Building Certifications

ENERGY STAR^® Homes
ENERGY STAR is the Environmental Protection Agency’s efficiency program for residential construction. This comprehensive energy program focuses on air tight construction, proper mechanical equipment selection, air tight ducts, correct insulation levels, and most importantly, third-party verification. Created by the Mortgage industry, ENERGY STAR Homes can help homeowners qualify for Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM). This program is a prerequisite for all the green building programs across the state. The average ENERGY STAR home saves $350 - $450 each year in utility bills. Take a tour of an ENERGY STAR home here.

North Carolina HealthyBuilt™ Homes
NC HealthyBuilt Homes is North Carolina’s premiere “green” building program. This innovative program was developed by the North Carolina Solar Center and does a great job of enforcing energy efficiency while allowing creative green design. The High Country now has a regional partnership with the NCHBH program through the Appalachian State University Energy Center.

Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)™
LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED, which is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. BPE is certified to offer the LEED certification to residential and commercial buildings.

Earthcraft House™
Earthcraft House, created in 1999, is a residential green building program of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association in partnership with Southface. Due to the program’s success, it is now implemented all across the southeastern United States, including North Carolina. To learn more, please visit www.earthcrafthouse.com.