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Third-Party Raters
There are three major classifying organizations that rate homes for energy efficiency, health,
durability and environmental impact. These voluntary independent rating systems require stringent
building standards and good planning. Meadowlark Builders strives to uphold these standards in all
of our building projects. These rating systems are the following:
- LEED for Homes – An acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED is the certification program for the US Green Building Council. The LEED program is a nationally recognized and stringent standard for building homes that use less energy, water and natural resources while creating healthier and more comfortable homes for the occupants.
LEED certified homes have a 4-tier rating system; LEED certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold and LEED Platinum. It is difficult to reach the highest ratings, and generally a home that does reach Gold or Platinum status has been designed from the ground up to be a very high performance and integrated system. Meadowlark Builders is proud to be building the first LEED certified home in Ann Arbor, and we expect that project to be among the best homes in the nation with a LEED Gold status.
- Green Built Michigan is a rating system similar to LEED for Homes that is operated in affiliation with The Michigan Association of Home Builders and the National Association of Home Builders. It is a stringent program that encompasses many of the same factors in how to build a quality, energy efficient home. This program also has a Bronze, Silver, and Gold rating system, and is organized from the State level.
- The Energy Star program is a federal program that rates homes, appliances, and a myriad of other products for energy performance. To qualify for the above-mentioned rating systems, a house must be at least an Energy Star home. While rated higher than the code minimum for Michigan, it is not difficult for a builder to achieve this rating. Sadly, most houses don’t meet these requirements. Higher classifications within the Energy Star rating system become progressively harder to achieve. As energy prices increase, the basic designation will at some point probably become code minimum.
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