ROSEVILLE, MINN. (August 15, 2012) — MN Green Path is a green building program that was launched by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) last spring, and has been gaining devotees ever since. It’s designed for avid environmentalists, but it’s also designed for everyone else who wants to build a little greener or to simply save energy dollars.
That’s a big difference from previous green-build programs. Programs like LEED® for Homes and MN GreenStar are excellent programs, but are designed for those who want and can afford to build a new home which meets rigid environmental standards in energy, indoor air quality, water, resource use, and siting. And that’s a very small segment of the home building market.
The numbers don’t lie. When builders explain the costs and requirements to build to very high green building standards, the vast majority of new homebuyers simply say no. Nationwide, research consistently shows that most Americans will pay for improved energy efficiency, but they won’t go holistically green. And that’s why MN Green Path was conceived. It’s a program that recognizes most people want to be responsible, but their budget only goes so far. And it encourages and rewards folks for getting on the green path, even just a little.
With [MN Green Path, not every home will be radically green, but every home will be radically transparent when it comes to its energy and environmental features. That’s because each MN Green Path home is independently tested for energy efficiency by a RESNET rater, and each home comes with a Home Performance Report (HPR), which explains exactly what energy and green features have been included in its construction.
So far, MN Green Path homes have ranged from nearly 20 percent more energy efficient than a code-built home (a few steps down the Green Path), to Don Shelby’s super-green home that was green enough to surpass the LEED-h Platinum standards (almost all the way down the Green Path, and a Master Green Path certification).
The end game for MN Green Path is to get more people on the path to energy and environmental conservation. And it’s working. In just its first year there have been 120 homes entered to become MN Green Path certified.
The Home Performance Report
The lynchpin of MN Green Path is the Home Performance Report (HPR). This document is a distillation of all the energy and green features of a home. Just like a new car’s vehicle sticker, the HPR reports to new and future buyers how they can expect a home to perform and what environmentally sensitive steps were taken in its construction.
There are six key sections to the HPR:
1. MN Green Path Certified Banner defines the certification level of the home.
2. Photograph of the home with information about its builder.
3. HERS Index, an independently determined score provided by a certified RESNET tester.
4. HERS Locater graphically shows how the home rates relative to an average existing home all the way to a zero-net-energy home.
5. Features lists all of the above-code green or energy features built into the home.
6. MN Green Path Continuum graphically shows where the home is on the Path from basic code-built to super green.
More Information
Joan Knight, PR Specialist, Knight & Associates
763-205-2720 • mobile: 612-889-7721
Wendy Danks, Dir. Mktg & Communications, BATC
651-697-7565 • mobile: 612-296-5551