MN Green Path℠ is a green building program that was launched by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) two years ago. The program has already has given certifications to over 60 homes, an incredible adoption rate for such a short timeframe.
One of the reasons for its popularity is its exclusive Home Performance Report (HPR). The HPR is at the heart of MN Green Path, and provides homebuyers with test results from independent RESNET energy raters in an easy-to-understand and compare format, like a new vehicle’s MPG window sticker.
**Meeting More Homebuyer’s Needs**
It’s very clear from study after study that today’s homebuyers want some level of improved energy efficiency, but they also don’t want to pay for too many green features. Buyers today are also information starved. They want to know everything they can about a product before they buy it.
So now, MN Green Path is reaching out to even more new homebuyers with an expanded program that brings these two realities together. MN Green Path Energy Tested can bring the popular HPR to every home that has been tested by a RESNET rater. Under the new expansion, fully one-third of the homes in the Spring 2013 Parade of Homes will have an HPR, and we expect even more by fall.
When a family buys a new home, they spend a lot of time balancing their choices. Do they want a big neighborhood or a more intimate setting? Do they want the value of a two-story or the convenience of a rambler? Will they exchange extra square footage for more luxurious finishings? But how do they measure a home’s energy performance factors?
How a home performs is a combination of many factors, from construction materials and techniques, to equipment choices and R-values (the unit thermal resistance, generally in walls and ceilings). And that’s where the HPR and energy testing comes in. It removes the mystery of how well all of those variables work together with a test score that is clearly defined on its HPR, and can be compared with other homes.
**The Four Levels of Minnesota’s Green Path**
For those buyers who want more efficiency and environmental sensitivity in the construction of their new home, MN Green Path is still the right choice. In addition to the Energy Tested level, here are three Green Certification options that reward energy and green choices that result in more efficient and greener homes.
MN Green Path levels include:
***Energy Tested:*** Indicates a new home has been tested and rated by an independent RESNET Rater and includes the HERS and ACH50 (air exchange index) scores on the HPR.
***Energy Certified:*** A new home with a HERS score of no more than 70 (the average Minnesota code-built home currently scores 80). The home includes a programmable thermostat, plus the builder affirms that they use low-flow faucets or aerators, uses vendors who recycle, and uses at least 50 percent certified lumber.
***Advanced Certified:*** A new home with a HERS score of no more than 60 (the average Minnesota code-built home currently scores 80). The home also meets the Green Path Energy Certified requirements plus earns 10 total points in Energy Efficiency, 10 points in Indoor Environmental Quality, and 10 points in one of Water Conservation, Resource Management or Site/Development disciplines.
***Master Certified:*** A new home with a HERS score of no more than 50 (the average Minnesota code-built home currently scores 80). The home also meets the Green Path Energy Certified requirements plus earns 10 total points in each of the five areas of green construction: Energy Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Water Conservation, Resource Management and Site/Development.
Advanced and Certified points are offered for use of green construction materials, techniques and products per the Green Path checklist, which you can find online at www.MNGreenPath.org
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The 2013 Spring Parade of Homes is sponsored by Wells Fargo