Clean Energy Resource Teams

Buildings are responsible for three quarters of all electricity usage, and about half (48%) of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Green buildings use less energy, are more durable and healthier for occupants, and save money on operating costs. Green building is more than an “add-on” technology—design and planning are critical, as a recent article, Go Green and Get Lean, in Precision Manufacturing Journal demonstrates.

Contents	Green Building expert	Quick connect
General Info and Guides	US Green Building Council	CERTs blog posts
Certification	Mississippi Headwaters Chapter	CERTs case studies
Benchmarking	Web site	CERTs presentations
Case Studies	info@usgbcmn.org

General Info and Guides

back to top

Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide – University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Building Research
Web-based guide out of the University of Minnesota that serves as an educational resource and decision support tool for building designers and owners.

Green Remodeling: Tips for Minnesota Homeowners – MN Office of Environmental Assistance
A comprehensive site that takes homeowners and residents through the process of building green, from product choice to financing options.

Green Buildings: Adding environmental features to construction projects
Booklet that describes features and process for their inclusion in the Saint Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium’s office space in Saint Paul. To contact the Consortium, call (651) 221-4462.

SustAIAnability2030 Toolkit – American Institute of Architects
AIA believes that good design is inquisitive and considers many potential solutions. To that extent, this toolkit asks questions that we invite you to explore and consider the linked resources. The toolkit is divided into three sections: advocacy, design, and community.

The Green Home Guide
Comprehensive resources for residential green building by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Architecture 2030
A bold effort to develop a path for all new buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030.

HOME-SMART – Minnesota Building Industry Foundation
This Web site was created to help resolve and answer Minnesota consumer questions on a variety of topics ranging from choosing a homebuilder to maintenance questions. Two key features are a helpful guide for homeowners and monthly checklists.

Certification

back to top

Minnesota GreenStar Certified Green Homes and Remodeling
Minnesota GreenStar introduces is a new green building standard and certification program for new homes and remodeling.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – U.S. Green Building Council
Green building rating system that uses 50 credits to rate the energy and environmental efficiency of buildings.

Minnesota Green Communities
This initiative is designed to foster the creation of affordable, healthier, and more energy-efficient housing throughout the state of Minnesota. Minnesota Green Communities is a statewide collaboration of the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, the Family Housing Fund, and Enterprise.

Passive House Institute U.S.
The Passive House program, started in Germany, pushes the limits of green design by reducing energy usage 90% versus a typical building. The Skyline Home in Duluth used Passive House as a basis.

Benchmarking

back to top

Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) – Nat’l Institute of Standards and Technology
Software program that measures the environmental performance (using the environmental life-cycle assessment approach specified in ISO 14000 standards) and economic performance (using the ASTM standard life cycle cost method) of building materials; (202) 260-1023.

News

back to top

Environmental Building News
Monthly periodical that provides information on environmentally responsible design and construction, including articles about specific products.

U.S. Green Building Council – Minnesota Headwaters Chapter
The local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Sign up to their chapter email list to keep up to date on Minnesota events.

Case Studies

back to top

CERTs Green Buildings Case Studies

A Minneapolis Bungalow goes Green
Case study of green remodeling of a Minneapolis home. Carolyn Brouillard writes about her experience remodeling to MN GreenStar standards for the Twin Cities Bungalow Club newsletter.