Green Home Choice Certification_Arlington, VA

   

What is Green Home Choice?

Green Home Choice is a free, voluntary green home certification program sponsored by Arlington County. The homes are awarded points for being energy and resource efficient, sustainable and for providing a healthy living environment. In addition to certificates, program participants are offered lawn signs, recognition by the County Board in an annual reception, media attention and builder and designer recognition on this website.

Check out recently certified projects, above, the five quick steps to certifying your home below, and contact us at [email protected]  if you have questions or would like to participate!

How to Get Started

Get Started with the Green Home Choice Certification Process - this five-step process will guide you through the way to your more comfortable, sustainable and resource-efficient home.

The Green Home Choice certification process, requires an initial meeting with the program manager, filing a scoresheet and application, two inspections, and completing a homeowner’s manual with some documentation.


Approximately how long does it take for a home to get certified?  

Homes generally earn their certification within a few days of the completion of the final inspection and submittal of any necessary documentation.


What is the cost for a single family home?  

There is no cost to complete the Green Home Choice certification; however, for new homes either a Home Energy Rating (HERS) Score or ENERGY STAR home certification must also be completed and there is a cost associated with both of these rating systems.


What makes you different from other certifications?

Green Home Choice certification is free, very flexible in terms of credit documentation and bonus points, and the certification can be completed immediately once the home construction is finished.

Do you focus primarily on energy efficiency or multiple elements for certification and what are they?   

Yes the majority of the credits within the program are related to energy efficiency and the discussions with the program manager focus on all aspects of the home that are related to energy efficiency. Green Home Choice is a sub-program within the Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy, such that energy efficiency is the primary mission of the program.


Approximately how many certifications have been completed?

220 certifications have been completed to date.


Please describe the region you cover, if not national.

Green Home Choice is available only to homes within Arlington County, VA.


Are renovations/remodels eligible for certification, or is it primarily new construction?

Yes renovations, remodels and additions area eligible for Green Home Choice certification.

Any other information you’d like to share?

A study of actual energy use within Green Home Choice certified homes shows that on a per square foot basis, Green Home Choice homes use 40% less energy than the average U.S. Home, and that renovations are 48% more energy efficient post-renovation than prior to the renovation. In addition, despite the fact that Green Home Choice renovation projects add an average of 1,000 s.f. during the renovation process, the average total energy use post-construction is 26 percent less than the average energy use pre-construction.