Builders may choose from a variety of Environments For Living® program levels, including Environments For Living® Certified Green and four different energy levels of the program -- Platinum, Gold and Silver. In addition, a Diamond energy level is available for builders seeking to achieve energy efficiency 50 percent above 2006 IECC.  (Please call for details about the Diamond-level specifications.)

For program specifications that apply to the flagship Environments For Living Certified Green program, please click here.

Environments For Living Program Requirements:

Platinum, Gold and Silver Energy Levels

You, the builder, play a key role in managing and customizing the Environments For Living program to suit your homes, your local market, and your business needs. The Environments For Living program is performance-based and not product-based. This means that you are free to use any manufacturer whose products meet the Program Requirements. The program is designed to provide you with maximum flexibility; however, with that flexibility comes responsibility.

Builder's Responsibilities:
As the builder, you shall:

• Design and construct your homes to include the Program Requirements.
• Remain solely responsible for the design and construction of your homes.
• Ensure that your appropriate subcontractors understand their responsibilities in meeting the Program Requirements. This shall include ensuring that these subcontractors have completed the Environments For Living program's field training. It may also include amending your current agreements with subcontractors to reflect new responsibilities.
• Make any adjustments in the sequencing of trades needed to ensure that the Program Requirements are met.
  
• Ensure that all applicable building codes are satisfied.
  
• Contact the Environments For Living program headquarters if you believe there is a Program Requirement that conflict with a building code requirement in your location.
• Comply with the requirements of the current International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for all items not addressed in the Program Requirements if you build in an area with no building code in effect.

Working together, it is our goal to provide you and your customers with a home that is healthier, more durable, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient.

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Framing:
There shall be an air barrier* enclosing the conditioned space.** Air barrier continuity is required throughout the structure, including at features such as knee walls, soffits, garage interfaces, intersecting walls, tubs and showers, and dropped ceilings.

*Air barriers define the location of the pressure boundary. The pressure boundary is defined as that location where 50% or more of the air pressure drop across an assembly occurs.

**The conditioned space is that area within a building provided with heating and/or cooling systems capable of maintaining a minimum of 50 degrees F during the heating season and a maximum of 85 degrees F during the cooling season, or which communicates directly with a conditioned space. (Reference: International Residential Building Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2000.)

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Thermal Envelope:
Insulation shall be installed according to manufacturer's specifications, which include attention paid to gaps, voids, compression and wind intrusion. Insulation and the air barrier shall be installed in physical contact with each other.

For Gold, Platinum and Diamond level homes, windows shall have a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.53 or lower in cold climates (Zone 7) and 0.40 or lower in other climates.

For Gold, Platinum and Diamond level homes, windows shall have an overall U-value as certified by the National Fenestration Ratings Council (NFRC) of .35 or lower in cold climates (Zone 7) and .75 or lower in other climates.

Climate regions shall be defined in the Department of Energy Climate Map.

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Air Tightness:
The air barrier separating the conditioned space from non-conditioned space shall be continuous.

Depending on the program level, homes shall meet the following performance criteria for air tightness:

All homes shall be measured using a blower door, following the test protocol described in the Environments For Living program's Testing Protocol.

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Pre Drywall:
Holes shall be sealed with a material capable of stopping airflow. Fibrous insulation shall not be used as an air barrier in any application.

All penetrations in the top and bottom plates shall be sealed, including bottom plates to concrete slabs.

All soffits, chases, drop ceilings, and tub and shower surrounds shall be capped with a rigid material capable of stopping airflow.

The insulation in knee walls shall be fastened in such a way that it will be in physical contact with the drywall/air barrier.

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Post Drywall:
Penetrations through drywall shall be sealed with a material capable of stopping airflow.

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Mechanicals:
Heating and Cooling System Design and Performance
Mechanical systems shall be sized according to the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual J^®. Room-by-room load calculations using the ACCA Manual J shall be submitted for each plan to verify sizing.

Furnaces, water heaters and boilers within conditioned spaces (including basements) shall be sealed combustion or power vented units. All other combustion appliances shall be vented to the outside. Vent-less fireplaces or space heaters are not allowed.

Airflow to each room shall match designed airflow calculations from the ACCA Manual J to within +/- 10% of the average requirements for that room based on the average of 4 orientations of that specific home.

Airflow across the indoor coil and/or heat exchanger shall conform to the manufacturer's specifications.

Refrigerant charge shall be installed per the manufacturer's specifications.

Inert gas (nitrogen) shall be used during any brazing/soldering of refrigerant lines.

Indoor and outdoor HVAC system components shall be "matched" according to the ARI Directory.

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Ducts:
Air supply and distribution ducts located in non-conditioned spaces shall be insulated with a minimum of R-6.

All duct connections shall be sealed with a Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed mastic product.

Depending on the program level, homes shall meet the following performance criteria for duct tightness:

Silver - 5% of the conditioned floor space area in cubic feet per minute or less at 25 pascals.
Gold - 3% of the conditioned floor space area in cubic feet per minute or less at 25 pascals.
Platinum - 3% of the conditioned floor space area in cubic feet per minute or less at 25 pascals. If ducts are within conditioned space, 7% of the conditioned floor space area in cubic feet per minute or less at 25 pascals.

Homes shall be measured with a duct test rig using the test protocol described in the Environments For Living program's Testing Protocol.

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Ventilation:
Outside air shall be provided in every home at a minimum rate of 7.5 cfm per person plus .01 cfm per square foot of conditioned floor area. Persons per home shall be calculated using the sum of the number of bedrooms plus 1. Outside air requirements shall not exceed the minimum rate requirement by more than 10% unless accounted for in the designed load calculations.

Outside air supplied by supply-only or balanced ventilation systems shall be filtered and shall include a manual damper or other means of control.

All kitchens shall have a spot ventilation system located at the cooking station(s) capable of exhausting 100 cfm to the outside.

All bathrooms shall have a ventilation system capable of exhausting 20 cfm continuous or 50 cfm intermittent to the outside.

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Pressure Balancing:
All rooms within the conditioned space - except baths and laundry - shall not exceed +/- 3 pascals pressure differential with respect to the outside when interior doors are closed and the air handler is operating. Additional returns, transfer grilles, or jump ducts may be needed to balance each room (not part of the Silver level program requirements).

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Carbon Monoxide Detectors:
Hardwired and removable (plug in type) carbon monoxide (CO) detectors shall be installed as follows in houses having attached garages, fireplaces, wood stoves, or combustion appliances:

• Removable detectors shall be installed within one foot of the ceiling (manufacturer must approve this location). A minimum of one detector per house level or story.
• Alarms shall be placed near or outside each sleeping area (one alarm can serve the typical three bedrooms at the end of a hall).
• In homes with two or more sleeping areas, one alarm for each area.
• Any bedroom having a fireplace shall have one alarm in the room in addition to the alarm outside that room.
• Homes with elevators that open to a garage must have one alarm near each elevator door opening to the interior of the residence.
• Detectors shall be installed in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations.

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Moisture Management:
Water management shall be provided as specified in the Energy and Environmental Building Association™ (EEBA) Water Management Guide.

Moisture that enters building assemblies shall be allowed to dry either to the interior, exterior or both sides.

Low permeance paints (less than 1 perm, ASTM E96), vinyl wallpaper, sheet polyethylene, foil-backed gypsum board, or any other low permeance material (less than 1 perm ASTM E96) shall not be used on the interior of walls and ceilings in Climate Zones 1-3.

Very low permeance materials (less than 0.1 perm, ASTM E96), such as polyethylene, shall not be used on the interior of walls and ceilings in Climate Zones 4-5.

Climate Zones shall be defined by the U.S. Department of Energy Climate Zone Map below.

For more information regarding the above, contact us at 866-912-7233.

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Testing Protocol:
Homes will be tested for duct tightness, air tightness and pressure balancing. Visual inspections shall be done for framing, thermal envelope, ventilation and carbon monoxide detectors.

All tests and inspections will be performed by a party authorized by the Environments For Living program.

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Testing Frequency:
Participating Homes
The first two production homes of each plan within a subdivision will be tested and inspected for compliance with the Program Requirements. At least 10% of all homes in the subdivision will be tested and inspected for compliance with the Program Requirements.

Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond Production Homes
The first two production homes of each plan within a subdivision will be tested and inspected for compliance with the Program Requirements. At least 15% of all homes in the subdivision will be tested and inspected for compliance with the Program Requirements.

Custom and "Plus" Homes
All homes shall be tested and inspected for compliance with the Program Requirements.

The Environments For Living program reserves the right to amend the testing frequency as may be necessary to assure compliance with these program requirements, in which case additional fees may be required.

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