A Custom LEED Home Saves You Money AND Saves The Environment
- LEED
Homes are about 18% more energyefficiency than basic homes on average. Over the years your family lives in the home you could save approximately $11,000. That’s a family vacation to Chile! - LEED
Homes use about 30% less water on average. The average homeowner could save approximately $2,100 over their time in the home. That’s enough for flight classes for 2! - A LEED
Home is more likely to retain its value, and command a higher resale price when you move, and higher rent if you rent it out to tenants. - Your entire family’s carbon footprint will be minimized drastically
- A LEED home has lower greenhouse gas emissions, non-toxic paints, and produces it’s own
electricty and heat.
LEED: A National Certification Program That Helps the Environment and Saves You Money
LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a national program run through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) which incentivizes the construction of green and healthy commercial and residential projects.
These buildings are designed to be healthy and long-lasting, being constructed with safe, sturdy building materials to ensure they will be standing strong for generations to come while also preventing dangerous contaminants like mold and rot from forming.
In addition, a main emphasis is the implementation of renewable energy sources and the use of building materials and techniques that will reduce the home’s overall energy consumption.
In turn, you will receive a lower utility bill each month because of less energy and water use, as well as the satisfaction and pride of contributing to a greener world.
Ultimately, LEED combines best in class building strategies and cutting edge innovation to create beautiful, productive spaces for people to live and interact within, with the potential future impacts of our projects being considered and addressed every step of the way.
Why Glastonbury Housesmith – What Do We Do Different?
Our main mission at Glastonbury Housesmith is to create an individualized building experience with unparalleled workmanship, rooted in our principles of long-lasting sustainability, forward thinking, energy efficiency, and personalized communication.
From constructing multi-million dollar mansions from the ground up to making affordable repairs around your current home, our expertise and knowledge can create a new, greener space that fits the personality and needs of your family.
We spent years fine tuning our approach to energy efficiency to make our buildings as economical and environmentally friendly as possible, and our hard work was recognized in 2015 as we were awarded the first LEED Gold certified home in Connecticut.
To achieve this classification, we had to meet stringent qualifications that required an extremely careful and calculated attention to detail, and we are confident to say that we can help you achieve virtually any LEED-based goal you want to meet.
We are partnered with many hardworking local companies that share our vision and are dedicated toward creating energy efficient home systems for our clients, so all participating members of the project will share the same vision of building you a beautiful, sustainable home.
At the end of the day, we treat every building project as if it is our own home, paying attention to the little details other companies might miss, so you can be confident no matter how large or small your vision is that we can fulfill it.
Connecticut’s Leader in Fully Personalized LEED Homebuilding
While Connecticut has one of the lowest energy-intensive economies in the United States, using less energy to produce each dollar of GDP than every state except neighboring Massachusetts and New York, it has the highest average retail electricity price among the 48 states.
And with about 45% of Connecticut households using oil and other petroleum products for home heating and another 35% relying on natural gas, it is clear that now is the time to make the switch to renewables and other energy-reducing building measures.
At Glastonbury Housesmith, we will help you every step of the way in making the switch to a LEED-certified home at whatever level you would like to commit to.
Our architects will world directly with you and our team of contractors to design every inch of your new home to your exact expectations and qualifications with our cutting-edge green technology.
Or if you simply want to update your current home, intelligent cost-effective remodeling of existing structures will have you wondering why you did not make the switch years earlier/
So from Fairfield to Windham or anywhere in between, contact us today about receiving a consultation and make the switch to green today!
The Process Behind LEED for Homes
LEED for Homes may apply to Homes, Multifamily Lowrises (one to three stories), and Multifamily Midrises (three to four stories).
There are four main steps in the process:
- Register – Select team, complete forms, and send payment
- Verify – Your on-site consultant (Green Rater) will confirm that achievements are being properly fulfilled
- Review – Send final information, documentation, and calculations to your Green Rater, which will then be sent to and reviewed by GBCI
- Certify – Receive the decision if you have earned LEED certification
These steps are a very general overview of the LEED certification process,but generally, there are a dozen or so areas that a Green Rater will carefully examine to determine if your home meets the qualifications set by LEED, and points will be added to establish your level of certification
- LEED Certified™: 45-59 points earned
- LEED Silver®: 60-74 points earned
- LEED Gold®: 75-89 points earned
- LEED Platinum®: 90+ points earned
And of course, if you choose Glastonbury Housesmith for a LEED building or repair project, we will walk you through the process and leave you feeling confident in your decision.
What Benefits Will You Receive From A LEED Home?
The most direct benefit of going through a LEED project is that upon completion, your utilities bill will immediately decrease as you will be producing a significant chunk of your energy from renewable sources like wind, solar, or geothermal and conserving it through other means.
In terms of tax breaks, the USGBC states, “LEED buildings have faster lease-up rates and may qualify for a host of incentives like tax rebates and zoning allowances. Not to mention they retain higher property values.”
While there are currently no direct federal incentives for certifying a home under LEED, two federal tax credit that you may qualify for are the Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credit and Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit (read more about these credits at Green Home Guide).
At the state level within Connecticut, you can also expect a state tax credit for meeting certain criteria (read more about program on Connecticut’s official website), as well as other benefits including utility rebates, flexible home loans, and net metering payments.
And of course, you can speak to our team at any time to learn more about the benefits you may qualify for.
See Our Work in Action Through HERS
The Home Energy Rating System, or HERS, is the standard by which the energy efficiency of a home is measured, and it takes a number of home-related factors and compares them to a reference home at a standard HERS Index Score of 100.
These factors include the energy consumption from cooling, heating, water heating, lights, and some appliances.
The U.S. Department of Energy has calculated the average resale home to be at an index of 130, meaning the average American home is running 30% less efficiently than the current standard set by HERS.
At Glastonbury Housesmith, we guarantee we can knock your HERS Index Score down with our Energy Star and HERS Index expert consultation, leaving you with cheaper utility bills and a reduced carbon footprint.
In fact, some of our homes project are accredited a negative index, meaning they produce more energy than they use.
A lower index also means that the market value of your home will increase significantly, so there is no reason to not contact us today and ask about our consultation services; take the plunge now because the benefits a lower HERS Index Score provides only improve and become more beneficial over time.
Zero Energy Vision For a Greener and Healthier Country
Energy consumption typically consists of the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, which produce terrible consequences for the environment.
Drilling or digging into natural settings destroy ecosystems and pollutes the water and air, and the effects of burning fossil fuels can already be seen with temperatures around the world rising every year.
Thus, when undertaking a home construction project, one of our main goals is to lessen your home’s energy needs, and potentially even create a zero-energy home.
We follow the standards set by LEED, NGBS, EnergyStar, and DOE Zero Energy Ready, alleviating both your utilities bill and carbon footprint by taking advantage of energy efficiency.
And if you are able to reach that zero energy status, you will no longer have to pay energy bills, putting more money in your pocket instead of the utility company’s.
Low and zero energy homes also require a lot less maintenance and are easier to clean, allowing your home to be a true space of relaxation rather than bringing further stress to your already busy life.
Homes Built To Last for Generations
Rebuilding homes periodically due to failing structures and other damage is not only costly, but it creates a huge amount of unnecessary waste.
To avoid such environmental and financial issue, we can construct our homes according to the most stringent building codes in Connecticut (2012 IRC, 2012 IECC), ensuring it will still be standing for your great-grandchildren to cherish.
This includes starting with a strong support structure to withstand high hurricane winds, and adding exterior insulation to the wall sheeting to prevent mold and rot from forming.
Following our mission of creating a personal building experience, you can choose from a range of building options to fit your environmental and particular goals.
For example, choosing aluminum roofing shingles will provide you with 70+ years of use, protection against hail, and the ability to recycle them when the time comes, whereas asphalt shingles typically last only 25-30, are easy to break, and are dumped in landfills after use.
Another option that has been popular in the past is that by allowing lengths of lumber to be different, we can make full use of logs rather than scrapping unused sections, leaving your home with a cool and unique look based on conservation.
So do not think of energy efficiency as limiting your home building options; instead, think of it as a way to get truly creative and unique with your building project by using processes and materials you may have never considered before.
Healthy Environment in Your Home
Of course, the health of the residents living in the new or updated home is of paramount importance, and we seek to make the living space airtight as possible to maintain supreme air quality.
Unlike in other homes where you may feel a draft coming from doors and windows, we will check every corner of your new home to seal off any gaps or spaces where air may be able to leak in.
Using low-VOC paints and coatings and GreenGuard-certified components like insulation, drywall, joint compound and floor finishing means that there will be no harmful fumes or vapors left in your home that may cause serious health conditions years down the line.
We can also install energy recovery ventilation to remove troublesome air (such as humid air in bathrooms) through dedicated ducts, and to supply pre-conditioned air to your home.
Sick Building Syndrome is used to describe symptoms like nasal congestion, itchy/watery eyes, lethargy, and a number of others that are felt by the occupants of a building.
There may be caused by factors like inadequate ventilation, persisting chemicals from VOCs, and biological contaminants that compromised the home.
When your family’s health is potentially in danger, it is never worth taking any risks or shortcuts, so we will walk you through every step of the process on how we will allow you to feel completely happy and healthy in your new home.
Take Advantage of the Sun and Go Solar!
You have a super powerful source of energy right above you for most of the year, so why not take advantage of it?
Following our mission of providing you sustainable, stable homes with your personal preferences at the forefront, we can customize a solar energy system to fit your own energy needs.
For example, one of our projects consisted of creating a solar array on a dual-axis steel pole which rotated throughout the day to follow the path of the sun and attain maximum energy output.
This system was connected to the garage to create 240-volt charging stations for fully-electric or hybrid plug-in cars.
Calculating the exact amount of solar energy you will require is a time-consuming and oftentimes stressful process, but the amazing benefits it provides makes it totally worth it.
Diversifying your energy options with reliable renewable sources will not only save you money and limit greenhouse emissions, but they are simply more convenient and represent a worldwide trend that it would be smart to go ahead of the curve on.
Most Efficient and Cost-Effective Insulation and Foundation
Maintaining a warm home during the cold months or vice versa can get incredibly expensive, so we build our homes in a way that will maintain your home’s climate at a reduced cost.
We offer a number of different insulation option depending on your budget and personal preference, so speak to a member of our team if you want to learn more about specific techniques and materials.
For example, a very popular and energy-efficient method involves placing foam in the center of the home’s foundation to keep cold air out from the ground up, so the coldness and dampness usually associated with basements will not be present.
A ton of attention is also placed on the moisture migration of the foundation, which will preserve the house from harmful effects of moisture in the long run, which include health problems, bugs, mold, and electronic damage.
Through Thermomass, we offer a dual insulation/foundation system that creates edge to edge insulated cast-in-place concrete walls with 120,000 PSI of tensile durability.
This foundation will reduce construction time, is extremely energy efficient, provides remarkable structural benefits from natural disasters like hurricanes, prevents mold and mildew from forming, and is fire resistant.
In general, we can say that going through with LEED will leave your home better insulated and physically supported, so give us a call and we can go over your options.
Renewable Geothermal System Will Keep You Warm in Winter and Cool During the Summer
Installing a geothermal system is a pollution-free, consistently reliable, renewable source of energy which uses 40-60% less energy than conventional systems.
It works by taking advantage of the relative temperature of the Earth rather than the fickle temperature on the surface, collecting it and recirculating it throughout the home.
Geothermal systems provide superior energy ratings, distribute comfortable air year-round, do not need to be maintained as often, are compact and quiet, and best of all, they are almost completely environmentally friendly.
While the initial set-up cost may be greater than fossil fuel sources, experts say that geothermal will save you up to 80% on your energy bill, saving you a lot of money in the long run, and unlike other energy sources, it is readily available 24/7 through any weather conditions.
Give us a call today to learn more about geothermal and how it will completely shift the way you heat and cool your home – you will be left wondering why you did not make the switch years earlier!
Secure Your Investment By Building or Renovating a LEED Certified Home
Purchasing real estate is one of the best ways to invest your money, but not if your home is going to be considered undesirable or dangerous.
Current trends show that more and more companies and homeowners are investing in renewable energy sources, and that at some point in the near future they are going to replace coal and fossil fuels for the main source of home energy consumption.
Thus, investing in a home that is not LEED Certified would not be a smart long-term decision, so we highly recommend contacting us about performing an Energy Star & HERS Index expert consultation to determine the best plan of action for future-proofing your new property.
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