correspond to a level of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Learn More |
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NGBS The National Green Building Standard (NGBS) is a nationally recognized green building certification program focused on residential construction, including single-family homes, multifamily buildings, renovations and land development. Projects pursuing are evaluated by accredited verifiers who inspect compliance with required green building practices and certified buildings can achieve different performance levels. Learn More |
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Green Point Rated GreenPoint Rated is California’s premier third-party certification for high-performance, environmentally responsible homes. Developed by Build It Green, the program evaluates a home’s sustainability across five core categories: energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, resource-efficient materials and environmental/community impact. The certification ensures that a home is not only better for the environment but also healthier, more comfortable and more cost-efficient to operate. Learn More |
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Fortified FORTIFIED Home™ is a nationally recognized, science-based building resilience standard developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) to help homes better withstand severe weather, such as hurricanes, high winds and hail. FORTIFIED realizes different homes have different needs, The program provides proven construction methods that go beyond typical building code requirements, reducing the risk of property damage and improving home safety. Learn More |
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Energy Star ENERGY STAR is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA partners with thousands of home builders, developers, energy rating companies and utilities across the U.S. who construct, verify, promote and incentivize ENERGY STAR certified homes and apartments. Learn More |
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WaterSense Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), WaterSense is a label for water-efficient products and new homes. WaterSense-labeled products and services are certified to use at least 20 percent less water, save energy and perform as well as or better than regular models. This independent, third-party certification is an important part of a whole-house solution to save water, energy and money. Through the end of 2024, the program helped Americans save a cumulative 9.9 trillion gallons of water and $245 billion in consumer water and energy bills. Learn More |
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DOE Efficient New Homes Program DOE Efficient New Homes is the successor program to DOE Zero Energy Ready Home. Every certified DOE Efficient New Home represents a whole new level of performance with rigorous requirements that ensure outstanding levels of energy savings, comfort, health, and durability. A DOE Efficient New Home is a high-performance home that is so energy efficient that a renewable energy system could offset most or all the home’s annual energy use. Learn More |
