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Great Green Homes
There are plenty of reasons to choose a new home today. New homes are safer, healthier, more durable, more energy efficient, full of the latest technology and a host of incredible new products, materials and features that make life easier and more comfortable...and they’re Greener. So whether you’re looking for energy savings, cleaner indoor air, more responsible water use, or any of the many aspects of Green, the very best way to ensure your new home is Green is to build it as a certified MN GreenStar home.
MN?GreenStar was developed by the Green Institute (a nationally-reconized leader in the green building movement), the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, and the National Association of Remodeling Industry - Minnesota. Experts from the Minnesota Polution Control Agency, the University of Minnesota, and Excel Energy also lent their expertise to create a program perfectly suited for the weather extremes and best building practices common to the upper midwest. An objective, third-party verification system assures the new home performs as promised. And the builders who construct a MN GreenStar home are required to attend mandatory educational programs.
Building a MN GreenStar home is a great choice. With three certification levels and a wide range of options within five distinct categories, you’ll have peace of mind that your new home is truly Green.
Energy Efficiency
This is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think Green homes. It’s not surprising, as using energy wisely is both altruistic and frugal, saving the environment while saving on your pocketbook. MN GreenStar’s energy efficiency category takes into account construction techniques as well as products and materials. A certified home is sealed tightly, includes high-efficiency appliances and mechanicals, and is designed to take advantage of solar gain through thoughtful placement of windows and overhangs.
Resource Efficiency
A MN GreenStar home combines products that waste less in production, packaging and shipping; designs that use common construction materials efficiently; plus an eye towards recycling — both recycled materials built into the home, and recycling excess materials from the construction process.
Water Conservation
Water really is the new oil — around the globe, water shortages are creating massive problems, and even in the southwest U.S. water is becoming a critical issue. In a MN GreenStar home, water is treated with the respect it deserves. MN GreenStar homes help homeowners conserve with great new products like low-flow shower heads, dual flush toilets, and drip irrigation systems for the yard. Careful choices in construction products and materials can also save on this precious commodity.
Indoor Environmental Quality
Allergy and asthma sufferers will find refuge from a dirty world in their MN GreenStar home. Materials choices are critical in keeping dust to a minimum, modern appliances are designed with high-tech air cleaners and filters that scrub the air, and radon and carbon monoxide technology assures a safe and comfortable home environment.
Site and Community
Last, but certainly not least, are the benefits of a Green homesite and neighborhood. The right landscaping combined with home design and placement can reduce heating and cooling costs drastically. Thoughtful planting choices save water and reduce runoff into the municipal sewer systems. And today’s developers are creating entire neighborhoods that embody the philosophy of Green with minimal impact from homes and roadways.
Don’t forget to discuss the benefits of building a MN GreenStar Certified home with your builder. You’ll see energy savings right away, feel great about your contribution to saving the earth, and enjoy a more comfortable home for years to come. Additionally, there’s plenty of evidence that suggests when you are ready to sell your MN GreenStar home, you’ll be able to command a premium price as tomorrow’s home buyer seeks Greener homes.
Visit These Incredible MN GreenStar Homes during the Spring?PreviewSM:
#182, J.L. Wageman Homes, Inc.
Edenvale Estates, single-family homes
4460 Edenvale Court, Cedar Lake Township
$499,900
#292, Keith Waters & Associates, Inc.
Portico on the Green, luxury single-family home
2224 Portico Green, Minnetonka
$1,949,000
#311, Artesa Homes
luxury single-family home
510 Lanewood Lane N., Plymouth
$1,675,000
#366, Christian Builders, Inc.
Fletcher Hills, single-family home
12187 Foxtail Lane S., Rogers
$349,900
#384, Rottlund Homes, Inc.
Wildflower Meadows, single-famlly home
16689 - 72nd Street NE, Otsego
$299,900
#402, Berger Built Construction Co., Inc.
The Lighthouse at Hudson Pier
39 Stone Harbor Place, Hudson, WI
$349,000
Each of these homes have either received certifiation through MN GreenStar or are in the process of receiving certification.
Builders and Remodelers Receive Certification
These exceptional builders and remodelers have recently completed a home certified as Green by MN GreenStar.
New Homes
College City Homes, Inc.
Keith Waters & Associates, Inc.
Lake Country Builders, Ltd.
McDonald Construction, Inc.
Showcase Renovations, Inc.
Remodeled Homes
Castle Building & Remodeling, Inc.
Heritage Builders, Inc.
Lake Country Builders, Ltd.
Mike Otto Construction, Inc.
Rinnovare Inc.
Live Green Live Smart Institute (this remodeled project was created by seven teams of 248 individuals)
Top Companies Support MN GreenStar
Getting behind the new MN GreenStar certification program are some of the area’s top manufacturers and suppliers. We’d like to thank these exceptional firms for their sponsorship support.
MN GreenStar Champions:
Pella Windows and Doors www.pella.com
MN GreenStar Friends:
Marvin Windows and Doors www.marvin.com
New Morning Windows www.newmorningwindows.com
Shaw/Stewart Lumber www.shawstewartlumberco.com
In-Kind Supporters:
Blue Sky Guide
www.ecometro.com
Building Knowledge, Inc. www.buildingknowledge.com
Felhaber Larson Fenlon &?Vogt www.felhaber.com
Natural Built Home www.naturalbuilthome.com
Russell Herder www.russellherder.com
Sala Architects www.salaarch.com
Verified Green www.verifiedgreen.org
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