Homes with a Higher Standard

Planning to buy or build a home? Ask if it meets the Florida Green Home Standard. The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) has established home building benchmarks which address specific regional issues. The FGBC’s mission is "to provide a statewide green building program with environmental and economic benefits."

To gain Florida Green Home Standard certification, the builder uses the FGBC sustainability checklist for planning. When construction is complete, a third party inspector reviews the job.

The Florida Green Home Standard checklist has eight categories.

• Energy – based on projected performance 
• Water – efficient use indoor and outdoor 
• Lot Choice – promotes use of existing infrastructure, mass transit, public open space, and community resources 
• Site – protects local habitat 
• Health – addresses air quality and contaminants 
• Materials – waste reduction and sustainable materials. 
• Disaster Mitigation – includes termite protection. 
• General – credit for smaller house size, adaptability, renewable power generation 

For more details on the FGBC Green Home Standard, see http://www.floridagreenbuilding.org.
To learn more about home Green Certification Programs, download this fact sheet (pdf)