EarthCraft House Program

EarthCraft House� Program

EarthCraft House� is the voluntary green building program of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and partner Southface Energy Institute, which serves as a blueprint for healthy, comfortable homes that help reduce utility bills and protect the environment.

Since the program began in 1999, more than 4,000 single-family and more than 1,500 multifamily units in the Atlanta area have been EarthCraft House-certified, and developers working with EarthCraft House to promote responsible environmental policies on a larger scale have created six EarthCraft Communities, providing a long-term pollution impact in the Atlanta area.

To certify a home as an EarthCraft House�, a builder must:

Be a member of their local homebuilders association
Join the EarthCraft House� program and complete a comprehensive training class
Submit a detailed worksheet outlining the selected points approved for certification
Score at least 150 points for sustainable building practices and products
Pass two on-site inspections by an EarthCraft House� inspector, including diagnostic testing

Rating System
The points are derived from 12 areas:

Site Planning
Energy Efficient Building Envelope and Systems
Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances
Resource Efficient Design
Resource Efficient Building Materials
Waste Management
Indoor Air Quality
Water-Indoor
Water-Outdoor
Homeowner Education
Builder Operations
Bonus Points

Costs/Savings

EarthCraft homes are built at all income levels, from Habitat For Humanity to luxury estates. Depending on the energy efficiency and environmentally friendly features chosen, an EarthCraft House� adds nominal costs to a traditional home. Initial building costs run from 1 to 3 percent higher, but savings made in mortgage payments, insurance, utility bills, maintenance and heath costs more than offset the difference.

Benefits

Benefits to the home buyer include: