EarthCraft House Environmental Benefits

Source: EarthCraft Homes website

EarthCraft House allows builders great flexibility in achieving environmental performance. To achieve EarthCraft House certification, homes must meet ENERGY STARcertification criteria, including achieving passing scores from diagnostic tests for air infiltration and duct leakage.

In addition, each house must achieve a minimum of 150 points from a scoring sheet. Select and Premium status are awarded to homes that meet additional criteria and achieve 200 and 230 points, respectively. All EarthCraft certified homes will also be awarded ENERGY STAR certification.

EarthCraft House guidelines include the following categories:

Site plannings
Energy efficient building envelope and systems
Resource efficient design
Resource efficient building materials
Waste management
Indoor air quality
Water conservation (indoor and outdoor)
Homeowner education
Builder operations
Bonus/innovation points

The energy sources used by homes can contribute to global warming and other serious environmental problems. Also, the materials used in the construction and maintenance of a home can deplete natural resources. EarthCraft House can increase the energy efficiency of a home by 30% which can result in a reduction of over 1,100 pounds of greenhouse gases introduced into the atmosphere each year. In addition, EarthCraft homes can conserve water and reduce stormwater pollution. Finally, by promoting recycling and the used of durable, low maintenance, recycled, and rapidly renewable materials, EarthCraft House helps to ensure out homes conserve natural resources and protect ecosystem biodiversity. EarthCraft homes are truly “sensibly built for the environment.”