WHAT IS EARTHCRAFT?

EarthCraft Virginia is a green building program that serves as a blueprint for healthy comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment. The aim of the program is to help home builders be leaders in smart growth management and environmental stewardship.

WHY EARTHCRAFT?

Building an EarthCraft house is about constructing a healthy, more valuable home while minimizing environmental impacts. EarthCraft follows a systems approach to home building that stresses an understanding of how the different components of a home work together. This approach results in a home that performs better, is more economical for the homeowner and costs little more to build than a comparable home built with standard construction practices.

Today’s home buyers want to get the most house for their money. In addition to paying a monthly mortgage, home owners must also pay for utilities, maintenance and repair. All of these factors must be taken into consideration when determining the true cost of home ownership. A durable energy efficient house can be more economical and affordable even if it has a higher asking price than another home built with standard construction practices.

WHAT ARE THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS?

Any size or style of home at any price point can achieve EarthCraft certification by meeting the program criteria . These guidelines are flexible to allow for a variety of approaches to environmental construction. EarthCraft House guidelines address energy efficiency, durability, indoor air quality, resource efficiency, waste management, and water conservation.

To achieve EarthCraft House certification, homes must meet ENERGY STAR certification criteria, including achieving passing scores from diagnostic tests for air infiltration and duct leakage. In addition, each house must achieve a minimum of 150 points from a scoring sheet. Select and Premium status are awarded to homes that meet additional criteria and achieve 200 and 230 points, respectively. All EarthCraft certified homes will also be awarded ENERGY STAR certification.

EarthCraft House guidelines include the following categories:

• Site Planning
• Energy Efficient Building Envelope and Systems
• Resource Efficient Design
• Resource Efficient Building Materials
• Waste Management
• Indoor Air Quality
• Water Conservation (Indoor and Outdoor)
• Homeowner Education
• Builder Operations
• Bonus/Innovation Points

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?

Contact Green Valley Builders, check out our Mount Tabor Meadows development , or visit EarthCraft Virginia to learn more!