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The Environments For Living® program’s new top tier is Diamond Class, which requires that homes meet all of the Environments For Living program’s Platinum-level requirements and exceed the Platinum level in one or more of several key components of green building, such as energy efficiency, water conservation and advanced IAQ.
Builders may achieve the Diamond Class label by satisfying the requirements of one of two tracks.
Under Track I, the home must satisfy the new, more stringent energy efficiency and related requirements established under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Builders may be eligible for a federal tax credit for homes that qualify under this track.
Under Track II, builders must satisfy energy efficiency, water efficiency and indoor air quality specifications of the program. For energy efficiency, builders must meet the energy efficiency requirements of the program’s Platinum level. These requirements are consistent with those of the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Building America” program.
These requirements are outlined below.
Track 1:
Advanced Energy Efficiency
- Satisfy the energy efficiency and related requirements established under the Energy Policy of 2005
- Complete the Diamond Class Training
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Track 2:
Advanced Energy Efficiency
- Platinum Level Performance
- All homes shall meet the program’s Platinum Level requirements
- Complete the Diamond Class Training
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Enhanced Water Efficiency
All homes shall have the following indoor water efficiency features:
- Low-flow shower heads and faucets
- 1.6 gallons per minute or less at 80 psi
- High performance toilets
- 1.6 gallons per flush
- Score of 300 (minimum 300 gram flush media) on the MaP test (maximum performance test) and comply with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s* Requirements for Ultra-Low-Flush Toilets, Supplementary Purchase Specification (see http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp006244.pdf for approved list of toilets)
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Energy Efficient Dishwashers
- Must be ENERGY STAR qualified
- Capacity greater than or equal to eight settings and six serving pieces – compact dishwashers are not eligible
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Optional Features for Enhanced Water Efficiency:
- High-Performance Clothes Washers
For additional indoor water savings, builders may provide horizontal axis clothes washer with a Modified Energy Factor no less than 1.6 and a Water Factor no less than 8.5. (See Consortium for Energy Efficiency*, http://www.cee1.org for information)
- Outdoor Water Efficiency
Many state and local governments are establishing specifications for water efficient landscapes and irrigation systems. Provided they do not conflict with any state or local requirement, the following outdoor water efficiency features are recommended:
- Water Efficient Landscapes
- Limit the amount of turf to no more than 50% of total landscape area
- Avoid planting under trees and shrub
- Minimize irregularly shaped turf areas
- Avoid planting turf in areas with a southern or western exposure
- Use lower-water-use turfs instead of Kentucky Blue Grass
- Select plants for their suitability and adaptability for the specific growing area (as defined by the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map - see http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html)
- Include a variety of suitable trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses in plant lists
- Do not mix plants with different water requirements in the same watering zone
- Use low-moderate to low-water-use shrubs in planting areas
- Cover all non-turf landscape areas with a 2-4 inch layer of mulch, which may be made from organic (preferred) or inorganic material
- Irrigation Systems
- Designed by a certified irrigation system designer to achieve distribution uniformities of 70% in turf areas and 80% in other landscaped areas
- Install pressure regulating valves where necessary and as specified by the manufacturer to limit working pressures at the irrigation heads to prevent misting and overspray
- Include a “Smart Irrigation Controller” in irrigation design to manage irrigation applications. “Smart Irrigation Controller” should create an appropriate irrigation schedule automatically and have a rain shut-off device. Place Controller in automatic operation mode after an initial establishment period.
- Use a landscape contractor certified by the Irrigation Association for residential system installation to install irrigation system, and require that the contractor follow all manufacturer instructions
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Advanced Indoor Air Quality
The Diamond Class level offers builders two options for its advanced indoor air quality (IAQ) package:
- Environments For Living program’s Advanced IAQ package, and;
The
- American Lung Association® Health House® program. Under this level, builders also may take advantage of an optional Indoor Air Quality Equipment Package that can be used with either IAQ package. This IAQ Equipment Package is available even if the Builder does not select the Diamond Class level.
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Environments For Living program’s Advanced IAQ Package
The following are requirements for Environments For Living program’s Advanced IAQ Package:
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Air Tightness
- The air barrier separating the conditioned space from the non-conditioned space must be continuous and meet an air tightness of .25 cfm or less per square foot of envelope area at 50 pascals
- The door between the house and the garage must have spring-loaded hinges
- There shall be no less than 49 pascals pressure difference across the house to garage wall during the air tightness test
- Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning
- The air handler must be located inside the thermal envelope
- Seal all supply and return boot to house connections with a UL listed mastic product
- Filtration
- All filters must have a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of no less than 10
- Central Vacuum
- Homes where carpet exceeds 70% of the conditioned floor area shall have a central vacuum system, with the system installation vented to the outdoors (can be exhausted to the home interior if the air is HEPA filtered or equal)
- Crawl Space
- When state and local code allows, crawl spaces shall be constructed as a tempered space separated from the outdoor and sub-soil atmospheres
- Where vented crawl spaces are required: The thermal, air and vapor control shall be in the floor between the crawlspace and the house
- Finishes and Furnishings
- Carpet products shall carry the Carpet Rug Institute (CRI) IAQ label
- Tack strips or factory supplied non-wet-low Volatile Organic Compound adhesives shall be used to install carpet
- Urea-formaldehyde wood products shall not be used under carpets
- Composite Materials (inside thermal boundary)
- Composite products shall meet HUD’s formaldehyde emission standard or be sealed with laminates or sealers
- If sealing is impractical, composite materials that use phenol-formaldehyde or diisocyanate glues shall be used
- Gypsum Board
- Only cementitious board or fiberglass covered gypsum board shall be used in wet areas (tub and shower surrounds)
- Vinyl Wallpaper
-Vinyl wallpaper on exterior or either side of wet walls (bath and kitchen) shall not be used in hot humid climates (more than 20 inches of annual precipitation, and approximately 4,500 heating degree days or less and where the monthly average outdoor temperature remains above 45° in the winter months) or humid mixed climates (more than 20 inches of annual precipitation, and 4,500 heating degree days or less, and where the monthly average outdoor temperature drops below 45° in the winter months)
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American Lung Association® Health House® Program
Builders may satisfy the Diamond Class level’s IAQ package by meeting the requirements of the American Lung Association® Health House® program. Builder’s choosing this option for a house will, upon satisfaction of this program’s specifications, be able to earn an American Lung Association® Health House® program designation for that house. Additional conditions must be satisfied under this option, including, among others, signing a separate builder agreement with the American Lung Association of Minnesota (“ALA of MN”) for participation in the Health House® program, complying with the Health House® program’s guidelines (which are available from ALA of MN, a division of the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest at www.healthhouse.org) and testing every home participating in this program. Builders selecting this option are also subject to additional fees.
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Advanced IAQ Equipment Package
Builders may choose to offer an advanced IAQ equipment package, which is based on four pillars of improving indoor air quality: source elimination, ventilation, cleaning/purification, and monitoring. IAQ equipment requirements include the following Lennox® equipment.
- Variable Speed Furnace (G61V or G60V)
- Healthy Climate ERV/HRV - ERV for warm/humid climates, HRV for cooler climates (ERV1 - 150/HRV1-150)
- Healthy Climate Pure Air™ Purification system (PCO-20C)
- Healthy Climate HEPA By Pass (HEPA- 40/60) True HEPA - 99.97% efficient
- Healthy Climate Germicidal light UV2000 - 2000 microwatts
- Evaporator Coil with Foil Faced insulation and a composite drain pan incorporating MicroBan® or blower coil with a composite drain pan incorporating MicroBan® Option
- Healthy Climate Power Humidifier for cold/dry climates (WP2 - 18)
CEE and CWCC are not affiliated with or sponsors of the Environments For Living program.
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