This Earth Day Puget Sound Access investigates the success and future of Built Green homes. Leah Missik is the Program Manager of Built Green, a non-profit arm of The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish County. Puget Sound Access also brought on Anthony Maschmedt, the Owner/Principal of Dwell Development, a Seattle builder who recently built a Net Zero energy home in Ballard.

Built Green ratings range from 3-Star, 4-Star, 5-Star to Emerald Star; and there are many factors in determining the efficiency of a new home. Along with energy usage there are use of construction materials, water use, and indoor air quality. The Built Green program is advocating to make these types of homes easier and less costly through policy as well as advances in technology. Two years ago Dwell Development built Seattle’s first Emerald Star home and with two years of data now available, the results show that it is more efficient than thought. Over the course of each year, the owners of this home actually sell energy back to the grid. Learn more online at www.builtgreen.net or www.mba-ks.com/ and watch an impressive video about the Emerald Star home here www.dwelldevelopment.com/video/

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