Advocates of Green Building Develop Voluntary Standards For Residential Remodeling and New Home Construction MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Remodeling projects and new homes in Minnesota can now achieve "green" certification through a new voluntary program called Minnesota GreenStar: Certified Green Homes and Remodeling. Minnesota GreenStar is a collaborative effort between the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry-Minnesota and the environmental nonprofit Green Institute. The three founding organizations had been pursuing independent green building initiatives and recognized the value and enhanced opportunity by joining their efforts. Initial funding for program development was supported by a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The group announced the Minnesota GreenStar program today at a press conference in Saint Louis Park where a home at 2248 Drew Avenue South is seeking certification under the standards. "Minnesota is known as a forward-thinking state when it comes to the environment and this certification program enables homeowners to choose a product that carries on that tradition -- now and into the future," said Corey Brinkema, Executive Director of the Green Institute. "By certifying their home through Minnesota GreenStar, homeowners can be assured of a more durable and healthy home with lower operating costs and reduced demand on the environment." Green home certification will be administered through Minnesota GreenStar, which will provide a mandatory education program for builders and remodelers that outlines certification requirements and proven green building techniques. The program is based on green building standards that take into consideration Minnesota's unique climate concerns, building codes and material, energy and natural resources. Third party raters, such as Minneapolis-based Center for Energy and the Environment and St. Paul-based Neighborhood Energy Connection, will serve to verify through inspection and testing that projects meet the green criteria. "Our goal is to bring Minnesotans green homes that are affordable and appropriate for our region," said Joshua Fowler, Executive Vice President of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. "Our program can be tailored to fit the price range of any building or remodeling project and provides long term savings on things like natural gas, electricity, water and home maintenance."
