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Beyond the label: The real impact of sustainable certifications
1. How many green home certifications are there in North America?
There are over 80 accreditation programs across the United States alone. In Canada, there are at least 10 green home certifications of which homebuilders can rate their homes. Altogether, there are at least 90 home certifications, which means more options for all involved in the homebuilding/buying process; potentially leading to a greener, more energy-efficient world.
2. What are the most prolific green home certifications in North America?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the world’s most widely used green building rating system. Other well-known green home certification programs include:
National Association of Home Builders’ National Green Building Program
Built Green
Passive House
ENERGY STAR®
ENERGY STAR® NextGen
EPA Indoor airPlus
Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH),
Zero Energy Homes (ZEH),
plus many more.
All certifications have advantages and disadvantages, and Fantech advises you to choose one that most closely relates to you or your customer’s goals.
Our very own environmental performance benchmark guides you toward the most sustainable solutions within our portfolio. Only products that meet a set of easily verifiable minimum requirements in terms of energy-efficiency, indoor air quality, safety, and the like are entitled to receive the Green Ventilation™ label.
3. Are your products Passive House or LEED-certified?
Products with HVI certification count toward the Passive House Institute of the United States (PHIUS) Certification Programs, but our products do not count toward Passive House Institute (PHI, the Germany/Europe program) certification.
Fantech products may contribute towards earning points needed for LEED certification related to air quality improvement. Some examples include the following:
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Fresh air appliances (HRV/ERV)
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Makeup air systems
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Bathroom exhaust fan options
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Inline fans and more
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4. What does a certified Passive House look like?
Passive Houses are low-energy, high-performance structures. Passive House structures use airtight construction in the structure’s walls, windows, and roof to cut energy consumption without compromising indoor comfort. Furthermore, one of the main selling points of Passive House certification is creating a structure that focuses on using energy efficiently.
Passive House certified structures generally feature fresh air appliances with energy recovery (also known as HRVs or ERVs) to provide fresh air throughout the structure and to minimize heating and cooling demands.
We covered the Bay View House, which is a Passive House that utilizes a HERO 150H-EC HRV.
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6. What are Zero Energy homes?
Sometimes referred to as zero net energy homes or net zero homes, zero energy homes (ZEH) generate as much power as they use. Zero energy homes use elements such as
Solar power,
A larger quantity of insulation in ceilings, walls, floors & basements,
High-efficiency windows & doors, and
Balanced ventilation with energy recovery to offset the carbon emissions the home exudes.
The (S)Efficient House is a net zero home and uses a FIT® 120E Fresh Air Appliance with Energy Recovery (ERV).
7. Do Zero Energy Homes ensure a healthy indoor environment?
Zero energy homes can use balanced (or supply- or exhaust-only) ventilation to remove stale air from the home and deliver fresh air into the home. With improved insulation and ventilation, zero energy homes supply fresh air continuously while keeping indoor temperatures generally constant to provide a comfortable and healthy home.
Both our prioAIR EC inline fan series and our HERO EC Fresh Air Appliances can help you reach a zero net rating.
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8. What does a Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) look like?
A Department of Energy, Zero Energy Ready Home, or DOE ZERH, high-performance home can offset all energy produced when connected to a renewable energy source. An increased importance is placed on fresh air ventilation, as 3 or more air changes are required per day.
Other facets of a DOE ZERH include:
Highly insulated
Pathways for designers to install solar and electric vehicle charging
Energy-efficient HVAC systems
LED lighting for improved longevity and energy-efficiency
High-performance windows to reduce heat loss
ENERGY STAR-certified appliances
Low-emission building materials
All-electric readiness
Efficient water heating
Fantech offers many ENERGY STAR-certified fans for a supply-/exhaust-only pressure system, bathroom fans for local exhaust, or balanced ventilation systems to help you meet DOE ZERH requirements. Just look for the ENERGY STAR® logo on our products!
9. What is an ENERGY STAR® certified home or apartment?
Another highly recognized certification, an ENERGY STAR-certified home or apartment offers better durability, better comfort, and smaller utility and maintenance costs than traditional living spaces. These spaces meet strict requirements by the EPA, and they utilize:
High-efficiency HVAC systems,
Acoustical engineering,
Maintain consistent temperatures, and
Are 10%+ more energy efficient than living spaces built to code.
Fantech's parent company, Systemair, is a registered partner on the EPA website. Some of our products, like our HERO series of Fresh Air Appliances or our FG EC inline fan series, are ENERGY STAR® certified.
10. What is an ENERGY STAR® NextGen home or apartment?
Are 20% more efficient than structures built to code
Help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40–80%
Support comfort and well-being for the occupant
How is this possible? These spaces feature heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and electric cooking appliances for comfort and safety. Using these types of appliances can also improve indoor air quality by reducing the amount of harmful combustion by-products in the air. They are also solar-ready.
11. What is an EPA Indoor airPLUS certified home?
Another home certification is the EPA’s Indoor airPLUS certification. This certification builds off the foundation of EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification requirements for new homes by providing additional construction specifications to protect indoor air quality in new homes. These specifications help homebuilders improve the indoor air quality of the home. Some construction specifications include:
Combustion-venting systems
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Mechanical ventilation systems
High-efficiency HVAC systems
Low-no VOC emitting building materials
Moisture control systems
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Radon-resistant construction
For GOLD certification, there are many necessary and significant requirements regarding ventilation. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
12. What is a green home or business?
Most homes and businesses these days are considered green. Green homes and buildings utilize appliances that do not expend a large number of resources, such as low-flow toilets or energy-saving appliances.
Owning a home and/or building that is considered green can be as simple as installing ENERGY STAR® certified windows and using LED lightbulbs.
Each step that is taken to improve energy-efficiency makes your or your customers’ homes more energy-efficient and releases less carbon into the world.
While energy efficiency is important, wellness should not be overlooked. Therefore, the next step above a green home or business is a green, healthy home or business.
13. What kind of materials are used in a green, healthy home?
While green homes improve the energy of your home, ventilation and filtration products help improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) of your home.
Green, healthy homes use locally sourced products to save energy costs from transporting the materials. They also use components such as:
Low- or no-VOC, water-based paints
Non-toxic glues to hold building components together
Fit carpets that use natural wool with natural dye
Overall, green, healthy homes incorporate materials that emit low- to zero-VOCs and utilize a sustainable ventilation system to supply fresh air throughout the home and to exhaust stale, indoor air from the home.
14. What advantages will I receive from building or buying a home that adheres to green home certification guidelines?
Depending on what guidelines your home adheres to, your home is or will be more energy-conscious than homes that are 10-20 years older than yours. Additionally, some states offer tax relief in the form of credits, rebates, and incentives.
Green homes also use recycled and sustainable products and energy-efficient systems. These homes induce less waste pollution while the home is in use and after the home is no longer usable. Energy-efficient systems help drive down operation costs yet still deliver the performance of high-energy systems.
While these types of homes do have their drawbacks—particularly in the higher cost of sustainable materials—they can save homeowners money in the long run. Also, they are durable, they create a healthier living space, and these homes can have a higher valuation than their traditional counterparts.
You can have a green, healthy home or building without having to break the bank. Check out the (S)Efficient House that uses a fresh air appliance that just ‘FITs'.
15. I’ve heard sustainable ventilation uses natural ventilation instead of mechanical ventilation, is that true?
There are structures designed to use natural ventilation over mechanical ventilation. We are bridging the gap between the two by using low-energy ventilation systems to bring fresh air indoors. We have specific ENERGY STAR® certified products designed for this purpose, and most of our product lines use electronically commutated (EC) motors to deliver the power equivalency of an alternating current (AC) fan, but with much less energy output.
Our FIT 120E-D-EC-M has a optimal CFM/W of 2.2 (51 CFM).
16. How are homes rated?
For the most part, homes are rated based upon their Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index score. With a baseline of 100, the lower the score, the more efficient the home is. Thus, a home with a score of 50 is 50% more energy-efficient than a standard new home.
Other rating systems include the SITES and PEER rating systems, which focus more on commercial energy-efficient infrastructure.